January 30, 2017 / by Don Connelly / Prospecting / 0 comments
Cold calling is often discounted by advisors because they are wary of the compliance rules, and because it tends to have a low success ratio. The ‘Do Not Call’ list makes it difficult as does an inherent skepticism that permeates our society. However, cold calling can be a valid prospecting tool, especially for those new to the business.
Why is it still worth the effort? Because lots of people are unhappy with their current advisors but don’t want to rock the boat. A phone call out of the blue from a professional, likeable advisor could be just the thing to get them to take action.
There are people out there who want to talk to you: You just have to find them.
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Become What People Want
February 13, 2017 / by Don Connelly / Storytelling, analogies and power phrases / 0 comments
Let’s talk about becoming what people want. Do you know what people want? People want a beacon of anti-stress.
Watch the video or read the transcript to learn how you can become that for your clients.
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You Don’t Have to Fear The Competition
February 6, 2017 / by Don Connelly / Marketing Yourself / 0 comments
You, like many other advisors, may feel you work in a highly competitive environment where the competition is trying to outmaneuver you every step of the way. In reality, however this isn’t the case. As is true of any profession, most of your competitors are not fully engaged on most days. They show up for work each day unmotivated or with an ambivalent attitude. If you, unlike other advisors, develop superb soft skills, have a great work ethic, and exude positivity – you’ve already beaten the competition hands down.
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How to Make The Most of Cold Calling
January 30, 2017 / by Don Connelly / Prospecting / 0 comments
Cold calling is often discounted by advisors because they are wary of the compliance rules, and because it tends to have a low success ratio. The ‘Do Not Call’ list makes it difficult as does an inherent skepticism that permeates our society. However, cold calling can be a valid prospecting tool, especially for those new to the business.
Why is it still worth the effort? Because lots of people are unhappy with their current advisors but don’t want to rock the boat. A phone call out of the blue from a professional, likeable advisor could be just the thing to get them to take action.
There are people out there who want to talk to you: You just have to find them.
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What to Do in The First Client Meeting
January 23, 2017 / by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments
Meeting with a prospective client for the first time makes many advisors nervous. It’s your big opportunity to influence people to do business with you – or lose them forever. It’s essential to be prepared so that you come across as likeable and reliable – someone they can trust to oversee their finances and establish their future security. Here’s how to do that.
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An Idea on Getting Referrals and Thanking Clients
January 16, 2017 / by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship, Prospecting / 0 comments
I have a friend who every year has a dinner for those clients who gave him a referral that became a new account during the year.
Watch the video below or read the transcript to learn the details about the referral dinner concept.
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What Makes a Story Good?
January 9, 2017 / by Don Connelly / Storytelling, analogies and power phrases / 0 comments
“Tell me a fact and I’ll learn. Tell me a truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever”. This ancient Native American proverb still resonates today.
Everyone loves a good story. Good stories can captivate, teach, and persuade people to act, making them an excellent way to communicate with prospects and clients.
In this post we’ll look at how to create great stories and inspire listeners to take action.
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Weekly Focus: Goal Setting
January 2, 2017 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 1 comment
The beginning of a given year is the time to rewrite our goals, our mission statement and our business plan. For some of us that will involve a major overhaul and for some of us it will involve a tweak. For all of us, it will be a thought-provoking experience. Goal setting comes first. Decide what you want to accomplish and write it down. Set a date by which you will accomplish each goal. If you were charged with running a twelve-minute mile and nobody posted a finish line, you would have no way of knowing if you succeeded. It’s no different with business goals.
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Procrastination Will Ruin Your Chances of Success
December 19, 2016 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments
Procrastination can take different forms. You may consciously procrastinate and avoid what you know you should be doing, or you may unconsciously put off your top priority tasks by attending to a series of ‘never ending fires’. Whatever type of procrastination you suffer from it can be ruinous to your business. Here’s what to do instead.
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A Story to Use When Discussing Your Fees & Commissions
December 12, 2016 / by Don Connelly / Storytelling, analogies and power phrases / 0 comments
There are times when prospective clients are going to focus on your fees or your commissions. I want to talk about that, because it’s no one’s goal to offer the cheapest possible financial advice. That’s just not the way it goes.
So when someone talks to you about commissions or fees, I want you to tell them the Springfield story.
Watch the video or read the transcript below to hear the full story.
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Recognize When It’s Time to Move On
December 5, 2016 / by Don Connelly / Prospecting / 0 comments
Prospecting is the backbone of your business. It’s the one task you cannot delegate, since people need to like and trust you personally if they are to do business with you. So you should be constantly perfecting your soft skills in order to connect with and win new clients.
Inevitably however despite all your best efforts, you will fail to win influence with certain prospects. And it can be hard giving up on them – especially if you believe there’s even the tiniest chance of them converting.
There is a fine line between giving up too quickly and not knowing when to give up.
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