On the Investment Writing blog during October

Here's what I covered on my InvestmentWriting blog during the previous month:

• Lessons from “Presentation Skills for Investment Professionals”
• Six tips for snaring reporters with your market commentary
• Guest post: “What’s a tomato got to do with getting your fund discovered?”
• Guest post: “Investment analysts and social media”
• ISI’s Straszheim: China’s interest rate hike is “tapping the brakes”
• Cautious optimism on emerging market stocks from SSgA’s Hoguet
• Bubble? — Emerging markets scrutinized by CFA Institute conference
• Notable quotes from the CFA Institute’s emerging markets conference
• LinkedIn’s fatal flaw for financial advisor compliance
• Do the robin, the reindeer, and the building sing the same song?

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Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

What you're missing, if you haven't visited my new Investment Writing blog

Come join me on my new Investment Writing blog! It's part of my website.

Here are links to articles you've missed since the beginning of July:

• "CFA credential implies a standard of care not always kept," says Forbes opinion piece
• A top technique of financial advisors who blog successfully
• Three writing lessons from "One Trader's Binge on Cocoa Wraps Up Chocolate Market"
• Audiocast: "How to Guest-Blog on Personal Finance or Investments"
• RIAs, are you ready for plain language in your Form ADV "brochure"?
• A great financial article isn't enough
• Great lines from Raymond James
• First, pick your target market and niche
• FINRA/SEC compliance guidelines for bloggers
  
• How NOT to toot your horn about investment publications
  
• Help me pick a better title for my financial blog post critiques!
  
• Press release: How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read, A Five-Week Teleclass for Financial Advisors Starts September 23
  
• Guest post: "Adding video into the Communications Mix"
  
• Thomas Jefferson's writing wisdom

Financial blogging lessons from The Poetry Home Repair Manual: Tips for more compelling posts

"The titles and the first few lines of your poem represent the hand you extend in friendship toward your reader. They’re the first exposure he or she has, and you want to make a good impression."
-- Ted Kooser, The Poetry Home Repair Manual: Practical Advice for Beginning Poets

This Ted Kooser quote applies to financial blog posts as well as to poems. Financial posts and poetry aren’t often mentioned in the same sentence. However, both forms of writing will win or lose readers on the basis of first impressions. So, I’d like to share tips for financial bloggers based on the “First Impressions” chapter of Kooser’s book.

1. Use your title to set your readers’ expectations. Give up bland titles, such as "401(k) plans" in favor of titles that give your audience a reason to read. For example, my title for this post identifies my target audience – financial bloggers – and the benefit I believe they’ll receive – more compelling posts. "Titles are very important tools for delivering information and setting expectations," as Kooser says. Instead of "401(k) plans," consider something like "Three ways you can get more out of your 401(k) plan."

2. Don’t lead with boring information. Put your background information somewhere other than your opening lines. Too often, as Kooser says, bloggers – like poets – start with “information that really is not essential but is there because it was a part of the event that triggered the poem. It’s the background story, and it may not be necessary for us to know it to appreciate the poem.”

3. Deliver on your promise. For example, if your title and first paragraph promise 401(k) tips, don’t switch midstream to discussing online checking accounts.

4. Write in a consistent style. If you drew in your blog readers with a warm, conversational style, you’ll lose them when you switch to a cold, institutional style. As Kooser says, "If a poem begins with three lines of strict iambic pentameter, a reader will be disconcerted if that forceful rhythm is abandoned in the fourth line."

5. Be aware of your "voice." Kooser describes "voice" or "presence" as "the person we not only hear, but intuit to be behind the words." For example, I think my voice is friendly, conversational, and reflects a genuine desire to help financial advisors communicate better with their clients. Voice is communicated by your writing style as well as your content.

Try applying one--or all--of these tips in your next financial blog post!

Related posts
* Start with a good lead, or lose your reader
* Financial writers, lead with your message, not your source

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Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

Pull your white papers into the year 2010

Investment and wealth managers, you can get a lot more mileage out of your white papers today.

How's that?

Don't forget about the content once it's up on your website. Reuse it using social media.

Recycle as blog posts
White paper content can be recycled into blog posts. In some cases, you can pluck a few paragraphs and drop them into your blog "as is." However, most of the time, you'll need to frame and re-write the content. I've been doing this recently for a white paper client.  

Another possibility: Send your white paper to a blogger whom you respect. Offer to answer questions about your topic on the other person's blog. Check out "How to guest-blog on personal finance or investments," if you'd like to explore this option

Tweet it--and don't forget LinkedIn
It's a no-brainer to tweet the availability of your white paper. Smart marketers go beyond this. They tweet intriguing excerpts, keeping them short enough to be retweetable. Pithy quotes are popular on Twitter.

Remember, tweets are also great fodder for LinkedIn updates. While you're over at LinkedIn, you may also want to raise a question in a Group related to your white paper topic.

Go multimedia
Different members of your audience prefer to take in content in different ways. So, also consider turning your white papers into podcasts, videos, or interactive webinars.

Related posts

• How I've benefited from Twitter
• Reader question: How can I share my investment commentary on LinkedIn?
• The LinkedIn status update is your friend

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Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

Quick email tips for financial advisors and clients in my guest post

You can snare some quick tips for advisor-client email communications in my guest post for the KBK Wealth Connection blog.

The tips boil down to

1. Get to your point quickly
2. Keep it short
3. Organize clearly

Visit Kathleen's blog for more details.
____________________    
Susan Weiner, CFA, writes and edits articles, white papers, blogs, investment commentary, web pages, and other communications for leading investment and wealth management firms. She has presented “How to Write Emails and Letters Your Clients Will Read” to great reviews by financial advisors.  

Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

Guest post: "Talking to clients about social investing"

Socially responsible investing can make for a difficult conversation between investment managers and their clients. But it doesn't have to be that way if you follow the tips provided by my friend Annie Logue, the author of Socially Responsible Investing for Dummies.

Talking to clients about social investing
By Ann C. Logue

Often, an individual client will walk into an office with a list of industries and companies that he or she does not want to own. Some clients have well-thought out objections or religious obligations that set the tone, but others have a vague idea of the goodness or badness of an industry without any real reasoning behind it.
 
How do you deal with such a customer?
 
Social criteria can be legitimate investment constraints, so one tactic is to approach it as a constraint. Get the client to identify the real issues, ideally in writing. Are they religious? Well, you can’t argue with religion! If they are more vague, then use some good questioning to get them onto paper, or ask the client to do some research. Some good sources are CSR Wire and Triple Pundit.
 
The real conversation is about what your client would rather invest in. Social investing doesn’t have to have lesser performance than traditional investing; the KLD Social Select 400 Index has minimal tracking error to the S&P 500 and, right now, outperforms it slightly. The secret is making sure that the companies you do invest in have a similar risk and return profile. If your client wants to sell BP, then you’d better find a company with similar characteristics. Replace BP with a speculative green tech company, and you're changing the portfolio’s nature. Replace it with a large multinational food company with responsible business practices, paying a high dividend, and subject to commodity price fluctuations, and you’re getting closer to the portfolio contribution of BP without the oil exposure.

Keep holding the conversation, too. BP had a great reputation for its social responsibility right up until April of 2010. Social investing is still investing, and you still take on company risk. Just as there is no perfect job and no perfect boyfriend, there is no perfect investment. Remind your client of the long-term goals. Many clients prefer to separate their investing from their philanthropy, figuring that the more money they make, the more money they can donate and the more time they have to volunteer.
 
Finally, turn your clients into activists. Talk to them about proxies. They can vote their proxies and have an influence on companies even if they do not change their ownership positions. That gives the client power without disrupting an investment position.
 
Social investing doesn’t have to underperform, and it doesn’t have to be a wedge between you and your client. You can use a client’s interest as an opportunity to educate them and to show how you can add value to their portfolio.
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Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

My May blog posts by category: Blogging, economy/investments/wealth management, marketing, social media, writing

Did you notice that I went wild in May, posting every day as part of the Word Count Blogathon? For your convenience, I'm listing my May posts by category.


Blogging

• The two most important words are...
• Financial bloggers' posts may violate copyright law
• Spice up your blog with free or low-cost photos
• Setting myself a challenge: A May Blogathon

Economy, investments, and wealth management

• "Have mutual fund fees gone up or down?"
• Poll: Which should investors fear most? Which #CFA2010 speakers were right?
• R Koo, "Lessons from Japan: Fighting a Balance Sheet Recession" from #CFA2010
• GMO's Jeremy Grantham on "The Ethical Hole in Finance" at #CFA2010
• Dan Ariely says disclosure may hurt investors: Report from his #CFA201 talk
• Roger Ibbotson attacks asset allocation "folklore"
• Hear Roger Ibbotson on asset allocation
• Morgan Creek Capital's Yusko riles up Tweeters with comments on investment fees
• Morgan Creek Capital's Yusko on investing
• Small-cap investing opportunities according to Artio's Dedio

Marketing

• My Boston-area networking suggestions
• Tip for how to connect with your workshop attendees 
• If you enjoy my #CFA2010 tweets
• Top four email mistakes to avoid when you've got a referral
• Timely, creative financial ad from Northwestern Mutual
• How to improve your financial planning client relationships
• Your customers, your inspiration

Social media

• Using CFP in your Twitter name--Read the CFP Board's position
• The compliance-constrained advisor's guide to LinkedIn, Part II: Status updates
• Can you help with my Facebook dilemma?
• How I've benefited from Twitter

Writing

• Plain English can bring your financial topic to life
• How to write subheads that command attention
• Executive's lesson for your communications with clients and prospects
• Start with a good lead, or lose your reader
• Guest post: "Correct Grammar Errors in Your Writing Quickly and Easily"
• 10 blogs I can't live without: Writer's edition
• Financial advisor poll: How do you sign your business emails?
• Whoa, insurance=spam?

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Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

The two most important words are...

Copyblogger Brian Clark's lessons in "The two most important words in blogging" apply equally to any form of marketing communication. Pay attention because using these words will make your communications more persuasive.

See if you can guess the two words before you surf to Copyblogger's site. If you have attended any of my presentations on writing, you should know one of the two answers.
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Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

How to write subheads that command attention

Copyblogger Brian Clark accurately notes in "How to write exquisite subheads" that subheads can turn scanners into readers.

I especially like his advice that a subhead should "express a clear and complete benefit."
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Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

Tip for how to connect with your workshop attendees

Advisors, you can deepen your connection with folks who attend your investment or financial planning workshops using a technique I observed at the Financial Planning Association of Massachusetts annual conference on May 7.

Consultant Shari Harley, whom I wrote about in "How to improve your financial planning client relationships," handed out postcards to her audience. There's nothing unusual about that. But what she said next grabbed my attention.

Harley asked us to write on the postcard (shown in the photo above) at least one thing that we learned from her presentation that we'd like to apply. Then she promised to mail the postcards to us in one month, if we dropped them off on our way out of the auditorium.

I like Harley's postcard idea because

1. Her question spurs the audience to think about what was most valuable in her presentation.
2. She gains valuable feedback when participants hand in their cards.
3. She reminds potential clients of her existence--with their permission--when they receive their cards one month later.
4. If audience members haven't acted on their goals by the time they receive the cards, they may say, "I need a consultant to help me act on this."

This postcard technique should work nicely as follow-up to any sort of financial seminar or workshop.
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Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

Start with a good lead, or lose your reader

"...the lead is the doorway into every text. Its job, never a minor one, is to draw the reader over the threshold," says Francis Flaherty in The Elements of Story, p. 201.

The lead, also spelled lede, is the first sentence or paragraph of your blog post or article.  Write a weak lead and you may lose your audience at the very beginning of your piece.

When you write your lead, Flaherty suggests you ask "What lead will prompt in the reader the most irresistible questions, questions powerful enough to propel him through that doorway and into the story?" p. 202.

When you write an investment or wealth management blog post, the most powerful leads often pose a problem faced by your readers and dangle the possibility of a solution. Have you written a powerful lead of this type? Please post a link to your blog post, so we can see how you've mastered the lead.
____________________
Susan B. Weiner, CFA
Check out my website at www.InvestmentWriting.com or sign up for my free monthly e-newsletter.
Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

The compliance-constrained advisor's guide to LinkedIn, Part II: Status updates

Your LinkedIn status updates are powerful reminders of your existence to clients, prospects, and referral sources. You can use them in ways that even compliance officers can love.


My top three suggestions are to use materials that are already compliance-approved, share your professional interests, and share your professional interests.


1. Use compliance-approved materials


Every firm has materials that are approved for use with the general public. It could be your quarterly investment commentary, a newsletter, or even a brochure. Take advantage of this information by writing about it in your status update line.


You can say something as bland as "Check out our 2nd quarter market commentary at http://..." or spice it up by asking a provocative question and following the question with a link. Check with your compliance officer to learn how much you can say without raising his or her anxiety.


2. Share your professional interests

You can mention professional meetings that you're attending or topics that you're reading about. 

Let's say you're trying to attract clients with complex estate planning needs. Your prospects will probably feel reassured to learn that you're reading journal articles and attending panels on these topics. Your update about an upcoming event may lead to your referral source setting an appointment to meet you there.

You can also share company news, such as the hiring of a new relationship manager or the debut of a new product.


3. Share your personal interests


People like to do business with people whom they like. Share your volunteer interests, hobbies, or even something that makes you smile. It'll help people to develop a connection with you.

Compliance note: For more on the compliance aspects of social media, check out Bill Winterberg's excellent article in the Journal of Financial Planning, accessible to non-members only during the month of May. Chad Bockius' "LinkedIn Compliance Self-Assessment" focuses on compliance for registered reps. Both articles point to the importance of monitoring and archiving social media activity.

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Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

Dan Ariely says disclosure may hurt investors: Report from his #CFA2010 talk -- #CFA2010

Most investment professionals, including CFA charterholders, figure that more disclosure about financial advisors' conflicts of interest will help investors.

Not so, said Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational, to the CFA Institute's annual conference on May 16. In fact, disclosure may not improve investors' decisions.


Two countervailing forces apply when a financial advisor reveals conflicts of interest, said Ariely.

Let's assume the financial advisor tells a client that he'll receive a higher payment if the client chooses Fund A over Fund B.

On the one hand, the client will tend to discount the advisor's opinion because of the potential bias, said Ariely. On the other hand, the advisor will feel freer to push Fund A because he has revealed his conflict. Ariely believes that this second force will overwhelm the client's discounting of the advisor's opinion. As a result, investors end up no better off despite disclosures. 


You can watch Ariely present
Some of Ariely's past presentations have been captured on video. You can view Ariely on YouTube. 


Follow the CFA Institute's annual conference
You can learn about presentations at the CFA Institute's annual conference as they occur. Read the CFA Institute's conference blog or follow the conference using the #CFA 2010 hashtag on Twitter.
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Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

Top four email mistakes to avoid when you've got a referral

You've probably used a referral to ask a stranger for an informational interview or a chance to talk about your business. If you make your initial contact by email, please avoid the following common mistakes:

• Burying the name of your mutual acquaintance in the body of your email
• Not making it clear immediately what you're seeking
• Not identifying yourself clearly and succinctly
• Putting the burden on the other party to follow up

Let's flip these mistakes to get a list of best practices. 
 

1. Highlight the name of your referrer

When I've got a referral, I often put the referrer's name into my subject line. For example, "Allan Loomis referred me" or "Allan Loomis suggested I talk with you." The familiarity of that person's name raises the odds that the recipient will open your message. 

2. Quickly tell your reader what you're seeking 

3. Identify yourself briefly

People are busy. They don't want to read a long email to figure out what you want from them. Open with a line such as "Allan Loomis suggested I contact you for a brief informational interview about how you manage your investment research needs." Then, and only then, should you give a brief self-introduction.

4. Take the initiative to suggest some times when you and your reader can connect. Nothing stops you from writing "I look forward to hearing from you." But don't expect your recipient to follow up. The burden is on you because you're the person requesting the favor. I increasingly find myself writing "I will call you next week to follow up."

Pay attention to these tips and you'll increase your odds of success whether you're marketing yourself or your company.

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Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

How to improve your financial planning client relationships

You can improve your relationships with financial planning clients by encouraging them to communicate honestly with you from the very beginning. 

This is the main lesson I took away from Shari Harley's presentation on "How to Say Anything to Anyone: Paving the Way to Powerful Working Relationships" to the annual conference of the Financial Planning Association of Massachusetts.


Ask for honesty
Harley suggested that audience members achieve this by saying, "I want a great relationship with you. If I do anything that violates your expectations, frustrates you or causes you challenges, please tell me. I promise I will say thank you."

Assuming that your client says "yes" to your request, then you can add, "I hope I can do the same with you." This sets the stage for two-way communication. If it works, you'll never be surprised again by a client defection. 

I asked Harley what she'd recommend saying after "thank you" when a client gives negative feedback. Don't say anything other than "thank you" right away, she suggested, because you'll feel defensive. Go away and think things over. You can follow up later.


Follow up with questions
Don't stop with your initial agreement to be honest with each other. Follow up with questions that help you to understand your client better, said Harley.


Here are some of her suggested questions:
1. Who was the best service provider you ever worked with?
2. What made him/her the best service provider?
3. What are your pet peeves?
4. Do you prefer email or voicemail?
5. What do you wish I would start, stop and continue doing? 

I can see how these questions would benefit me as a service provider and a client. It's time to rev up my courage and start asking more questions.

I believe Harley's approach could benefit you in your professional and personal life.

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Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

Financial advisor poll: How do you sign your business emails?

Email communications with clients, prospects, and referral sources are an essential part of  your private wealth management or investment business. Handle them well, and you deepen your relationships. In How to Instantly Connect with Anyone, author Leil Lowndes suggests an email closing technique that may boost your effectiveness.

Even something as small as your email signature sends a message to your clients, prospects, and referral sources. You set a different tone when you end with "Sincerely, Jane Advisor, CFP, CFA, Senior Vice President" instead of "See you soon, Jane." 

Lowndes suggests that you forego traditional closings in favor of ending your email with your recipient's name. For example, "Thanks so much for your help, Samantha" when Samantha is the person you're emailing.

According to Lowndes' approach, you can get away with just your first name or initials--or even nothing at all--after such a line. "Hearing their own name unexpectedly as the last word of your message makes them feel an instant connection with you," she says.

I like Lowndes' idea. But only in moderation. If you close every email like this, the technique will lose its impact.

The rest of the time, you've got an array of more traditional closings to choose from. You need to strike the right balance between formality and warmth. This may mean using different signatures for different clients, depending on  your relationship with them. Signatures may also vary by occasion.

Please answer the poll in the right-hand column of this blog about which of the following closings you use most often. 

• Best wishes
• Bye 
• Cheers
• Have a great day/weekend
• Kind regards
• Sincerely
• Sincerely yours
• Thank you
• Warmly
• Yours truly
• --None of the above

I'll report on the results in my June e-newsletter.

By the way, in these days of blogging transparency, I'm disclosing that I got Lowndes' book for free. I won it in a Twitter contest when I was the first to reply to a tweet by the publisher.


Related posts

• To "Dear" or not to "Dear" in your email
• "You" can help your job hunting thank you
• Six ways to stop sending emails with errors

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Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

Your customers, your inspiration

"Customer comments can contain pure gold. Many of my most in-demand services came about from a suggestion made by someone who wanted to do business with me."

---Marcia Yudkin's Marketing Minute

What suggestions have your clients made to you? Have they suggested new services? Different ways to deliver your services?  Listen to what they say. You may discover a new way to build your business.

Marcia's tip has worked for me. An out-of-state client asked if I delivered writing workshops virtually, rather than in person. Her question eventually spawned my first teleclass.
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Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

Whoa, insurance = spam?

Insurance can get your email tagged as spam. I never would have guessed.

I saw the following message after I ran one of my e-newsletters through a spam checker.

It looks like there are some words in this email that might send your email to a Spam folder. To make sure your email is delivered successfully, we recommend going back to change or remove the following words: insurance.

Perhaps this happened because there are too many spammer pushing shady insurance schemes.

Fortunately one iffy word isn't enough to keep your email out of most in-boxes. Look at your overall spam rating before you panic. If it's low, like the typical rating on my e-newsletters, you should be okay. 

The "open" and "bounce" rates for my e-newsletter mentioning "insurance" were no worse than usual. However, "insurance" was the newsletter's only element tagged as potential spam.

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Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

No more fancy-pants prose, please

"The writer who indulges in fancy-pants prose sometimes has too large an ego, and sometimes one that's too small," says Francis Flaherty, author of The Elements of Story.

Fancy-pants prose--in other words, highfalutin, multisyllabic words--rarely serve writers well. Instead, as Flaherty suggests, they're evidence that the author is trying to impress his or her audience.

In the investment and wealth management world, this shows up in the use of words such as "mitigate" when "reduce" or "cut" would serve the purpose. 

Can you think of fancy-pants words you'd like to eliminate from our industry's publications? Please leave a comment.
 
____________________
Susan B. Weiner, CFA
Check out my website at www.InvestmentWriting.com or sign up for my free monthly e-newsletter.
Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved

How to guest- blog on personal finance or investments, Part II: Blogs that accept guest posts from financial advisors

Guest posts can launch investment and wealth managers into the blogosphere. This follow-up to "How to guest-blog on personal finance or investments, Part I," gives you names of blogs to target for guest posts. 

Investment blogs that accept guest posts
The granddaddy of investing blogs is Seeking Alpha, which publishes its submission guidelines. To be considered you must "Write about a  stock, sector, ETF or theme that is actionable for U.S.-based investors." 

Advisor Perspectives isn't a blog. But it publishes blog-like--and much longer--commentaries from registered investment advisors on "the market, the economy, or investment strategy," according to its submission guidelines. Disclosure: I occasionally have the pleasure of writing for Advisor Perspectives, although I write for them as a reporter rather than as a commentator. 

Personal finance blogs that accept guest posts

Wise Bread, which reports receiving one million page views monthly, provides its writers' guidelines on its "Guest Writer Showcase." Thanks to Aaron Pinkston of Clarifinancial for bringing this site to my attention. 

Jeff Rose of Good Financial Cents likes Wise Bread, too. He also shared the names of some additional blogs where he has been a guest, including
* Get Rich Slowly   
* Consumerism Commentary
* Cash Money Life
* Moolanomy
* Bargaineering  

Other blogs worth targeting
Your business niche may also have blogs that will accept your posts and help you educate your target audience.

Through my work with fiduciary advisors, I've become familiar with the fi360 blog. @Fiduciary360 told me that guest posts may be possible. However, "I should say that we'd want exclusive content from a guest blogger. We'd rather just link if it's on their blog as well."

Another potential target: your local newspaper's blog. Its reach may be small, but it could yield some great prospects close to your office. 

What else?
Have I missed any great tips for guesting between this post and my earlier post on this topic? Please chime in. I'd like to learn from you.
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Copyright 2010 by Susan B. Weiner All rights reserved