Reader challenge: Can you explain duration better than The New York Times?
The duration of a bond isn’t easy to explain in few words. This is why I was delighted by the brief description I found in The New York Times. Author Carla Fried wrote, “For the most part, managers seem to agree that it is best to limit a fund’s duration, or sensitivity to changes in […]
Poll: How quickly and often should you follow up with prospects for your financial services?
Gaining new clients is important to you. That’s the whole point of your marketing. However, a blog post by Karyn Greenstreet suggests that you aren’t making the most of a great opportunity: systematic follow-up with prospects who contact you. “Most people will make one follow-up call or email to a prospective customer. But if they […]
Miller’s Killer: Paper swap brainstorming blog and article ideas
How can you come up with fresh ideas for your blog, newsletter, or white papers? I recently discovered a new technique, The Paper Swap in “Think Bank: Break out of brainstorming boredom with these thought-provoking topics” in Spirit Magazine (no link available). Here is a description of this group brainstorming technique: Participants write ideas on […]
Focus your marketing, says the “Financial Services Marketing Handbook”
Targeting your prospects instead of marketing to everybody works best, as the Financial Services Marketing Handbook suggests in the following quote: Very few companies can afford to be everything to everyone any more. Even companies with mass-market products (like basic checking accounts) segment their markets so that they can focus their limited marketing dollars […]
Facebook likes and links for financial advisors vs. the rest of the world
What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, or so the cliche’ goes. But financial planners regulated by the SEC and FINRA often can’t use techniques promoted by social media gurus. This article discusses one such Facebook page technique. Somewhere I read that I should ask people who “like” the Investment Writing Facebook […]