Billion Dollar Mentoring

Video Tip – Technology: Your Virtual Assistant

Billion Dollar Mentoring — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 14:55:11 +0000

Use technology to your advantage – to save time – to make your staff more efficient – to maximize client touches! Click below to listen to a brief video tip from Mark Gremler:

Video Tip – Virtual Assistant

Video Tip – Generational Planning

Billion Dollar Mentoring — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:23:44 +0000

Click here to listen to a brief video tip from Mark Gremler:

Video Tip – Generational Planning

Generate Goodwill & Referrals from Client Events

Billion Dollar Mentoring — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:01:53 +0000

Do you invite your clients to informational meetings throughout the year? If not, you are missing out on a great opportunity to:

touch your clients
offer them valued-added information, AND
meet new prospects!

At Gremler Financial Group we hold one or more client events each month AND we always ask clients to bring a friend who may be interested in the topic. What a great opportunity to introduce yourself to new contacts and briefly tell them what you do. These events can be held at no cost or very low cost to you!

Here is a sample of some of the events we have held or have planned so far this year:

Today’s Markets, Economies and Investment Strategy
Estate Planning
Decades of Deficits – What Difference Does it Make?
How the Six Dimensions of Wellness can Enrich Your Life
Medicare / Medicaid – Important Info You Need to Know
Appraise and Protect Your Gold, Silver and Diamond Jewelry – Attend and receive a free jewelry appraisal valued up to $150 and a complementary review of your insurance coverage
Exclusive Client Event: A night of fine dining at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar for you and your guest(s) – You will hear timely information on the economy, the future of interest rates and inflation as well as commentary on today’s markets. At the time of RSVP, you must provide the name of your accompanying guest.
What You Need to Know About Social Security

For ALL of these events the guest speaker/sponsors are more than willing to provide coffee, cookies or even a meal. Your job is to:

Pick a topic and secure a speaker
Secure a location
Schedule the event
Submit invitation, outline, slides, etc to compliance for review (if applicable)
Send out email or direct mail invitations . (SEE THE ATTACHED SAMPLE INVITATION. We can help you draft and print if needed!)
Collect RSVPs
Check people in as they arrive
Introduce yourself at the beginning (especially for the benefit of any non-client guests in the audience)
Introduce the speaker
Provide a wrap-up and thank attendees for coming

Call and ask us about our client events. This is a great value-add and a great chance to meet new prospects!

Seminar Invitation

Fridays With Mark!

Billion Dollar Mentoring — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:53:35 +0000

Did you know Mark sets aside time each Friday for personal mentoring sessions?

Do you have an idea you want to run by Mark?
Looking for case design help?
Goal setting tips?
Want to find out what’s working for him?
Want tips on building or executing your business plan?
Want to expand your offerings?
Need a jump start, a pep talk, a shot of adrenaline?

IF SO — CALL HIS ASSISTANT BECKY LACY AT 1-800-473-6537 & SET UP SOME TIME WITH MARK!

Our mission is to help you succeed!! Cases are rolling in!

Let Us Be Your Marketing Partner!

Billion Dollar Mentoring — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:48:43 +0000

Let Billion Dollar Mentoring and ClarkStreet Printing be your marketing partner!

“You’ve helped me achieve all my marketing and branding goals this year. I can’t thank you enough!” – M.S., Advisor, Texas

ClarkStreetPrinting-Let-Us-Brand-You

Generational Planning

Billion Dollar Mentoring — Tue, 17 May 2011 14:29:58 +0000

I’ve seen it happen too many times to too many producers. Some of their largest account clients pass away…and they lose that account as the next generation (whether they are local or not) bring their financial advisor to the table. This scenario does not happen to the best producers. Why? Because they take an active approach to building a bridge to the children and heirs of their clients.

It’s all about the relationship!

Make sure your client relationships are strong.
Have you bridged that strong relationship to the children and/or groups/foundations/organizations to receive their inherited wealth? You certainly want to!
In regards to groups and foundations, some clients may or may not want to share that information with you. If you have a trusted relationship they will be more willing. You then should try to create a relationship with those groups and foundations as well. This can lead to additional business.

As your clients pass, you will need to learn to work with a new type of client successor (i.e. Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y). The computer and research savvy, financially aware, “do-it-yourself” characteristics found in these groups can make your job more challenging. Some tips:

Offer your clients a chance for you to meet their successors in a social gathering (i.e. a family-oriented event). Doing this by mail or simply asking for a referral sometimes doesn’t work and isn’t enough. The purpose is to meet and engage them and earn their trust.
In November and December, schedule “family meetings” while the children are back home for the holidays.
Find out from your client exactly what type of information and/or topics that should or should not be addressed.
Come to an agreement with the client on how you want to position the purpose of this meeting to the children.
Create a seminar (to be presented to the heirs) that contains the information your client wants communicated (i.e. stretch IRAs, inherited IRAs, wills and trusts, Social Security, tax-issues, etc.). The more children you can engage, the better off you will be in working with those successors when the time comes.

Let your expertise, your service and dedication to your clients, and the trust they place in you transfer across generations.

Commitment of Services

Billion Dollar Mentoring — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:44:20 +0000

Do you have a written “Commitment of Services” to illustrate to prospects all the value you will bring to the relationship? Most advisors do not. Listen to the following success story. Then, create your own based on what you are willing to do for your clients. This is a powerful tool in differentiating yourself . Create it, show it to the prospect, and sign the bottom of it while they are watching. Then, follow-through on your promises to create a lifetime client.

Commitment of Services

Here’s a copy of the one we’ve developed for our practice. Believe me, it works!

Sample of our Commitment of Services

A key quote from a prospect to an advisor: “Everyone else I’ve spoken to promised me they’d do these things, but you’re the only one to actually put it in writing…..so I know you do it….and I’ll hold you to it. You’ve got my business !”

A Seminar Closing That Gets Results!

billadmin — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:23:54 +0000

Click below to hear Mark describing an approach an advisor is using at the end of his seminars to guarantee follow-up meetings!

Seminar Closing

In summary:

He includes a business card in the packet of the handouts. On the back of the card is a pre-set appointment time.
Tells the audience that he’s cleared his calendar for the next two weeks to make himself available to answer any remaining questions
He says it’s often hard to find time for something like this, so he’s tried to make it easy for them.
Tells them to pull out his card and note the pre-set time. He asks that they not cancel because it’s important that they ask questions
Tells them his scheduler will be calling tomorrow to confirm

Interesting approach. If you try it, let us know how it goes.

10 ideas to help your business

billadmin — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 21:00:52 +0000

The following good ideas are brought to you by John Hancock. At Billion Dollar Mentoring, we can assist you in a number of these areas, from helping you set goals, creating an e-newsletter, building a website, and more. Look to us as your marketing partner! Call me today.

10 ideas to help your business
How does your practice stack up against the competition? How easy is it for potential clients to find your business? Are you putting your best foot forward when it comes to promoting your business with clients and prospects? It’s easy for Financial Representatives to get caught up in a constant cycle of servicing clients, scheduling meetings, dealing with unexpected issues, etc. But there’s no denying that marketing is important.

Here’s a list of 10 easy and affordable steps you may consider to help your business stand out in the eyes of your clients and prospects alike:

	1.		SCOPE OUT THE COMPETITION — Do a website search of other providers in your area and find out how you stack up. If you need to kick your marketing up a notch, then continue reading below.

	2.		HAVE A PLAN — Set marketing goals for the coming year. How many new clients do you want to add? How much in assets? The first step to achieving a goal is to set one.

	3.		START AN E-NEWSLETTER — A brief e-newsletter sent once per month can help maintain a connection with clients and demonstrate your expertise to prospects.

	4.		CREATE A WEBSITE OR IMPROVE THE ONE YOU HAVE — If you haven’t updated your website since George W. Bush was President, it could be time for a refresh.

	5.		PURCHASE ‘SEARCH ADS’ — If you have a website, try experimenting with paid search marketing with online search engines. It’s fairly inexpensive to send targeted search traffic to your site and you control all aspects of the advertising budget.

	6.		WRITE AN ARTICLE — Trade publications are always looking for quality articles that serve a target audience. If you write a compelling article on retirement planning tips, effective investing, etc., there may be publications that will publish it free of charge, providing you with excellent profile.

	7.		EMBRACE SOCIAL MEDIA — It’s not just for twenty somethings. In fact, social media is big business. Start a group for your business using online social media sites where you provide regular updates on financial topics. Create a personal profile so people can find you more easily online. Or send retirement planning tips via an instant messaging site.

	8.		USE PLAIN LANGUAGE — When dealing with clients and prospects, avoid using industry jargon and acronyms. Use plain, understandable language and your meetings/discussions will run more smoothly.

	9.		WORD OF MOUTH — Client referrals are the most powerful marketing tool of all. Don’t be shy to ask satisfied clients to refer you to potential prospects.

	10.		MAKE TIME FOR FACE TIME — While email is great, nothing beats a face-to-face meeting. Take the initiative and meet with clients at least once a year to discuss their goals and concerns. It’s a proven way to strengthen your client relationships.

Good Article: Bonds vs. Indexed Annuities

billadmin — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 15:18:11 +0000

Dear BDM Members –

Below is a link to a very good article submitted by one of our producers on bonds vs. indexed annuities. He uses this in his marketing efforts to help dispel misperceptions about annuities.

http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=135544070&gid=148419&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.producersweb.com%2Fr%2FAMS%2Fd%2FcontentFocus%2F%3FadcID%3D0d735539458ea0b1cbfd6d55cdf2d0cd&urlhash=_OMy&trk=news_discuss