being proactive Archives - Don Connelly & Associates

Understanding Why Clients Might Seek a Second Opinion in Financial Planning and How to Avert It

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

If you’ve been in this business long enough, you’re bound to encounter a client who wants to get a second opinion on some of your advice or a strategy you’ve developed. There’s no sugar-coating it—that can feel like a low blow—questioning your expertise and even your integrity.

While it might feel like a vote of no confidence, it’s often a symptom of a deeper need. Understanding these reasons and fostering a solid client relationship can help advisors minimize the need for external validation.

Twelve Quick Suggestions for Building a Better Business

/ by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

Allow me to give you 12 suggestions – things I’ve learned over the years. Watch this video episode or read the transcript below to learn these 12 ways to build a better business.

Not Getting Through to Your Clients? 5 Ways to Step Up Your Engagement

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

5 Ways to Step Up Your Client Engagement

Most financial advisors understand the importance of client communications. Those who don’t find out the hard way that poor or infrequent communications is the number one reason clients leave their financial advisor, according to a Financial Advisor Magazine survey. But what if you feel you have a deliberate client communications strategy, yet your clients seem to be unresponsive or not engaging with you at a level that gives you confidence they are fully on board?

That’s not a good feeling, and it should sound alarms if you hope to maximize client retention.

Communication in a Post-Pandemic World: How to Connect with Prospective and Current Clients

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

All of us are affected by the coronavirus and the shutdowns. The virus is slowly running its course but social distancing will be with us for a very long time to come.

That means most of us are going to have to change the way we market and sell our services. “Meet and greet” networking events will be out of the picture for a while. When they do come back, they’ll be different. They may look more like ‘show and tells’ with slide shows than mingling sessions.

Even walking into businesses and asking for the owner is going to be fraught. The small ‘handshake’ ritual that has been with us since antiquity will be changed as we figure out our new forms of etiquette and social conventions.

So, what’s the best path forward?

4 Reasons Why You Should Prepare Your Bear Market Presentation When The Market’s High

/ by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

When the market declines your clients will no doubt be aware of the simultaneous fall in the value of their portfolios. And they will be concerned. Human nature dictates this. That’s why when the time comes, it’s crucial that you are prepared to counter their insecurity with reassurance. You must be ready to instill them with confidence that their investments are secure.

If you run and hide when the markets tumble (like a surprising number of advisors do), your clients’ fears will multiply. As a consequence, they could end up making a bad decision about their investments – or about working with you.

So, make sure you’re ready to step into the breach by having your presentation ready to hand. Here are four reasons why you should prepare that presentation right away.

3 Types of Clients You Should Want to Attract and Retain

/ by Don Connelly / Prospecting / 0 comments

It’s surprising to find that certain broad sectors of the population still remain underserved in certain instances.

If you, unlike other advisors, can devise a strategy to attract and retain these potentially valuable clients, you could vastly improve your business.

Let’s have a look at three types of clients you should try to attract and retain.

Why Focus on Bringing Your Prospecting Skills Up a Notch

/ by Diana Marinova / Connelly Corner, Prospecting / 0 comments

The raw truth about our business is that nothing happens without an appointment. You may be the greatest or the smartest advisor in the world, but if you don’t have enough appointments your business will suffer. If you don’t meet enough people, your business will suffer. If you are not a good prospector, your business will suffer.
Check out several posts that continuously received the most positive feedback from our readers this year – coincidentally, they are all about prospecting!

Thrive on Rejection – Don’t Let It Ruin Your Financial Advisor Career

/ by Don Connelly / Prospecting / 0 comments

In order to succeed you need to prospect, open accounts and get referrals. To achieve these aims you need to face your fear of rejection. Rejection is an occupational hazard so rather than fear rejection you must find a way to thrive on it. Coca Cola sold 400 cokes in their first year. Henry Ford’s first two companies went under. They obviously learned to thrive on rejection. And if you don’t too you will halt any chance of success dead in its tracks.

Being Proactive Is a Key to Financial Advisor’s Success

/ by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

No one becomes a great financial advisor by accident. In order to become successful you must decide to be successful, and you’re the only person that can do this. If you don’t like where you are today then do something about it. Change, do things differently. The only thing standing between you and success is you. If you are tired of not having enough people to talk to, then make the decision to sharpen your prospecting skills. If you are tired of hearing people say they’ll ‘think it over’, make it your aim to learn how to better overcome their objections.