#107 – 3 Top Advisor Growth Strategies – Part 1 with Bill Cates, CSP, CPAE

Apr 8, 2026

A solo deep dive into how advisors become truly referable and remarkable. Short, repeatable strategies on building relevance, reputation, and referrals are unpacked. Stories show how client events, onboarding dazzle, and family-focused practices create strong personal connections. Practical niche-market examples reveal ways to target the right clients and spark a culture of introductions.

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ANECDOTE

Retirement Parties Delivered Seven New Clients Each

Joe DeSena hosted retirement parties and his team invited guests; attendees often publicly credited him for the client's retirement.
Joe averaged about seven new clients per retirement party from those introductions.

INSIGHT

Repairing Money Stories Builds Advocacy

Clients carry broken money stories like scarcity and shame that block decisions and create long-term issues.
Advisors who explore and reframe these money beliefs build deeper trust and create advocates.

ADVICE

Use Stories And Books To Start Money Conversations

Use Bill Cates' TEDx talk and The Hidden Heist to start client/team conversations about money beliefs and reframe limiting stories.
Advisors buy the parable book in bulk as a wake-up gift for clients or staff.

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Welcome to a special solo edition of the Top Advisor Podcast! In this episode, host Bill Cates pulls from decades of coaching, interviewing, and his own experience to deliver a powerful session on best practices for bringing in new clients and creating real advocates for your business.

Unlike typical interview-driven episodes, today’s focus is on actionable principles, strategies, and tactics that top advisors are using right now.

Bill dives deep into what it means to be truly referable and remarkable, i.e., “worthy of remark” – exploring the vital difference between simply keeping clients happy and elevating your relationships to the level where clients enthusiastically introduce you to others.

You’ll hear real examples from standout advisors, learn about the game-changing 3 Rs of relationship marketing, and discover how targeting the right markets, building strong personal connections, and embracing your clients’ money beliefs can transform the growth and reputation of your practice.

Packed with concrete examples, episode references, and tested tools, this solo session is your roadmap to moving from incremental to exponential growth, cultivating a culture of introductions, and becoming the advisor everyone talks about.

Tune in for inspiration, insights, and practical steps you can start using today.

3 Top Takeaways

Being Referable Means Going Beyond Good Service: Bill Cates emphasizes that referability is about creating deeper engagement and trust with clients. It’s not just about solid financial planning; it’s about forming value connections and personal connections that turn clients into advocates.
Build a Clear Target Market and Reputation: Many top advisors cited in the episode have a well-defined target market, which makes their messaging more relevant, strengthens their reputation, and leads to more introductions. As Bill Cates points out, “vague intentions produce vague results; clear intentions produce clear results.”
Leverage Empathy & Money Stories: Helping clients explore and reframe their beliefs about money builds lasting relationships and positions you as a trusted advisor. Bill Cates shares how unpacking “broken money stories” brings a rich value to your clients that few advisors leverage. This strategy creates advocates and unsolicited referrals.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro, just starting out, or somewhere in between, these principles, strategies, and tactics are game changers for client acquisition and building a thriving practice.