Bill Cates is the founder of Referral Coach International and the Cates Academy for Referral Marketing. He is a client acquisition expert and the author of several books, including Get More Referrals Now and Radical Relevance. For over 25 years, Bill has helped financial professionals move from incremental to exponential growth by improving communication, value, and clientele. Before founding Referral Coach International, Bill built and sold two successful book publishing companies. A sought-after public speaker, Bill is also the founder and leader of the Million Dollar Speakers Group and host of the Top Advisor Podcast.

 

Bill joins me today to share the secrets behind turning loyal clients into advocates for your business. He explains how public speaking engagements can help your prospecting efforts and build your influence. He discusses his philosophy on referrals and offers his best practices for soliciting business introductions from clients. Bill also highlights the importance of investing in emotional connections with clients and underscores the power of communicating values through storytelling.

 

“The secret sauce to creating advocates for your business is personal connection.” - Bill Cates

 

This week on The Model FA Podcast:

 

• Bill’s background: his pivot from the publishing industry to the financial services industry, and his introduction to professional public speaking
• Building influence through public speaking and starting a public speaking career
• How to connect with your audience before you speak from the stage
• Bill’s philosophy on referrals, business introductions, and growing a referral-based business
• The four stages of client relationships
• How to make clients feel optimistic about working together
• The difference between creating value connections and emotional connections
• The “90-Day Dazzle" and how the right client onboarding process can help make your business more referable
• The Transition Navigator and the Anchoring Effect
• Congruency theory and the power of impressions
• Creating the “client-centered why” and the neuroscience of relevance
• How advisors can approach asking for introductions without being aggressive
• Radical relevance and the value of communicating values through storytelling
• The distinction between referrals and introductions

 

Resources Mentioned:

 

• Book: The Hype Handbook: 12 Indispensable Success Secrets from the World’s Greatest Propagandists, Self-Promoters, Cult Leaders, Mischief Makers, and Boundary Breakers by Michael Schein
• Book: What Great Salespeople Do: The Science of Selling Through Emotional Connection and the Power of Story by Ben Zoldan and Michael Bosworth

 

Our Favorite Quotes:

 

• “One of the best ways to become influential is to speak. There’s something about standing up on the stage that edifies you.” - David DeCelle
• “Depending on what they experience, your clients will view everything you do through a particular lens.” - David DeCelle
• “We’re in the name recognition business. If you make a nice connection with someone, that’ll carry on a long way.” - Bill Cates

 

Connect with Bill Cates:

 

• Referral Coach International
• Top Advisor Podcast
• Book: Radical Relevance: Sharpen Your Marketing Message - Cut Through the Noise - Win More Ideal Clients
• Book: Get More Referrals Now!
• Book: Don’t Keep Me a Secret!: Proven Tactics to Get Referrals and Introductions
• Referral Coach International on LinkedIn
• Bill Cates on LinkedIn
• Bill Cates on YouTube
• Bill Cates on Facebook
• Bill Cates on Twitter

 

About the Model FA Podcast

 

The Model FA podcast is a show for fiduciary financial advisors. In each episode, our host David DeCelle sits down with industry experts, strategic thinkers, and advisors to explore what it takes  to build a successful practice — and have an abundant life in the process. We believe in continuous learning, tactical advice, and strategies that work — no “gotchas” or BS. Join us to hear stories from successful financial advisors, get actionable ideas from experts, and re-discover your drive to build the practice of your dreams. 

 

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Our Team:

President of Model FA, David DeCelle

 

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