August 9, 2021 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments
“No man is an Island, entire of itself.” That excerpt from a 17th-century sermon given by a man named John Donne has become a popular proverb that describes the inherent connectivity of humankind. In essence, it says that humans cannot get along with their lives and succeed on their own—that we are all dependent on other people for support.
If you can imagine a conversation between two people, one of whom has ambitions of becoming a financial advisor, it might sound something like this:
First person: When I leave school, I’m going to start a financial planning practice.
Second person: That’s great, but how are you going to do it by yourself?
First person: I don’t need anyone else; I can do it alone.
Second person: No man is an island; you’ll need someone’s support at one point or another.
While that actual conversation may have never taken place, it’s no secret that many people who set out to become financial advisors do so because they like the idea of being independent. But it doesn’t start out that way. Most of us started our careers as trainees thrown together with other trainees to learn the business, typically by reading manuals or attending formal classroom presentations.
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Why It’s Vital to Join the Community of Financial Advisors
August 9, 2021 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments
“No man is an Island, entire of itself.” That excerpt from a 17th-century sermon given by a man named John Donne has become a popular proverb that describes the inherent connectivity of humankind. In essence, it says that humans cannot get along with their lives and succeed on their own—that we are all dependent on other people for support.
If you can imagine a conversation between two people, one of whom has ambitions of becoming a financial advisor, it might sound something like this:
First person: When I leave school, I’m going to start a financial planning practice.
Second person: That’s great, but how are you going to do it by yourself?
First person: I don’t need anyone else; I can do it alone.
Second person: No man is an island; you’ll need someone’s support at one point or another.
While that actual conversation may have never taken place, it’s no secret that many people who set out to become financial advisors do so because they like the idea of being independent. But it doesn’t start out that way. Most of us started our careers as trainees thrown together with other trainees to learn the business, typically by reading manuals or attending formal classroom presentations.
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Only Elite Advisors Step Out of Their Comfort Zone—Do You?
July 5, 2021 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments
It’s human nature to seek comfort in familiar habits and patterns. When anything comes along to threaten the status quo, we naturally feel uncomfortable, even anxious. Most of us will take great pains to cling to our comfort zone just to avoid those feelings, rejecting change and its unpredictability. The inevitable result for many people is to languish in predictable mediocrity. While they may feel safe, they eventually slip into obsolescence.
In the financial advisory business, if you are not constantly working at getting better, you are getting worse. That’s because successful advisors always strive to improve, to find ways to perfect their craft, which often requires breaking from familiar habits and stepping outside their comfort zone. They know that if they continue to live inside their complacency zone and do what they’ve always done, they’ll continue to get the same results. As a financial advisor, that is ultimately a formula for failure.
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What Is Outstanding Work Ethic and How Financial Advisors Can Develop It?
May 17, 2021 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments
Let’s face it, not everyone is cut out to be a financial advisor for many reasons, but one of the top reasons is a “lack of work ethic.” Having a good work ethic is a bare minimum requirement for any serious consideration of a career as a financial advisor. For any chance at succeeding, financial advisors must have command of their time and their ability to multi-task, driven by a “can do” attitude.
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4 More Things That Could Get You Stuck in a Rut
October 1, 2018 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments
In a previous post we outlined four things that could get you stuck in a rut. Here are four more – along with some recommendations on how to get your business moving forward again.
1. Thinking you don’t need help
If you think you don’t need help in building your business, think again. Over time you will eventually work out how to do things on your own – but why waste time? With help you’ll get there far quicker.
As the ancient Chinese proverb says – if you want to know the road ahead, ask those coming back.
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Take Charge of Your Own Destiny if You Want to Be a Successful Advisor
August 8, 2016 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments
If you want to succeed as a financial advisor you need to understand that you, and you alone, are in control of your career. Your future success relies on the choices you make, so take control without delay.
Take some time out to analyze your current practice and identify areas requiring improvement. Commit to change and to getting better at the basics. Change your mindset to re-inforce the idea that you are doing things out of choice rather than necessity.
Take note of Maya Angelou’s words of wisdom: “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”
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