Joshua Hernandez • Orange, CA
Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc.
I have worked in financial services for over a decade and I have learned that people all generally want the same things in life: family, security, personal growth, and meaningful relationships with others. I firmly believe that the key to growing your business lies in relationship building—relationships in your daily life, relationships with clients, and relationships you continue to grow through prospecting efforts. If you keep working at building your network, these circles can expand, overlap, and eventually start to grow exponentially.
There are four main areas of relationship building I have found to be both productive and personally satisfying:
Pay attention to your personal network. Make sure your personal contacts know what you do and the potential benefits of working with an advisor. This should be a two-way street, very low-key, and will build over time. Someone may not be ready to work with you now, but when their life circumstances change, they may start thinking about getting financial guidance. You should already be positioned as someone who can potentially help them out with whatever questions they may have. This could lead to building a fuller client relationship.- Build relationships with third-party centers of influence. In my case, CPAs and tax professionals have become a very important part of my network. This is especially true for the small-business-owner segment. I maintain relationships with a small network of these professionals and help them understand my capabilities and credentials.
- Network with those who share your interests. I have learned an important concept over the years: Pursuing activities you enjoy can be the purest form of building your network—something that just happens naturally. In my case, I am an enthusiastic fan of salsa dancing and fitness events. I often go to events and have met many professionals there that share these same interests. I also attend many workshops and seminars about personal development and growth. You naturally meet many like-minded individuals in these workshops who are open to building their networks as well.
- Use technology to help in prospecting and relationship building. It is often difficult for people to find the time to attend a financial seminar in person. So I will do a fair number of educational webinars in the course of the year, and these have been productive. I also use a resource that helps with email marketing and sending educational content, and these are a great way to keep communications going with current clients and to reach out to prospects.
Disclosure: Joshua Hernandez is a Registered Representative and an Investment Advisor Representative with Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc. (TFA). Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through TFA, member FINRA, SIPC, and a Registered Investment Advisor. TFA 2175272-0718.
This article first published in Proactive Advisor Magazine on July 21, 2016, Volume 11, Issue 2.
Photography by Ed Carreon
