/ 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 to Find What Makes You Different from Other Advisors
/ by Don Connelly / Marketing Yourself / 0 comments
The financial services marketplace is heavily commoditized. There are lots of firms offering basically the same products to the same people, so being the same as everyone else in this industry will not cut it. In order to succeed you need to quickly identify what makes you stand apart from the crowd. Ask yourself these questions in order to find out if you have the unique attributes you need to succeed.
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Investing in a Bull Market
/ by Don Connelly / Investing Wisdom / 0 comments
This is an AskDON audio episode where Don Connelly answers Larry’s question about investing. Larry is from Texas, he’s been in the business eleven years and he is managing just a shade under $100 million.
Larry’s question was:
“The market’s been up four years, without a correction. What do you say when people comment that maybe the market’s too high?”
Click the play button to listen to Don’s answer or read the transcript below.
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How to Become a Better Listener
/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments
As Calvin Coolidge once said “No one ever listened themselves out of a job” so why do so many advisors find it difficult to stop talking and listen to their clients?
In order to become a great advisor, you need to be a good listener. It’s the only way you’ll get to understand your clients’ and prospects‘ goals. It’s the only way you’ll be able to overcome their objections. Plus, the more people are given the opportunity to talk the more they will feel that you’re interested in them. And they will like you for it. Listening will help you start a client relationship and keep your existing relationships on a firm footing.
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Not Following Up Is the Second Most Common Reason Advisors Get Fired
/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments
If you tell a client you will do something and then you don’t do it, you will sooner or later lose that client. Your dependability will be questioned.
Think how many times over the last six months people have told you they would do something and then failed to do it. If you do that same thing twice, even over a year or two, you will be deemed at first blush to be undependable.
That is a giant step toward being viewed as not trustworthy.
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How to Win Over Clients by Becoming More Likeable
/ by Don Connelly / Marketing Yourself / 3 comments
People will only do business with you if they like you and trust you. Human decisions are generally subjective. Even if you are the most professional financial advisor out there, if people don’t warm to you they won’t commit to you. Prospects will not choose you simply because you are competent; they will choose to do business with you because you are competent and likeable.
By becoming likeable you will stand head and shoulders above other advisors. And you don’t need innate talent to become more likeable. You can learn how to radiate confidence and charisma.
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How a Marketing Resume Can Help You Get Out of a Rut
/ by Don Connelly / Marketing Yourself / 0 comments
If you feel that you’re stuck in rut, and can’t see how to get your business back on track then it’s time for a change. The worst thing you can do is just sit there and hope things pick up. Overcome your inertia and develop a clear marketing and client acquisition strategy. Decide what your unique value proposition is and create a marketing resume.
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Don’t Sell Me Things
/ by Don Connelly / Marketing Yourself / 0 comments
Ever since you got in this business you’ve been told about features and benefits, you’ve been told to market yourself, you’ve been told that people want to know what we can do for them. Let me read you something written in the 1940s that sums up exact- this whole issue perfectly. It was part of a thing called Sears and Roebuck Adventures in Salesmanship. It was entitled “Don’t sell me things”. And it’s as poignant today as it was in the 1940’s.
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Don’t Feel Guilty About Not Being Perfect
/ by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments
There will be times when you get it wrong. Car mechanics and even doctors don’t get it right all the time and neither will you. Mistakes are easy to make and inevitable. As markets get more and more complex the chances of getting things wrong increase even more, and the longer you’re in business the more times you will be wrong.
But never see this as failure. Accept mistakes as part of life and keep on track by not feeling guilty. If you are doing everything you can with everything you’ve got you are a winner so you have nothing to feel guilty about.
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10 Things Clients Want from Their Advisors
/ 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.
Read more