/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments
You never see it coming, and you may never know the reason why. A prospective client you have carefully cultivated agrees to a meeting to learn more about how you can help them. It seems to go well. Their heads were nodding up and down, and they laughed at your joke. At the end of the 30-minute meeting, you suggest the next step with an offer to follow up with them. Turning toward the door, they reply, “We’ll let you know.”
You know that’s the end of it. So, you replay it in your head, asking, “What were the red flags that soured their perception of me?”
Whether the outcome of a prospect meeting is good or bad, you should always replay it in your mind. With a positive outcome, you need to know what worked and why. For a negative outcome, it’s vital to understand what didn’t work and why. Identifying the negatives is often more difficult because it’s hard to be self-critical. But that’s where the path to self-improvement begins. To help in your diagnosis, we list the five of the most common red flags that could cause your prospects to dismiss you.
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Using Listening as a Powerful Client Retention Tool: What Most Advisors Miss
/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments
Imagine this: your client of ten years, with a solid portfolio and steady growth, suddenly moves their account. No warning, no major performance issues—just a vague email about “needing a change.” When you dig deeper, you hear the real reason: “I didn’t feel heard.” It’s a gut punch.
Most financial advisors pride themselves on their communication skills, but many fall short in strategic listening—a powerful client retention tool that extends beyond mere nodding. Listening isn’t just a soft skill; it’s a measurable, proactive strategy for maintaining client loyalty. Here’s what most advisors miss and how to turn listening into a retention powerhouse.
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Common Lead Generation Mistakes Financial Advisors Make (And How to Avoid Them)
/ by Don Connelly / Prospecting / 0 comments
Despite their best efforts, many financial advisors struggle to generate a consistent flow of quality leads. In many cases, the problem isn’t due to a lack of effort. Rather, it’s due to financial advisors unwittingly sabotaging their lead generation efforts. The biggest mistakes aren’t the obvious ones, like neglecting an online presence or failing to follow up. It’s the more subtle—even insidious—behaviors and approaches that can quietly push potential prospects away.
The key to unlocking more leads isn’t always about doing more; sometimes, it’s about doing things differently. This post explores counterintuitive lead generation mistakes that many advisors make—and, more importantly, how to fix them.
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5 Reasons Why Prospects Will Hire You Over The Competition
/ by Don Connelly / Prospecting / 1 comment
People won’t decide to do business with you because of your products, expertise, experience or reputation. These attributes (whilst important) will not ultimately convert prospects into loyal clients. Your hard skills won’t provide them with a compelling enough reason to hire you over the competition. If you want to impress prospects, you need to demonstrate that you are not only smart, but that you are likeable and trustworthy.
Here are five reasons why a prospect will hire you over the competition.
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4 Behaviors to Avoid if You Want to Allay Client Concerns
/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments
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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