Mastermind Advisor Podcast

We’re excited to return with a new series featuring advisors around the country. We’ll spend time discussing their business and processes, and learn from their successes and failures. Today we welcome on Michael Mezheritskiy of Milestone Asset Management Group in Connecticut to learn more about what’s behind his growth from a solo shop to now having four offices. 

From the importance of consistent marketing to the power of tax-centric planning, Michael discusses the pivotal decisions and tools that propelled his firm to new heights. Whether you're a solo practitioner or part of a larger firm, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways for any financial advisor looking to scale their business.

Here’s some of what we discuss in this episode:

0:00 – Intro 

0:52 – Background on Michael’s business

2:13 – Solo to four offices

5:23 – His appointment process

11:05 – Systems 

14:07 – Follow-up process

19:41 – What would he do differently?

Featured Takeaway:

"It takes about four to five months to kind of get into a groove and actually start creating some sort of a pipeline."

About our guest: https://milestoneamg.com/team/michael-mezheritskiy/

Mastermind Advisor Website: https://mastermindadvisor.com/

Watch us on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3r1gBK1

You have to be good at closing virtually and good at closing in person, but you first have to be able to get in front of people and that’s what we’ll help you with in this episode. That’s the biggest problem many advisors have right now and webinars and seminars are still a trusted way to accomplish that. 

It’s not just about the numbers when you run these events, and we'll underscore the essentiality of quality over quantity when it comes to appointments and leads, the perfect ad spend for webinars, and the art of nurturing leads before they attend.

Here is some of what we’ll cover in this episode:

• Results we’ve seen this year and what the expectations should be for your marketing.
• Having the right mindset with this system.
• Why we don’t think you need to spend a bunch of money on ads.
• What we’ve found that works when structuring your seminars and webinars.
• Breaking down the cost per registrant.
• Picking the right location for seminars. 

Featured Takeaway:

"I think for the most part, you can't feed yourself if you don't get in front of people. Right. And that's, that's the first problem that most advisors have."

Mastermind Advisor Website: https://mastermindadvisor.com/

Watch us on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3r1gBK1

Just look at the numbers. In 2022 alone, Facebook generated nearly $114 billion in advertising revenue and that’s expected to grow over the next few years. With that much money pouring into the social media platform, it’s obviously an effective solution for many companies. However, like any other tool, it needs to be used effectively to yield the desired results. 

This topic came to mind because we were in a Facebook group recently and read a few comments about what you should and shouldn’t be doing with Facebook ads. Sure, that person might be getting plenty of leads from the ads, but they probably aren’t qualified. We’ve seen this play out over and over so we’re going to spend this episode talking about how to get someone through the funnel – from the lead to the appointment on your calendar – with the quality you’re looking for. e.

Here is some of what we’ll cover in this episode:

• One of the biggest places people screw up is by not using interests in targeting.
• How to use Facebook lead forms effectively. 
• It’s easy to copy ads that bigger companies are using, but make sure you’re careful about who you’re copying.
• Why you need to be utilizing the Pixel on your site.
• Crafting the right copy and using a strong image to get people’s attention.

Featured Takeaway:

"I'd say the majority of Facebook is e-commerce ads, I don't think the majority of it is people trying to fill their seminars, so it's a little different."

Mastermind Advisor Website: https://mastermindadvisor.com/

Watch us on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3r1gBK1

We decided on this topic after hearing from a few advisors following our last episode who told us they were struggling some with their own numbers. It’s easy to put the blame on ourselves for not closing as many of the leads, but sometimes it’s other factors like the marketing we’re doing.

The focus in this episode is on mastering marketing numbers and virtual closing strategies to bolster success rate, and we dive into the different aspects that matter most and discuss how advisors can leverage them to their advantage.

Here is some of what we’ll cover in this episode:

We want to understand and analyze marketing funnels, closing numbers, and ROI.

The use of strategic tools such as RMD calculation or social security analysis is highlighted. These tools can help transform prospects into planning or annuity sales.

The importance of providing value before asking for anything in return.

The power of webinars to filter and qualify clients, emphasizing the role of transparency in marketing.

Featured Takeaway:

Marketing is one where you can't sleep on your numbers. There are some advisors that will spend a fortune, not realizing their overall return is not there, and it’s just because they think that it's performing well. And so it's key to pay attention to the numbers. That should dictate your judgment.

Mastermind Advisor Website: https://mastermindadvisor.com/

Watch us on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3r1gBK1

Today we’re going to talk about the smokescreens or the objections that people have when it comes to online or virtual type of appointments we’re having. These can throw off or derail the relationship right off the bat if you aren’t prepared. Things will get easier as trust is built, but we want to talk about how to overcome these smokescreens and get past those initial appointments.

Featured Quote:

"They're kind of vetting you. They're trying to determine whether or not they want to work with you." -Mastermind Advisor Marketing

Here is some of what we’ll cover in this episode:

• What are smokescreens and why do prospects throw these up?
• Ways to redirect and respond to the objections.
• The importance of establishing trust and build a rapport with clients.
• How you can harness technology to generate qualified leads and become more effective at closing.

If you  want to watch this episode, check out our YouTube channel for the video: https://www.youtube.com/@MasterMindAdvisor 

Resources:

Mastermind Advisor Website: https://mastermindadvisor.com

As we venture deeper, we'll guide you through the benefits of webinars and how strategic scheduling can streamline your work week and open more opportunities for appointments. We take an interesting look at appointment preferences, emphasizing the benefit of not scheduling more than 10 days out. We also shed light on the importance of tracking the number of attendees at your events, an often overlooked yet vital metric to measure the effectiveness of your marketing outreach.

If you’re interested in learning more about seminar marketing strategies, this episode should give you some things to think about and apply.

Featured Quote:

"Tuesdays and Thursdays are key for seminars, and webinars can also be beneficial. Tracking numbers to measure success and to avoid giving up on marketing venues that don't perform well right away is important."  -Mastermind Advisor Marketing

Here is some of what we’ll cover in this episode:

• Marketing schedules and transitioning strategies
• Webinar scheduling and appointment preferences
• Effective seminar marketing strategies
• Consistency in marketing for business growth

If you  want to watch this episode, check out our YouTube channel for the video: https://www.youtube.com/@MasterMindAdvisor 

Resources:

Mastermind Advisor Website: https://mastermindadvisor.com

Today we’re going to talk about the number one thing that’s causing your seminars and webinars to not perform the way they should. It’s an easy fix, but we see advisors struggle with this quite often. So we’ll tell you how we can take something you’re doing at the beginning and move it towards the end to solve your issues, get you better appointments, and ultimately better results.

Featured Quote:

"They're there for themselves. They're not there to learn about you. You're there to potentially help them if that's what they want. But you need to prove that first by giving them some powerful information."  -Mastermind Advisor Marketing

Here is some of what we’ll cover in this episode:

• Why self-promotion is one of the main reasons for underperformance.
• We’ll share a personal anecdote to illustrate the power of storytelling, which is crucial for engaging your audience. 
• How to come up with compelling calls to action. 
• Focus on the information and educational aspect to provide value to the audience.

If you  want to watch this episode, check out our YouTube channel for the video: https://www.youtube.com/@MasterMindAdvisor 

Resources:

Mastermind Advisor Website: https://mastermindadvisor.com

Today, Josh and Vince and going to do that with our practice and talk about what we would implement differently. We’ve tried dinner seminars, Social Security workshops, radio, SEO, webinars, digital marketing, and podcast, and we’ve learned a lot through trial and error.

So we’ll discuss the things that haven’t worked so you can avoid those and explain why we would implement these five marketing strategies moving forward.

Featured Quote:

"If you're starting fresh, some educational classes with digital marketing is probably one of the best ways, I would think, to get business through the door and kind of get the practice rolling." -Mastermind Advisor Marketing

Here is some of what we’ll cover in this episode:

• To get in front of good quality prospects, you should start doing some version of webinars and seminars.
• The reasons why digital marketing can be much more effective than mailers.
• How to leverage webinars to filter quality appointments.
• Using the email method of give, give, give, ask when contacting prospects.
• Focus on SEO marketing and the correct sequence.

If you  want to watch this episode, check out our YouTube channel for the video: https://www.youtube.com/@MasterMindAdvisor 

Resources:

Mastermind Advisor Website: https://mastermindadvisor.com

Today we’ll take you through our very specific process that has provided a show rate near 95% for seminars and 80% for webinars. Things like which days and times are more important than many advisors believe. Plus, stick around to the end because we’ll share one important thing that will help make sure people are showing up.

Featured Quote:

"When people say, ‘Yeah, I have a system that follows up with people like it sends them a confirmation.’ That's not enough. You have to send them multiple emails." -Mastermind Advisor Marketing

Here is some of what we’ll cover in this episode:

• The issues that many advisors run into when trying to convert people from their seminars.
• Why it’s so important to send multiple reminders about upcoming appointments and the methods we use.
• Examples of people we’ve worked with and some of the changes we’ve made to their process.
• What you need to consider about the times and days that you are scheduling appointments.
• How to make things very personable during the process.

If you  want to watch this episode, check out our YouTube channel for the video: https://www.youtube.com/@MasterMindAdvisor 

Resources:

Mastermind Advisor Website: https://mastermindadvisor.com

Today we’re going to share the process we use for seminars to drive good quality leads and convert those leads into appointments. That’s the goal for every advisor and not every platform performs as well as it should.

We will dig into the nuts and bolts of launching and monitoring effective ads for seminars. Josh, a marketing expert, will underscore the need to test various ad copies and images, track results, and tweak for optimal outcomes. Plus, we explore how choosing the right topic, location, and audience can make or break your seminars.

Featured Quote:

"It just makes more sense to spend money when it's most successful, and it has proven true for the vast majority, if not all, of our classes." -Mastermind Advisor Marketing

Here is some of what we’ll cover in this episode:

• Why we try to overshoot quality over quantity. (3:59)
• When should you start advertising your seminar? (6:14) 
• Walking through the process for building ad campaigns. (14:14)
• The follow-up process once someone registers for a seminar. (22:26)
• Picking out a good location. (35:32)

If you  want to watch this episode, check out our YouTube channel for the video: https://www.youtube.com/@MasterMindAdvisor 

Resources:

Mastermind Advisor Website: https://mastermindadvisor.com