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Best Practices Blog

Best Practices for Writing a Business Plan ... with Joe Lukacs and Marie Swift

12/7/2020

 
On November 11, 2020, Coach Joe Lukacs of the Magellan Mastermind & Network joined Marketing Maven Marie Swift to discuss Best Practices for Writing a Business Plan. The webinar gave a sneak peek into some of the topics that will be covered during Joe's December multi-day virtual conference. This webinar provides great value and is provided without cost to friends of Impact Communications. 

GOOD NEWS: 
Joe has WAIVED the timeframe in which you need to sign up for his multi-day Business Planning Workshop (happening virtually Tuesday Dec. 15, Wednesday Dec. 16, Thursday Dec. 17 and Friday Dec. 18, 2020).

Friends of Impact can sign up without a hard deadline and still get the special price of $495 (full-price is $895).

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Summary of "Conversations That Matter" Survey and Live Audience Poll Conducted 11/20/20 via RIA Channel Webinar

11/21/2020

 
Did you miss yesterday's webinar where I shared an overview of the Conversations That Matter project? The replay and paper will be available soon, but meanwhile, here is a really nice recap from Lee Barney at PLANADVISER Magazine. Thank you, Lee, for joining us and for this excellent summary.

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The Sketch Guy, Carl Richards, CFP, Speaks with Marie Swift: On Being a Guide in a Changing Landscape

11/18/2020

 
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In this Swift Chat video conversation, I speak with author / speaker / thought leader Carl Richards. The topic: Why advisors should think of themselves as a guide in a changing landscape, not a seller of certainty or a defender of an outdated map.

Carl is a Certified Financial Planner™ and creator of the Sketch Guy column, appearing weekly in The New York Times since 2010. Carl has also been featured on Marketplace Money, Oprah.com, and Forbes.com. In addition, Carl has become a frequent keynote speaker at financial planning conferences and visual learning events around the world.

In this blog post, you will find an excerpt  from the forthcoming  paper, Conversations That Matter, a video interview with  Carl Richards, and an invitation to the webinar via RIA Channel where I'll be joined by  Bob Veres, Shannon Stone, and Heather  Kelly.


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Conversations That Matter: Invitation to Participate in Survey for Independent Financial Advisors

9/29/2020

 
Impact Communications is writing a Special Report called “Conversations That Matter: Addressing Client Concerns, Hopes and Dreams During Uncertain Times.”  This is an opportunity for independent financial advisors to weigh in on 2020's pandemic and economic realities.

We are especially interested in hearing your stories:
  • How did you adjust when the COVID-19 lockdowns, market turbulence, and business realities became apparent?
  • Where have you gone the extra mile? What have your clients valued most? 
  • Are you getting new business? Why do you think that is (or is not)?

Don't miss this opportunity to share your opinions. The survey will close October 13, 2020 at 10:00 am CT.

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TechGirl Financial has Doubled-Down on Communications throughout the Covid Crisis - Marie Swift and Victor Gaxiola Provide the How and the Why

7/15/2020

 
In this Swift Chat video conversation, Marie Swift of Impact Communications speaks with Victor Gaxiola, co-founder of TechGirl Financial. The topic: How communications have changed for financial advisors and their clients due to the coronavirus lock-downs and why TechGirl Financial decided to double-down on their communications.

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Coach Joe Lukacs Provides Advice for Growth-Minded Financial Advisors in Swift Chat - View Video and Transcript Here

5/30/2020

 
In this Swift Chat video conversation, I speak with Joe Lukacs, founder of Magellan Mastermind & Network. We discuss client communications and marketing financial services in a digital world where so many more people are working from home, seeking good information and advice, and feeling the stress that has come with the COVID-19 lock-downs.

Joe and I talk about the best ways for advisors to "create their own economies" during these challenging times -- and beyond.

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How the ACP System™ Reduces Anxiety – for Advisors and Their Clients – During Market Downturns

5/4/2020

 
In this Swift Chat video conversation, I speak with financial advisors Hannah Basil Bryant, CFP®, and Chip Simon, CFP®, who explain how the ACP System™ helps advisors maintain their client base (and their revenue) and why their clients feel safe and secure through market downturns, even during the current worldwide health and financial crisis. 

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Reviewing Tax Returns Can Help Financial Advisors Reassure Clients and Find Planning Opportunities

4/13/2020

 
Providing insights on tax strategies could be especially helpful for financial planners and their clients right now. No matter what happens with the pandemic and the markets, taxes will be due this year, next year, every year. Reviewing tax returns and providing advice on related planning opportunities can set you apart from the competition. And the good news is that you, as a professional financial advisor, don’t have to become an expert in every little bit of the new and ever-evolving tax code. Nor do you have to maintain a spreadsheet of your own. Now, with the advent of Holistiplan, you can focus more on advising your clients and reassuring them that you are watching out for them, not inputting data and crunching numbers the old fashioned way.

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Snappy Kraken Waives Set-Up Fees, Freezes Prices and Enhances their Automated Marketing System for Financial Advisors

3/27/2020

 
Snappy Kraken continues to be proactive on behalf of advisors during these challenging times, retooling their business model to ensure that advisors can benefit from their offerings to better serve clients amidst the current pandemic.
​
On Thursday, March 26, 2020, Snappy Kraken sent an open letter to all advisors and to WealthTech firms, describing the changes and encouraging the other tech companies to similarly help advisors address their challenges.

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Virtual Focus Groups Help Advisors Refine Client Communication Strategies During Times of Extreme Duress

3/25/2020

 
Every investment advisor is facing it: How to stay in contact with their clients and help them to avoid panic and sell off at a market low – especially during this extraordinary time.
 
With anxiety levels high, advisors have been called on to communicate with their clients to provide them with factual information and calm fears. But how much communication is too much or too technical; or causes more, not less anxiety?
Here’s your answer: Conduct a virtual focus group.
Better yet, let a professional conduct a virtual focus group for you.

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Webcast on January 16, 2020 to Reveal Advisor Marketing Trends and What Motivates Current and Prospective Clients to Take Action

1/12/2020

 
Financial advisors who want to understand the changes they will need to make to be a more effective marketer in 2020 will want to attend this webinar and learn:

The Latest Advisor Marketing Trends Revealed in New Study: Over 9.3 Million Data Points Analyzed Prove What Motivates Prospects and Clients to Take Action

This is the most comprehensive report and data analysis ever conducted on advisor-specific digital marketing, and the results set benchmark standards for the 2020 marketing landscape.

For the first time ever, we will be seeing the scientific findings and objective data analysis mined from 14,229 marketing campaigns deployed by financial advisors in 2019.

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Who's More Influential: Celebrities or Peers?

8/22/2019

 
​Earlier this week, Financial Planning magazine's editorial team asked me to weigh in on an important topic: Celebrity endorsements and whether or not they present a hazard for individual investors. I'm in this camp: Using celebrities as spokespersons for a wealth management brand is risky. Today's well-regarded celeb may be tomorrow's headline scandal or has-been persona. While some of my comments did make it into the article, I thought I'd take my own advice and do something we tell our clients to do: Share full press responses in the form of a blog post if not all of the comments are used (totally get it that there are space constraints and other competing interests happening for any journalist trying to craft a good story while writing on deadline).
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Tips for Financial Advisors on Being Different, Standing Out: A Conversation with Claire Aiken and Marie Swift

7/26/2019

 
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A few weeks ago, Claire Aiken of Indigo Marketing asked me to be her guest on her marketing podcast. I was delighted to accept. In this 20-minute conversation we discuss:

  • The biggest new marketing opportunities for advisors
  • How advisors can stand out with podcasts and videos
  • The steps to clarify your ideal niche
  • The easiest way to record high-quality videos for your website
  • How to communicate your specialty without alienating people
  • How to stand out from other financial advisors

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Kelly Adams of Harbor Light Planning On: Using the ACP Model to Grow Your Advisory Practice

4/10/2019

 
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Kelly Adams, fee-only financial advisor and founder of Harbor Light Planning. Kelly is a NAPFA-Registered Advisor (National Association of Personal Financial Advisors) as well as a member of the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners (ACP), and during our discussion shared with our listeners how she has used the ACP model and methodology to grow her advisory practice.
​
Click here to listen to the audio recording.
 
A transcript of the interview is posted below.

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    About
    This Blog

    Welcome to the “Best Practices in the Financial Services Industry” blog, where you will find ideas and tips from Marie Swift, a nationally-recognized marketing communications consultant who's worked with some of the top financial services and financial advisory firms in the nation over the course of her career. The "Swift Chat" series, which is available in both a video and a podcast format, is co-hosted by Impact Communications Vice President Jonny Swift, who selects his own guests and brings a Millennial perspective to the show. This blog spotlights financial services firms and allied institutions that the Swifts deem as adopting "Best Practices" in the industry. You will find numerous posts with tools and ideas aimed at helping independent financial advisors communicate better, scale, and grow.

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    Swift Chats makes the list: Fifteen Must-Listen Financial Podcasts | WealthManagement.com | November 2021
     
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