Stand Out or Fade Away: Discover Your Differentiator
By Blair Kelly, Niki Clark Marketing
Approximate read time: 6-7 minutes
Key Takeaways
Generic messaging doesn’t cut it.
Saying “I help people retire” won’t help you to stand out. Make sure you include clear, specific differentiation to attract the right clients.Your process, your story, and your visuals are your brand.
How you work, why you started, and what your clients see before they meet you all shape trust and perception.You already have what makes you different. You just need to uncover it.
Defining your niche, owning your process, and showing real proof turns your brand into a magnet for better-fit clients.
You Can’t Stand Out If You Don’t Know What Makes You Different
“I help people retire comfortably.”
Cool. So does every other advisor.
Not exactly stopping traffic with that one.
And yet, this is how many financial advisors try to market themselves. Same services. Same language. Same elevator pitch. Your ideal clients won’t notice you unless you give them a reason to. That’s why differentiation moves past branding and powers your entire business strategy.
So, why should someone choose you over the advisor down the street… or (gasp) a robo-advisor?
If your answer is “because we provide personalized service” or “we’re fiduciaries,” we’ve got some work to do.
Those aren’t differentiators. Those are the bare minimum.
So… What Actually Makes You Different?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over 300,000 financial advisors in the U.S. right now, and that number’s climbing. Fast. Like, 17%-growth-over-the-next-decade fast. (1)
What does this mean?
The industry’s getting more crowded by the minute.
And, we know this sounds cliché, but it’s true: If you’re not standing out, you’re blending in.
So, how do you actually stand out?
You answer these three deceptively simple questions:
How do you do things?
Who do you do them for?
Why does it matter?
When you can answer those questions, everything from your website copy to your client onboarding process gets sharper and a whole lot more magnetic.
Where do you start?
Here are five moves to help you discover and own your unique edge:
1. Nail Down Who You’re Really For
If your answer to “Who’s your ideal client?” starts with “anyone who needs help with money,” congratulations — you’re making your marketing 10 times harder.
Start here instead:
Who do you actually work best with?
What do they care about most?
What problems do you solve that others often overlook?
📌 Quick Tip:
Look at your favorite clients. They’re the ones who hype you up, refer you, and happily pay for your advice. What do they have in common? That’s your niche and it’s right there in front of you.
You might be worried that defining your niche will limit you. Well… worry not. It won’t box you in, it will focus you. It sharpens how you talk about what you do and who you do it for. Maybe you work with physicians managing student debt, tech professionals navigating equity comp, or business owners preparing for a sale. The more specific you are, the more your message resonates.
“A clearly defined niche doesn’t limit you. It focuses your message.”
2. Own Your Process
Most advisors can explain what they do. Very few can explain how they do it in a way that feels valuable, different, and repeatable (this is a big one).
That’s your Unique Value Proposition (UVP). It’s the clear, confident answer to the real client question:
“Why should I work with you instead of someone else?”
You don’t need to reinvent the 401(k). But if you’ve built:
A solid onboarding process that makes clients feel at ease
A planning framework that is actually understandable
A strategy that goes beyond cookie-cutter advice
…then you’ve got a differentiator.
📌 Quick Tip:
Give your process a name. Brand it. Seriously. “The Retirement Clarity Roadmap™” sounds a lot more compelling than “We make a financial plan.” A name gives your process identity and makes it way easier for clients to refer you.
3. Leverage Your Backstory
Why did you become a financial advisor?
The answer isn’t just a nice anecdote, it’s your “why.” Your background, past careers, personal values, and even life challenges can shape your approach and make clients feel like you “get” them in ways other advisors don’t.
Maybe…
You’re a second-generation advisor continuing a legacy
You left corporate finance to work with real people
You saw firsthand how bad advice wrecked someone’s future and knew there had to be a better way
Whatever your story, don’t hide it. Use it.
Where? How?
In your website bio (use your authentic voice; ditch the third person)
In your discovery calls (show the real you; you’re not a robot)
In social media (personal stories are for connecting; and yes, vulnerability connects)
Even in onboarding (people want to know who is guiding their wealth; the human behind the spreadsheets)
Remember, you never know who’s going to read a piece of your story and think,
“Finally. That’s the advisor I’ve been looking for.”
4. Show, Don’t Just Say
Anyone can say they offer “excellent service” and “personalized planning.” Those phrases mean nothing unless you back them up with proof.
Instead, highlight what your clients experience when they work with you. Do you…
Respond to emails within 24 hours (for real)?
Send handwritten notes after milestones?
Remember your clients’ favorite snack or their kid’s birthday?
Offer annual family sessions to prep the next generation for wealth?
📌 Quick Tip:
Turn a real client success story into a “proof point” you can reuse in conversations, presentations, or your website. Think of it as your highlight reel. It shows what your advice actually does.
5. Make It Visual
A compelling brand isn’t just what you say, it’s how you look and feel.
Before someone even reads a word on your site, your brand is already speaking. Is it saying “unique and modern”… or “template from 2009”?
Ask yourself:
Does your website look like every other RIA?
Stock photos of handshakes, lighthouses, and sailboats? Corporate jargon? If your site looks templated and stale, it’s sending the message: “I’m just like the rest.” But if it reflects your personality, you’ve got something that people will remember.Does your LinkedIn profile make you seem approachable?
Your headshot, banner image, and even the tone of your headline can either invite engagement or repel it. Is it clear who you serve and why you love this work? Or is it full of jargon and buzzwords?Is your client portal sleek and modern, or clunky and frustrating?
Design sends signals. A modern, user-friendly interface doesn’t just look good—it says, “Hey, we value your experience.”
Fun fact: 53% of people leave a page if it takes longer than three seconds to load. And 79% won’t come back if they had a clunky experience.
When the bounce rates increase, you know your site could use a makeover. Your website isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it brochure. It’s a living part of your brand. Keep it fresh. Keep it “you.”
Need Help Putting This Together?
We built a Financial Advisor Differentiation Self-Discovery Questionnaire to walk you through this process.
It’s packed with prompts to help you uncover your unique strengths across your:
Services & philosophy
Ideal client profile
Communication style
Tech stack & tools
Team culture & backstory
Plus, it includes exercises to help you turn those insights into messaging you can actually use in your website, emails, and in real-life prospect and client conversations.
Bottom Line:
Advisors who own what makes them different?
They don’t just get more clients.
They get better clients.
The kind who get it. Who stick around. Who refer.
You don’t need to be the flashiest or most famous advisor in your market.
You just need to be clear about what makes you worth choosing and communicate it consistently.
Ready to uncover what makes you stand out? Get your questionnaire and get started!
Sources:U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSite Builder Report