Stand out as an investment advisor

Many investment advisors try to attract new clients by focusing on products or low prices. But here's the truth: that’s not enough to win top clients.

Clients who only care about price or product often become more trouble than they’re worth, dragging your business down. We call that the everyday advisor’s practice. Instead, we use “world class practice” to refer to advisor practices focused on processes and systems.

To stand out in this competitive industry, you need a smarter strategy. The secret? Branding your business process. This means showing clients precisely who you are, what you do, and how they’ll benefit from working with you – all in a clear, one-page, engaging way.

Show clients what you do – visually

Remember, a well-designed graphic is a powerful tool. It can help you communicate your value in a clear, engaging, and, most importantly, memorable way. It differentiates you from everyone else. This is your chance to show potential clients the benefits of working with you through your professional process.

Your graphic should make it clear that:

• You follow a disciplined, professional process.
• You genuinely care about your clients’ success and well-being.
• You’re honest and transparent about their expectations when working with you.
• You’re proactive and stick to your promises.
• You have reliable systems and processes that make success achievable for everyone.

Introducing this graphic overview in your first meeting with a client changes how they see you. Suddenly, you’re not just another advisor selling products or chasing returns (which are often outside your control). Instead, you’re a professional with a proven system to guide them toward a better financial future. That’s a powerful reason for prospects to select you.

5 tips for creating your graphic overview

To make a great impression, your graphic overview must be simple, professional, and easy to digest. Here’s how to make one:

1. Keep it simple. Your goal is to communicate your process clearly and efficiently. Avoid clutter or unnecessary details. Map it out with a pencil and a notepad.
2. Use basic shapes. For instance, you can use circles to represent key stages in your process, squares to highlight important information, or pyramids to show the hierarchy of your process. These uncomplicated, clean, familiar shapes work best in creating a professional and easy-to-understand graphic overview.
3. Show progress. Use visuals that show movement or progress toward a goal or to the next step in your process. Think ladders, steps, pyramids, or even a spinning wheel. These make your process feel action-oriented and results-driven.
4. Use minimal text. Don’t overdo the language. That’s where you come in when delivering the graphic overview in meetings. Include just enough detail to make things clear without overwhelming your audience. Test your design on someone outside your business. If they’re confused or ask too many questions, simplify it further.
5. Show the flow. It’s essential to communicate the steps you take to help clients get from where they are now to their future, desired selves. You don’t need to worry about how this looks on paper; document the steps and the awesome outcome from your process.
6. Hire a designer. The quality of your graphic reflects your brand. You should always use a professional graphic designer for this project. Designers can bring your brand to life, ensuring your graphic is compelling and engaging. At Advisor Practice Management, we have designers and writers worldwide ready to undertake projects like this. They understand our graphic overview creative direction, making it easier for you. Don’t let this stop you from accumulating new business.

Why this works

Turning your process into a simple, visual roadmap tells a story about your professionalism and discipline. Clients will feel confident choosing you because they can see exactly how you’ll help them succeed.

In this business, how you present your value is everything. When you can clearly and visually explain your process, you attract the right clients – those who see you as the professional they want to trust with their future.

Jeff Thorsteinson is an industry veteran with more than three decades of professional experience. A former financial advisor, he helped build an award-winning online custodial platform and TAMP.