Given the time of year, I wanted to use this month’s piece to give you fresh marketing ideas for your 2016 plan. The problem is, you really don't need any new information—you already know what must be done to grow your practice.

If you want to be part of an amazing marketing engine, frankly, you should join a large firm like mine or the other half dozen national firms with the expertise and marketing budgets to play big. If you don't want to do that, the likelihood that you can build brand awareness and generate a meaningful number of leads is very low. That's not just my own opinion, that's the conclusion of many private equity investors, investment bankers and industry consultants.

So this year, my recommendation is to get back to the basics in terms of marketing and business development if you are operating a practice that's mid or small in size. Here's your checklist:

1. Tighten up your sales story to be more clear about who you serve, what you offer and why people should buy it. Cut out every bit of vague language and imagine you are telling someone what they will get if they choose you rather than your best competitor. Then look at your website and rip out all the extraneous, undifferentiated content and make your sales story front and center and crystal clear. If you need help, get brutally honest feedback from your friends and hire a contractor to execute the changes. The reason this matters is anyone who hears about you will check you out on the web before they schedule an appointment.

2. Quit procrastinating and force yourself to ask clients for referrals. A lot of advisors brag about how they build their business with referrals, but they don't make it systematic. It can be uncomfortable, but it's the fastest and most predictable way for you to grow. Instead of trying to be subtle and tentative, I coached one female adviser to tell all her happy clients, "Look, I really need to grow my firm, and it's frustrating to me because all the good old boys seem to get leads. Can I count on you to help me with some introductions?" Guess what, it worked.

3. If you aren't getting referrals from your centers of influence, ask yourself if you have the right relationships. Along with client referrals, COI leads are warm prospects with a high chance of closing. Let's face it, most independent advisors aren't thrilled with the time and energy it takes to work cold, unqualified marketing leads so every introduction from a trusted third party is golden. My advice here, just like with client referrals, is be systematic and more direct. Tell your COI you will make five introductions for them this month if they will do the same for you. That's how people succeed at this game.

You really don’t need anything more from me. Quoting one of the best marketing campaigns in history, “Just do it!”

Gail Graham is chief marketing officer at United Capital, an innovative and fast-growing financial life management firm with a unique approach to the market. Having earned awards in retail investor and advisor marketing, Graham is driving United Capital’s brand development, marketing and lead generation across all channels. Follow her on Twitter: @GailGrahamUC.