Crafting a Marketing Message that Stands Out

Beverly Flaxington

Beverly Flaxington is a practice management consultant. She answers questions from advisors facing human resource issues. To submit yours, email us here.

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Dear Bev,

I just joined our advisory firm and have been reviewing our materials. My background is compliance, so that’s the eye I am using, but as I read through our materials, I realize we aren’t saying very much. Yes, we are Independent, flat-fee, our gains and losses are tied to the same metrics as our clients, we are fiduciaries putting our client’s needs above all else and we use an objective investment framework. This is all blah-blah-blah. I have worked at five other RIAs and they could all say these exact same things. It is possible to create a message to talk about what we do that is actually different? I’m dubious to suggest this or take on this initiative without some confidence there would a light at the end of the tunnel.

Rich S.

Dear Rich,

The ongoing dilemma – how do you stand out in a crowded market and one where everyone, essentially, is doing much of the same thing? Professional services marketing can be tough because there is nothing to touch or feel. You can’t tout bells and whistles, or fancy gadgets. You are selling a service and each of us will place a different value on a service depending on what we deem to be important to us.