Tell your story through video

As the financial services sector moves toward greater transparency, there’s more pressure on financial advisors to articulate their worth to clients and prospects.

Video storytelling is one way you can distinguish yourself and deepen your engagement with existing clients as they brace for the changes ahead, says Patti-Jo Wiese, business growth strategist at PJ Wiese Group in Vancouver.

Whether you are a veteran advisor or a rookie, you can benefit from making a video pitch that shows what motivates you as an advisor while expressing your personality, Wiese says. Through video, you can reveal the inner workings of your practice and connect with clients and prospects on an emotional level.

The following are tips on how to produce a video that resonates with viewers:

> Show, don’t tell
In other media, such as print and newsletters, you may profess to be “client-centric,” “forward-thinking” and “compassionate.” But these words can only take you so far in this hyper-visual age. Video can help you elevate your message and make it more believable, says Randal Kurt, producer and founder of Bemoved Media in Vancouver.

With an introductory video, for example, you can offer people a window into your world, so they get a feel for your personality and what it’s like to work with you.

“It can be a wonderful icebreaker,” Wiese says, “a way for people to get to know the vibe of the advisor if they’re a new client.”

> Make it personal
Videos can “humanize” your brand, especially if you are affiliated with a larger entity, says Javed Khan, president of Empression Marketing in Aurora, Ont.

Think about what sets you apart and how your life experiences have informed your approach to business. If you can find a way to relate a personal story through video, you will be able to appeal to people’s emotions, Khan says.

For example, you might open up about your family’s own financial journey and how it has shaped your perspective on what clients need from their advisors.

> Treat it as a conversation
Rehearsed pitches often fall flat and fail to resonate with audiences, no matter how tightly edited and highly stylized the video is. The approach of Kurt’s firm is to pose a series of questions while filming, so it feels more like an unrehearsed conversation and less like a monologue — even if you are the only person who appears in the video.

If the video is shot as a conversation between you and the off-screen interviewer about what you enjoy about your work, Kurt says, you come across as more authentic because the exchange can become candid: “When we sit down [with the advisor], we talk a lot about their business, why they do what they do.”

This is the first part in a two-part series on using video to tell your story. Next: A look at the types of videos you can create.

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