May 11, 2015 / by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments
One of the things I’ve observed over the years is that good service does not sell. Great service sells.
Watch this video to hear Don explain how to make your service great.
One of the firms I really admire has done something that is so good that when you put together your service proposal, you have to refer to it.
The firm is Cadaret Grant. The late Mac Cadaret was a wonderful guy, Art Grant is a friend. The men and women that work there have built a tremendous organization. They took the time and the presence of mind to ask clients what top ten things they wanted from their advisors. I thought you’d like the answer.
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10 Things Clients Want from Their Advisors
May 11, 2015 / by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments
One of the things I’ve observed over the years is that good service does not sell. Great service sells.
Watch this video to hear Don explain how to make your service great.
One of the firms I really admire has done something that is so good that when you put together your service proposal, you have to refer to it.
The firm is Cadaret Grant. The late Mac Cadaret was a wonderful guy, Art Grant is a friend. The men and women that work there have built a tremendous organization. They took the time and the presence of mind to ask clients what top ten things they wanted from their advisors. I thought you’d like the answer.
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How Do You Pick Yourself Up When You’ve Been Fired by a Client?
May 4, 2015 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments
It can be a challenging and depressing experience especially if clients leave without telling you the reason. But getting fired happens to even the best of advisors at some point. And it’s not all bad news.
In fact losing a client can give you a chance to re-evaluate yourself and determine what you have to offer clients. It can be a perfect time to re-focus, take a good hard look at yourself and change things to do what you need to do to get back in the game.
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How to Explain to Prospects They Should Invest Now
April 27, 2015 / by Don Connelly / Investing Wisdom / 0 comments
As you know better than I, clients are always looking for a more convenient time to invest. There’s always something to do – like buy a new car, redo the home, whatever it is.
The time to invest is now – we can’t put it off.
* This podcast originally appeared on Don Connelly 24/7. Click the play button or read the transcript below.
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Why Financial Advisors Get Fired
April 20, 2015 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments
Financial advisors get fired because they aren’t ‘the full package’. They may provide ‘good’ service, but is it exceptional? They may have a winning personality, but do they pay attention to their clients? They may return calls but never instigate them – and while they may understand their products, do they believe in them?
In order to make sure you don’t get fired you need to cover all these bases and more.
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5 Reasons to Develop Effective Listening Skills
April 16, 2015 / by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship, Prospecting / 0 comments
The fact is, most of us simply don’t listen enough. That could be because of the increasing number of distractions going on around us, or because we often find it easier to focus on non-verbal clues – such as body language – rather than on what people are actually saying. But if you want to get ahead as a financial advisor you need to develop effective listening skills.
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Visualization Techniques Help Financial Advisors Succeed
April 13, 2015 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments
Visualization is a technique used by many top athletes to help them stay at the top of their game. It’s what athletes call ‘mental rehearsal’. They develop clear pictures in their mind of what they want to happen, and repeat these images over and over, rehearsing the mind to enable the body to perform what has been visualized. It’s a highly effective technique with some studies reporting that practicing visualization improves performance almost as much as physical practice alone.
Visualization is not just for athletes either. It’s a highly valuable tool that can help you succeed in your career as a financial advisor.
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How Asking Yourself WHY Would Help You Be a Better Advisor
April 6, 2015 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments
Asking ‘why ‘can greatly increase your understanding of yourself and of those around you, both of which will make you a better advisor. Asking ‘why’ your clients do business with you can make the referral process easier. Asking ‘why’ can help motivate your clients into investing for their future. Asking ‘why’ you became a financial advisor can help you re-energize your career.
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How to Develop Your ‘Who I am Story’
March 30, 2015 / by Don Connelly / Marketing Yourself, Storytelling, analogies and power phrases / 0 comments
To succeed as a financial advisor you need to find a compelling method of differentiating yourself from the competition. To get to the top you need to stand out as being likeable and trustworthy so that clients will want to do business with you. A great way to build rapport with clients is to tell stories and in particular, you should spend some time developing a ‘who I am story’.
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Why You Need a “Who I Am” Story to Succeed
March 26, 2015 / by Don Connelly / Marketing Yourself / 0 comments
When someone tells you they want to ‘think it over’ it’s a sign they haven’t invested in you. They are most likely not deciding about your recommendations. They are deciding about forming a relationship with you. Remember, the three most important things in this business are to be likeable, smart and trustworthy. A great way to be likeable and build trust is to tell a ‘who I am’ story to prospective clients. By telling them a story about yourself you can influence people and establish your credibility. A great story will resonate with clients, stir up their emotions and get them to act.
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Differentiate Yourself by Seeing Things from Your Clients’ Point of View
March 23, 2015 / by Don Connelly / Marketing Yourself / 0 comments
Differentiation is one of the biggest challenges financial advisors face. Clients expect you to have solid products, fair prices and a certain measure of performance as standard. But simply having the right credentials won’t demonstrate to them why you are uniquely placed to help them achieve their dreams and goals. If you really want to stand out from the competition you need to fulfill their expectations on another level. Among other attributes, you need to have empathy; the ability to see things from your clients’ point of view.
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