Centurion Market Makers are a new business broking service for financial planners. Their Buyer-pays model makes them unique with the buyer NOT the seller paying the fees for the sale of the business.
Centurion had done some initial groundwork when they were developing their business model but needed help in determining the right approach to help them generate leads for their business in the start-up phase.
The Solution
Marketing Angels recommending some initial Market Research to determine what the key motivators and concerns were amongst financial planning businesses when it came to choosing a partner to help them sell their business.
A key finding was that it wasn’t a price based decision – it was based on the buyer looking after clients and having the right cultural fit. Sellers also wanted flexibility around how they exited their business.
The Research was critical in:
· Identifying the key drivers for selling the business which dictated the key messages to take to market.
· Identifying target publications (for PR and Advertising)
· Creating a media angle around the concerns Planners had when selling their business
Marketing Angels also helped define the brand strategy tweaking the brand name and developing a positioning statement that clearly articulated what the business was about:
“Centurion Market Makers – The market place for selling your financial planning business.”
A tactical “Go to Market Plan” focussed on generating targeted leads for the business in its early start up phase.
Marketing Angels then implemented the launch campaign focussing on the following key tactics:
- Created and placed advertising in few key publications (also to be targeted with PR)
- Created and distributed Media Releases to key publications
- Developed a corporate brochure including profiles on management team.
- EDM campaign.
- Custom built an initial prospect database of target clients
- Developed and Distributed 3 Electronic Direct Mail pieces with specific call to actions.
The Results
Centurion Market Makers were featured in editorial in 3 of the key financial planning publications:
A great result for an unknown brand!
Centurion now have a total of 35 potential sellers (plus 24 buyers) in their pipeline (compared to 30 initially targeted) and are overwhelmed with new business interest.
What the Client says
“Marketing Angels was instrumental in providing a process that helped us complete market research, define and communicate our offer to the market, our competitive positioning and take to market approach. It’s fair to say that prior to engaging their assistance, we had an amalgam of ideas, but a limited understanding of how to develop a marketing strategy and disciplined approach to sourcing customers. Given we are a startup, Marketing Angels helped ensure that our marketing spend was directed to the most effective mediums, with the right message to source customers, while beginning the journey of building a distinctive brand.
I would say that the advice, the discipline and support of Marketing Angels was a key reason that after our first quarter that our business pipeline looks very healthy.”
Wayne Marsh
Director
