401(k) Specialist Issue 4 - 2021 - 38

401(k) CLIENT CONNECTION
Unspoken Benefits of a Quality Reputation
By Rebecca Hourihan, AIF, PPC
IN LIFE AND IN BUSINESS, all we have is
our reputation. It's the glue that can either
make or break us. By understanding how
you can optimize and enhance your local
community and digital reputation, you can
increase your inbound referrals, strengthen
client relationships, and create stability
within your business.
Building a quality reputation takes time,
but it is well worth the investment. If you
want your business to survive 5, 10, 30-plus
years into the future, your reputation is a
cornerstone to your success and livelihood.
Local Outreach
As we transition back to normal life,
in-person meetings are making a comeback.
Face-to-face meetings and events
are resuming. The resilience of humanity
is shining through. And most likely, your
clients want to see you. They miss you.
Whether it is picking up the phone or
sending an email, be the first to do something.
Reach out to your current clients and
centers of influence and ask how they are
doing. If you are both comfortable, invite
them for a cup of coffee or a meal to catch
up. So much has happened in such a short
time. Now you can learn all the ways that
the pandemic has changed their lives and
reestablish your face-to-face bonds.
Taking your outreach a bit further, have
you considered a client event? Why not use
these nice-weathered months and organize
a local community event, not only to reconnect
with your clients but to boost your
professional reputation?
Here's an example:
Ultimate Barbecue Cook-Off
Competition
Get your community involved by inviting
your clients, COIs, and warm prospects to a
charity BBQ cook-off.
Don't sweat the details; we've got you
covered:
38
ISSUE 4 2021 | 401kSpecialist.com
" If you want your
business to survive
5, 10, 30-plus years
into the future,
your reputation is
a cornerstone to
your success and
livelihood. "
* To enter, it's $50, and all proceeds go to
charity.
* Pitmasters will battle royal for the title
of Grill Champion.
* Ask three of your favorite people to be
BBQ judges.
* Host it at a local park or outdoor space
(for social distancing and fresh air).
* Take lots of pictures at the event.
* After the event, send a recap email with
information about the crowned Grill
Champion, donations raised, and any
additional fun tidbits.
By doing good within your community,
you shore up relationships and generate
goodwill. In the long run, both will enhance
the speed at which you onboard new prospects
and help you retain existing clients.
Digital Alignment
With reputation also comes your online
presence. As our cell phones become like
third hands, your online reputation is just
as important as your local community reputation,
and it can either play against or in
your favor. Let me show you an example.
In Opposition: A center of influence
enthusiastically recommends you to a local
plan sponsor. The employer has heard of
your firm and initially feels confident. They
proactively type your name into Google. The
first search results in a Google review with 1
star. Their confidence immediately fades.
In Harmony: The same story, your COI
recommends you as a retirement plan
advisor. The prospect googles your name,
but this time the top search results in your
LinkedIn profile. They click on it and notice
a professional headshot, regular postings
about plan sponsor topics and see you
have five mutual connections. In this example,
their digital experience strengthens
their confidence to meet with you.
Your prospects will look you up in
advance of a conversation, so take the first
step and make sure that your online presence
aligns with the reputation you want to
be known for.
Turn Up the Volume
When you combine a quality local and
online reputation, this is where the magic
happens. When your clients and COIs are
happy, they will talk about and recommend
you.
When your prospects look you up online
and see outstanding digital results, it
boosts their confidence to move forward.
And-when you combine them-this is
where your business can achieve lifetime
sustainability.
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401(k) Specialist Issue 4 - 2021

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