))
The 401k Best Practices Ask the Experts Podcast is where financial advisors get resources, strategies and best practices for growing a successful and compliant 401k practice. As the host, Sharon Pivirotto interviews top 401k advisors and leading industry and business experts and shares ideas for growing, servicing, and managing a successful 401k business.
…
continue reading
The Great 401(k) Podcast Debate is a short-form, point-counterpoint style debate on the top issues affecting retirement plan advisors, sponsors, and participants. Its contentious yet respectful format is meant to encourage an open and honest airing of diverse viewpoints and innovative ideas.
…
continue reading
Episode #40 – Resource Review – The 401(k) Advisor Playbook A lot of advisors ask me if I offer coaching as a service. I don’t but I know someone who does. Andy Hudson has recently launched a new program for Advisors to help you grow your 401k plan practice. In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I’m giving you a behi…
…
continue reading
Welcome to the Great 401(k) Podcast Debate, a series of point/counterpoint episodes involving controversial topics in the retirement plan space, and pooled employer plans (PEP) are undoubtedly controversial. Are PEPs living up to their promise? Are they lowering costs and increasing efficiencies for the smaller organizations that use them? And what…
…
continue reading
Episode #39 – Why Your Story is so Valuable in Marketing We all know the power of stories (in teaching, for remembering what we hear, for engaging people, etc.) and in marketing – stories can create a connection more powerful than any other type of communication. In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I’m sharing anot…
…
continue reading
Episode #38 – Does Your Marketing Speak to Your Ideal Client? Do you find you’re attracting prospects that aren’t a great fit (or not really attracting any new prospects without a lot of effort)? In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I’m sharing another lesson from the New Instant Authority Masterclass on how to defi…
…
continue reading
Episode #37 – The Four Core Fundamentals of Great Positioning If you want to position yourself as a 401(k) expert and authority, there are four core fundamentals you need to address. In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I’m sharing another lesson from the New Instant Authority Masterclass on the four core fundamenta…
…
continue reading
Episode #36 – What Strong Online Positioning Can Do For You If a plan sponsor looked you up on line, would they see you as a trusted expert and authority in the 401(k) industry? In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I’m sharing a lesson from the New Instant Authority Masterclass on how strong positioning can give you…
…
continue reading
Episode #35 – How a Printed Compliance File Can Help You Win New Business Looking for ways to demonstrate that you have a solid process in place to help plan sponsors? In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I’m sharing a short story* about what an advisor I worked with said was a key reason they won a $200 million dol…
…
continue reading
Episode #34 – Resource Review – Catapult (An RFP Solution) Looking for a turn-key, full-service, Request for Proposal (RFP) platform? In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I’m talking with Justin Witz, Founder and CEO of Catapult HQ, Inc. about their RFP platform called “Catapult.” Mentioned in this episode: Catapult…
…
continue reading
Episode #33 – Resource Review – PscNet (Profit Sharing Comparison System) Looking for an easy-to-use retirement plan design and proposal solution? I recently spoke with Marco Brown, creator of PscNet about a plan design comparison software program that allows advisors to create proposals comparing several types of qualified plans, (including Age We…
…
continue reading
Episode #32 – Resource Review – The Retirement Analysis Kit (TRAK) Looking for a way to add tremendous value to the participants in the plans you serve? A tool that engages participants and helps move the needle on retirement readiness? In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I’m talking with Ed Dressel from RetireRead…
…
continue reading
Episode #31 – Resource Review – PlanTools Looking for an investment monitoring program that gives you control over the parameters… and includes the ability to customize each IPS, a built-in CRM, a client vault, a fiduciary education center – and more!? In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I’m talking with David Witz…
…
continue reading
Episode #30 – Resource Review – 401kGrabNGo Looking for strategies, scripts, and ideas to get more 401k sales opportunities (and close them and then service them?)… In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I’m talking with Andy Hudson from 401(k) Champions about a valuable resource they offer advisors called 401kGrabNGo…
…
continue reading
Episode #29 – How to Get New 401k Leads into Your Pipeline Want more 401k leads? Not sure the most effective methods or where to start? In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I’m sharing some intel on the best 401k prospecting methods to help you get new 401k leads into your pipeline (from the Marketing Effectiveness …
…
continue reading
Episode #28 – Using 401k Titles – Marketing Genius or Something Else? I have a question I’d like to pose to you – and would love your opinion… In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I’m sharing my thoughts on using 401k titles (like 401k Quarterback, 401k Coach, etc.), what Robert Cialdini says about titles, and then …
…
continue reading
Episode #27 – Creating Your Own Unique 401k Service Process How can you avoid the commoditization trap – selling the same products and services as everyone else and competing on price? In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I’m sharing one way to package your services that allow you to sell value and the experience yo…
…
continue reading
Episode #26 – 401k Prospecting and Conversion Tips How do you get in front of more 401k prospects? What’s the best marketing strategy to use? And how do you convert those prospects to clients? In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I’m sharing a few strategies on common marketing methods that work, the key to success …
…
continue reading
Episode #25 – How to Scale Your 401k Business with Segmented Service Models Trying to find ways to scale your 401k business (or put a system in place so you can scale easily as you grow your 401k business?)… In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I’m sharing what your service model needs for every plan, and how to put…
…
continue reading
Episode #24 – How to Build Authority as a 401k Educator Looking for ways to build authority as a 401k expert and educator – but not sure where to start? In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I’m sharing severals ways you can leverage industry resources to create valuable content to send to your prospects and clients,…
…
continue reading
Episode #23 – How to Differentiate Yourself as a 401k Advisor Looking for ways to differentiate yourself as a 401k advisor to make it easier to compete for (and win) new business? In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I’m sharing a cliff-notes version of a full-length training on DIFFERENTIATION – how to differentiat…
…
continue reading
Episode #22 – Becoming a 401k Specialist: 3 Training Programs I Recommend If you’re not sure which 401k designation or certification program to pursue first (or next)… In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I share 3 programs I’d recommend you start with on your path to becoming a 401k specialist. Mentioned in this ep…
…
continue reading
Episode #21 – New 401k Advisor? Start Here… Every week I field questions from advisors about how to get started in the 401k industry and how to get new business. In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I’m sharing a few tips for getting started in the 401k industry. Mentioned in this episode: The Retirement Plan Profes…
…
continue reading
Episode #20 – 3 Done-For-You Social Media Marketing Resources Looking for done-for-you resources to kickstart your social media marketing strategy? I have some in the 401k Business in a Box library, but so does my competition… In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I’m sharing 3 other resources you might want to consi…
…
continue reading
Episode #19 – What You Should Do Before You Start Posting on Social Media So you’ve made the decision to use social media as a marketing strategy. Now, there’s something you need to do before you start posting. In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, I’m sharing the important step you need to take before you start post…
…
continue reading
Episode #18 – What Advisors Should Post on Social Media If you’re not sure what to post on your social media accounts (or think it should be all business and educational) – then this episode will shed some light into what you should be posting. In this episode of the 401k Best Practices (Ask the Experts) podcast, we’re talking about the types of co…
…
continue reading
Episode #17 – How Much Time Should You Spend On Social Media Marketing Weekly We’ve been talking a lot about social media as a marketing strategy in recent episodes. So today I want to answer the question that I’ve been getting, and that’s. “How much time do you actually need to spend doing social media every week?” In this episode of the 401k Best…
…
continue reading
Episode #16 – Swipe My Free Template Tuesday Strategy To Grow Your List If you want to learn a strategy that’s going to get plan sponsor prospects to your website and on your email lead list, then you’re going to want to hear the strategy I’m gonna share with you today. In this episode of the 401k Best Practices Ask the Experts podcast, I’m sharing…
…
continue reading
Episode #15 – 3 Reasons to Consider Social Media as a Marketing Strategy As a 401k Advisor, do you shy away from Social Media because you’re not sure if you need to spend anytime posting content online? In this episode of the 401k Best Practices Ask the Experts podcast, I’m talking about 3 reasons I believe you should be on social media… To summari…
…
continue reading
Episode #14 – A Super Simple Social Media Planning Strategy Not sure what to post on your blog? On LinkedIn? On your social media profiles? Always searching for topics to talk about and share? In this episode of the 401k Best Practices Ask the Experts podcast, I’m sharing a super-simple social media planning strategy to make coming up with content …
…
continue reading
Episode #13 – Three Ways to Grow Your 401k Business If growing the revenue your 401k plan business brings in is a goal you have, you’ll want to listen to this episode. In this episode of the Ask the Experts podcast, we’re talking about 3 ways – or strategies – to grow your 401k Plan Book of Business To summarize One way to grow your 401k business r…
…
continue reading
Episode #12 – Crush Your 401k Business Goals Are you on track to meet your business goals for this year? Not sure? Maybe it’s time to review your goals for the year, or spend some time formalizing your goals so you can have your best year ever. In this episode of the Ask the Experts podcast, we’re talking about setting goals for your 401k business …
…
continue reading
Episode #11 Does Your Client Experience Make You Referable? Have you ever wondered why it's so challenging to get referrals? Have you ever wished you could just build your entire business exclusively on referrals and never have to market? In this episode of the Ask the Experts podcast, we're going to talk about being referable, starting with lookin…
…
continue reading
Episode #10 An Email Nurture Sequence to Turn 401k Leads into Clients In the last episode of the Ask the Experts podcast, I talked about how to turn prospects into leads. But when you get a 401k lead, what happens next? What is your process for communicating with them in building the relationship, adding value and next steps? Have you ever spent ti…
…
continue reading
Episode #9 Capturing 401k Leads Online Whether you get organic traffic to your website (i.e. people find you through Google searches), or you send people directly to your website (by sharing a direct link on your social media profile or business card, etc.) unless the only purpose of your site is to be a pretty business card, you want to make sure …
…
continue reading
Episode #8 What plan sponsors are looking for online the one marketing strategy that will get you in front of more plan sponsors If you've been publishing on your blog or LinkedIn profile and not getting any interest from plan sponsors it could be that you need a new topic one that plan sponsors are actively looking for. In this episode of the 401k…
…
continue reading
Episode #7 What is your origin story… how did you get here? Advisors often ask how they can build their trust, credibility, and authority online and a frequent answer I give is to make sure you “story” is very clear in your marketing. Why are you in this market? What was the reason or force that pulled you to choose the complex world of ERISA. Why …
…
continue reading
Episode #5 DALBAR’s Registered Fiduciary (RF) Certification with Cory Clark After putting together the Retirement Plan Professional’s Designation & Certification Guide and having a chance to learn more about the various programs out there, DALBAR’s Registered Fiduciary (RF) Certification caught my eye as something that doesn’t look or sound or feel…
…
continue reading
Episode #3 The Why and How of Fiduciary Training for Investment Committees With our Expert Panelists weighing in Since one thing I've always felt strongly about is the need for education by both 401k professionals and plan sponsors that have decision-making authority (see The Need for 401k Specialization), when a reader recently posed a question to…
…
continue reading
Episode #2 Business Plans With Maria Marsala If you're trying to create a business growth strategy without first creating a business plan, then you need to listen to this episode of the 401k Best Practices Podcast. In this episode, I interview Maria Marsala, Founder of Elevating Your Business, and Business coach to financial advisors, planners and …
…
continue reading
Episode #1 Advisory Boards With Stephen Wershing If you're looking for ways to grow your 401k Practice, then you need to learn more about this referral marketing strategy that involves setting up Client Advisory Boards. In this episode, I interview Stephen Wershing, President of the Client Driven Practice and Author of Stop Asking for Referrals: A …
…
continue reading
