“Becoming a well-known advisor is simple and easy, as long as you take the right steps to get there. Sometimes, it means doing the little things in your community to get your name out. Here are nine steps to increase your leads.

• Write helpful, informative blogs.

• Submit articles to local publications, magazines and newspapers. Please note you may have to pay for your work to be published until editors see it is worthwhile and educational; not a sales pitch.

• Be at every community event and volunteer your time (i.e., Relay for Life, Alzheimer's Association walks, etc.). Lending a helping hand is free, always needed and greatly appreciated.

• Host your own radio show or ask the expert program and address valuable hot topics. Again, you may have to pay for your program to be aired in the beginning.

• Advertise your picture and agency on place mats and menus. I have found this is the best use of marketing dollars depending on prices and geographic location.

• Give away your own, or someone else's, informative booklets for free. Be sure to include a personal touch or cover letter with each one. If you want to give a more valuable free gift, write a foreword or testimonial for a book and then give away the book with it.

• Compile a list of all of the television, radio, e-mail and publications in your area. Then, write a press release for everything you do with your business, and send it to them to spark attention.

• Work with someone to develop a paid media campaign to get you on FOX, ABC, NBC, etc.

• Always be respectful and kind to everyone you encounter while serving them unceasingly.”

— Dennis M. Postema, president of Postema Insurance & Investments

3. Analyze your 2015 sales and revenue trends.

“Where did your sales and revenue come from in 2015? Is most of your company revenue from existing customers or new customers? How long was your average sales cycle? Who were your best (and worst) customers – why? What are your best lead sources? Are prospects getting stuck anywhere in the sales cycle?

Why did you lose the opportunities you think you should have won? Could your close rate be improved? Document your lessons learned, and start thinking about improvements you'd like to make in 2016.”

— Marisa Smith, inbound marketing certified expert & head brainiac, Whole Brain Group

4. Know your market's vocabulary.

“One [critical illness insurance] agent lost a sale because he didn't know that renal failure was kidney failure.”

— Joe Crawford of the L Group, in the Oct. 3, 2003, issue of National Underwriter Life & Health

5. Be an active listener.

“As you listen intently to your prospect or client, take highly detailed notes. Put a star next all important ideas, list out their buying criteria, and underline key budget numbers. Take notes that allow you to perfectly summarize and paraphrase what the client has shared with you to demonstrate that you have listened very carefully to them and understand their needs, wants, wishes, desires and concerns.”

— John Spence, business strategist, author, speaker

6. Clarify your mission.

“Begin by understanding your business niche. What do you do best? Who needs what you do? How do you best approach these prospects? How much are they willing to pay? If these questions are not answered easily, campaign at the top for clarity and vision.

Next, break your mission into specific goals. Write down the activity goals (calls per day, proposals per month, referrals per call, etc.) that you can control. Set results goals (sales per month, amount per sale, profit per sale, etc.) to measure your progress, and track them closely. Increase your activity and measure the results. Goals focus your attention and energize your action.”

— John H. Dean, SellingPower

7. Take the time to engage on social media.

“In order to build trust, authority, and a sufficient online following, you will need to post fresh and quality content often. Whether this content is funneled through a preexisting blog or videos from your YouTube account, it needs to be informative and useful to viewers. Become a regular supplier of great information and resources and potential customers will flock to you.

It's important to regularly produce high-quality content, but it's also central to actually interact with other bloggers, businesses, and the readers. “Like” the comments and posts of others and share other quality content that is relevant to your industry. Ask questions and give your opinion on popular topics so that people feel like they are getting to know you. This strategy is quite similar to the flattery of in-person selling. When people consider you to be invested and interested in the industry (and them), they are much more willing to buy.”

— Gary Galvin, consultant, sales leader, CEO of Galvin Technologies

8. You know who was a great team? The Beatles.

“My model for business is The Beatles. They were four guys who kept each other's kind of negative tendencies in check. They balanced each other, and the total was greater than the sum of the parts. That's how I see business: Great things in business are never done by one person, they're done by a team of people.”

— Steve Jobs, was co-founder, chairman and CEO of Apple Inc.

9. A trusted referral is gold.

“People influence people. Nothing influences people more than a recommendation from a trusted friend. A trusted referral influences people more than the best broadcast message. A trusted referral is the Holy Grail of advertising.”

— Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder

10. Customers value simplicity.

“Make your product easier to buy than your competition or you will find your customers buying from them, not you.”

— Mark Cuban, American businessman, investor, film producer, author, TV personality and owner of NBA team the Dallas Mavericks

11. Evaluate why clients leave — then win them back.

“Customers don't walk away without reason, so get to the heart of why this one left. Be honest with yourself. Conduct a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (or SWOT) analysis, assessing why your product or service was no longer perceived as having the best value.

What are the company's weaknesses, especially in light of potential changes in the market?

Are you staying current, both in your pricing and level of service? Has the market moved beyond your capacity to stay competitive? How was your relationship with the client?

Look hard in the mirror for the underlying answers. And if you can't be objective, put someone who was not on that account team on the case. This is not only an important first step to winning back your client; it's critical in ensuring that more customers also do not depart.”

— Dave Mattson, CEO and president, Sandler Training

12. Close more sales with scripting.

“If you've got great scripts, you need to deliver them in a dynamic fashion. You must put passion, enthusiasm and confidence into your delivery. But your style should be congruent with who you are.

Step 1: Tape yourself

One of the best ways to improve your script delivery is to videotape or audiotape yourself. By watching and listening to your delivery, you will make a quantum leap in your effectiveness. The tape recorder will provide you with insights that even the best presentation coach would be challenged to impart to you.

If you are delivering seminars, it is even more critical to tape yourself. Watching and listening to yourself is only slightly more pleasant than root-canal work, but the process pays back dividends that will last you a lifetime.

Step 2: Stand and deliver

Take an acting class. You will learn lots of techniques for making scripts come alive. You will also have a lot of fun. In the same vein, take a singing class to learn how to use your voice to touch others. Singing a song is a perfect analogy for delivering a script. In both cases, you are using memorized words and an impassioned style to affect the emotions of the audience.”

— Paul Karasik, president of the Business Institute and co-author of “22 Keys to Sales Success”

13. Create a sense of urgency.

“Attach a deadline to the deal to help give the client an incentive to commit. Whether it's a discount or something free, make them feel like they have the upper hand. This does not mean rush the customer; it simply means try to give them a little extra reason why your product or service is the right choice, and the right choice right now.”

— Adam Heitzman, co-founder, HigherVisibility

14. Form partnerships with other agents.

“Buying leads, generating leads and referral marketing should all be part of your online business acquisition strategy, but there is one more area of focus: partnerships. Like calling clients daily, agents should be calling other agents daily to form affiliate partnerships to drive their business.

These partners can be health insurance agents, P&C agents, financial advisors, etc. These are professionals that have similar clients that they often don't offer life insurance to … until you come in the picture.

You call these professionals to form a partnership to do joint work. They refer you a client and you split the commission 50/50. Be mindful of what you are pitching to their clients. An example would be not pitching IUL as a LIRP when you are talking to financial advisors' clients.

Partnerships are a great way to diversify your practice so you are not 100% reliant on any one source of revenue.”

— Nic West, director of business development, SellTermLife.com

15. Recognize that many of the remaining uninsured major medical prospects are confused.

“Listen more than we talk. What are their priorities? Understand where they are … Messages need to connect them with what's real and relevant for them and their situation. Pushing out messages to the masses is likely wasteful.”

— Enroll America and Get Covered America webinar slidedeck, November 2015

16. Build a value machine for the long-term.

“There's a valuable lead generation technique that most people will not have the discipline or patience to pursue. That is creating a REAL value machine for your market. This could be a blog you post to daily, or a video series you create daily … or something else.

Sounds simple, but it's far from easy. I dare you, try it and you'll see. Write a 100% value blog post every day for a month. This is work from top to bottom. That's why it's so effective, in my opinion. Because the majority of your competition is most likely lazy. Use that to your advantage — I am and I like the results.

Sometimes, however, you need leads yesterday so that you can put food on the table today. Even if that's the case, ALWAYS have a long term lead generation system running alongside your short term campaigns.

Build your asset before you need it.”

— Jason Leister, entrepreneur, copywriter, editor of “The Client Letter”

17. Set an effective social media strategy.

“An effective social strategy requires content — the more original and engaging, the better. (Hint: always include a visual.) Depending on who your customer is, you will have to find a balance for how frequently and in which formats to post. Don't count out the power of reposting or tweeting third-party material, either. The point is to get engaged with your customers; open yourself a personal account, have conversations and become acquainted with the norms and expectations of the community.

Remember, of course, that too little or too much can be equally damaging to the objective. If you constantly comment and it's clear you just want to get people to go to your site, you run the risk of putting potential customers off. Recognize also that different social networks serve different functions — a thoughtful tutorial may be the way to capture customers' hearts on LinkedIn but posting a time-limited discount code may be the better call in the Twitter environment.”

— Steve Fusco, vice president and general manager of North American distribution, PayPal

18. Always smile.

“This is not just about your attitude, but also your physical manifestation. For the next week, practice smiling with everyone in every situation you encounter. Do this until you are able to argue with a smile, disagree with a smile, negotiate, overcome objections and close with a smile. Have you ever noticed that very successful people are smiling all the time? It is not because they are successful that they are smiling, it's how they got successful. This is a million dollar tip: Smile.”

— Grant Cardone, international sales expert, New York Times best-selling author, radio show host of The Cardone Zone

19. Pursue top dogs.

“When you're selling a product to a company, try to pitch the product to a strong executive who will take over pitching the product to any other executives who have to be won over. The strong executive knows best how to manage the company's board and meet any objections that might arise. 'The agent, if left alone to champion the cause of the insurance, will be in the position of the one outsider against all the insiders … If this leads to an argument, it will be a case of winning the argument and losing the case'.”

— W.J. Graham, manager of the group insurance department of the Equitable Life of New York, in the March 30, 1916, edition of The Western Underwriter (National Underwriter)

20. Direct mail still works.

“One great letter can work magic in a marketing program. The operative word is 'great'. The difference between workmanlike and great in direct mail is as vast as the difference between a cartoonist and a Vermeer.

Take a look at your database to find customers who have stopped buying from you. A simple 'We want you back' letter can bring them right back before they forget you exist. I wish more companies did this. Instead, they use e-mail now and it's just not as effective.

I'm also starting to hear that straight direct mail letters are working very well with young males, not teenagers but the 30–50 group.

It can't hurt to try a letter or two every now and then. It doesn't cost a heck of a lot. In fact, your biggest expense might be the cost of hiring a really good direct mail writer. If you can get a letter to click with a test audience, you'll have found a potential silver mine that can pay off nicely when you roll it out to larger audiences.”

— Lois Geller, owner, Lois Geller Marketing Group

21. Know that sales resistance is an oxymoron.

“Remember this: Nobody cares how great you are until they understand how great you think they are.

Forget about trying to 'sell' your product or service and To do this, you need to get fascinated with your prospect; you need to ask questions (lots and lots of them) with no hidden agenda or ulterior motives.

Many years ago, I was selling CDs at a music festival. It didn't take me long to figure out that it wasn't my job to sell the CDs — it was my job to get the earphones on every person who walked by my booth!

I noticed right away that whenever people sensed I was attempting to 'sell' them a CD, their walls of defense immediately went up and they did everything in their power to get as far away from me as they could.

So instead, I made it my job to introduce new music to anyone who wanted to put on the earphones. Once they heard the music, they either liked it or they didn't. I didn't do any 'selling,' and I made more money that week than any other CD hawkers at the festival.

Back then, I didn't know anything about sales, but I knew enough about human nature to understand that sales resistance is an oxymoron: The act of selling creates the resistance!”

— Len Foley, author and sales management trainer

22. Sell greatness.

“The key to evangelism is a great product. It is easy, almost unavoidable, to catalyze evangelism for a great product. It is hard, almost impossible, to catalyze evangelism for crap.”

— Guy Kawasaki, author and speaker

23. Don't follow up too much.

“Pressing calls and e-mails are certain to turn potential customers running in the opposite direction. Did you have a helpful idea for their vision or an introduction to someone useful to their success? Following up with your audience is important, but keep it casual and friendly with occasional reminders.

Drop the forceful marketing and simply start helping. You're certain to see better results.”

— Ilya Pozin, founder of Pluto.TV

24. Never lose an opportunity to cross-sell.

“Research by banks into the number of accounts held by customers and their likelihood of switching showed those with four accounts or more were 100-1 against switching; those with only one account had a 50% chance of switching. Your existing customer is 3–8 times as likely to buy as an identical non-customer. Someone who has responded to a promotion is twice as likely to buy. Anyone with any relationship with you, however slight, is more likely to buy.”

— Bill Fryer, creative director of Bill Fryer Direct

25. Be strategic in your introduction.

“Introduce yourself and your company:

'My name is Sally Smith with ABC Company. We're a local firm that specializes in helping businesses like yours save money.'

Don't get too specific yet. Don't mention your product. If you do, that allows the other party to say, 'Oh, we're happy with what we've got. Thanks anyway,' and hang up. By keeping your introduction general, yet mentioning a benefit, you'll pique your prospect's curiosity and keep them on the line longer.

— Tom Hopkins, speaker and sales trainer

26. Collect testimonials.

“Most of us are imitators. We look to others for guidance, especially when we are uncertain about something. We ask, 'What do others think about this? What do others feel? What do others do?' Then we act accordingly.

This is why testimonials and case histories are so influential.

— Dean Rick, direct marketing copywriter

27. Retain customers that find you on social media.

“Remember that social media is a place to connect with others and build trust. Make sure that you have a strategy to keep relationships with your customers growing as they click through to your website and other social-media channels, opt to join your e-mail list and start to receive notifications from you.”

— Jaclyn Mullen, COO, Jaclyn Mullen Media

28. Compliment your competitors.

“Most salespeople have been correctly taught never to speak ill of their competition. Doing so will only make the salesperson look bad. Unfortunately (in my opinion), most salespeople have been taught not to say anything good about their competition, either.

I disagree with this counsel and have found just the opposite to be true in my selling career. Whenever I'm speaking with a prospect and they bring up my competitors, I go out of my way to say something nice about them. Why? Because I'm a nice guy? No, not at all (although I do hope I'm also a nice guy).

The reason is that by complimenting my competitors, I'm actually building myself in the mind of my prospect.”

— Bob Burg, author and speaker

29. Know your customers inside-out.

“I've learned to really think about who I actually want to sell to, instead of some generalization or profile of who might buy from me. Every time I've named individual people and created content with them in mind, those people have actually worked with me. No solicitation, just genuine connection by tailor-making what works best for them. Of course, I've also met many other amazing people who needed the same things.”

— Tara Gentile, entrepreneur and business strategist

30. Develop an engaging video.

“Please don't produce another terrible commercial and post it on YouTube. The world doesn't need any more of these. What people always want more of is entertainment. So, spend some time developing a great idea that promotes your business and engages your customers. Once you've uploaded the video, you can get the ball rolling on making it go viral by using services like StumbleUpon to drive traffic to your video for pennies per viewer. Video sites like YouTube allow you to put links directly into the video. Use these to link back to specific landing pages on your website.”

— Mike Templeman, CEO, Foxtail Marketing

31. Challenge your prospects.

“Everyone thinks that their story sets them apart when really they end up rehashing the same old proof points like having a 'laser focus' on customer service or providing the 'best value' for clients. If you talk about yourself the way your competitors talk about themselves, your voice will get lost.

Very early in your sales process, you should share an insight with your prospect that reveals an opportunity or problem he or she had not considered. Ideally, this is insight should challenge your prospect to think differently about their needs and their business.

The good news is that these two elements support each other. If you put some thought into what impactful insight you can deliver to a prospect, your brand personality as an advisor will shine through. If you are excited and passionate about this insight, it's only natural that more of what makes you different from your competitors will begin to reveal itself.

If you haven't plotted out your story as it relates to your sales process (or perhaps tried and failed before), working backward from your teachable moment might help you reenergize your sales process.”

— John Pojeta, VP of Business Development, PT Services Group

32. Master referral conversations

“After you are providing excellent service to your existing clients, you can take the step to ask for referrals on a regular basis. Asking for referrals is not as simple as just asking. You need to incorporate finesse in the way you ask. One way to do this is to master referral conversations.

Sixty-five percent of high income wealth managers ask clients for referrals an average of FOUR times annually.

Having a script doesn't mean you should recite it like a robot. Using a script just helps you to practice asking in a natural manner that is authentic for you. Practice makes perfect. When you practice and the opportunity presents itself, you will be MORE POLISHED.”

— Suzanne Muusers, a professional coach helping finance industry professionals growth their skills

33. Simplify your message.

“I talk a lot at colleges because I think that audience is a really important audience for us. If we're failing them, we'll fail across a wide range of audiences. When I started reading the news — after 9/11 is when I began to pay attention — for a long time I only understood 45% of every article. There was so much encoded around what it meant to say 'Senate minority leader Tom Daschle.' I just didn't have associations with that. After a couple of months, I got up to 55%, and after a year 65%.

It's very frustrating to feel that dumb. So that's a real sweet spot for us. Now we have this thing I can put inside every story that tells them everything they want to know.”

— Ezra Klein, Founder of Vox.com

34. Seek out community organizations for a knowledgeable speaker — and have fun.

“The most important marketing tool I used as an advisor was giving seminars or workshops. I would work with an organization that people trusted, like a church or synagogue, to sponsor these workshops. It was always an educational event — I wasn't selling my services. But at the end of each event, people would approach me wanting to become clients.

Public libraries, lifelong learning centers, garden clubs and the like are always searching for speakers. Look for places where your target clients congregate.

Such outreach can also be fun. I used to host events in my own home called 'Sunday afternoon soirées' with hors d'oeuvres and dessert. I invited my female clients, and they were invited to bring friends. We once talked about 'fashion, food, fun and finance': different ways to tie scarves and how to not get your finances in a knot!

As a specialist in money psychology, I've spoken at a variety of appreciation events with advisors' clients, friends and relatives as the audience. In my experience, an advisor who makes the effort to educate and entertain current and potential clients with a special event, an active program of blog posts or YouTube videos is emphasizing how much he or she values their trust and goodwill. That sends a warm 'Welcome!' message to prospects.”

— Kathleen Rehl, Founder, Rehl Wealth Collaborations

35. Find group health prospects.

“One way to sell group health insurance is to learn whether enough employees are unhappy with their current group health insurance program. If they are, use the information to get a face-to-face meeting with that company's decision maker.”

— Sidney Friedman, chairman of Corporate Financial Services, in the March 7, 1994, issue of National Underwriter Life & Health

36. Never go into a sales call not knowing how you're going to close the sale.

“If you don't know where you're going, then how will you get there? The most common part left out of any presentation is the close. Plan for it upfront by developing the strategy and your course of action.

This does not mean you're only going to use one type of closing technique. On the contrary, it means you're going to be ready to close using several different techniques based on what the customer tells you.”

— Mark Hunter, keynote speaker and sales trainer

37. Have a clear message.

“When pitching do not use complicated diction. Pride yourself instead on being able to explain the concept as quickly, clearly and simply as possible. This is important because the biggest problem in sales is client confusion. Confusion does not lead to a 'Yes'.”

— Tom Szaky, CEO and found of TerraCycle

38. Get disability insurance prospects' attention.

“The disability income approach is the easiest of all. You can get immediate attention with one key question: 'Do you have a source of tax-free income when you are sick or hurt?'”

— V.L. Hooper, vice president of Southland Life of Dallas, in the Nov. 29, 1975, issue of National Underwriter Life & Health

39. Anticipate the future of content marketing.

“… Brands are increasingly investing in digital content to the tune of $135 billion. But, just because a company is acting on an opportunity doesn't mean they're taking full advantage of it — according to BrightEdge research, 59% of content marketers say that their budgets aren't aligned with performance. To truly rise above the noise, content marketers must run their programs by the numbers.”

— Jim Yu, CEO and founder of BrightEdge

40. Talk about taxes.

“When you're offering individual medical coverage to low-income and moderate-income people, talk about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) premium tax credit. Don't assume they've heard of it.

Six in 10 [uninsured people] are confused or have not hear about tax credits.”

— Enroll America and Get Covered America webinar slidedeck, November 2015

41. Don't be intimidated by other professional relationships.

“Why don't prospects make decisions? In preparing for a recent training seminar, I surveyed and interviewed successful advisors in the field. Among the reasons cited in these conversations: the prospect works with another financial professional.

It may be a family member. Although they might not be very attentive, they aren't that bad. Doing business with someone else might involve a confrontation with their current person. Even if it isn't an issue, they have one dentist, one accountant and one auto mechanic. Why do they need more than one financial advisor?

The book 'The Millionaire's Advisor' by Russ Alan Prince and James Van Bortel makes the point that the wealthy work with 3-plus financial advisors on average. When interfacing with these affluent prospects, don't quote statistics. Mention that you expected they worked with someone already. 'Successful people usually have multiple financial advisors. You're obviously successful. How many do you have?' People identify with the word 'successful'.”

— Bryce Sanders, president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc.

42. Educate – don't pitch.

“Our entire approach is one of industry education — it's been working really well because there is so much information and consumers are often misinformed about many things when it comes to planning and investment advice. I believe if you give people information and options, and remain as objective as possible, there is a self-selection process that occurs.

You ultimately end up with the right clients and they end up with the right advisors and everyone wins. Even when they don't pick you or your firm — they know more and can do better for themselves.”

— Kim Brown, president, JNBA Financial Advisors Inc., Minneapolis

43. Look forleads in unusual place.

Media items “of every nature, such as marriage licenses, births, new corporations, etc. all yield information of value in locating those who need protection. But the importance of such leads is minimized by the fact that nearly every agent reads the papers, and a prospect so found may be 'pestered by agents' and hard to do business with.”

Less public sources, such as club directories, private school directories, and companies' own in-house newsletters are often better sources of leads.

— Walter Webb, of the Los Angeles agency of Pacific Mutual Life, in the July 15, 1915, issue of The Western Underwriter (National Underwriter)

44. Drop the financial speak.

“Oftentimes, the standard financial terminology found on advisor websites and brochures is more likely to alienate potential clients than attract them. So while you may think that 'financial speak' will help you come across as knowledgeable, it's important to note that it actually puts you at risk of sounding stiff and unapproachable.

The simple truth is that consumers don't want to feel stupid. When it comes time to discuss their retirement and wealth management, they want to do it in layman's terms to avoid confusion or potential missteps.

With that said, you should focus on bringing warmth to the conversation through more personal engagements. This will help you to make an emotional connection, build trust and differentiate yourself from everyone else.

'Think about this truth: Our customers don't care about our products or services; they care about themselves. If we buy into this, then we must also accept that the majority of the information we produce for marketing purposes cannot be about ourselves,' explains Joe Pulizzi, founder of Content Marketing Institute. 'Our content must be based on fulfilling our customers' needs and interests, so that they come to build a trusted and emotional connection with our brands.'”

— Julie Edge, co-founder and chief storyteller of Creelio

45. Write a referral-selling strategy.

“The business case for referrals is loud and clear. Decision-makers will always meet with salespeople who've been referred by people they know and trust. If your competition gets to the decision-maker first, you might be out of the game. But when you get referrals, you win.

Yet, while every sales professional understands the unrivaled value of referral leads, 95% of companies do not have a written referral-selling strategy, written weekly referral goals, referral-selling skills, accountability for results, or a system to track and measure.

It's time to make referrals the way you sell. Stop the time-wasting, irrelevant, unproductive, frustrating prospecting activities you think you should be doing. Stop sorting leads into cold, warm, and hot. There's only one kind of lead that should be in your pipeline. Only one kind of lead that counts. Only one kind of lead that management cares about. Only one kind of lead you should care about.

That's hot leads — the kind you source by getting referrals.”

— Joanne S. Black, professional speaker, author of “No More Cold Calling”

46. Make your ads (and websites) work for a living.

“Stop confusing attractive advertising with effective advertising. You're in a marketplace — not an art gallery. And good looking advertisements, like good looking people, aren't always the hardest workers.”

— Thomas Maher, marketing columnist, in the March 6, 1982, issue of National Underwriter Life & Health

47. Obsess about clients.

“We're not competitor obsessed, we're customer obsessed. We start with the customer and we work backwards.”

— Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com, owner of The Washington Post and tech investor

48. Underwrite an event in your community.

“Event sponsorship is an excellent way to generate goodwill and visibility for your firm. You can underwrite an existing event or you can begin your own. When you are deciding on an event, choose one with appeal to the members of your target market.

Events to consider include a lecture series, a run, a neighborhood festival, a bike race, golf tournament, a charitable or arts event, among many others.”

— Mary Reed, owner of Mary Reed Public Relations, a firm that caters to, among other segments, personal finance professionals and wealth managers

49. Before you go into sales, make sure that you have, and can continue to have, a good attitude.

“It is very difficult for a sales [rep] who is not getting good results to have a correct mental attitude, and it is next to impossible to get good results without a correct mental attitude.”

— Frank Wesley, an agency manager with the Standard Life of Pittsburgh, in the Sept. 16, 1916, issue of The Western Underwriter (National Underwriter)

50. Write for your customer.

“Start your copy with something that engages the prospect; what most people are interested in is themselves. If an insurance agency wanted to introduce its new employee health-benefit program for small-business owners, it might be tempted to state the obvious, using the phrase, 'Introducing our Guarda-Health Employee Benefit Plan.'

The agency would get better results if it wrote something that directly interests the prospect, such as, 'Are the skyrocketing costs of your insurance premiums threatening to put your company out of business?' That's something business owners who provide benefits to their employees can relate to.”

— Bob Bly, author, copywriter, Internet marketing specialist

Related: 5 tips to make 2016 your most profitable year yet