I’m excited to share with you five powerful and proven marketing strategies that have propelled my businesses to new heights. From branding essentials to leveraging the latest in digital marketing, these tips will help you harness the power of modern marketing techniques to boost your annuity sales and ensure long-term success.
Welcome to this week’s episode talking about creative marketing strategies. Hey everyone. Welcome to this week’s podcast. I am Chad Owen, the owner of Retirement Realized Financial, Retirement Realized Agents Academy, Heaven’s Armory, IncreaseU, Eagle Shadow Life and Annuity. All of them. Eagle Shadow Holdings. You know what’s funny is we’re talking about marketing strategies. J333 Ventures. We’re talking about marketing strategies. And literally our marketing guy has told me multiple times, Caleb, you gotta get Chad to quit saying he’s the owner of all the companies before you get into the quality of the content. He’s you gotta get into the content. You know what? I am one of those horses that’s hard to rein in. I mean, that’s the reality. Yeah. You get what you get. Oh, well, that’s my analogy, right? Sitting here, you know, co hosting these podcasts with you is imagine trying to stop the bull in the China shop from inside the China shop. Is there anything less than co hosting? Cause I don’t know if it’s co hosting, it would be like sub hosting that, that might be, yeah, that might be. Cause I don’t know. Co hosting gives you way too much authority. No, that’s funny. Yeah. I mean, cause you’re not like co founder or anything. Not co founder, no. Co laborer. That, there you go, now you’re going biblical on me. Co laborer. Co laborer in Christ, we are all. Paul talks about that, how we’re co laborers in Christ. Come on. So, okay. Marketing strategies. I just showed you how to market and strategy. Yeah. If you’re looking for any of those other things, you know where to go. It’s funny, because actually next week we’ll be talking about branding, so we will actually be talking about branding. Plugging increase you well in all fairness. You guys know I own multiple companies, but I’ll tell you the branding I’m like I’m getting branding for a company called Eagle Shadow Holdings Which is just a commercial real estate company and the branding I’m looking at going. Oh my gosh. It’s incredible Yeah, I couldn’t do that if my life depended on somebody stuck a gun to my head and said make a brand I’m not going to be able to do it. My branding, the extent of that is in cattle. That’s as far as fine goes. I’m helping my brother make one right now and don’t ask me to digitize it. Yeah. Well, because you know, you gotta be really good in this industry of what you do, but realize there’s people way better because I hear agents try that. All the time. I’m going to create my own brand. I’m going to make my own logo. I’m going to create my own website. And I’m just going, there are so many things that you need to know when making that effective and right. What colors are working. I. Wanted a certain color scheme that I love across the board is black gray and red. Yeah, I mean, that’s my favorite But he goes no, you can’t have all companies with the same color and I’m like why you know It’s makes it fluid and he goes because there’s no nothing to differentiate between the Companies, and I’m like, yeah, I know you’re the expert and that’s so important though when it comes to marketing is making sure you have the right people doing that. Well, so when I see and I hear of agents and Gali, we could do this, hit this again next week. Yeah. Right. When I hear of agents that kind of buy into that mentality of, Oh, I’m going to do this myself. Yeah. It’s because they’ve bought into the cost benefit side, but they have not considered the time benefits. So the day it takes me to make that brand on my website, I could have sold. 500, 000 in annuities. So they look at the cost and they think, okay, I can save this much money, but they don’t consider how much more they’re losing by spending the time on it. Yeah. Right. So it was like, if you’re producing, you are better off in the field and have the experts around you. I mean, that’s just the thing. I’ve never really realized that’s one of the. Biggest challenges I have with agents is getting them to focus on the one thing, which is representing your products and meeting with clients, right? Not all this other stuff. I have had agents that I knew would have been incredible. That gets sidetracked and they’re doing everything other than making calls, right? Everything other than running appointments and they’re wondering why they’re not making the business or needed doing the business They need to write when I know because of their skill set they could easily write 10 15 a million a year I know they could write but because they won’t focus on what they’re good at and let other people do what they’re Better at than you. They never get that far ahead. Yeah, it’s true. I recommend this is some something that I’ve tried to implement in my daily schedule that I think would be powerful for Agents to consider doing as well It’s natural for people to want to do the fun thing first The problem is even the fun things, yes, they fill you up, but they still take capacity mentally, emotionally, physically, all the things. So then you get to the hard tasks and they seem that much more challenging. And why do I wait to make calls till 4 30 at the end of the day? Right. Well, I think that’s just, but you’re hitting it on the front end of the week. True. You know? Okay. So if you do the hard things first, you do the daunting tasks. Well, technically, yeah, but it’s still in the weekend because I don’t work on Sunday. I don’t either. Okay. But if you do the hard tasks first, you do the big things first, the daunting things first, you’re on a downhill slope from there. Yeah. You know? Get to the summit, the hard things, and then ride the, ride it out the rest of the day. But do you know most people die on the way down from the mountain than climbing up? Well, I didn’t know that’s because they’re tired that kind of negatively yeah Which anytime I can go against what you’re trying to say, I’m gonna do that. Oh, I know it’s but it’s a contradictions all the time Yeah, it’s the most people die more people die on the way down than they do the way up first of all, you’re exhausted on the way up second of all, you’re just More complacent because you’re focused on the top part that you don’t realize I mean how many people focus Let’s say in Everest they focus on what’s their number one goal get to the top Yeah, you don’t say my number one goal is to get back to the bottom Which is interesting when you think about it. Yeah And often in our industry, we’re so focused on the number one thing is get the sale. What about taking care of the client afterwards? Oh yeah. What about the backing? Making sure you’re available. What about when they look you up on a website because they lost your number that they can find you? Right. You know, I would say it’s just as important to get back down to the bottom as is to get to the top. Get back into the serve mode. Nice try on the analogy. Yeah. Well, we took it a step further and I’d say a step better. Yeah, I would say. That’s pretty good. Don’t they call that the Hillary step? We’re going to change that to the Chad step. We’re going to create my own step in the business process. Getting back down. I like it. It is important, while we’re talking about this, and we’ve hit branding a little bit already, but it is important to remember that marketing systems are only going to be as effective as your ability to do something with them. A hundred percent. I mean, unless you have the skills. Basically a drive thru restaurant where clients come up to the window and tell you what you want and all you’re responsible to do is to tell you what you want, what they want. Yeah, I was going to say, wait a second, I’m going to tell you what you want. You’re going to want to serve me this burger now. That’s what you’re going to want to do. I want something that has no cockroach eggs on it. Alright, but unless we get to that point, which we won’t and we can’t you’ve got to be able. To have a good system and process on the back end, you’ve got to be able to educate people and help find the problem and find the best solution. How many industries out there they require continuous education ours, you know ours is absolutely one of them But there’s so many engineers or I mean anything in the tech world you I know some people that are heavy into the tech world And they talk about how you have to study every day because literally it can change right all the time on them Newest latest greatest thing our industry is the same thing I was talking to a client recently and they said how would you compare the products? Of what you had 15 20 years ago to what you have now. I would say wow, they’ve really adapted They’ve really changed but that’s part of absolutely And I would say for the better. I mean, there’s some agents that would disagree with that But i’ll say for the better sure, but I think you know the process and the system It’s all about learning and getting better and making sure you’re aware of every situation that’s coming up within reason. But, that’s all about the system process. System and process is also about, you know, when you’re, how did we even get into this? Weren’t we talking about marketing strategies? Yeah, and we’ll get to them. These are some good trails though, I think. It is, because, What good is if you do all this marketing and everything, but you don’t know how to market yourself. How do you market yourself? By being the expert. And that’s a lot of my marketing is when they find out, this year, I just, I’m over 20 million for the year. My goal is 27 million by mid june. Yeah, and That’s I can say that to clients. I can say I have almost a quarter of a billion dollars I’ve written in annuities since 2008 Which is just crazy to me. I mean just the number of loans crazy to me and that’s accelerating more and more because there’s more and more business being written because People know who I am, you know, when they get, if you Google Chateau and annuities chat, I mean, you can do this. Chateau and annuities, Chateau and safe money, Chateau and retirement. You’ll can see, you can see my name is everywhere. Right. And that’s because we started marketing a long time ago. It is not an overnight success. You’re not going to go viral writing an annuity for anybody. It’s just not going to be a massive topic. But I do have clients that I work with and they, I just had it again. I helped him with 350, 000, but I got referred to a guy that has over a million. Yeah. And that’s because they know I can be found right? They know I have a very professional website And they know that all they have to do if they forget something they just put in chad owen Retirement and they can find me anywhere. Yeah, and for the record we will get into these creative marketing strategies for you today. Well, we will hit those But I do want to say this term just hit my head. It’s a little it’s creative it’s that a good brand is like a primo And what I mean by that is it’s a promotion But it precedes You ever interacting with them, right? So if you build a brand around expertise Yeah. And now you have a client that referred another client to you. Yeah. Okay. Your brand is going to be experienced by the secondary client before you ever even talk to them or meet with them. Good point. By nature of their friend referring them. Good point. Them going to your website, looking for your stuff. So that is a, again, creative term primo. It’s a promo that precedes you ever interacting with them. And that’s what a good solid brand will do for you. But as in primo of the beer, we’re not talking about that. Correct. Cause there’s nothing that has beer, the taste or the smell that should be called primo. I would disagree on all fronts there, but. A good way to think of this, and this is the analogy we always use is good marketing is like fuel to the car, right? Your process will determine the fuel economy but you gotta have fuel run. Yep. Right, so what you do with the fuel you’re given that’ll determine how far you go and how much you write. But ultimately, it is needed. Four ideas and we can break each one down. Idea number one, just starting real basic. Company merch. Now, this doesn’t really So I’m gonna start selling my shirts? Is that what No, but having it. Yeah. Right? Wearing it. Repping it. I mean, I was on a plane That is actually a big deal when you wear what you have. I would agree with that. I was on a plane for an hour from Kentucky to Atlanta earlier this week. And I had an hour long conversation with a lady who was 60 years old. She ended up taking my business card. I didn’t have my merch on there. I didn’t have any, you know company stuff on me had I It would have been very clear to her what I do. Instead, I had a conversation. What I’m saying is, there are people in your everyday world. You’re walking around. They see stuff. They may ask you. It’s not that you’re trying to treat every person you come across like the next deal. I highly discourage that mentality. That’ll drive you into the ground. But I know a guy that he’s in a city of I think 70, 80, 000 if I remember correctly. But he’s known as the safe money guy. That’s his brand. That’s his he probably wears stuff out about any guy They just he’s on billboards. He wears it on jackets. That’s his thing. And now I Would never do that and my wife would never let me do that. I have a hard time even wearing my What do they call them graphic tees? She’s can you wear something different this time? She’d rather you wear a shirt like this That is true. Not exactly. Not this pattern. No, definitely not. This is my kind of pattern. Yeah, that’s your pattern. But. It’s my brand. Sure. But that, you know, that’s, I mean, even on the vehicle. You know, everywhere he goes, that’s what he’s known as. Right. And so when you’re in smaller areas, that’s sometimes what it takes. You know, your marketing is literally what you’re driving, what you’re wearing, where you’re going. Absolutely. And it’s not that expensive to have it. And it’s and it conveys a very high level of professionalism if you do I mean, it’s big companies have that kind of stuff. So, people see that it changes the perception from just you know individual sales rep for an insurance company, too Okay, this guy’s operating a business for sure and that is critical in this line of work agreed completely Okay, number two email marketing. This is huge. This is big It’s gargantuous. If you don’t have it, you need it, you’re missing out big time. I write millions a year off of email marketing. And these are people that anytime, whether it’s internet, whether it’s radio, whether it’s anything, any lead source, I get this coming in to ask an email, we capture that. Yeah. And we reached back out because they reached out to us first. I do not go and buy email lists. That is not right. It’s people that reached out to people have reached out to me saying they want information. Well, let’s say I get in touch and I’m just going to use numbers. I get in touch with half the people and then I actually meet with that. And I mean, I know our closing rates high this year, but if I have people I don’t close, I still have the email address. So two, three years down the road, they’re going, you know what? The market was doing really well. Now it’s not. And then they reach back out to you. Why? You’re still doing an email campaign about every two weeks. My clients get an email with something pertaining to retirement and they reach back out to me. Millions of dollars I’ve written using that. Yeah, and it’s because maybe at the first time number one I didn’t get in touch with them or number two It just wasn’t the time for them. But now it is. Yeah. Good email marketing will do a couple of things for you. There’s some people that swear by the idea of segmenting and you send, you know, clients certain things and, you know, prospects another thing. And I actually think that a good email marketing system will do both and simplify it for you. Because number one, a good email marketing system is going to reinforce the purchase decision the client’s already made And keep you in front of them. Number two, a good email marketing system will intrigue the prospects, especially in, you know, current market conditions and to actually reach out in the first place and rekindle that conversation. Do we happen to have an email marketing system? Chad, we do happen. Wow. We do. Well, what, tell me a little bit about that. Yeah. So you wrote a book, stress and rock. Yes, you did. And we had. I mean, just phenomenal feedback from agents, not even the authors, okay, bear in mind other agents that ordered your book and then started distributing that to clients or prospects rather after the first appointment or whatever saying, and I can’t tell you how many agents I’ve talked to now, individual agents that each of them multiple times have now had clients. Prospects turn into clients that when they were given the book they read it They reached back out to the agent asking. Okay. How do we move forward with this? I understand what this concept is Now, let’s get specific. How do we actually this is written in english not financial ease? I mean, I really want people to understand How this works and not in complicated terms exactly, but that’s what we built the email That’s exactly. That’s not what we built. That’s what they built because I Did Wrote the book. They did the rest. Yeah, but I think it would be good and that’s not it That’s not a plug like trying to get you to do something it I do believe it. I’ll bring value Oh, absolutely do absolutely. So once can reach out to Caleb if you’re interested in that I love to talk with but yeah The email marketing I think is really important in general because out of sight out of mind, right? I mean you don’t remember things but if you’re getting an email about every two weeks and it’s very rare that I get unsubscribed Right, I probably pull in for every one unsubscribed, I have 25 or 30 that want to keep going. I mean, it’s a list, right? I think I’m over 5, 200 names now. And I didn’t start this that long ago. Right. I mean, it’s probably halfway through my career. Yeah, I’d say about halfway I started capturing emails. Yeah. So it’s not that long ago. The key with good email marketing is that you’ve got good content and good calls to action. If all it is a good format layout, of course, don’t do the traditional newsletter with the most recent recipe that grandma’s cooking. Yeah, it needs to look good it needs to flow well, content needs to be there because if all it is a sales piece, you’re going to, you’re going to have a way higher drop off rate. But if you’re actually providing them value things, they can, yeah, exactly. All right. Number three, video marketing, it can be recording and communicating, sending these videos out to clients and prospects via email. Yeah, we highlighted this one for you because I think it could use I appreciate yeah, you’re welcome. Thanks for bringing the flaw in my armor but There’s I got a thing. I mean we’re doing that now What do you mean the video marketing? Well, it’s just something that agents would do within their own email sequence or systems or whatever We are doing email marketing video marketing is something where even if it was an iphone, you know, if you’re I mean I recommend getting a Tripod or something set it up. So it’s stable at least yeah iPhone cameras nowadays take great video. They do, really high quality. You can record a video, you can embed that in an email, and you can send that out to people. We maybe need to figure out a way to do video marketing. Because it always motivates me when we’re doing it for someone else, that I can do it to where I’m like going, okay I’ll lead that. Right. Because I always test all lead systems first before we ever promote them. But maybe we’ll revisit that one. Yeah, well, you absolutely will, but that’s a good one for you to consider. And then the last one was actually good branding, which I think, you know, gets lumped into company merge because you need to have branding beforehand. But this one works a little bit differently for me. We live in a time and day where. Most well, it can be really hard to get leads on the phone prospects on the phone nowadays, especially with the robo calls and all the stupid robo calls. I’m telling you nuts. So you leave a voicemail and then they hear it’s you and then they get a name now or a company and now they go to look for you before they call you back. That’s true. So they’re going to websites, they’re going to social media. That happens all the time now where I call someone back and they go, Oh yeah, I answered cause I saw your website. I went, I already looked and saw who you were. It happens. I think they guesstimate about 80%. I’ve seen multiple studies done this, but 80 percent of people that will actually look at your online presence, your branding, your marketing, whatever you’re doing before they meet with you. And I do it totally I mean I’m constantly looking at websites We’re looking at buying some chocolate lab puppies, and I’m going in a puppy not puppies But you know, I’m looking on there. I’m seeing what the reviews are. I’m like does the website look like you know You’re someone Generic did it right now or was it or does it look really sharp or the picture’s good, right? That’s really important. So what you’re telling me chad is you’re not hunting craigslist to find the dog from the backyard breeder that you want to have for the next 10 to 12 years. No Okay, so you want quality? Yes. Ah and you’re determining quality And in a large way by their internet presence there. Oh 100 percent because there’s some that are on there that I wanted to meet with because I looked at their website. I’m going to know this now and just practically how much less important I mean not that a dog’s not important, but how much less important is I agree a dog then somebody’s retirement. So if you’re doing that for dogs, yeah How much more clients doing that with Their website doesn’t look good. I’m not going to eat there Unless I feel like I don’t know there’s some real dives that it might be that but that’s because we’re driving and we ask someone Hey, where’s the best place to eat around here? Right, but it’s not because I found them on the internet. Yeah It’s yeah We’re going to deep dive branding a little bit more and hit next week very specific pieces that are needed exactly what branding is, how it works and why it benefits you obviously in much more detail in the next week’s episode. But those are the four strategies I’d recommend you at least look into to get creative for the rest of 2022. Awesome. I know we went a little long, but Hey, we’re not into trying to punch the clock. We want to make sure we get all the information to you. So I hope this helps you. You have a great day and of course, happy selling.
Branding: More Than Just a Logo
As someone who owns multiple companies, branding is a topic close to my heart. Next week, we’ll delve deeper into creating a stellar brand, but for now, let’s touch upon its significance. Every company, like my Eagle Shadow Holdings, a commercial real estate firm, needs a distinct brand identity. Differentiating your companies through varied color schemes and consistent branding can make a world of difference.
The Genius of Email Marketing
Many agents I’ve worked with have tried to create their brand, design their logo, and set up their website. My advice? Let the experts handle it. The day you spend struggling with design is a day you could have spent selling annuities worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. I’ve written millions of dollars in annuities, thanks in no small part to efficient email marketing. It’s essential to capture emails and stay in touch with potential clients through insightful, consistent communication.
Conquering the Fundamentals
Let’s get into the nuts and bolts of marketing strategies. To make it easier, I’ll break it down into digestible parts:
Company Merch – Wear Your Brand
It might sound simplistic, but company merchandise can work wonders. Wearing branded apparel or driving a vehicle emblazoned with your company’s logo builds recognition. For example, I know a guy in a mid-sized city known as ‘the safe money guy’. He’s everywhere – billboards, jackets, his car. It’s all about making yourself seen and remembered.
Email Marketing – Your Secret Weapon
If you haven’t tapped into email marketing, you’re missing out. An effective email campaign can keep you in front of your clients’ minds and rekindle interest years after an initial contact. Trust me, capturing and nurturing these leads can lead to millions in business. And remember, never buy email lists; only reach out to those who have shown interest.
Video Marketing – Put a Face to the Name
Video marketing can be a powerful tool when used effectively. Imagine sending personalized videos to your clients and prospects, adding a more personal touch to your emails. It doesn’t need to be complex; an iPhone and a tripod can suffice for a high-quality video that communicates directly and reliably.
Good Branding – Your Silent Salesman
Good marketing is like fuel for your sales engine, and branding is a massive part of this. Before clients even meet you, they are likely to research you online. Thus, maintaining a professional and comprehensive online presence is crucial. It builds trust and portrays you as an expert in your field.
The Big Picture
Here’s the big takeaway: Marketing is not just about flashy ads or catchy slogans. It’s about creating a coherent, reliable, and professional image that precedes and follows every client interaction. Effective branding, consistent marketing efforts, and leveraging technology can help you stand out and climb to new heights in your sales career.
Final Thoughts
To summarize, here are the four key marketing strategies you should integrate into your plan for 2022 and beyond:
- Company Merch: Wear and display your brand everywhere you go.
- Email Marketing: Stay connected with clients and prospects through regular, valuable content.
- Video Marketing: Add a personal touch with videos to enhance engagement.
- Good Branding: Ensure your online presence is professional and inviting.
Lastly, remember to keep learning and adapting. The industry evolves, and so should you. Stay tuned for next week’s post where we delve deeper into the intricacies of good branding.
Happy selling, and as always, wishing you great success!
Best, Chad Owen
