Nathan Vecchio runs through 5 practical steps that can reinvigorate your lead generation strategy
Director of Hunter Galloway, Nathan Vecchio, started broking in 2015 and using the techniques from Joshua's Top Broker Handbook, is writing big numbers, leading to Vow Financial naming him Broker Partner of the Year Rising Star in 2016.
Bob from Queensland sent in a great question which seems to be a common concern for a lot of frustrated brokers, after being completely overwhelmed by all the different marketing platforms available and not having a lot of success with these efforts he asked, “should I look at engaging a marketing specialist to do this function for me?”
Like all of us being a busy broker it is often difficult to juggle seeing clients, doing new applications and promoting and marketing your business with an ever-growing list of social media and internet platforms - Wordpress, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Medium, Pinterest, Podcasts, the list goes on. 😡
Each year it seems there are more things to do and less time to do them in, you are trying to build and run an active broking business but how can you find time to focus on your marketing between client meetings, the constant stream of emails and settlement deadlines? And when you are constantly getting smashed with tasks, prioritising is really the only thing that gets me through each of them and make better use of my time overall.
The same goes for marketing. There are a number of strategies that are effective and work well, however prioritising your marketing tasks to be in more control of your time is the best way to do it.
When I first started my business I knew that marketing was a critical function and needed to center my day around generating leads to fill up my pipeline bucket – but so often brokers forget this, and spent too much time on low-value tasks that aren’t generating any new business so here are five steps to helping you figure out what you need to do, and how to get the best return on your marketing.
Step one: Start with a Brainstorming session
Just get it all out on the page and declutter that brian of yours. For me brainstorming is my favourite way of clearing everything going on in my head, clearing my mind and better helping me prioritise any task. It’s a simple yet effective step in prioritising because it gets all of your ideas out onto the page.
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Forget about deadlines and ordering your to-do list, right now it’s just about putting pen to paper and figuring out what’s ON your to-do list. The aim of brainstorming is to clear your mind of lingering tasks leading you to the bigger, end goal.
Step two: Identifying your critical tasks
Now that you’ve cleared your head, it’s time to group your tasks. When it comes to marketing, looking at the tasks that are most critical to your success are the main ones you want to focus on. Whether that’s new business focus, content focus or brand awareness, figure out what’s going to make the biggest impact and start there.
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Whether it’s deadline driven, or revenue focused. I either highlight the most important tasks or number them 1 – 4. This helps form them into lists and to me, makes them seem much more manageable.
Step three: Delegating
Now it’s time to see what you can take off your business plate. We’re all busy people and too often, we fail to realise that a lot of tasks we do from day to day can either be delegated out to someone or simply outsourced.
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Keeping this in mind, I use a symbol or colour code to decide which tasks can be delegated. I usually delegate tasks like looking for stock photos, compiling a list for new business and so on. If you’re still too small to have a team of staff, check out websites like Fiverr and Upwork where you can get freelancers to work on a short-term contract basis or by the hour.
Getting back some of your time will make a huge difference to your productivity, meaning that you can make the most of your marketing efforts.
Step four: Set deadlines
Having a deadline on each of your tasks gives you a sense of perspective and drive. Not too much that if you have a content calendar, you’ll be able to ensure you stay relevant to the time of year. Now that your tasks are categorised between deadline driven, revenue orientated or to be delegated, it’s time to set yourself some deadlines.
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When creating a deadline list, always put the fastest approaching deadline at the top of your list then continue from there. Also consider holidays or less productive days and take this into account, if you make your deadlines too soon, you’ll fall behind. Be realistic about this.
Step five: Keep track of your tasks
The best way to manage your list now that it’s coming into shape is through the variety of software used for project management. Different software can help you track when a deadline is approaching and send you a reminder.
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My favourite project management software options are Asana, Trello and Basecamp. They all have free trials so you can see which one is for you before you go ahead and purchase it. Using these tools has helped improve communication within my business, specifically between team members keeping us all informed about where different clients are sitting in the process.
Keep your ideas going
The best way to stop yourself from getting overwhelmed and simply not doing anything is by starting an ideas list.
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Create a folder on your computer or a bookmark on your Internet browser (if your ideas come from webpages and articles) and store them there. I always try to do some brainstorming each month so I can revisit my priorities. The most effective brainstorm I did was when Halloween was coming up and I came up with an email direct marketing campaign based around the holiday. It gained a lot of attention because it was relevant and light hearted. This is why I try to complete regular brainstorms to make the most of my ideas.
Try these five steps to make the most of your marketing, instead of simply getting overwhelmed with ideas and letting time pass by without taking any incentive. My most effective marketing ideas are relating the seasonal events to my content that I create. This helps to build a stronger connection to my clients because they notice that I am active within the community and giving them answers in an entertaining way.
Tell me, what’s your number on marketing tip?
Cheers,
Nathan Vecchio.
PS: I’m going to be taking over here at Top Broker for a little bit while Joshua focuses on a few big and exciting projects we are looking forward to bring you in the next few weeks. A quick background, I started broking in 2015 and using the techniques Joshua has given in the Top Broker Handbook I have grown my business in a very short time to writing some big numbers, and was fortunate enough to be awarded Broker Partner of the Year Rising Star in 2016.
