Advice Line: How to Clarify Your Niche So Clients Say Yes Faster (Jeff Venables)

Summary

Advisor Marketing Made Simple: Episode Summary

Episode: Advice Line: How to Clarify Your Niche So Clients Say Yes Faster (Jeff Venables)
Release Date: June 4, 2025
Hosts: Taylor Schulte and Kendra Wright
Guest: Jeff Venables, Venables Financial Solutions, Rock Hill, South Carolina

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1. Introduction

In this episode of Advisor Marketing Made Simple, hosts Taylor Schulte and Kendra Wright welcome Jeff Venables, a financial planner transitioning from a full-time teaching career to launching his own firm, Venables Financial Solutions. Jeff seeks guidance on growing his nascent business, targeting teachers approaching retirement.

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2. Guest Introduction

Jeff Venables introduces himself and his firm:

Jeff Venables [00:39]: "My name is Jeff Venables. My firm is called Venables Financial Solutions, and I am in Rock Hill, South Carolina."

He shares his background in education and his ambition to serve fellow teachers in planning for retirement. Jeff aims to grow his firm to $250,000 in revenue over the next four years.

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3. Identifying the Ideal Niche

Kendra commends Jeff on his website and delves into his target audience:

Kendra [01:25]: "I'd love to understand a little bit more about your avatar... new teachers and teachers entering retirement."

Initially, Jeff identifies his niche as both new teachers and those nearing retirement, reflecting his personal transition.

However, through discussion, Jeff re-evaluates his focus:

Jeff Venables [05:20]: "I'm thinking... maybe I was wrong about the new teacher thing because I think it's someone who's in or near my situation that is entering retirement."

This realization shifts his focus solely to teachers approaching retirement, recognizing that their financial challenges differ significantly from those of new teachers.

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4. Understanding Client Pain Points

The hosts explore the financial concerns of Jeff's target market:

Jeff Venables [04:21]: "One is student loans, the other two would be budgeting and then getting started with investing and selecting... deciding between defined benefit and defined contribution plans."

Further emphasizing retirement-specific issues, Jeff identifies:

• Adequate Retirement Savings: Determining if one has saved enough to retire comfortably.
• Optimizing Teacher Pensions: Understanding the nuances of defined benefit versus defined contribution plans.
• Social Security Timing: Deciding when to start taking Social Security benefits.

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5. Refining Service Models

Taylor and Kendra guide Jeff in shaping his service offerings to align with his niche:

Taylor [06:33]: "What's more important to you? Growing this practice or educating as many teachers as possible."

Jeff opts for an educational approach, focusing on helping teachers transition into retirement rather than catering to new teachers.

Service Model Options Discussed:

1. One-Time Financial Planning:

   • Creating comprehensive retirement plans.
   • Pricing suggested: $1,500 for individuals, $2,500 for couples.

2. Ongoing Financial Management:

   • Continuous implementation and management of the retirement plan.
   • Pricing: $250 per month.

Jeff also mentions a passion project related to improving 403(b) plans for teachers, though Taylor advises keeping this separate from his primary retirement transition services.

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6. Enhancing Website Messaging

Kendra and Taylor emphasize the importance of clear, targeted messaging on Jeff's website to attract his ideal clients. They suggest revamping his headline and subheader to resonate directly with teachers nearing retirement.

Original Website Copy:

• Headline: "Teaching financial confidence to those who dedicate their lives serving others."
• Subheader: "We understand that managing your finances can be challenging..."

Proposed Revision by Kendra:

• Headline: "For Teachers Ready to Retire"
• Subheader: "We help teachers nearing retirement understand when they can stop working, manage their benefits, and create a confident financial plan without needing a finance degree."

Jeff responds positively to the suggested changes:

Jeff Venables [13:06]: "Yes, it does. I like that."

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7. Marketing Strategies

The hosts discuss effective marketing channels for Jeff's niche:

Podcast Guesting: Jeff has had success appearing on teacher-focused financial podcasts, which has yielded most of his clients.

Kendra [03:50]: "The only call to action has been when the host... I mention my website."

Seminars and Webinars: Jeff conducts seminars through teacher associations and offers courses on personal finance at conventions.

Jeff Venables [22:22]: "I've done some weekend seminars... annual convention sessions focused on teachers and personal finance."

Actionable Recommendations:

• Focus on Educational Content: Continue leveraging podcasts and seminars to provide valuable financial insights.
• Simplify Content Strategy: Concentrate on one or two core topics to establish expertise and facilitate easier promotion.
• Utilize AI Tools: Incorporate AI for refining website copy and developing marketing materials.

Taylor [37:14]: "Spend some time chatting with ChatGPT... to narrow in on your target market, your messaging, and your service model."

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8. Action Items and Recommendations

Immediate Steps:

1. Refine Website Copy: Implement the new headline and subheader to clearly target teachers nearing retirement.
2. Streamline Service Offerings: Simplify the service menu to avoid overwhelming potential clients.
3. Focus Marketing Efforts: Concentrate on podcast guesting and seminars centered around retirement transition topics.

Long-Term Strategies:

• Develop Lead Magnets: Create resources like eBooks or guides tailored to the retirement planning needs of teachers.
• Build a Consistent Content Pipeline: Regularly contribute to podcasts and seminars with focused topics.
• Leverage AI Tools: Use tools like Kendra's copy coach to enhance marketing materials and maintain consistency.

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9. Closing Thoughts

Jeff expresses appreciation for the clarity provided:

Jeff Venables [35:28]: "Well, I'll definitely narrow down my target audience to teachers that are at or near retirement... I like that."

Kendra and Taylor encourage Jeff to continue refining his approach and leveraging educational marketing to grow his practice effectively.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Jeff Venables [00:39]: Introducing himself and his firm.
• Kendra [01:25]: Discussing Jeff's target avatar.
• Jeff Venables [05:20]: Realizing the focus should be on retiring teachers.
• Taylor [06:33]: Highlighting the importance of prioritizing growth versus education.
• Jeff Venables [13:06]: Agreeing with website copy suggestions.
• Kendra [22:22]: Detailing Jeff's seminar activities.
• Taylor [37:14]: Recommending the use of AI tools for refining strategy.
• Jeff Venables [35:28]: Affirming his commitment to the revised niche.

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Conclusion

This episode provides a comprehensive look into how Jeff Venables can effectively clarify his niche to serve teachers nearing retirement. Through strategic website adjustments, focused marketing efforts, and a tailored service model, Jeff is well-positioned to grow his financial planning practice and help educators transition smoothly into retirement.

For listeners seeking to refine their own niches, Jeff's journey offers valuable insights into the importance of specificity, targeted messaging, and leveraging educational platforms to build a successful advisory business.

Transcript

[Kendra]

Hey, it's Kendra and Taylor and we're here to make Advisor Marketing simple. Jeff from Venables Financial Solutions is our guest today. After decades in education, he's turning the page, starting a solo firm to serve fellow teachers as they plan for retirement. His firm is less than a year old and his goal is to grow to $250,000 in revenue over the next four years. Welcome to Advisor Marketing Made Simple. We're having a conversation with Jeff today. Jeff, can you just kick us off by sharing your name, your firm and your location?

[Jeff Venables]

My name is Jeff Venables. My firm is called Venables Financial Solutions, and I am in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

[Kendra]

What's a big question you want to dive into with Taylor and I today?

[Jeff Venables]

So I'm new. I've only been doing this for a few months and how do I, I guess, help my business take off?

[Kendra]

Awesome. And I took a look at the website beforehand. Your niche is teachers. We'll talk a little bit more about that, but I want to get you some quick kudos. You did a nice job on the website overall for just starting out. So you've got a really good base there. A lot of good things to work from. So to get started here, I'd love to understand a little bit more about your avatar. So the few details that you submitted to us were that you want to work with teachers entering retirement and new teachers. So can you just tell us a little bit about that avatar and who you're looking to serve?

[Jeff Venables]

Yes. So I am a teacher entering retirement. And so my retirement from teaching is moving into financial planning. I'm halfway there. So I'm actually still teaching full time and financial planning part time. And so my avatar is kind of me, I think, because I understand my situation pretty well, I think. And the reason why I also say new teachers, because I remember 20 something year old me and all the things that I wish I had known.

[Kendra]

Definitely. Now let's pretend you had to choose one of these niches. Entering retirement, teachers entering retirement, or new teachers. Is there one that you gravitate towards more?

[Jeff Venables]

Yes, probably new teachers.

[Kendra]

Okay. The reason why I'm asking is for those teachers in different life stages, do you find that their problems are different, their financial challenges very different?

[Jeff Venables]

Yes.

[Kendra]

Okay, awesome. Looking at the website, you're saying your revenue goal in five years is 150 to $250,000 and the current fee structure is about $250 a month. Would you be able to sustainably serve 83 new teachers at that rate?

[Jeff Venables]

Yes, I think I Could do that, yeah.

[Kendra]

Okay. Now the other thing I want to talk about a little bit is your marketing channel and where you feel most comfortable really reaching new teachers when it comes to educating them. Do you prefer to write? You prefer to be on video speak? Do you. Do you really enjoy relationships in your community? Like what do you tend to gravitate.

[Jeff Venables]

Towards all the above? More so. I love to talk to people face to face and in person. So yes to that. But at the same time, I'm comfortable with video, I think, and I'm pretty comfortable with writing. So I don't know which of those I would prefer. Maybe you can give me some insight as to what would give me my best bet of success.

[Kendra]

And I know the firm is new, but right now, what kind of marketing activities have you been doing to generate awareness for the firm?

[Jeff Venables]

The one thing that I've done that's been successful, that has brought me some clients is being on other podcasts that are aimed at teachers, specifically at teachers and finances. And so I've appeared on a couple of podcasts as a guest. And as a result of those appearances, that's where all but one of my clients have come from.

[Kendra]

And when you're on those podcasts, what's kind of your call to action? Like, hey, if you love the conversation we had here, go here. Next.

[Jeff Venables]

Honestly, the only call to action has been when the host that was interviewing me would say, so where can people find you? I would, you know, mention my, my website.

[Kendra]

Okay. And one more follow up question here. And then I want to see what's coming up for Taylor when it comes to new teachers. What are the top two to three big pain points that they're really struggling with financially? They'd be eager to hire you to help them solve.

[Jeff Venables]

One is student loans, I guess. The other two would be budgeting and then getting started with investing and selecting. In South Carolina, we have, we have two options for teachers as far as their, the pension or pseudo pension. And so they, they have a defined benefit and there's also a defined contribution plan that they can, they can choose between. And so a lot of people are just trying to decide, well, which one of those do I choose?

[Kendra]

Okay, awesome. Taylor, what's coming up for you?

[Taylor]

Yeah, I definitely want to better understand your, your target niche a little bit more. You've listened to the show, so you know how important this is to our marketing strategies. We have to understand who, who we're speaking to, who we're trying to target. And, and then that helps us kind of back into what sort of marketing strategies are going to best reach those people? Maybe just to start, just to press a little bit more, can you just paint us a picture of your, your perfect client? What is their age? What is their income? What are some of their big questions that they're coming to you to help solve?

[Jeff Venables]

Yeah. So now I'm thinking back to the question that Kendra asked and thinking, well, maybe, maybe I, I was wrong about the new teacher thing because I think it's someone who's in or near my situation that is entering retirement. In my mind, especially when it comes to teachers, the time when a teacher really needs, or most people, I think, really need a financial planner is when they're getting ready to transition over from earning an income to starting to take their distributions, if you will, from their retirement. And so I think for me, the person that I'm looking at is the person who is at retirement or within the last five years to retirement and needs to start kind of positioning themselves for that transition, for, for switching over from being a saver to, to. To now being a, to. To withdrawing from their different retirement plans.

[Taylor]

Okay.

[Jeff Venables]

And so I, I, sorry. I love the idea of the new teacher and getting them started early with the compounding and the, the, the growth of putting money into retirement plans. But I think the person that I'm looking to, to add the most value to that I can help the most as the person who is nearing that, that transition over into retirement.

[Taylor]

Okay. And I always say on the show that advisors are naturally helpers. Like, we just want to help everybody. It just, just comes very natural to us. And sometimes it can be, it can hinder our success because we're just trying to, to educate and help everybody, but our businesses are suffering as a result. And so you do have this decision to make. Like, maybe the question is just like, what's more important to you? Growing this practice, building this, this practice, teachers, and educating as many teachers as possible.

[Jeff Venables]

Honestly, I think it's the latter. I think it's more about helping and educating as many teachers as possible.

[Taylor]

Okay, so are you interested in building an educational platform for teachers and monetizing that then versus building a financial planning practice?

[Jeff Venables]

You know, I hadn't considered that, but maybe.

[Taylor]

Yeah, I think these are some of the important questions for you to answer in order to, you know, build an effective marketing funnel here. Because how we approach and talk to teachers that are just starting out and building a service model for them is going to be very different than the teacher that's about to retire that needs help transitioning into retirement, because initially I was thinking, you know, $250 a month for a new teacher is a lot. My sister's a teacher and she complains about her Netflix bill, let alone paying a financial advisor $250 per month. So building your service model around those folks might look different than somebody who's, you know, transitioning into retirement. So I think it's gonna be really important to get clear on who we're trying to target and what are we trying to build here, because there are some disconnects, you know, on your services page. There's a lot for me to digest. Do I need comprehensive financial planning? Do I need investment management services? Do I need workplace retirement plan set up? Do I need a project based plan? Like, there's a lot of options. I'm not sure which one to choose. I'm not sure who it's for. There's just kind of that paralysis by analysis. So I know we're, we're, you know, kind of pressing back a little bit here, but in order for us to answer your big questions about how I grow this thing, we got to understand who, who we're targeting. I think one of the benefits, if it, you know, helps you out of targeting that teacher who's transitioning to retirement is that's you and you're able to really connect with them. Say I'm, I'm walking this journey with you. I'm literally going through this process right now. Let me show you exactly how I'm doing it, how I'm optimizing my retirement plan and how I'm making this transition successfully. Learn from me as I go through this process and I can help you do the same thing. That's a, that's a really powerful approach. But again, like, we can't do that and also try to educate and specialize in helping brand new teachers.

[Jeff Venables]

Yeah. And the people that I've worked with so far have been people that look a lot like me, that are, that are in the same stage that I'm in.

[Kendra]

It reminds me of a conversation we have with a wonderful advisor named Thomas Cook. And his episode was what to do when you're between two niches. Now, yours is same people at different points. And Taylor, I really loved what you shared with him, which was, hey, if we build this firm to support the teachers who look like you, Jeff, there are a lot of people out there that can help newer teachers with things like how to pay off their student loans, how to budget and choose their pension. So you're not the only one that can help them. But this is how you, you know, if we take that approach, choosing one of these options, the new teacher or the teachers entering retirement, it doesn't mean that they won't get the help that they need. So I don't know if that perspective is helpful, but we want to keep you in business and helping teachers, and it does make a big difference in your marketing funnel depending on which teacher we choose, a new teacher or a soon to retire teacher.

[Taylor]

So for the sake of today's discussion, it's going to really help us out if we choose one of these niches here. So I know you still have some things to think about and maybe not sure exactly what direction you want to go ultimately, but for today's conversation, what. What group do you want to focus on here so we can provide some. Some marketing guidance?

[Jeff Venables]

All right, let's choose the people that are like me, that are, you know, at or near retirement.

[Taylor]

Okay. And let's identify three big questions that those people are asking. What, what would those be?

[Jeff Venables]

Well, the big question that everyone's asking your retirement. Right. Is do I have enough? Can I retire? Do I have enough money to retire? Do I have enough saved up to retire?

[Taylor]

Okay. I'm sure there are a few more. Do you guys have teacher pensions in South Carolina?

[Jeff Venables]

We do.

[Taylor]

So, you know, what, what does that pension mean to them in retirement? Are there ways to optimize that pension, manage the taxes around that pension?

[Jeff Venables]

A lot of teachers, at least teachers that are like me, that start right out of college teaching, they're looking at retirement in their early to mid-50s. So then the question is, you know, all the questions around Social Security and when do I start taking that? And so that's another thing that I've, you know, talked to people a lot about is, you know, can you afford to. To wait? And things like that.

[Taylor]

Yeah, I mean, normally I'd say, hey, go talk to 25 different teachers that are nearing retirement and just have conversations with them and ask them what are their big questions? What are their pain points? But you have the luxury of just asking yourself, like, so what are the things that you're thinking of as you're going through this transition into retirement? What are some of the big questions that you're answering for yourself? Yeah. What are the things that you're solving for in your own financial planning? Let's pick the top three or four to really highlight. Because one of the things that's kind of missing for me before we talk about kind of the marketing activities is when I came to your website, Venables Financial Solutions. The headline said, teaching financial confidence to those who dedicate their lives serving others. And I was actually questioning whether you were an advisor or you were just a coach, like an educational person just out there just teaching people how to solve some of these financial challenges. So I saw the word teaching, but nothing really said, I work with teachers. I teach financial confidence. I don't necessarily help teachers. So we want to make sure that when your ideal client lands on your website, right. They heard you on a podcast, share all your knowledge about helping teachers transition to retirement. They come to your website, and there's some similar language there that resonates with them. So a very simple tweak to just some copy here is like, I specialize in helping teachers transition into retirement. And then I would identify those three or four big questions that they're asking. You know, here are questions that I help, you know, people solve. You know, how do I have enough to retire? How do I optimize my teacher pension? You know, how do I plan around Social Security? How do I lower taxes? Now it starts to speak to me a little bit more as a teacher. I'm a teacher. I'm thinking about retirement. I need help transitioning to retirement. These are some of the questions that I'm asking. There's a free complimentary meeting that I can schedule with Jeff. So it starts to kind of tie things together a little bit. Does that make sense?

[Jeff Venables]

Yes, it does.

[Taylor]

How's that feel to you when you hear, you know, I specialize in helping teachers transition to retirement? Like, does that resonate with you?

[Jeff Venables]

Yes, it does. I like that.

[Taylor]

Okay.

[Kendra]

I want to give a little more context, too, just because this is one of the biggest things I saw right away was the headline, didn't speak to teachers. So I'm going to give you a headline I wrote for you so you can feel and hear what this sounds like compared to yours. So right now, yours says, teaching financial confidence to those who dedicate their lives serving. The subheader says, we understand that managing your finances can be challenging. At Venable Solutions, our mission is to provide personalized financial planning solutions that empower you to achieve your goals and secure your future. The version I wrote says, your headline would sound like this for teachers ready to retire. We make sure the math adds up. The subheader might say something like this. We help teachers nearing retirement understand when they can stop working, understand their benefits, and create a financial plan they feel confident in without needing a finance degree. So you can see how, like, we can play with those pain points A little bit. I kind of wrote this a little bit on the fly too, so I need a little bit of massaging. But we're, we're, we're calling out in the header who it is. We're calling out in the subheader how we help. And we're putting a little bit of a spin, an emotional spin that speaks to teachers on it. Can you see how that feels and sound different?

[Jeff Venables]

Yes. Yeah, I like that.

[Taylor]

I know Kendra had asked you earlier about kind of different marketing activities. So let's assume that we clean up some of the text on our website so it really resonates with our ideal client here. Actually, maybe before I go to marketing activities, because the next thing is services too. So again, like you're out there doing your thing, guesting on podcasts, and we'll talk about some other things that you might be able to pursue as well. They come to your website, the headline speaks to them. The pain points you've outlined speaks to them. Maybe you have a case study or two that speaks to them. Your services. Again, there's kind of a lot to digest here. Like you're offering a lot of different things and asking me to choose which one makes sense for me. What is it that you really want to do for these, these retiring teachers? Is it project based financial planning? Is it truly setting up retirement plans? Is it managing their investments? Is it everything? And if it is everything, maybe we should just focus on full service wealth management for teachers transitioning to retirement. But how can we maybe narrow in our service model and not ask them to choose what they want?

[Jeff Venables]

Managing investments is probably my lowest priority.

[Taylor]

Okay.

[Jeff Venables]

So I added that in there just in case I have someone who says, yeah, you know, I can't be bothered with choosing my investments. You know, I just want you to do that for me so that I offer that as a possibility. But generally why kind of my wheelhouse. What I like to do is get all their information and put together their plan, their retirement plan, if you will put them. You know, here's everything to do as you hit retirement and here's how you know how to position your, you know, your buckets or whatever you want to call it, of money and then how, how you're going to withdraw it as you enter retirement.

[Taylor]

Okay, and would this be like a one time financial plan?

[Jeff Venables]

I've done some of that, so yes. But I actually, I prefer the ongoing continuing together and managing the entire implementation and carrying out of the plan. But at the same time, I also understand. So if it's me again. If I'm serving me, I'm like, I'm a do it yourself kind of person. A lot of teachers are, so give me a plan, give me a lesson plan, if you will, and I'll go put it into practice. So I like to have that as an option for people because I know that that's how a lot of teachers like to do things.

[Taylor]

Okay. Yeah, I think there's, there's, there's two paths here. One is if this kind of one time financial plan thing is appealing. And again, like, just because you give them the lesson plan doesn't necessarily mean that they ultimately want to implement it on their own. Half of them might go and implement it on their own. Great. You help them out, you gave them a great lesson plan, a great financial plan, and they're going to go implement it. But the other half are like, this is great. I really appreciate this, but I'm realizing that it's more than I really want to take on. I'd love to pay you $250 a month to help me implement this, hold me accountable, maybe manage my investments as well. Um, so yeah, there's kind of two paths in my mind. One is every single teacher that reaches out to me that meets my, you know, target niche here. These teachers transition to retirement. Every single one of them starts with this one time financial plan. And it's, you know, $1,500 for individuals and $2,500 for couples. I don't know. However you want to price that and then at the end of that process, you can certainly share with them. Hey, if you want help implementing this, if you want me to hold you accountable, do all the heavy lifting, you can hire me for $250 per month on an ongoing basis and I'll do all of this stuff for you. So I'll let you decide. But at least you're able to help them. You give them a good plan and you offer some ongoing services to them. The other is, I want to, I really just want ongoing clients. I don't want to do one time financial plans for people. So you've got this comprehensive financial planning service model and maybe we go all in on that. Now if you go all in on that, you're going to have to create a pretty good sales process to show your value up front for free in order to convert people and convince them to pay you on an ongoing basis right out of the gates. So something to think through there, but I guess the big takeaway is when I come to your Website and click on your services. Like, there are all these services models for me to try and understand. I'm not really sure which one's most fitting for me. Can be a little overwhelming and again, lead to that paralysis by analysis. I'm not sure if you work with people like me or not. I'm seeing thousands of dollars here and hundreds of dollars here. I just don't really know. And so again, some things for you to think through there, but it is a little bit overwhelming.

[Jeff Venables]

Yeah, I get that. The one other thing that I kind of a passion project, if you will, for me is the separate service that I offer for people for their 403bs. And that's just because there's so many people that are in such bad 403 plans because of the way the K12 teacher 403B system is structured that I like to help people get into the better plan and then move their money over from. From the. The bad, bad actors into the. To the. The better plans.

[Taylor]

Okay.

[Jeff Venables]

So I, I'd like to kind of keep that as kind of a separate option for people in addition to then narrowing down the other. I guess the other. The menu down to more digestible sizes is.

[Taylor]

Is that fitting for your target market? Are these people about to retire?

[Jeff Venables]

Well, people that are about to retire probably don't need that. You're. You know, that's a good point. Because if they're about to retire, then they can. They can roll their 403Bs over to IRAs or whatever and not have to worry about switching from one 4.3B to another. Yeah. People that have another 10, 15, 20 years left, it makes sense for them to look and say, oh, wow, this really is a bad plan. Let's. Let's get into a better one. So you're right. That's a different audience.

[Taylor]

Yeah. And this is where, again, we could start to get distracted. It's like, I want to help these people. They're in a bad situation with their 403B. There's better options out there for them. I really want to help them. And again, you. You could certainly help them if. If we ultimately land on you guesting on. On podcasts for teachers, that could be one of your talking points. Like, hey, if you're in a 403B, you know, here are some things to look for. If it's not the right one, here's how you can go find a better one and you can educate and help that way. And then, you know, say, like, look, I specialize in people that are just about to retire. Teachers that are just about to retire. You know, I have a service model set up for them so you can still educate and help without actually servicing those people through different content mediums, whether it's writing or guessing on podcasts. But yeah, a workplace retirement plan setup, which is a service you have listed here, feels very different than I'm helping teachers transition into retirement.

[Jeff Venables]

It is.

[Taylor]

So in thinking about different marketing activities to reach your ideal client here, you have mentioned guesting on podcasts. Is that something that you enjoy and you'd like to do more of?

[Jeff Venables]

Yeah, I do. I enjoy that. I wouldn't mind doing more of that. So, yes, I could search out some other ones and guest on those.

[Taylor]

Okay. How did you go about getting that opportunity?

[Jeff Venables]

Well, one of them reached out to me because of some of the advocacy that I'm doing in my state to try to clean up our four 3B plans. And so I appeared on that one. And then the other one is one that I reached out to, that's out of North Carolina in my neighboring state. And I just asked if I could be on and talk a little bit about some of the things that I'm doing helping teachers.

[Taylor]

Okay. I love it. And I've shared before, actually, we did a whole episode on the best marketing strategy, which is leveraging other people's platforms. So since you're brand new and you don't have a platform and you don't have an audience you want, this practice in five years is generating $250,000 of revenue. Leveraging other people's platforms is a great way to do that. So it sounds like that's certainly a viable option. Knowing that you're a teacher. I'm curious if you've explored maybe hosting seminars, webinars, and literally teaching other teachers about some of these retirement planning concepts.

[Jeff Venables]

Yeah, I do some of that. I actually offer a course for teachers that they can do. I've been very active in one of the teachers associations in South Carolina. So I've done some weekend seminars through that. I did a few sessions at the. The annual convention that they had that were focused on teachers and personal finance. So I've. I've done some of that. That's, you know, I like to. Those are the. The opportunities that I get to meet with people in person that I like to do.

[Taylor]

Okay. Yeah. I mean, at the end of the day here, I think if you are able to get really clear on exactly who you want to work with. I specialize in helping teachers transition to retirement, and you might have to Get a little bit more clear. Teachers, I don't know, with a certain amount of investments saved for retirement, you know, teachers transitioning to retirement, I help them solve these three things. Your service model is built around just those people. And then from there, just thinking about how can I le, what other platforms can I leverage somebody else's platform to get in front of more of these people? Whether it's, you know, giving seminars, webinars, guessing on podcasts. And you're just going to regurgitate the same message. You're going to educate, share your knowledge and hey, I specialize in helping this group of people go here to learn more. I know you had mentioned the notes that you want to gain some comfort with selling. That kind of feels like sales and marketing feels a little icky to me. But I think you truly just approach this as educational. I call it education based marketing. That you're just providing really good information, trying to help people and just like, hey, by the way, I specialize in helping people just like this. In fact, that's me right now. I'm going through, I'm walking that journey with you. And you want professional help. You know, go here to learn more. Finding a way to get comfortable saying that out loud and knowing that you're just trying to help people.

[Jeff Venables]

Yeah, I like that because the sales part is, you know, I'm, I'm a teacher at heart. So that's the taking the educational approach I think is, is much more comfortable for me.

[Kendra]

Yeah, one thing that came up for me too. And again, this is why your ideal client is like a huge hinge on your marketing strategy. So we think about who you may jump on a podcast and guest with. If we're looking at, you know, teachers who are close to or entering retirement, that will also shift maybe some of the topics you talk about. Because if the 403B topic is kind of a newer or earlier in their process teacher, that may not be the really like targeted content that you would want to do a podcast guest interview for. Now, that doesn't mean you can't be involved in different ways, but we just want to understand that that's not going to lead to the top of funnel awareness for your firm that we're looking for if we're trying to attract those teachers who are about five years out from retirement. So that's why there's kind of these two separate ideal clients that again, we kind of keep coming back to because it impacts not only the copy at the top of your website, it impacts your services pages and also impacts your marketing activities and the content you put out in the world. Does that make sense?

[Jeff Venables]

Yep, it does.

[Kendra]

So for your funnel right now, we've talked about top of funnel being potentially podcast guesting or in person seminars. The thing that I kind of see popping up next from a middle of funnel perspective is we need some kind of offer. Let's say you were to go on a podcast and you're really trying to reach teachers who are five years out from retirement. Only a small percentage of those teachers are going to be ready to work with you. So what could we offer that would be attractive and irresistible to the other 95%? So that's kind of where my head is going next. The way that I would like to think about this is, okay, we know they're five years out from retirement. You know, what are the top three things you need to get in place to have a remarkable retirement five years out? Like, I'm just starting to kind of think through those offers. And so that when we get you on a stage, either digitally on a podcast, or physically in person to these people, what's that next step that they can take with you? That's kind of where my head's going next. What about you, Taylor?

[Taylor]

Yeah, no, I think you, you summarize it really well there. I, I think where my mind is going is, Jeff, we've thrown a lot at you today. I know there's some big decisions for you to make. Like what, what additional questions do you have for us, if any?

[Jeff Venables]

Well, that was going to be one of them is what's the. I've listened to several of your episodes over the last few days, kind of making sure I, I, I was trying to be ready for what you might ask me. And I know that one of the things that you talk about is, at least with maybe the, the most recent episode I listened to is some sort of a deliverable or a lead magnet or something like that that gets people. Is that, is that kind of what you're referring to there, Kendra, with the a hundred percent? Okay, so I do a little bit of, I've been doing some writing and I'm posting the writing on a, on a separate website. And so my question about that is, do I just want to incorporate that into my regular business website or is it, is there a reason why I would want to keep it separate?

[Taylor]

Yeah, I was going to go there as well. I do find it a little bit confusing. And given that you're just starting out, I think you're just kind of adding more complexity. That's not needed at the moment. I think I'd focus on your true home base, the Venables Financial Solutions website, building all of your resources into there. Cause yeah, when I clicked on resources now it took me to a different website. I don't see your name on anything. I don't see your picture. I was honestly, my first thought was like, is this Jeff's website or is this somebody else's website that he's linking to? So it immediately caused some confusion and then especially since it says hire a planner. So I'm like, oh, this is like a network of advisors that help teachers. But then I clicked on that and it took me back to your Venables website. So there's just a lot more to think about when you introduce this second website and I just don't think it's necessary at the moment. So you could migrate that content onto your existing website and yeah, thinking about some sort of lead magnet, some sort of offer to people, whether you're speaking or on a podcast, it's certainly, you know, in a perfect world, hey, if you like what you heard today, I wrote this, you know, this ebook. I wrote this physical book. I wrote this, you know, this free guide for teachers, the 10 things to do before you retire. Like go here to download it. Um, I, I also like, I love that idea. But it's just we're giving you more and more and more to do here. Um, you might have a tight enough niche and if you're getting in front of the right audiences and you're educating them the right way and you just have a call to action, it's like if you're a teacher, transition to retirement and you need professional help, just like go here to learn more. I offer a free one hour consultation or a free retirement analysis. Um, it might be enough to just kind of get the wheels going a little bit while you start working more on some other content behind the scenes. So I just don't want you going and creating a lead magnet, an ebook to hold you up from some of these marketing activities that you've started. I think the most important is let's just clean up some of the language on the website, maybe consolidate some of that content so that when you are out there doing your thing and educating it on podcasts, you have a good place, a good home base to send people to.

[Jeff Venables]

Yeah, I like that, I like that, like I said that my, my experience with marketing is, is almost none. So anything that I can use that'll help me kind of focus my efforts a little bit that's what I'm, what I'm here looking for.

[Taylor]

Yeah. And I would purely look at this through an education lens, just education based. I'm just out there just educating people, sharing my knowledge and expertise. And oh, by the way, if you need professional help, go here to learn more. It's literally what I do on my retirement podcast. When I first started, my mom was like, what are you doing? Like, why are you giving away all this information? Everybody, like, don't you want them to hire you first before you tell them all the answers to the questions? And what I found and what a lot of advisors found is like, the more you give, the more you get. And I don't need my entire audience to reach out and hire me. I only need a tiny, tiny percentage of them to reach out. So I'm educating 99% of them and 1% might reach out to learn more about my services. So I just purely look at this. Like, I'm just going to share as much as possible, I'm going to give as much as possible, I'm going to educate, share my expertise, but I'm going to make sure that I add a call to action so that the people that do want and need professional help know where to go to learn more and potentially schedule that call with me.

[Jeff Venables]

Yeah, it makes a lot of sense.

[Kendra]

Jeff, any clarifying questions kind of coming up for you? I know we've thrown a lot your way. Really excited about where he went. Any questions popping up for you on this approach?

[Jeff Venables]

Yeah, I just want to make sure I'm focusing kind of in the right area. So, yes, I've been doing some writing and I do some seminars with people. I feel like doing all of that. And oh yeah, I'm still a full time classroom teacher, at least for the, for the near future. Do I just want, do I want to focus my efforts on only one of those activities? And if so, is it getting onto people's podcasts? Is that where my focus should be?

[Taylor]

Yeah, I mean, it is a lot. So I think to kind of summarize all this, I think the first focus, the first thing to go and do this shouldn't take more than an hour of your time, is to just update some of the copy on the website. So Kendra gave you a really good example. So this is not redo the website. This is just change some of the text on the website, you might think, through the service model and maybe get a little bit more clear and narrow with your service model so that people aren't confused and paralyzed by all these different options and then just. Yeah, given that you are a teacher still and you don't have all the time in the world, I think leveraging other people's platforms is going to be your best approach here. I like to think about it in terms of like, is there a single topic that you're just really, really passionate about? For a while for me was tax planning for retirees. But not just tax planning, like showing them a clever tax strategy that maybe they weren't thinking about. So I did a podcast circuit at one point, going on other people's podcast, talking about how you could pair Roth conversions with a donor advised fund contribution to offset the Roth conversion tax bill. And so if you pick just like one single topic that speaks to your target client and you just deliver seminar presentations on the topic, you guess another podcast and talk about this topic. Like you can touch on some other things as well. But if you're just sharing the same kind of message over and over and leveraging other people's platforms and oh, by the way, if you need professional help, you know, go here to learn more. It kind of takes a lot of the weight off your shoulders of like creating more content and more content and finding new topics. And now I'm writing and I'm podcasting, delivering presentations. Like, can you just identify one or two topics you're really passionate about and just find your way onto these other platforms to go and share your expertise and share your knowledge?

[Jeff Venables]

Yeah, that's helpful. That actually just like slowed my heart rate down when you said that. Okay, now I have less to focus on and I can, I can do that. So I like that a lot.

[Taylor]

Good, good.

[Kendra]

And then it doesn't become dreaming up new topics to pitch. Then you really kind of dial in the topic and it's kind of on repeat. Right? You'll get better at it. You'll add some nuance. You know, as you start to pitch these podcasts for this topic, you know, you could potentially get some support writing some better titles for it. Right. And testing and getting on more podcasts. So I really love that approach. Taylor, I haven't heard anybody think about it just on like that specific topic for a podcast tour. So I like that simplification that you added. I've never considered that approach. So we have laid out a new funnel here for you that is much more simplified and speaks to your ideal audience. So what that could look like for you is your top of funnel when targeting teachers who are close to and entering retirement would look like podcast guesting for your Middle of funnel as far as what to do next, where to go next. For now, don't worry about that. Do a simple, clear call to action to your website. Long term, you could look at maybe building a lead magnet or resource, but because it's so niche, you might be able to get away with it for a little bit. Just simplifying it. And then the bottom of the funnel is just your sales process. Now, a few other kind of action items we put together here for you. The first one is, you know, getting clear on who we're targeting. So yes, we are doing teachers in financial planning, but new teachers or retirement planning, huge hinge that swings a lot of doors in this strategy. Second, making a couple really simple website adjustments. Number one, adjusting your website header so the copy speaks a little bit more clearly to who you're going to be target. And the bit targeting and the big three problems that they are willing and excited to pay you to solve. You're also going to look at potentially streamlining your service options. And then after that, once you get those couple of updates done, let's just get you on great podcasts with your ideal client. Really just guesting on one or two killer topics that you're passionate about, you're obsessed over, that will make a true impact. And bonus, if you can kind of come up with something a little bit counterintuitive or, or unexpected in the way that Taylor shared. So now that we've talked about your funnel, we've talked about your action items here, what do you think you might do differently going forward after this conversation?

[Jeff Venables]

Well, I'll definitely narrow down my, my target audience to teachers that are at or near retirement. Um, and so yes, I'm going to go in and, and look at the copy on the. I wish I had written down what you told me. Are you going to send that over to me or something?

[Kendra]

So I'll ship it right over to.

[Jeff Venables]

You via email because, yeah, I want to adjust that and I am going to simplify the menu of offerings if you will take some of that extra stuff out of there and make it easier for people to identify. Oh, here's the service. That is what I need as opposed to, wow, look at all the stuff that's here. So I think that's where I'm going to go first, is clean up the website and, and focus it on the people that are people that look like me. As far as, you know, that's who my, my niche is going to be.

[Kendra]

And honestly, it's like such a, it's such a Competitive advantage for you because you are your ideal client and this is such an amazing industry to serve. Taylor, any closing thoughts from you?

[Taylor]

Yeah, I was going to say, you know, Kendra wrote you a beautiful headline there and definitely use it, use it as inspiration, make it your own. I was just thinking, don't be afraid since you're, you're still in this beginning stages here and still trying to figure out your messaging, your target market, your service model. This is a great use case for AI. Like spend some time chatting with ChatGPT. Like these are the people I like to help. This is the pain points I'm trying to solve for. Like help me write a headline for my website. Help me write a subtitle for my website. This is a type of service model that I'd like to create. This is how I'd like to help them. This is a general feel. Like help me design a services page. You know, like go back and forth and have this conversation with AI to start to pull some of this stuff to the surface and start to. Yeah. Start to narrow in on your target market, your messaging and your service model.

[Jeff Venables]

Yeah, that's a good suggestion. I need to get over my, my, my view of using AI as cheating. You know, that's the kind of the teacher view.

[Kendra]

So yeah, one last resource for you because I actually already built that bot. It's a copy coach that I created for financial advisors. Just go to rebelmediaagency.com copycoach it's essentially an AI bot that I built based off of high converting copy and specific rules I write or that I use to write copy for advisors. You could just plug what you're thinking or what's already there in and it'll help you revise it and make it sound like a human. So it's not perfect. It's not going to write your copy to the T but it's going to give you a different perspective and you can kind of see what that looks like from a different view based off of kind of my brain. It's kind of like having a Kendra in your pocket.

[Jeff Venables]

I like the sound of that.

[Kendra]

All right, so we had a great conversation with you today, Jeff. For those of you listening, if you want to get access to the copy coach, take a look in the show description. We are going to put that in there for you so you can take that for a test run. Thank you, Jeff so much for joining us today. Had a great conversation here. Excited to see where you go next and keep us updated as you go along your journey.

[Jeff Venables]

Well, Taylor, Kendra, thank you very much.

[Kendra]

We hope you enjoyed today's episode. To get the resources shared or sign up to join us as a guest on one of our advice line episodes, check out the links in the show notes. Thanks for listening and we'll see you next week.