Top 10 Most-read Posts on Our Blog in 2019

Another year is about to end tomorrow – we hope it was as great for you as it was for us at Don Connelly & Associates. We’d like to close our blogging year with a recap of the most-read posts on the blog by tens of thousands of Financial Advisors and Wholesalers in 2019.

They are mostly on using stories and analogies, getting referrals and becoming brilliant at the basics. But there were also a couple of posts on preparing yourself for market corrections, overcoming your fears and building strong relationships with prospects and clients. Enjoy and thanks for reading!

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Combatting Low Fees

Combatting Low Fees

If you ever need to combat lower fees, begin by understanding what your competition is actually doing. Then form your strategy accordingly.

Listen to this audio episode or read the transcript below to learn how to de-commoditize yourself and why you need to win the value-argument instead of the fee-argument.

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5 Reasons Why You Need to Connect with Clients on an Emotional Level

5 Reasons Why You Need to Connect with Clients on an Emotional Level

As an advisor you’re no doubt good with numbers; you’re an objective thinker. But to succeed in this business you also need to be able to create meaningful relationships with your clients. You need to have not only a high IQ but a high level of EQ (Emotional Intelligence).

According to a study by Harvard Business Review emotionally connected clients are more than twice as valuable to your business as ‘highly satisfied clients’.

Here are 5 reasons why rather than focusing on their financial plans you should get to know your clients on a personal level.

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The Right Story at the Right Time Can and Will Tip the Decision in Your Direction

The Right Story at the Right Time Can and Will Tip the Decision in Your Direction

When you meet with prospective clients, they will very possibly have concerns. They may be worried about investing per se, undecided about whether now’s the right time to invest, or unsure if you are worth your fees.

Don’t see their concerns as obstacles but as an opportunity to build trust. If you suspect they feel anxious, step in tell them an “I know what you’re thinking” story to reassure them they’re doing the right thing. This is a story designed to take away some of your prospect’s concerns.

Here are some situations where a good story can help persuade prospects to hire you as their advisor.

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4 Behaviors to Avoid if You Want to Allay Client Concerns

4 Behaviors to Avoid if You Want to Allay Client Concerns

In the first meeting with you, prospective clients may be unsure if investing is the right thing to do. They may also have concerns about whether you are the right person to advise them. How you behave in your first meeting will dictate what happens next. You need to act to allay not only their objections around the investment process itself, but to eliminate any concerns they may have about working with you personally.

To make sure you leave them in no doubt about your ability, never do the following four things.

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Focus on What’s Important

Focus on What’s Important

If you want to reach the top of your profession as a financial advisor, you need to focus on the basics. Dedicate your time to prospecting, asking for commitments and managing client relationships. Success will only come your way if you think gathering assets rather than DOL rulings and falling fees. So stop getting distracted. If you want to build a successful business, focus on what’s important.

Here are six things to focus on, starting today.

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What to Do in The First Client Meeting

What to Do in The First Client Meeting

Meeting with a prospective client for the first time makes many advisors nervous. It’s your big opportunity to influence people to do business with you – or lose them forever. It’s essential to be prepared so that you come across as likeable and reliable – someone they can trust to oversee their finances and establish their future security. Here’s how to do that.

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A Story to Use When Discussing Your Fees & Commissions

The Springfield Story - Discussing Fees and Commissions

There are times when prospective clients are going to focus on your fees or your commissions. I want to talk about that, because it’s no one’s goal to offer the cheapest possible financial advice. That’s just not the way it goes.

So when someone talks to you about commissions or fees, I want you to tell them the Springfield story.

Watch the video or read the transcript below to hear the full story.

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