A WBR Story, By Jonathan Gibson, edited by Ivan Meakins
Jonathan Gibson, CEO and founder of financial planning firm Wells Gibson, is on a mission to help his clients build their financial future with clarity, contentment, and certainty.
Jonathan’s book, Purposeful Wealth, has been a magnet for new connections and a bigger audience. It’s seen great success with its jargon-free, practical approach to financial planning and wealth management.
Jonathan is building a brand that’s able to stand up and shine against its competitors.
This is his story…
Figuring out how to share your knowledge
I’ve been in financial services for circa 30 years now, so it’s fair to say I’ve got enough experience under my belt to offer clients the best service. But I wasn’t sure how to share my knowledge with a wider audience and ensure that experience could be used to its fullest potential.
Wells Gibson has a perspective that people need to hear about. We have a strong ethos and we really do care about our clients. I spent a lot of time thinking about what I could do that would put us on the radar.
I always felt I had a book in me and had always wanted to write one. I had a vague idea of what I wanted to write but absolutely no idea where to start and no time to dedicate to what I thought would be a lengthy and laborious process.
When I came across Write Business Results, it felt like the perfect opportunity to write something that represented the how, the why, and the what in the world of Wells Gibson.
Getting help with structure
The main problem was that I didn’t know how to structure all the ideas I had in my head. But I needn’t have worried – after just one or two consultations with Georgia, during which I bombarded her with all those ideas, we had a plan.
With her range of questioning, Georgia was immediately able to make sense of my ideas and see the finished result – it was like she could see the book on her shelf! For me the picture of the end result was very fuzzy, but Georgia seemed to know exactly how to get there.
It was really special to be able to talk about the people in my life who have inspired me in my financial planning journey, such as my late father, and people who continue to inspire and help me to this day.
Books are a different kind of marketing – and you need it
There’s something really valuable about actually getting that stuff into a book – stories that wouldn’t necessarily be shared on a website but that are really important and that people want to hear.
Writing a book fulfilled a personal goal at the same time as raising the profile of my business and making us stand apart from the crowd. There’s a real element of personal satisfaction – it’s so nice to be able to put down in writing a lot of what’s in your head.
The feedback I’ve had from people has been really positive, especially regarding the more personal elements of the book. Because that’s the thing – it gives people a real depth of insight into your business and the story behind it.
It’s something extra for us to offer to clients – both existing and new. Everyone has a website. Publishing a book is a pretty cool way of having a different medium to project your business.
The book has more than yielded a return based on the clients it has introduced us to alone.
Winning business from the competition
One client in particular actually became a client because they’d read my book just when they were at the point of engaging with another advisory firm.
They’re the ideal client profile and they really fit with our business – they read my book and realised we can offer them what they need. We’ve also had clients pass my book on to good friends, which is a great feeling.
A lot of people have asked me, “How did you find the time to write a book!?” I’ve likened working with the WBR team to having a personal trainer to help you achieve your fitness goals. Having somebody who helps you to define what those goals are, gives you a strategy, and helps you get there – that to me is wonderful.
Remarkably, when the draft came through I couldn’t believe how “me” it was. The book is written in my language and how I speak. I felt so involved through the whole process when really all I had to do was speak about what I know best and review the draft when it came back from their editing team.
There’s no question about it – we’re busier than ever and I know working with Write Business Results has helped in a big way.
I would never have been able to produce the book without the support of Georgia and the team, it just wouldn’t have been possible. It’s hard to put a price on that sense of accomplishment.
If, like Jonathan, you know your business has an important and special message but are unsure how to share it to its maximum potential, we’d love to hear from you. Book a free 45-minute Clarity Call so we can get to know your ideas and goals and show you how we can help.