communication skills Archives - Don Connelly & Associates

Addressing Communication Breakdowns: 5 Common Communication Challenges Financial Advisors Face Today

August 14, 2023 / by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

We spend a lot of time and space here harping on the importance of client communications because, more than anything else you do in this business, it can make or break you.

We’ve discussed that 72% of clients who fire their financial advisors do so due to poor communication. We’ve pointed out studies that show clients value solid communications the most in an advisory relationship, yet many feel they’re not receiving it.

We’ve also outlined the reasons why it’s critical to build a systematic communications structure designed to keep your clients engaged, cultivate loyalty, and instill confidence in your advice and then provided a framework for building it.

Above all, we’ve stressed the importance of continuously working on your communication and requisite soft skills for building trust and solidifying your relationship.

However, all that will do you little good if you don’t recognize the communication challenges you face on a daily basis, especially the communication breakdowns that lead to conflicts, such as miscommunications, misunderstandings, and a lack of clarity.

Here are five of the most common communication challenges financial advisors must recognize and overcome to build and maintain solid client relationships:

The Best Newsletters for Financial Advisors

July 24, 2023 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

The list of traits and characteristics financial advisors must have or develop to be successful is long. We’ve discussed many here, including excellent communication skills, outstanding work ethic, uncommon optimism, persistence, and resilience, a hunger for self-improvement, and a passion for helping people achieve their goals, to name a few. While all are essential, advisors with ambitions of becoming tops in their field must also have a zest for learning and staying abreast of the news, trends, and developments that impact their business.

Financial Advisors Sabotage Their Success Through Getting Ready to Get Ready

January 23, 2023 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

I’ve seen it dozens of times. Financial advisors sitting at their desks, looking busy, immersed in their work, shuffling papers, searching the internet, and reading reports. Sometimes it seems to go on for hours, even days, leaving me to wonder what they’re working towards. But one look at their production records tells the tale. There is a strong likelihood they’re working on getting ready to get ready to do what they know must be done but can’t seem to pull the trigger to get it done.

I’ve come across many advisors who consider themselves “perfectionists,” the type of people who feel the need to ensure everything is in order before attempting the task at hand, be it making calls to prospects, dealing with an irate client, or making a critical presentation to a wavering prospect. As we all know, “perfect is the enemy of the good,” which is good enough for most people.

If we wait until everything is ready before starting a task, we’ll probably never get started. Consider the analogy of a person starting their car and waiting in their driveway for all the lights on their route to turn green. They’ll probably never leave their driveway. Maybe that’s the point.

Zoom Fatigue: 5 Steps Financial Advisors Can Take to Overcome It

September 6, 2021 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

Living in a virtual world as we have for the last year and a half has had its benefits as well as its drawbacks. COVID-19 accelerated the adoption of technology that has helped financial advisors become more efficient and productive with greater outreach to clients and prospects. But it seems that advisors are reaching peak “Zoom fatigue,” an actual medical condition that can have a debilitating effect similar to depression. If you think you may be suffering from Zoom fatigue, you can make some simple adjustments to adapt to the conditions that cause it while enhancing your virtual presence.

Three Challenges Advisors Face in the Post-Pandemic World

March 22, 2021 / 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.

Don’t Underestimate the Power of a Good “Who I Am” Story

March 2, 2020 / by Don Connelly / Storytelling, analogies and power phrases / 0 comments

Human beings are storytellers. We tell stories because we respond to stories. It’s been so since the dawn of history.

In western civilization, we have received many of our great stories, myths, legends and cultural archetypes from stories memorized and passed down from generation to generation around campfires, dating back to pre-literate times.

4 Things You Can Only Achieve with Effective Communication Skills

June 3, 2019 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

Effective communication skills are essential if you are to achieve successful outcomes for your business. Here are 4 relationship goals you should be striving for, along with the requisite soft skills you must possess if you are to realize them.

Becoming a Financial Advisor Is Not All About Getting Licensed

May 20, 2019 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

Naturally, you need to be sufficiently educated and qualified if you are to do the job of a financial advisor. But that’s not nearly enough. Financial advisors require a unique skill set that consists of not only technical knowledge and business skills but also excellent interpersonal ‘soft’ skills.

Many advisors enter the industry mistakenly believing the former skills are more important than the latter. That’s why so many advisors leave the trade in their first year – because they weren’t able to cut through the noise and attract enough clients.

Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Financial Advisor?

February 19, 2018 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 2 comments

Top financial advisors almost always possess the same traits and skills. Not only do they have a great work ethic and a determination to succeed, but their interpersonal skills are second to none. In particular, elite advisors ooze charisma – a charisma which they use to influence people.

In this post we’ll look at what it takes to be a Financial Advisor and some skills successful advisors share.

Your Success Depends on The Strength of Your Client Relationships

November 6, 2017 / by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

Client relationships are the cornerstone of your business. They must be strong enough to weather bad market conditions and to ensure clients stay invested for the long term.

Here are some things you should do to maintain a secure ongoing partnership with your clients, regardless of market conditions.

1 2