Best Practices in the Financial Services Industry: September 2012

BUILDING VALUE IN YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISORY FIRM

If you missed the "Building Value" webinar and white paper that I produced in partnership with Interactive Advisory Software, I encourage you to access the webinar recording and white paper by following the link below.

The webinar was really helpful as a supplement to the white paper. It provided additional insights related to the white paper and featured Julie Littlechild from AdvisorImpact, Joe Reeves from ARGI Financial and Dr. David Grace from IAS.

DOWNLOAD THE WHITE PAPER AND WEBINAR RECORDING:

http://marie-swift.blogspot.com/2012/05/free-webinar-on-tuesday-july-17-2012-at.html

Also, just read the article in RIABiz that gives us an inside look at why Hanlon Financial and IAS have now joined forces to gain market share and better serve advisors. Good move by Hanlon. Great news for firms that use IAS.

READ THE RIABIZ ARTICLE NOW:

http://www.riabiz.com/a/14989119/a-34-billion-tamp-owning-ria-buys-interactive-advisory-software-removing-the-vcs-and-plunking-in-a-ceo

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MMU courses for 2013 being formed now.

First and third Wednesdays
Beginning February 6, 2013
Ending May 1, 2013
11:00 am - 12:30 pm CT
You will need an Internet connection for the webinar experience
You may use a phone line or your computer speakers to hear the audio portion
If you can't "make" a class, a recording and homework will be emailed to you

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Interested in MMU? Listen to a 24 minute overview of benefits now:

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An in-depth understanding of media and how you can maximize each one of the different types.
3 online media training sessions with a small group of your peers that will take the fear out of approaching the media and give you the ammunition – and confidence – you need for when a journalist says “Yes!”
Topics covered include:
- Why do PR? The Power of PR in Your Marketing Plan
- Why Credibility Marketing trumps traditional marketing tactics every time
- Fundamentals of good media etiquette
- 13 ways to alienate a journalist
- How to create a good pitch and land an interview
- How to formulate and deliver colorful, quotable quotes
- How to prepare for and ace any interview
- How to ensure you are quoted correctly
- Ways to build a relationship with journalists
- What to do - and what not to do
- How to ensure you're contacted again for future stories
- What to do if you don't feel qualified to answer the question posed
- How to craft and pitch a television segment
- What to wear if you land a television or webcast appearance
- How to use your hands and body on air
- What to say in telephone or radio interviews
- How to adjust what you say for TV appearances
- How talk shows and news casts differ
- Why you should always keep a suit coat in the office
- How creative thinking can help you land the cover
- How to create a press kit
- How to create an online news room
- How to manage your news clippings
- How to boost your search engine ratings
- How to monitor and manage your online brand
- How to take the best press shot of your life
- Ways to leverage the media mentions you get
- Creating the ultimate Credibility Marketing campaign
- How to use and leverage the Media List you'll receive as part of this program
3 live tele-coaching sessions where you can have your questions answered by a team of PR professionals and learn about a variety of subject areas.
Questions you may have -- and that we can answer:
- Should I start a blog?
- What about Twitter?
- How do I use LinkedIn, Naymz and Facebook more effectively?
- How can I create multimedia presentations for my site?
- What's the best way to get video and audio clips on my site?
- How can I create a podcast?
- What is Web 2.0 and how can I use it to my advantage?
- How do I select and use a newswire service?
- How often should I be touching the journalists on my media list?
- What should I do if someone bad mouths me online?
- What's the best way to pitch a bylined article to an editor?
- I'd like to write a book - what's your advice?
- I'm not up to writing a book, but how about a white paper? Best steps?
- How do I self-publish and promote my book?
- Should I consider a "contributory" book - where do I find a good group?
- What's the best way to help my clients and prospects see the press I'm getting?
- Should I buy reprints of a particular article?
- Can I link to, print out or copy an article without getting in trouble?
- What about compliance - how do I manage and work through those realities?
- What's a sound byte and how do I create a good one?
- What's the best way to boost my search engine rating?
Unlimited access to your Media Mastery coaches and network of peers through a password protected Intranet, complete with:

Shared calendar and event reminders
Discussion forums for spot coaching and ideas sharing
Document library filled with templates for your use
Online Media Mastery Manual
Links to recommended resources

An 80-page Media Mastery Manual that will serve as a knowledge base and reference tool as you continue your media outreach plan in your local market.
Templates for press and marketing materials that you can customize to meet your business needs.
A targeted media list – complete with names, phone numbers, mailing addresses and email contact information for all the top journalists and producers in your local market. You will be GIVEN the list to use as you see fit. This is a big deal, people! Most PR firms will not provide this information at any price.

Options to secure additional services (an additional fee will apply):

Help writing and distributing your first news release. Your PR Coach will interview you and write the first draft. You edit and send through compliance. We coach you through your first podcast interview. We set up the online news release page. We distribute the release through the newswire service of your choice. We distribute to your local Media List. You field any inquiries and leverage the media hits.
Invitation to attend our live Media Mastery Bootcamp where you will receive face-to-face training and advice on presentation skills and broadcast delivery. Everyone will be filmed and coached on how to be a more powerful and dynamic speaker. An additional Bootcamp fee will be charged.

A Chinese Menu of a la carte services available ONLY to MMU Graduates will be made available to you.

Set your own pace for this easy-to-follow, highly interactive program.

Here’s how the program works:

Complete the short form below to express your interest in joining the next program.
Complete a short telephone interview with one of our coaches.
Ask if an Affinity Discount has been established with your broker/dealer, custodian or subscription service (e.g., subscribers to Bob Veres' Inside Information are entitled to a special rate, NAPFA members and Garrett Members receive a special rate, Securities America, Investacorp, FNIC, TD Ameritrade, Fidelity advisors receive a special rate).
If accepted to the program:
- Sign and return the MMU agreement.
- Pay your tuition by mailing your check to the Kansas City Main Office
  - One payment = $3600
  - Three payments = $1250 / mo
Receive your username and password and begin using the MMU Intranet.
Review the comprehensive Media Mastery manual via the MMU Intranet.
Attend the 3 online Media Training sessions.
Attend the 3 tele-coaching sessions to get additional coaching and advice from Impact's PR Team in between each Media Training session.
During month #2 of the program, you will receive a local media list with all the contact information you need to launch a successful media relations campaign.
Practice your newfound skills throughout the course of the 3-month program.
You will have the option to use Impact’s professional writers and newswire distribution services to create and distribute your first news release and podcast – or you can do this step on your own. Optional service bureau fees will be explained on the tele-coaching calls.
At the conclusion of the 3-month training period, you will have the option to enroll for ongoing support and tele-coaching — as well as Media Source Portal, the best place online for journalists to find financial experts and story ideas. Ask about our Premier Coaching Program and Gold Access Pass.
You will be invited to participate in Media Mastery Bootcamp, where you will receive face-to-face training and advice on presentation skills and broadcast delivery. There will be an additional fee to attend the live, interactive bootcamp.

Complete the short form below to express your interest in joining the next program.

Be the first in your community to reach out to the media with your newfound publicity know-how.

Here's who this program is for:

The program is designed for independent financial advisors (RIAs) and registered representatives who are affiliated with independent broker/dealers (e.g., LPL, Commonwealth, Cambridge, Securities America).

Only those whose parent firms allow them to talk with the media and/or write for consumer publications will benefit from this program. We can coach you on how to work with your broker/dealer's compliance officers.

Your assistant or marketing director can participate with you on the Media Training and teleconference calls. You may share the information, tools and templates in the Media Mastery manual with your team.

This program is specially designed for small to mid-size financial planning firms – mainly those that are interested in local media outreach ... although we will be teaching you how to get national media exposure. This training and empowerment program offers the information and coaching you need to develop a results-driven media relations approach that will help raise awareness of your firm and position you as the local financial expert.

To join this program, you must have a professional looking:

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If you do not have these items, you can hire Impact Communications to help you get them done. Visit Our Services to learn about the various other ways we can work with you.

Get past barriers FAST and start producing media results right away.

If you’ve always wanted to “do PR” but were intimidated by the media or unsure of how to go about it this program is for you!

Maybe you’ve never been able to figure out WHO exactly to contact – and when. This program will deliver the intelligence you need to target the right people at the right time.

If you’ve ever been jealous – or perplexed that the financial advisor down the road is getting media attention and you’re not – this program is for you.

Best Practices in the Financial Services Industry

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

New Thought Leader Interviews with Susan Turnbull and Steve Wershing

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Wednesday, September 19, 2012