client relationship Archives - Page 6 of 6

5 Red Flags That Will Cause Your Prospects to Dismiss You

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

You never see it coming, and you may never know the reason why. A prospective client you have carefully cultivated agrees to a meeting to learn more about how you can help them. It seems to go well. Their heads were nodding up and down, and they laughed at your joke. At the end of the 30-minute meeting, you suggest the next step with an offer to follow up with them. Turning toward the door, they reply, “We’ll let you know.”

You know that’s the end of it. So, you replay it in your head, asking, “What were the red flags that soured their perception of me?”

Whether the outcome of a prospect meeting is good or bad, you should always replay it in your mind. With a positive outcome, you need to know what worked and why. For a negative outcome, it’s vital to understand what didn’t work and why. Identifying the negatives is often more difficult because it’s hard to be self-critical. But that’s where the path to self-improvement begins. To help in your diagnosis, we list the five of the most common red flags that could cause your prospects to dismiss you.

Three Challenges Advisors Face in the Post-Pandemic World

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

At the height of the COVID crisis, financial advisors were confronted with unthinkable challenges. All things considered, the industry has been resilient in the face of unprecedented headwinds. But, as the other side of this crisis begins to come into view, the industry faces a significant shift that will shape the way advisors operate long after the pandemic wanes. Advisors who get in front of that shift and adapt to the new paradigms quickly will not just survive; they will thrive.

If you could capture clients’ general mood today in one word, “anxiety” would probably say it best. In their hearts, minds, and souls, it’s a very different world from just a year ago and, as much as we all hope for a return to normal, there may be no going back for clients. Their perceptions and priorities have forever changed, much like they did during the 2008 financial meltdown. Only this time, it’s different because it involves both financial and health risks.

5 Signs a Prospective Client Will Avoid Digital Engagement

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 2 comments

For years, the financial industry has lagged in its adaption of digital tools to market to, communicate with, and manage the relationships of clients. While Financial Advisors have gradually, sometimes begrudgingly, come to embrace new technologies, the covid19 pandemic this year has accelerated their digital transformation.

For growth-focused advisors, the crisis has been a catalyst for creating more digitally-oriented business development strategies. For example, according to Fidelity, the use of video conferencing for client interactions has doubled since the pandemic hit. In a survey by Ernst & Young, 55% of advisors say they plan to use virtual meetings more in the future.

As with most trends shaping the financial services industry, clients are leading the change. With 64% of high-net-worth clients and 75% of mass-affluent clients counting on their advisor relationship to be digital, it’s not just millennial clients who prefer a virtual relationship. For the most part, advisors are adjusting well to the change, finding it more productive and more effective at building their business. It also opens up more opportunities to find and work with clients who live in other parts of the country.

5 Reasons Why You Should Take The Time to Educate Your Clients

/ by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

Don’t shy away from being a coach and educator to your clients. Adding in this extra element can help set you apart from the competition and deepen your relationship with them.

If you aren’t already educating your clients, here are five reasons why you should start doing it right away.

5 Creative Ways to Follow-up with a Prospect

/ by Don Connelly / Prospecting / 0 comments

In an ideal world every prospect would sign up with you at the first meeting, immediately recognizing they are in need of what you are offering. In the real world however, prospects may not yet realize your value or understand that they can trust you.

Don’t leave things to chance on the basis they may get back to you. Always follow up. Make sure to call prospects and speak to them directly. You don’t have to feel that you’re trying to push products onto people who are not in the market for your services. Remember, they have indicated that they’re actively looking for a financial advisor.

People tend to get distracted easily however, so here are some additional ways to remind prospects of your worth.

Poor Communication Is The #1 Reason Advisors Get Fired

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

The chief reason clients fire their advisors is not, as you may have thought, poor performance – it’s poor communication. A survey by Financial Advisor Magazine revealed that 72% of clients said they fired their advisors due to their advisor’s failure to communicate on a timely basis.

The best advisors put their communication strategy at the very heart of their business – and so should you. Not only should you build in time to communicate with clients – but take time to develop your soft skills so that you communicate effectively.

Put The Client Before Yourself

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

As you know I’m always on a lookout for a good story. I read a great story not long ago, in Motivational Manager, told by Dana McCary who is a motivational speaker.

He said that when he was growing up, he’d been a waiter at Opryland in Nashville. He learned a very important business lesson.

Listen to the story or read the transcript below.

Why Thoughtful Advisors Get Referrals

/ by Don Connelly / Prospecting / 0 comments

Referrals are the cornerstone of your business. In order to get them you need to cement the relationship with your clients by being passionate and committed. If you are creative and look for different ways to engage with your clients you will become more referable.

To get referrals you need the soft skills that illustrate you can get along with people as well as a self-awareness.

Create Great Relationships with Your Clients

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

Today I want to talk to you, not as if I’m talking to your clients; I want to talk to you about the type of relationship you have to create with your clients. This podcast was originally posted in the Tools of the Trade Library on Don Connelly 24/7 learning center.

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