“So many advisors are still trying to be somebody else, and this is why they struggle so much. The advisors who are truly allowing themselves to be their own loud, unapologetic selves, that’s where everything freaking changes.” These wise words were shared by ProudMouth influence expert Matt Halloran during a recent episode of The Breakthrough Advisor podcast. Are you ready to unleash the real YOU?

If you caught the podcast—or our earlier blog about giving away your secret sauce —you may recall us discussing how podcasting and content marketing can help position an advisor as a trusted authority and thought leader. But how does that work and why do podcasts resonate with prospective clients?

How podcasting helps advisors accelerate their influence

For one thing, it’s a matter of push vs. pull marketing. As we noted in the secret sauce blog, people aren’t interested in all the stuff you’re pushing out there. They want to find an advisor they can trust and who truly cares about them and their financial goals. Simply dumping information on clients doesn’t work, yet most advisors keep following that path.

As Matt explains, “What most advisors do now to try to build synergy and credibility specifically, is push marketing, where they’re talking at people. What we want them to do is pull marketing, which is getting people’s attention to buy into you.”

Which brings us back to unleashing the real, loud, unapologetic you (which is what Matt and ProudMouth are in the business of doing). Instead of trying to be someone else and regurgitating the same white paper or sales presentation, podcasting allows you to build credibility over time. The presence and personality you exude is critical because not only is most human communication non-verbal, body language has a huge impact on decision-making.

Think about a podcast host you enjoy. What is it about them that makes you enjoy listening to/watching that person and find them credible? It’s not simply about the information they share, it’s how they share it. It’s their ability to make you believe what they have to say—and to believe that they really care (about you or whatever you’re interested in).

“The pauses, my voice inflection, my pace, my pentameter—in the world of audio only or with video, those are micro-expressions. So much of what happens is one, it’s unconscious, but also, when you allow yourself to be fully present and unapologetically yourself, everything else falls into place,” Matt says.

Clients don’t want to hear you talk about the products you offer. They want to hear about what those products can do for them, so they can live the life they’ve always wanted in retirement. Adds Matt, “They can go on those trips, they can see the kids and grandkids, they can play golf, they can go fishing, they can garden, they can have the security that they need to live the retirement that they’ve always wanted. It’s not about the product.”

How can you bring that vision to life? Podcasting.

Research shows nonverbal clues (body language) has a big impact on decision making

According to the University of Texas, body language researcher Albert Mehrabian deducted from two 1967 studies ((Mehrabian and Wiener, 1967 and Mehrabian & Ferris, 1967) that communication is 55% nonverbal, 38% vocal and 7% words only. Mehrabian also concluded that “When there are inconsistencies between attitudes communicated verbally and posturally, the postural component should dominate in determining the total attitude that is inferred.”

In other words, first impressions matter. If you’re being authentically you, instead of trying to project someone else, people will get that and buy into you.

Also compelling, the University of Texas points to research by Allan and Barbara Pease (based on thousands of sales negotiations back in the 70s and 80s), which revealed that “body language accounted for the majority of the impact made negotiating. They also considered how the person with the strongest argument usually wins in negotiations over the phone but not always in face-to-face conversations.”  Hmmmm …

Matt’s three-stage prescription for podcast success

No. 1: Narrow your focus.

If you try to be everything to be everybody, you’ll end up flailing in the wind. Matt encourages advisors to get hyper-focused on the niche they serve. For example, say your vertical is attorneys, narrow that down to the specific type of attorney you serve best. That way you can hyperfocus your messaging, so clients feel like you’re speaking directly to them.

No. 2: Share your content, and do it in a personal way.

Open up your existing book of business and start sharing your podcast and other content that will resonate with them specifically. You’ll have a bigger impact if you include a personal note sent directly to the prospect, instead of only sending mass emails. Your personal message could go something like this:

Hi George,

I thought you might want to take a listen to this podcast/video I did (OR blog I wrote) about “TOPIC HERE” because it has some information pertaining to a past conversation we had. I know you’re busy, and it isn’t always easy to hop on a webinar, so feel free to listen in at your convenience if you find this of interest.

If you want to discuss further, please reach out or grab a spot on my calendar here.

[plug in calendar link]

Warm regards,

Advisor

No. 3: Ask followers and fans to share content.

Content marketing (and podcasting specifically) can help you expand your influence, especially when you’re willing to put your authentic self out there and share your secret sauce[MM1] . Once your podcast catches on and your followers start to grow, fans of the podcast will share it with like-minded colleagues, family and friends. It’s always great when that occurs organically but Matt encourages advisors to make it easy for clients to spread the word.

First, if you know they’re a fan or a client already, simply ask them to share a link to your podcast (or video, blog, etc.) with others. “Hey, I know you enjoy our podcast. Would you mind sharing it with your colleagues down the hall?” Second, on the make it easy end, Matt actually gives his clients postcards to share with friends. Old school? Yes. Effective? Also yes.

Whoa, this is just the tip of the iceberg …
Listen to the full podcast for more revelations!

Whether you’re ready to start a podcast tomorrow or want to learn more about authentically connecting with your audience—in a way that gets results—our podcast with Matt Halloran is a can’t-miss. Catch the replay, at your convenience, HERE.

And if you have any questions regarding how InsurMark helps the nation’s top advisors go from good to great, contact us today.