Wednesday, March 13, 2013

"You may be following the wave of press whirling around Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook,"  says Vicki Rackner MD, President of Targeting Doctors.   "The release of her new book Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead sparked conversations about the ongoing challenges women face as they break through the glass ceiling."

Rackner suggests that financial advisors ride the wave of media attention and leverage the clear marketing opportunities. She suggests, "Deliver value to your clients and prospects by helping them articluate the results they deliver, find the courage to ask for what they want and develop negotiation skills."

Here are a few ideas from Dr. Rackner:

1. Send copies of Sandberg's book to your clients. Whether the recipient agrees or disagrees with Sanberg's points, they will know you're thinking about them. Think about both the men and the women with whom you work. Men have wives, mothers and daughters about whom they care. Gifts are powerful marketing tools.

2. Gather compensation data for your clients by industry and by gender. This information helps your female clients achieve financial parity. If you're working with physicians, a recent Medscape salary study offers useful information.

3. Host an educational event to help your women clients negotiate salaries, improve leadership skills and proactively manage their reputation.

4. Regularly ask clients and prospects, "What's your secret to success?" Become the expert on what works.

5. Offer resources to help your clients parent empowered, successful children.

6. Share stories from your successful clients, mentors and colleagues. What challenges did they face? How did they overcome them? Position yourself as a voice of hope, optimism and possibility.

7. Host and facilitate closed communities where women can come together and safely explore their relationships with money, power and leadership.

These basic life skills promote health, wealth and wisdom.

Vicki Rackner MD, President  of www.TargetingDoctors.com, helps financial advisors acquire physician clients. Go to www.TargetingDoctors.com to get the 7 Secrets to Physician Engagement.  Contact Dr. Rackner at (452) 451-3777 to learn more about the medical market.