Barron's Advisor Bill Cates: How Financial Advisors Can Master Their Marketing Message
10 snips
Jan 13, 2026 Bill Cates, a referral and marketing expert for financial advisors and founder of Referral Coach International, shares invaluable insights into effective marketing strategies. He emphasizes the importance of empathy, differentiation, and clear value positioning. Cates distinguishes between prospecting and marketing, and discusses how listening and curiosity foster trust. He advocates for personalized outreach and the use of compelling client stories to communicate value. With a flair for storytelling, Cates also shares personal adventures that inspire his approach to client connections.
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Marketing Vs Prospecting
- Marketing attracts while prospecting proactively reaches out; advisors need both to grow effectively.
- Better marketing reduces effort and brings prospects who are more likely to be interested.
Table Stakes Aren't Differentiators
- Common advisor claims like caring or customized solutions are table stakes, not differentiators.
- Specialization (e.g., executives at a company) creates real differentiation and attracts ideal clients.
Find Differentiators By Asking Clients
- Talk to your clients to discover how they describe you and what truly differentiates your firm.
- Use client language to reveal meaningful positioning you might miss internally.
