Don Connelly, Author at Don Connelly & Associates

Don A. Connelly is a speaker, motivator and educator for financial advisors. During a career of more than 40 years on Wall Street, he worked for nearly 19 years as company spokesperson, senior vice president and senior marketing officer for Putnam Investments, in addition to holding positions as a stock broker, financial planner, branch manager, wholesaler and national sales manager. As founder and CEO of Don Connelly 24/7, he provides timely and provocative sales ideas to thousands of financial professionals, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Why People Postpone Investing and How to Convince Them to Act

August 19, 2019 / by Don Connelly / Investing Wisdom / 0 comments

People postpone investing for a variety of reasons. It’s your job to identify the source of their inaction. Then you can present them with a strong case as to why they need to start an investment plan.

Here are some reasons why people may be reluctant to invest, and how to change their mind and influence them into action.

How to Elevate Your Brand and Justify Your Fees

August 12, 2019 / by Don Connelly / Marketing Yourself / 0 comments

If you provide above average service, you deserve to charge above average fees. Don’t underestimate yourself. Make sure you get paid your worth by focusing on creating a business brand and style that clearly communicates your value.

Price is never the only consideration.

How to Stop Self-sabotaging Behaviors

August 5, 2019 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

Behavior is said to be self-sabotaging when it creates problems and interferes with your life and goals. You may well be self-sabotaging without even realizing it.

There are many reasons you could be self-sabotaging – from holding dysfunctional beliefs to underestimating your abilities. If you don’t understand if and why you’re performing these types of actions, you will end up in a cycle of ever-increasing patterns of self-defeat. And these patterns are difficult to escape from.

Here are some common self-sabotaging behaviors you may be guilty of, with a look at why you may be doing them and how to stop.

The Success Formula

July 29, 2019 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

I came across an article I thought was terrific. It’s called The Success Formula, apparently it’s from a book which I must admit I have not read, a book by Bob Adams called Streetwise Business Tips: Two Hundred Ways to Get Ahead in Business, Most of Which I learned the Hard Way, which is a great title. It was published by Adams Media Corp.

And there are ten steps in this success formula.

Watch the video or read the transcript below to learn what these ten steps are – It’s a long list but it’s well worth reading as it really is a great formula for getting ahead.

How People Pick a Financial Advisor

July 22, 2019 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

When people choose a financial advisor, they’re looking for someone who’s not only qualified but someone they can trust. Without these attributes you won’t get hired. But in this crowded industry – one that’s projected to grow 15% more by 2026 – it will help if you understand other factors people may consider important in a prospective advisor.

Here are a few things to remember as important to people who pick a financial advisor.

Why You Need a ‘Why I Am Here’ Story

July 15, 2019 / by Don Connelly / Storytelling, analogies and power phrases / 0 comments

We all know that everyone likes a good story, a fact that’s backed up by science. When we hear a story that resonates with us, our levels of the ‘feel good’ hormone oxytocin rises. This motivates us to work with others and has a positive impact on our social behavior.

Stories can also help to build connections and create empathy with prospects and clients.

So, it’s no surprise that story form is great for illustrating to prospects that you are there for the right reasons – that you’re not in this business simply to make money but to add value to people’s lives.

Here are a few ways developing a ‘Why I Am Here’ story will help you grow your business.

5 Reasons Why Clients Might Not Want to Refer You

July 8, 2019 / by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship, Prospecting / 0 comments

The best way to gather new clients is via referral, especially since many wealthier investors find their financial advisors this way. If you are failing to acquire referrals, you need to address this issue as a matter of importance. Lack of success invariably boils down to a number of reasons – in particular an inability to get along with people.

Here are 5 reasons that could explain why clients aren’t lining up to refer you.

Tell Prospects What You Do instead of What You Are

July 1, 2019 / by Don Connelly / Presentation Skills / 0 comments

In social settings, people will often ask what you do for a living. If, like the majority of advisors, you reply ‘I’m a financial advisor’, you’re missing an opportunity to pique others’ interest and possibly win new business.

Instead of simply sharing your job title, use this opportunity to establish your value, and give people a reason as to why they should want to work with you.

How to Be a Financial Advisor

June 24, 2019 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

Working as a financial advisor is one of the highest ranked business careers according to a recent U.S. News & World report, advisors rating it highly for job satisfaction and prospects. As a financial advisor you can make a real difference to your clients’ lives, making this a rewarding profession to aim for.But if you want to be a financial advisor, you need to have two quite distinct skill sets.

Firstly, you’ll need to pass the relevant industry exams. Financial acumen is a must.

Secondly, and indeed more importantly, you should have a real desire to help people and have an ability to understand their goals and concerns.

7 Things Many Financial Advisors Don’t Do, and Fail as a Result

June 17, 2019 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

Much of the failure in this industry comes down to non-observance of the basics. Too many advisors fail not only to develop their soft skills but lack the necessary business acumen to remain viable. If you want to succeed as a financial advisor, learn from their mistakes and make sure you ‘do’ what they are ‘not doing’.

Here are some things that many advisors are not doing – but should be.

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Articles by: Don Connelly