Are You Setting Your New Advisors Up for Success or Frustration?
Two-thirds of RIAs are planning to hire advisors in the next 12 months. It's an ambitious growth strategy—and a necessary one in a competitive market. But here's the question most firms aren't asking: Do you have the marketing infrastructure to support those new hires?
Hiring advisors without the right marketing systems is like buying a Ferrari and filling it with regular gas. You've made the investment, but you're not getting the performance you paid for.
The Hiring Wave Is Here
According to the 2025 RIA Benchmarking Survey, 67% of RIAs plan to hire advisors in the coming year. The reasons are clear:
- Client demand is growing
- Aging advisors need succession plans
- Firms want to expand into new markets or niches
- Competition for talent is fierce, and firms need to act now
But while most firms focus on compensation packages, cultural fit, and technical skills, they overlook a critical success factor: marketing support.
The Hidden Cost of Unsupported Advisors
When you hire an advisor without marketing infrastructure, you're essentially asking them to build their book of business from scratch—with no tools, no leads, and no brand support.
Here's what typically happens:
Month 1-3: The new advisor is excited, optimistic, and working their personal network.
Month 4-6: Personal connections dry up. They're cold-calling, attending random networking events, and feeling frustrated.
Month 7-9: Productivity drops. They're spending 60% of their time on business development with minimal results.
Month 10-12: Either they leave for a firm with better support, or they settle into mediocrity, never reaching their potential.
The result? Your six-figure investment in recruiting, onboarding, and training delivers a fraction of the expected ROI.
What Marketing Infrastructure Actually Means
Marketing infrastructure isn't about having a website and a LinkedIn page. It's about having systems that generate, nurture, and convert leads so your advisors can focus on what they do best: advising clients.
Here's what true marketing infrastructure includes:
1. Lead Generation Systems
Your firm should have multiple channels consistently bringing in qualified prospects:
- Content marketing (blogs, whitepapers, webinars)
- SEO-optimized website that ranks for key search terms
- Paid advertising campaigns (Google, LinkedIn, Facebook)
- Strategic partnerships and referral networks
- Email marketing to nurture prospects over time
When a new advisor joins, they should inherit a pipeline of warm leads—not start from zero.
2. CRM and Marketing Automation
A robust CRM integrated with marketing automation tools ensures:
- Every lead is captured and tracked
- Automated nurture sequences keep prospects engaged
- Advisors can see exactly where each prospect is in the journey
- Marketing and sales activities are coordinated, not siloed
Firms using Vantage Point for CRM optimization report 40% faster lead-to-client conversion times because their systems work together seamlessly.
3. Brand and Positioning
New advisors need a strong brand to leverage. That means:
- Clear value proposition and messaging
- Professional brand identity and collateral
- Thought leadership content they can share
- Case studies and testimonials that build credibility
When prospects Google your firm, they should find a professional, authoritative presence—not a generic website that looks like every other RIA.
4. Content Library and Sales Enablement
Your advisors shouldn't have to create everything from scratch. Build a library of:
- Email templates for common scenarios
- Presentation decks for different client types
- One-pagers on your services and process
- Video content explaining complex concepts
- Social media content they can easily share
This isn't just about efficiency—it's about consistency. Every advisor should be delivering the same high-quality experience.
5. Training and Support
Marketing infrastructure includes people and processes, not just technology:
- Regular training on how to use marketing tools
- Clear processes for lead handoff and follow-up
- Marketing support for events, webinars, and campaigns
- Analytics and reporting so advisors know what's working
The firms that excel at advisor growth have dedicated marketing teams supporting their advisors—not expecting advisors to be their own marketing department.
The ROI of Marketing Infrastructure
Let's run the numbers.
Scenario A: No Marketing Infrastructure
- New advisor salary + benefits: $150,000/year
- Time spent on business development: 60%
- New clients acquired in Year 1: 8
- Average client value: $5,000/year
- Year 1 revenue: $40,000
- ROI: -73%
Scenario B: Strong Marketing Infrastructure
- New advisor salary + benefits: $150,000/year
- Marketing infrastructure investment: $50,000/year (allocated across all advisors)
- Time spent on business development: 30%
- New clients acquired in Year 1: 20
- Average client value: $5,000/year
- Year 1 revenue: $100,000
- ROI: -25% (Year 1), +150% by Year 3
The difference? Marketing infrastructure turns hiring from a cost center into a growth engine.
How to Build Marketing Infrastructure Before You Hire
If you're planning to hire advisors in the next 12 months, here's your roadmap:
6-12 Months Before Hiring
- Audit your current marketing systems. What's working? What's missing?
- Invest in CRM and marketing automation. Get your tech stack right before you scale.
- Develop your brand and positioning. Make sure your firm stands out in the market.
- Create a content strategy. Start building thought leadership and SEO authority.
3-6 Months Before Hiring
- Build your content library. Create templates, decks, and resources advisors can use immediately.
- Launch lead generation campaigns. Start filling the pipeline before your new advisor arrives.
- Document your marketing processes. Make sure everything is repeatable and scalable.
1-3 Months Before Hiring
- Train your existing team. Make sure everyone knows how to use the new systems.
- Test and optimize. Work out the kinks before your new advisor starts.
- Prepare onboarding materials. Your new advisor should hit the ground running.
The Partnership Approach
Building marketing infrastructure doesn't have to be overwhelming. Many RIAs partner with specialists who understand both wealth management and marketing technology.
TE+A Marketing works with firms to develop comprehensive marketing strategies tailored to the financial services industry, while Vantage Point provides the CRM and technology infrastructure to execute those strategies at scale.
Together, they offer a Marketing Technology Assessment that identifies gaps in your current infrastructure and a 60-Day Program that gets you operational in 60-90 days—well before your new advisors arrive.
The Bottom Line
Hiring advisors is one of the best investments you can make in your firm's growth. But without marketing infrastructure, you're setting them up to struggle.
The firms that win in 2025 and beyond won't just hire great advisors—they'll equip them with the systems, tools, and support to succeed from day one.
Before you post that next job opening, ask yourself: Do we have the marketing infrastructure to support this hire?
If the answer is no, it's time to build it.
About the Partners
This blog series is brought to you through the partnership of Vantage Point and TE+A Marketing, combining deep expertise in CRM optimization and strategic marketing for financial services firms.
Vantage Point specializes in CRM implementation, optimization, and integration for wealth management firms and RIAs. With decades of experience in financial services technology, Vantage Point ensures your CRM investment delivers measurable ROI.
TE+A Marketing is a full-service marketing agency focused exclusively on financial services firms with 50-500 employees. TE+A Marketing develops integrated marketing strategies that drive predictable growth and measurable results.
Together, we offer a unique 60-Day Program that bridges the gap between your technology and your marketing—creating a unified growth engine for your firm.
Ready to connect your CRM and marketing for exponential growth? Contact us today for your complimentary Marketing Technology Assessment.
About the Author
David Cockrum founded Vantage Point after serving as Chief Operating Officer in the financial services industry. His unique blend of operational leadership and technology expertise has enabled Vantage Point's distinctive business-process-first implementation methodology, delivering successful transformations for 150+ financial services firms across 400+ engagements with a 4.71/5.0 client satisfaction rating and 95%+ client retention rate.
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- Email: david@vantagepoint.io
- Phone: (469) 652-7923
- Website: vantagepoint.io
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