6 Ways Financial Advisors Grow Their Practices with Exit Planning

Financial advisors, especially those who are Certified Exit Planning Advisors® (CEPAs), have a unique opportunity to expand their practices and provide exceptional value to their clients by integrating exit planning into their services.  

Leveraging a scalable, systemized, inbound advisory platform like Maus Software can significantly enhance your ability to attract and retain high-net-worth business owner clients.  

Here are six ways financial advisors can grow their exit planning practices. “Pro Tips” include actionable ways to implement these strategies while “The CEPA Advantage” illustrates how the Certified Exit Planning Advisor designation equips advisors to be prepared for valuable opportunities.

1. Gain More High Net Worth Business Owner Clients 

High net worth (HNW) business owners benefit from advisors who can offer comprehensive solutions and financial analysis for their business exits. By positioning yourself as an expert in exit planning, you can attract more HNW clients who need guidance through the complex process of selling their businesses. 

Pro Tip – Leverage Lead Magnets

A lead magnet is a free item such as a Value Gap Calculator or Exit Readiness Assessment. A lead magnet is given away to draw in new leads, gather contact details, and qualify the leads. Providers such as Maus offer robust lead magnet tools like "Score Your Business" which includes automated assessments, business value calculators, and more. These tools help you capture the interest of potential clients by offering valuable insights into their business's readiness for exit and overall value. By providing these resources, you can establish your expertise and attract HNW clients looking for specialized advice.

The CEPA Advantage

As a CEPA®, your specialized training in exit planning, combined with Maus lead magnets make it easy to demonstrate your expertise in exit planning, while helping to attract HNW business owner clients. The CEPA designation enhances your credibility, while the right software tools like Maus provide the technological edge to capture, and nurture valuable leads effectively.

2. Be Present for Liquidity Events 

Being present during liquidity events is of significant importance for financial advisors. By offering exit planning services, you position yourself to be a key player during these critical moments, helping ensure you capture the business when owners are ready to sell.  

Pro Tip – Use Automated Email Nurture Sequences

It can take months and years worth of touchpoints to be present for liquidity events. Stay relevant for your clients by using email nurture automations combined with automated business assessments. Automated sequences can educate and remind clients of the steps they need to take. Maus provides turnkey digital marketing services and done-for-you solutions that can help financial advisors be recognized as a key player in the business exit process.

The CEPA Advantage

Whether you’re a Quarterback or a Value Advisor, the CEPA designation equips you with the expertise to guide clients through complex liquidity events. In addition, pairing your training with an exit planning platform that aligns seamlessly with the Value Acceleration Methodology, like ValueMax by Maus, operationalizes your designation. Attract new clients and inform current clients of your new offerings with curated email nurture sequences like those offered in Attract+ by Maus. By using this formula, you will have a powerful inbound advisory process to help ensure you have a seat at the table during crucial triggering events. 

3. Stay Top of Mind During Long Lead Periods 

Exit planning often involves long lead periods. During the months and years when business owners are gradually preparing their businesses for sale, it’s critical to remain top of mind and reinforce your place as a valued member of their exit planning team.  

Pro Tip – Automate Social Media Posts  

One effective way of staying top of mind is through regularly appearing on their social media feeds with expert posts and eye-catching graphics.  Posts that contain links to valuable resources receive even higher engagement. If your posts lack this content, you are missing a great opportunity to provide meaningful touchpoints and gain additional qualifying details. The goal at this stage is to provide free value to the lead and prevent them from passing you by when the time comes to exit. Maus Software provides done-for-you social media posts with lead magnets that ensure you remain visible and valuable to your prospects/clients without taking your focus off your main line of business. 

The CEPA Advantage

Without a CEPA designation, you’re just another voice in a crowded market of Financial Advisors all vying for the same clients. Receiving your CEPA provides the knowledge and authority needed to stand out from the competition and get recognized by HNW business owners. By coupling your CEPA designation with Maus Software’s automated social media posting tools and rich content library, you can consistently stay ahead of the crowd by sharing valuable insights and maintaining a strong presence, ensuring you stay top of mind for clients during long lead periods. 

4. Provide Value to Clients with Automated Processes 

Clients value efficiency and clarity, especially when dealing with complex processes like exit planning. Automated processes not only save time but also enhance the client experience by providing consistent and reliable service. 

Pro Tip – Implement Automated Assessments and Report Generation 

Maus Software provides tools for automated assessments and report generation, such as business readiness reports and value gap reports. These automated features allow you to offer detailed, customized reports to your clients without extensive manual effort, demonstrating your commitment to their success and providing clear, actionable business planning insights. 

The CEPA Advantage - Combining CEPA Designation with Maus Software

Your CEPA training ensures you can interpret and leverage automated reports to provide strategic advice. Maus Software's automated assessments and report generation tools enable you to deliver these insights efficiently, enhancing the value you provide to clients, while reducing, and in many cases eliminating, the effort traditionally associated with reporting of this nature. 

5. Utilize Scalable, Systemized Platforms 

Scalability is essential for growing your practice without overextending your resources. A systemized platform allows you to manage clients more efficiently, providing each one with the attention and expertise they need. 

Pro Tip – Use Comprehensive Exit Planning Software

This ensures that you can scale your practice while maintaining high standards of service and personalized client care. Maus Software provides structured, consistent engagements so organizations can easily scale their exit planning departments whether they’re a solo practitioner or a multinational with thousands of advisors.

The CEPA Advantage

The CEPA designation teaches you the strategic framework to guide clients through exit planning, known as the Value Acceleration Methodology (VAM). A platform that aligns with VAM is critical to ensure that you hit the ground running with your CEPA designation. Next, automating VAM enables you to provide value to your clients and prospects through no-touch interactions, track progress, and automate administrative tasks. Maus Software operationalizes and commercialized the designation checking all these boxes. With Maus and your CEPA designation, your exit planning practice is scalable and systemized. You can effectively apply VAM across a larger client base, optimizing your operations and maximizing client satisfaction. 

6. Enhance Client Engagement with Educational Content 

Educating your clients about the intricacies of exit planning not only positions you as an expert but also builds trust and engagement. Providing valuable content can help prospects and clients make informed decisions and appreciate the depth of your knowledge. Positioning yourself as a knowledgeable and qualified resource gains respect and recognition amongst business owners. 

Pro Tip – Leverage a Focused Content Library When Possible

Save time and resources by leveraging a prebuilt, focused marketing library with educational content, emails, social posts, eBooks, and presentation templates. Utilizing resources, such those offered by Maus, you can consistently provide high-quality, educational materials to your clients, reinforcing your role as a trusted advisor while keeping them engaged throughout the exit planning process. 

The CEPA Advantage

Your CEPA designation qualifies you to get you a seat at the table during major liquidity events while ready-to-deploy content libraries that speak the language of business owners help get you the invitation. Providers like Maus Software include turn-key and done-for-you solutions so you can stay focused on your core business while your clients and prospects receive best-in-class guidance, and you become established as a Certified Exit Planning Advisor. 

Conclusion 

Financial advisors can gain more HNW business owner clients and significantly improve their exit planning practices by pursuing their Certified Exit Planning Advisor designation and implementing a scalable, systemized, inbound advisory platform like Maus Software, that not only structures exit planning engagements, but also automates the required digital marketing aspects of growing a successful practice. From attracting high net worth clients to staying top of mind during long lead periods and enhancing client engagement through educational content, the tools and automation offered by Maus Software paired with the Exit Planning Institute’s CEPA designation provide a proven and efficient way to expand your practice. By leveraging these strategies, you can offer exceptional value to your clients and position yourself as a leading expert in exit planning. 

For more information on how Maus Software can support your practice, visit Maus for CEPAs. 

Meet the Author

Michael Brady is the Director of Sales at Maus Software, where he leverages his deep industry knowledge and innovative strategies to drive success. As an experienced Investment Advisory Representative (IAR) with over 12 years in the financial services industry, Michael has become a trusted advisor and mentor, having trained more than 100 licensed Financial Advisors. His 14 years of dedicated service to business owners and families have equipped him with unparalleled insights into exit planning and wealth management. Michael's passion for helping advisors grow their practices shines through in his work, making him a leading voice in the field.

For more information, he can be reached at mbrady@maus.com or on LinkedIn.