keep it simple Archives - Don Connelly & Associates

5 Things Nervous Clients Need from You

/ by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

Let’s chat about the backbone of the business, client relationships. Client relationships are fragile. As soon as their money’s exposed to volatility, clients are on an emotional roller coaster ride and they need a lot of attention. And all too often, we get caught up in the details of products and services we’re offering to notice that our attention may have slipped. And I can tell you without hesitation that the minute your client feels your service is no longer personalized, he or she becomes your competition’s best prospect.

Watch this video episode or read the transcript below to learn a few ideas on how to make sure your clients hold you in high esteem.

How to Turn New Clients into Loyal Clients

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

You have just opened a new account and you are excited to start working with this new client. Of course, you are more than qualified to provide them with the services they need, but how are you going to ensure that your relationship with them will flourish over time?

Here are few good ways to create a loyal bond between you and your client.

7 Things Many Financial Advisors Don’t Do, and Fail as a Result

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Much of the failure in this industry comes down to non-observance of the basics. Too many advisors fail not only to develop their soft skills but lack the necessary business acumen to remain viable. If you want to succeed as a financial advisor, learn from their mistakes and make sure you ‘do’ what they are ‘not doing’.

Here are some things that many advisors are not doing – but should be.

How to Help Clients Make Good Decisions

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

Your job is as much about managing relationships as it is about managing money. You need to establish close ties with your clients so you can become a positive influence in their lives over the long term. Unless you can steer your clients into making good decisions you not only risk losing them as clients – but you are doing them a disfavor – because you are allowing them to make potentially disastrous financial decisions.

Here are a few things you can do to influence your clients’ decisions positively.

Maintaining Meaningful Relationships Is Hard but Essential Work

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

As a financial advisor you need a wide range of skills, not least the ability to prospect and win new business. However, another area of expertise – and one which is frequently overlooked – is the ability to maintain a meaningful ongoing relationship with your clients. Here are a few ways to do this.

Teach Your Clients Not to Watch The Evening News

/ by Don Connelly / Investing Wisdom / 0 comments

In our increasingly information-driven society, it’s your job to teach clients not to believe all they hear. They need you most of all when they’re being bombarded with negative news about the markets. Being exposed to excessive information without anyone there to guide them could see your clients making bad decisions regarding their investments.

Here are a few ideas how to make sure your clients stick to the plan despite what the media say.

Don’t Let Clients’ Concerns Escalate: Tackle Issues Head on

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

Meeting your clients’ expectations is the least you can do – it’s simply part of your job – so don’t expect to get a pat on the back for it. If you want to retain clients for the long term, you need to step up your level of service way beyond this and be more proactive than other advisors. Offer your clients a heroic standard of service by taking ownership of their problems before they become detrimental to your business.

Here are four ways to ensure you keep things on track.

Put Investing in Terms That Clients Can Understand

/ by Don Connelly / Investing Wisdom / 0 comments

Everyone knows that cars go down in value. That’s just the way it is. No matter what you pay for a car, and no matter how carefully you look after it, it’s going to be worth a lot less than you paid for it. It’s never going to bounce back in value, but car owners are okay with that. They are pre-conditioned to the loss. However, clients don’t see their investments this way. They think investments are only supposed to go one way – up. When investments go down, clients feel they have lost money, even if they have not sold out. They will take a hard loss on a car and not bat an eye, yet they can’t stomach a paper loss in their portfolios.

5 Things You Should Do to Successfully Manage Your Relationships with Clients

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

What your clients do this year and going forward will not be dictated by world events alone. It will be dictated by the strength of their relationship with you. That’s why you need to make relationship building one of your top priorities.

Here are five ways to keep your relationship on a firm footing.

Am I Oversimplifying Things?

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

Brad from Southern California is a Merrill Lynch advisor. He sent me an email, which is in a way, funny, but poses a very serious question nonetheless.

“Don, I have a strange concern. I’m concerned that in my attempt to make things simple I go too far. There are times when I feel I’m patronizing people by talking what I call ‘baby talk’. I literally get embarrassed sometimes. I know what you’re going to say, keep it simple. But when’s enough enough?”

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

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