Manage Relationships with COIs Effectively

Agenda Define your process for developing relationships with referral sources Identify specific referral sources to pursue Prepare effectively for meetings with referral sources Conduct a prospect presentation with a new referral source Create a shared client service model with your best COIs 2

Define Your Process For Working With Referral Sources 3 Add the name of the referral source to your COI Tracking report Send a "nice to meet you” with marketing brochure Call to schedule an introduction/preliminary meeting Prepare for the introductory meeting Conduct the preliminary (introduction) meeting Determine if a reciprocal relationship makes sense Send follow-up communication capturing meeting highlights and identifying next steps Schedule regular meetings to stay in touch

Define Your Process For Working With Referral Sources 4

Identify Specific Referral Sources To Pursue 5

Are there disciplines where you need to find additional contacts? Tax planning/tax completion Estate planning/legal Financial planning (if that is not a service you provide) Risk management (life, property and casualty insurance) Human Resource directors Small business owners (they can be referrals for your clients and potentially become clients themselves) Real estate agents and mortgage brokers Architects Interior designers 6

Identify Specific Referral Sources To Pursue If you do need additional names, determine where you can meet those contacts. Think outside the box to consider people who work in venues that would be considered non-traditional in terms of referral sources. 7

Prepare For Your First Meeting With A Referral Source Create an agenda in advance Do your research: recent news, background, industry/position, volunteer activities Be able to define your ideal client and describe your services Listen for your COI’s goals, priorities, ideal client, and services Define next steps together Follow up as agreed 8

Conduct A Prospect Presentation Let your new COI experience how you conduct meetings with prospects  They can articulate your process to their referrals  They can offer better feedback Have them audit your complete process, from appointment setting through follow-up Feedback from a vested peer can make your presentation and process more effective Offer to go through a similar process for the COI 9

Create Strategic Partnerships Create a shared client service model that defines the client experience as your two firms work together on behalf of the client. 10

11

Pre-work Advisor and strategic partner answer these questions:  What makes you different?  What do you want to call out in describing what you do?  What do you want others to say when they describe what you do?  What are your key messages?  Stories and examples of the kinds of clients you enjoy working with 12

Typical Agenda For Working Sessions Define the ideal end state: what will a successful outcome look like for all parties? What’s in it for the advisory firm? The strategic partner? The client? Define your client service model: The advisory firm and the strategic partner will each define their own client service model and create a Year in the Life (YITL) diagram Create a shared client service model and YITL diagram Share the messaging and stories you want the other party to use in describing you Define the pipeline (identify targets, communicate the message, make the introduction) Coordinate processes 13

T HE BEST QUESTION YOU CAN ASK : “How would you describe what it is that we do?”

Questions?