Merrill Cash Balance Program In-A-Box
WBS Campaign Strategy
Campaigns At-A-Glance | Advisor Campaign | WBS Campaign | Campaign Content
Getting into your local Merrill office is key to your success. Use this campaign to build or strengthen your relationship with your local WBS and engage their advisor contacts.
Campaign highlights:
Show WBSs that your expertise, availability, and responsiveness will help them achieve their cash balance related goals.
Establish yourself as a trusted consultant and the go-to resource for all cash balance inquiries, allowing WBSs to focus on other advisor support tasks.
Collaborate with WBSs to host a 30-minute cash balance presentation (in-person or virtual) as an effective way to generate follow-up meetings with advisors and their clients.
Cash Balance WBS Campaigns
This table outlines the sequence of emails and touchpoints to use over a 30-day period in early 2025, offering multiple path options after the initial outreach.
Intro | Path 1 - Solid WBS Relationship | Path 2 - Good WBS Relationship | Path 3 - No WBS Relationship
Action | Timing | Resources |
Send email to WBS explaining the value cash balance plans bring to advisors’ practices. Position yourself as thego-to resource to support WBSs and advisors | Day 1 | |
Send email to WBS highlighting the growing usage of cash balance plans | Day 3 | |
Send email to WBS offering to host a presentation/webinar | Day 6 | |
Have follow-up conversation with WBS to reiterate the magnitude of the opportunity | As soon as you can get face/phone time with WBS |
Choose one of the three following paths depending on the WBS’s interest in continuing the conversation and having the RVP host a presentation
Path 1: Hot opportunity – WBS is very interested
WBS has expressed interest in having the RVP host a presentation
Path 2: Warm opportunity – WBS is somewhat interested
WBS hasn’t expressed interest in having the RVP host a presentation, but the RVP has a solid relationship with the WBS
Path 3: Cool opportunity – WBS is not yet interested
WBS hasn’t expressed interest in having the RVP host a presentation, and the WBS doesn’t have a solid relationship with the RVP
Path 1: Hot opportunity – WBS has expressed interest in having you host a presentation | ||
Action | Timing | Resources |
Send email to schedule prep meeting with WBS to discuss logistics around the cash balance presentation |
| |
Send email to WBS with materials to get advisors excited about the presentation | 1 day after planning meeting | Email P1.2 + promotional email |
Give presentation | Day of presentation |
|
Send follow-up email to advisors who attended the presentation | 1 day after presentation | |
Send second follow-up email to advisors who attended the presentation | 5 days after presentation | |
Send follow-up email to advisors who didn’t attend the presentation | 1 day after presentation | |
Send second follow-up email to advisors who didn’t attend the presentation | 5 days after presentation | |
Once the FA has expressed interest in having an illustration meeting, go to the start of Path 1 in the advisor Q1-2025 campaign. | ||
Path 2: Warm opportunity – WBS hasn’t expressed interest in having you host a presentation, but you and the WBS have a solid relationship* *You have previously interacted with the WBS, and they have generally been responsive to your outreach. | ||
Action | Timing | Resources |
Send email to WBS with all Merrill-approved content and outline the ways you can provide support to WBSs and advisors | Day 15 | |
Send email to WBS with case study 2 and reminder of presentation opportunity | Day 20 | |
Once the WBS has expressed an interest in having the RVP host a presentation, go to the beginning of Path 1 | ||
Path 3: Cool opportunity – WBS hasn’t expressed interest in having the RVP host a presentation, and the WBS doesn’t have a solid relationship* with the RVP *The RVP and WBS have not previously met or spoken, and the WBS has not responded to the RVP's previous attempts to contact them.
| ||
Action | Timing | Resources |
Have phone conversation with local reps of recordkeepers who are Merrill Alliance Partners | Day 15 | Talking points for partner conversation + Find your local WBS |
Send follow-up email to partners reiterating the value of cash balance plans and offer to host a joint presentation | Day 20 | |
Send email to partners with email templates for their outreach to WBSs | Day 30 | Email P3.2 + email template |
Have planning meeting with partner and WBS to prepare for joint presentation | Scheduled after previous email | |
After the joint presentation is delivered, proceed with Path 1 follow-up emails for both attendees and non-attendees. Modify the email introductions to indicate it was a joint presentation. | ||
Advisor Campaign - Promoting cash balance plans to Merrill financial advisors.
Merrill Coach® training follow-up
Introducing cash balance
Path 1: Advisor highly interested in cash balance plans
Path 2: Advisor somewhat interested in cash balance plans
Path 3: Advisor hasn’t expressed interest in cash balance plans
Social:
WBS Campaign - Positioning RVPs as WBSs’ trusted resource for driving cash balance adoption and supporting their Merrill advisors.
Introducing cash balance
WBS interested in hosting a presentation, strong RVP/WBS relationship
Email #3 (post presentation)
Email #4 (post presentation)
WBS hasn’t expressed interest in hosting a presentation, good RVP/WBS relationship
WBS hasn’t expressed interest in hosting a presentation, RVP/WBS relationship not established
Cash balance presentation materials
Cash balance resources
This table outlines the sequence of emails and touchpoints to use over a 30-day period in early 2025, offering multiple path options after the initial outreach.
Intro | Path 1 - Solid WBS Relationship | Path 2 - Good WBS Relationship | Path 3 - No WBS Relationship
Action | Timing | Resources |
Send email to WBS explaining the value cash balance plans bring to advisors’ practices. Position yourself as thego-to resource to support WBSs and advisors | Day 1 | |
Send email to WBS highlighting the growing usage of cash balance plans | Day 3 | |
Send email to WBS offering to host a presentation/webinar | Day 6 | |
Have follow-up conversation with WBS to reiterate the magnitude of the opportunity | As soon as you can get face/phone time with WBS |
Choose one of the three following paths depending on the WBS’s interest in continuing the conversation and having the RVP host a presentation
Path 1: Hot opportunity – WBS is very interested
WBS has expressed interest in having the RVP host a presentation
Path 2: Warm opportunity – WBS is somewhat interested
WBS hasn’t expressed interest in having the RVP host a presentation, but the RVP has a solid relationship with the WBS
Path 3: Cool opportunity – WBS is not yet interested
WBS hasn’t expressed interest in having the RVP host a presentation, and the WBS doesn’t have a solid relationship with the RVP
Path 1: Hot opportunity – WBS has expressed interest in having you host a presentation | ||
Action | Timing | Resources |
Send email to schedule prep meeting with WBS to discuss logistics around the cash balance presentation |
| |
Send email to WBS with materials to get advisors excited about the presentation | 1 day after planning meeting | Email P1.2 + promotional email |
Give presentation | Day of presentation |
|
Send follow-up email to advisors who attended the presentation | 1 day after presentation | |
Send second follow-up email to advisors who attended the presentation | 5 days after presentation | |
Send follow-up email to advisors who didn’t attend the presentation | 1 day after presentation | |
Send second follow-up email to advisors who didn’t attend the presentation | 5 days after presentation | |
Once the FA has expressed interest in having an illustration meeting, go to the start of Path 1 in the advisor Q1-2025 campaign. | ||
Path 2: Warm opportunity – WBS hasn’t expressed interest in having you host a presentation, but you and the WBS have a solid relationship* *You have previously interacted with the WBS, and they have generally been responsive to your outreach. | ||
Action | Timing | Resources |
Send email to WBS with all Merrill-approved content and outline the ways you can provide support to WBSs and advisors | Day 15 | |
Send email to WBS with case study 2 and reminder of presentation opportunity | Day 20 | |
Once the WBS has expressed an interest in having the RVP host a presentation, go to the beginning of Path 1 | ||
Path 3: Cool opportunity – WBS hasn’t expressed interest in having the RVP host a presentation, and the WBS doesn’t have a solid relationship* with the RVP *The RVP and WBS have not previously met or spoken, and the WBS has not responded to the RVP's previous attempts to contact them.
| ||
Action | Timing | Resources |
Have phone conversation with local reps of recordkeepers who are Merrill Alliance Partners | Day 15 | Talking points for partner conversation + Find your local WBS |
Send follow-up email to partners reiterating the value of cash balance plans and offer to host a joint presentation | Day 20 | |
Send email to partners with email templates for their outreach to WBSs | Day 30 | Email P3.2 + email template |
Have planning meeting with partner and WBS to prepare for joint presentation | Scheduled after previous email | |
After the joint presentation is delivered, proceed with Path 1 follow-up emails for both attendees and non-attendees. Modify the email introductions to indicate it was a joint presentation. | ||
Advisor Campaign - Promoting cash balance plans to Merrill financial advisors.
Merrill Coach® training follow-up
Introducing cash balance
Path 1: Advisor highly interested in cash balance plans
Path 2: Advisor somewhat interested in cash balance plans
Path 3: Advisor hasn’t expressed interest in cash balance plans
Social:
WBS Campaign - Positioning RVPs as WBSs’ trusted resource for driving cash balance adoption and supporting their Merrill advisors.
Introducing cash balance
WBS interested in hosting a presentation, strong RVP/WBS relationship
Email #3 (post presentation)
Email #4 (post presentation)
WBS hasn’t expressed interest in hosting a presentation, good RVP/WBS relationship
WBS hasn’t expressed interest in hosting a presentation, RVP/WBS relationship not established
Cash balance presentation materials
Cash balance resources