Training and preparation are just two key elements advice firms will need if they are to make the most of lead generation, according to Performance Leads.
In the latest of Professional Advisers' Working Lunch series Ed Wilkinson, co-founder of Performance Leads and Peter Yates, head of partnerships, explained what "best practice" looks like for advice firms that are looking to make the most of pay per click campaigns.
Using technology and analysis companies, such as Performance Leads, look to help businesses grow. The process involves a consumer searching the web, landing on one of the Performance Lead's consumer facing websites and entering their details, which are passed to a financial advice business.
Wilkinson and Yates were quick to acknowledge in the webinar that several advisers on the webinar and those they have spoken to previously have had negative experiences with pay per click.
"We often speak to partners who have bad experiences and are put off for life because they lost so much money the first time around," said Wilkinson.
However, he and Yates said that along with picking the right company to partner with, there is an onus on advice firms to ensure their firms and staff are prepared.
Critically, everyone within the firm must understand the process and "buy in" to what they are trying to achieve.
Wilkinson said it is important to "buy leads with the purpose of achieving a specific goal", be that starting a new office, growing the business, new staff members or more.
This not only helps firms measure the success of the process, but also helps staff understand why they should be engaged.
Staff also need to be prepped that leads can "look and feel" very different to other referrals and so need to be treated accordingly.
Yates explained the "speed of the initial response is massively important". He added that there is a "golden hour" which if missed "can lead to failing at the first hurdle".
Even once that is achieved firms should ensure they have a "follow up call strategy".
Performance Leads offers training on how leads should be handled to equip firms they work with.
When asked if having a decent website was important, Yates responded, that often a lead will search the firm before they receive a call and so having a website with the basic information is necessary. However, Wilkinson added it was unnecessary to spend significant cost on website upgrades before undertaken the campaign.
The pair noted that given the high volume of advisers that have had bad experiences with lead generation they introduced a product last year which is 40% discounted. There are no guarantees of leads and the pair said it is good for advisers "looking to try something different".
