Ep 264: Outsourcing Lead Generation To Accelerate Growth When Starting From Scratch with Dan Callahan
Jan 18, 2022
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Dan Callahan, Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Capasso Planning Partners, shares his strategies for growing his firm through outsourcing lead generation. He discusses the challenges and triumphs of starting from zero, using third-party platforms to expand his reach, and justifying the costs of buying leads. The podcast explores the benefits of virtual meetings, lead generation and qualification processes, lead flow and quality, and transitioning from a niche firm. The speaker also reflects on the emotional rollercoaster of building an advisory business and the importance of work-life balance.
Outsourcing lead generation to online third-party platforms can significantly accelerate growth for financial advisory firms starting from scratch.
Different lead generation programs have varying fee structures, upfront costs, and lead quality, making it crucial for financial advisors to carefully evaluate and choose the right program for their needs.
Acquiring clients digitally requires building trust upfront, quickly responding to leads, and embracing optimism, resilience, flexibility, and risk-taking as an entrepreneur.
Deep dives
Zoe Financial
Zoe Financial is a lead generation service that has been successful for us. We have received a significant number of leads through the platform, with the majority of them coming from prospective clients interested in a flat fee or fee-only structure. We have found that being able to offer these alternative fee structures sets us apart and attracts more clients. The process with Zoe Financial involves a vetting process and a matching system, where prospects are matched with advisors based on their specific needs and preferences. We have had success in converting a significant portion of these leads into clients, with a close rate of around 30%.
Dave Ramsey SmartVestor
We also tried using Dave Ramsey's SmartVestor service for lead generation. However, this service did not work as well for us. The system involved paying for a specific geographic region and receiving leads through email notifications. However, the key factor in success with this service was being the first advisor to contact the prospective client. This required immediate, round-the-clock availability to make phone calls and resulted in a very competitive and time-sensitive process. While we did acquire one client through this service, the close rate overall was low, likely due to the challenges of being the first advisor to contact the lead in a crowded marketplace.
Finding the Right Lead Generation Programs
The speaker discusses their experience with various lead generation programs, such as SmartVestor, Brewer Consulting, SmartAsset, WiserAdvisor, Fee Only Network, and Zoe Financial. They explain the different fee structures, upfront costs, and lead quality associated with each program.
Challenges in Digital Client Acquisition
The speaker highlights the difficulties of acquiring clients digitally, including the need to build trust upfront and the competitive nature of responding quickly to leads. They emphasize the importance of being the first to contact prospects and share their experiences of cold calling and cold emailing as part of the lead generation process.
Ups and Downs of Building an Advisory Business
The speaker reflects on the highs and lows of building their own advisory business, including the emotional roller coaster of wins and losses. They stress the importance of staying optimistic and resilient, even in the face of rejection, while embracing the flexibility and risk-taking that comes with being an entrepreneur.
Dan Callahan is the Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Capasso Planning Partners, an independent RIA based out of South Carolina that oversees $250 million of assets under management for 300 households. Dan and his firm began with zero clients but were able to grow substantially in only 3 years through client acquisitions by outsourcing lead generation to online third-party platforms.
Listen in as Dan shares how he grew his firm virtually, the challenges and triumphs he experienced starting from zero, and how he has been able to keep pace with larger firms in terms of client outreach efforts. We also dive into how Dan uses third-party platforms to maximize his reach beyond South Carolina and how he justifies the revenue-sharing and substantial marketing costs it takes to buy leads.