In my hour-long conversation with Ron Carson, CEO and founder of Carson Group, he said something in passing (literally a 30-second aside) that is one of the best pieces of advice I've ever heard for financial advisors. Especially when it comes to connecting with uber-successful business owners and ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
Even better, I’ve been testing Ron’s method myself over the last 18 months, and the results have been nothing short of amazing.
Here’s the best part: Almost nobody is taking advantage of this incredible strategy, which means the opportunities to leverage it right now are enormous.
Today, I’m going to share this strategy with you in a simple two-step format to make it easy for you to take action!
- What You Need to Know: Educate yourself on the idea/concept shared
- What You Need to Do: Empower yourself with simple steps to put it into action
Need to Know: Level the Playing Field by Creating a Platform
So what does this method look like in the real world?
Ron’s personal example was his “Habits of Top Achievers” interview series he dreamed up over a decade ago, which he distributed by CD to each of his clients.
Listen to Ron Explain it Here:
He began conducting interviews with local entreprenuers, CEOs and other dream clients by asking them to share their habits and keys to success in a conversation format. This gave Ron a way to connect with them on a personal level by giving them a place to share their story, which in turn opened the door for business down the road.
You can see why this worked … seriously, who doesn’t love talking about themselves? We are all guilty! Ultimately, his interviews led to several profitable relationships, including his first billionaire client.
I’ve been following Ron’s model very closely, conducting my own series of interviews on The Elite Advisor Blueprint podcast. So far, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with dozens of amazing individuals like Ron. This platform has led to multiple conversations with New York Times bestsellers, multibillion-dollar RIAs, and numerous other successful entreprenuers and thought leaders.
On that note, I’m excited to announce that this post is just the first in an exclusive series for WealthManagement.com, in which I’ll distill the wisdom from hours of my interviews into simple, actionable steps you can implement right away.
So, let’s get to work on this one…
Need to Know: Why This Method Works
1. It Gives Away Up-front Value
When you allow top-tier personalities to share their message through your platform, you’re giving away something extremely valuable. For example, maybe one of your guests has a new book coming out, or maybe they want to demonstrate results from a signature system they’ve developed in their business. Your platform gives them a chance to reach new people and spread the word to an untapped audience.
2. Billionaire Clients Are Bombarded With Traditional Methods
Ultra-successful individuals don’t respond to the conventional marketing strategies that are effective for everyday prospects. Finding a platform to bring value and level the playing field is a must. A conversation free of sales tactics is far more effective for connecting with these types of prospects. That said, building a platform on which they can also interact with you on equal footing makes for the perfect approach.
3. Builds Your Personal Brand
Aside from cultivating contacts and getting you in front of elite potential clients, your platform serves as another way to effectively build your personal brand. In this instance, “guilty by association” is a good thing!
Granted, the priority is always to spotlight the individuals featured on your platform. However, everything you do through your platform raises awareness of your brand, business and services.
Need to Do: Real-World Strategies
The foundation of Ron’s method is to invite these VIPs onto your show/platform as guests to have a conversation as equals. This could be done on a blog, newsletter, podcast, radio/TV show, YouTube channel, Facebook Live or any other medium you can dream up. Your own personal content platform serves as the perfect stage for avatar prospects.
Here are a few examples of platforms that could connect you with potential high-net-worth clients:
- Speaking Engagements – Offer to share your stage with personalities you’d like to connect with. Besides bringing greater value to your audience, you’ll get the chance to establish a relationship while offering them a valuable chance to share their message.
- Charity Events – Past a certain level of success, people become less motivated by money and more motivated by their impact on the world. Offer to coordinate a sponsorship event that raises funds for a charity of their choice. This works; I once had a client book Tommy Lasorda as a guest speaker simply by offering to raise money for his charity, no speaking fee required!
- TV/Radio/Podcast – Many top financial advisors have radio and TV shows. Imagine if you carved out a monthly segment on your show similar to Ron’s “Habits of Top Achievers,” in which you interviewed them on your show. This is a proven way to connect with the who’s-who of your market! (Look what it’s done for Tim Ferriss.)
Need to Do: How to Get Started
Steps to getting started
1. Decide on your platform of choice:
- Do you have a radio show?
- Do you have upcoming speaking engagements, workshops or seminars?
- Do you host client events?
2. Make a list of your market’s top prospects
- Successful business owners and entreprenuers
- Authors
- Professional Athletes
- CEOs
3. Book a time!
- Introduction from mutual friend/contact (my most successful method)
- Cold email/contact (I’ve had success with both email and Twitter)
- Get out to events/masterminds (great way to expand your network)
If you need any help or just want to hear from someone who’s gone through the process themselves, feel free to reach out to me. I’m happy to share what I’ve learned from my mistakes along the way. Good luck!
Full show notes here: bradleyjohnson.com/ron-carson-podcast/
Brad Johnson, vice president of advisor development for Advisors Excel, mentors a small group of the country’s most elite financial advisors. Find more episodes of The Elite Advisor Blueprint podcast at www.bradleyjohnson.com/podcast.