establish trust Archives - Don Connelly & Associates

5 Dos of Developing Good Storytelling Skills

August 13, 2018 / by Don Connelly / Storytelling, analogies and power phrases / 0 comments

The ability to tell interesting stories is an essential skill for all advisors. Stories are an effective way of letting people get to know the real you, and they’re also useful when it comes to educating clients.

Few of us are born natural raconteurs – but if you commit to developing your skills and practising them regularly, over time you can become a great storyteller.

Here are 5 best practices when it comes to developing good storytelling skills.

5 Rules for Effective Communication with Prospects and Clients

July 16, 2018 / by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

In order to establish trust and credibility – and get your messages across to prospects and clients – you need to be an effective communicator. If you, like many advisors, find this a challenge, you don’t need to feel defeated. With hard work and practice you can become a proficient and natural communicator. Here are some key rules to bear in mind.

What Clients Need from You to Stick to The Plan

June 11, 2018 / by Don Connelly / Investing Wisdom / 0 comments

To get clients to stick with their long-term investments you need to get inside their mindset and understand how they think and feel. If you know how your clients will react in the face of market volatility, you’ll be ideally placed to counter their concerns. If you understand what they need from you in terms of maintaining a long-term relationship, you will know which soft skills to focus on.

Here are a few things clients need to help them persevere with their long-term investments.

5 Things That Could Ruin Your Clients’ Trust in You – in Seconds

May 21, 2018 / by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

It can take many years before clients come to know you and trust you, and during this time you’ll need to work hard to win them over. In order to earn their trust, you’ll need to demonstrate exemplary behavior and deliver a service that goes above and beyond.

But that’s not where it ends. It may have taken you years to build up trust but it takes just seconds to break it down. Just one slip and all that hard-won trust is gone forever. Make sure this doesn’t happen to you by avoiding the following behaviors.

Every Financial Advisor Needs to Tell Great Stories

April 30, 2018 / by Don Connelly / Storytelling, analogies and power phrases / 0 comments

Human beings have an innate desire to tell and listen to stories. Good stories grab the attention and inspire people to act, which is why storytelling should be an essential tool in your armory. If you become a great storyteller, prospects and clients will leave your office remembering both you and your message.

Stories are also a great way to help make the unfamiliar familiar – they promote the understanding of complex issues. Plus, they’re effective at creating an emotional bond between storyteller and listener.

How to Get Clients to Stick to the Plan

April 23, 2018 / by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

It’s crucial that you get your clients to stick to the plan. If they don’t, they could forgo their comfortable retirement or build up debt when they put their kids through college. Your responsibility, as their financial advisor is to keep them on track. Here are three effective ways to do that.

How to Connect with Clients Emotionally

December 11, 2017 / by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

As financial advisors we’re objective thinkers. We use the left, logical, side of our brains, to work out the technical aspects of financial planning. But simply being able to do the math won’t differentiate you from the competition – even robo-advisors are pretty good with interest rates and algorithms. The way to stand out is to make an emotional connection with people.

Your clients won’t make big decisions based on the numbers. They will base them on how they feel about you, using the right (emotional) part of the brain. To form a connection with clients you need to work out what it is you have to offer them on an emotional level.

Here are three suggestions to help you connect with clients emotionally.

It’s The Little Things That Add Up in The Long Run

July 10, 2017 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

It Is The Little Things That Add Up in The Long Run

Having big ambitions is great – but if you want to achieve your long-term goals, you need to know there’s no rapid escalator to success. Only by learning the art of self-discipline and taking small and consistent steps will you reach your ultimate target. Here’s how smaller steps can lead to bigger things.

Why It’s Important You Have All of Your Client’s Assets

October 19, 2015 / by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 1 comment

I received an email from Harry in Chicago. He manages a few million dollars for a particular client. That client has an equal amount of money invested with another Advisor and firm across the street, and he won’t combine the two. The client uses the account across the street to pay taxes and expenses. When asked why he does this, the client has a traditional comment – ‘I don’t want all my eggs in one basket’. Harry’s question to me is “Should I leave well enough alone?”

Listen to Don’s answer or read the transcript below.

5 Reasons to Develop Effective Listening Skills

April 16, 2015 / by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship, Prospecting / 0 comments

The fact is, most of us simply don’t listen enough. That could be because of the increasing number of distractions going on around us, or because we often find it easier to focus on non-verbal clues – such as body language – rather than on what people are actually saying. But if you want to get ahead as a financial advisor you need to develop effective listening skills.

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