Prospecting Strategy: The SHRM 401(k) Lady Approach

[0:00] JD: Jeannie fisher. 401k. Lady. Jeannie, this is not your first rodeo. So you know how the word of the episode works today? It is. Brandon, remind me what the words were. Client and 401k. [0:34] Speaker B: Okay, we've got two. [0:36] JD: And that starts now. Can you tell us a little bit about how do you, how did the three of you. It's the three of you, right? You, Brian and Ray. How do you three dig up new prospects? Where do they come from? Strategic partners? Are you knocking on door to door? You know, how are you, how are you finding these new opportunities? [1:00] Jeannie Fisher: So we have all kinds of tips and tricks up our sleeves. I would say we're data mining the same, you know, softwares that Everybody is, but 85% of all of our clients come from SHRM. [1:14] JD: Okay, yeah, but that means you're in there providing value to them. [1:21] Jeannie Fisher: Ding, ding, ding. [1:22] JD: Oh yeah, yeah. How are you working that SHRM angle? [1:27] Jeannie Fisher: Yeah, so I was talking about this with one of my colleagues just the other day, you know, when we first really started marketing. I started doing SHRM presentations back in 2012. And we started by, you know, paying to sponsor a meeting and then speaking at them. And then it wasn't but two years later where we just became an expert speaker at chapter meetings, state meetings, national conferences. And at that point you're, you're no longer paying for marketing. You are just recognized as the subject matter expert in that area. And it's a tight knit group. And this wasn't, I try to explain this to people all the time. This wasn't something that like we just stumbled on. I was private wealth advisor. I've been a private wealth advisor for twice as long as I've been a 401k advisor. And when we decided to go down this route and create a marketing plan and develop it and build it like you should be, yet we, we knew immediately. 76% of all HR reps are women. They're empathetic, they're caring, they're relatable. You know, I could have tried to do the same thing with a CFO networking group or an accounting group and it probably wouldn't have landed as well. But like this network of women, they're my people now. And it, and it's, it was focused and intentional and we dedicated ourselves to it. And, and it's paid off over and over and over again. [2:48] JD: Well, your answer is not a quick fix either. So it's probably not the thing that a lot of people want to hear. Right? That's a long process. It's a difficult process. You got to have the chops and the skills to do it. But that's interesting here. [3:03] Speaker B: I love to hear how deliberate it was, though. There are so many folks that dance around finding prospects and what they're going to commit to and trying, and they're willing to only do it short term. And if they don't see immediate responses, then they balance. So kudos to you for being deliberate and sticking with it. [3:18] Jeannie Fisher: Incredibly deliberate. And then like, and. And I would say people come to me all the time and they're like, well, I did a SHRM meeting and nothing ever came of it. Well, because you did one. Like, that's not. And it's not. You can't just speak at the shrm. You have to do a giveaway with a gift card and get business cards and then follow up and then follow up again and then see them at the state conference. Like it. And then you have to give back as much as you asking. Right. So, like, we may not be really aggressively marketing right now because it's kind of not the time, but we're serving as a conduit. Oh, well, this client had 200 furloughs, and here's what they did to make it easier. Like, all you're doing is serving as a conduit and a resource for this [3:58] JD: network that falls right in line with social media content in the world. I mean, you got to give, give, give. And if you're out there just trying to help and you're out there trying to give, I think that's the best marketing you could do. Right. Is then people turn around and like, that person's not selling me, but geez, they've got a lot of information that would be really helpful to me. And when they're in a tough spot or they want to switch, you're the first person that they're gonna call. I love that.