February 7, 2022 / by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship, Presentation Skills / 0 comments
No doubt you’ve heard the old axiom, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” And it’s tough to fix a bad first impression, especially in a world where some clients are predisposed to not trusting financial advisors. That’s a high hurdle to overcome when first meeting potential clients who may be looking for any reason to walk away.
You’ve probably also heard that the human brain processes information about a person’s face and mannerisms within a matter of seconds, leading to a quick conclusion about their abilities. The hurdle just got higher.
It doesn’t matter how old you are or how long you’ve been in the business. Potential clients instinctively weigh and measure you, not by your expertise, capabilities, or knowledge, but by how much they think they like you. They’re looking for someone they can trust, and most people can’t trust someone they don’t like.
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The Best Newsletters for Financial Advisors
July 24, 2023 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments
The list of traits and characteristics financial advisors must have or develop to be successful is long. We’ve discussed many here, including excellent communication skills, outstanding work ethic, uncommon optimism, persistence, and resilience, a hunger for self-improvement, and a passion for helping people achieve their goals, to name a few. While all are essential, advisors with ambitions of becoming tops in their field must also have a zest for learning and staying abreast of the news, trends, and developments that impact their business.
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Authenticity: The Key to a Favorable First Impression
February 7, 2022 / by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship, Presentation Skills / 0 comments
No doubt you’ve heard the old axiom, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” And it’s tough to fix a bad first impression, especially in a world where some clients are predisposed to not trusting financial advisors. That’s a high hurdle to overcome when first meeting potential clients who may be looking for any reason to walk away.
You’ve probably also heard that the human brain processes information about a person’s face and mannerisms within a matter of seconds, leading to a quick conclusion about their abilities. The hurdle just got higher.
It doesn’t matter how old you are or how long you’ve been in the business. Potential clients instinctively weigh and measure you, not by your expertise, capabilities, or knowledge, but by how much they think they like you. They’re looking for someone they can trust, and most people can’t trust someone they don’t like.
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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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How Passion and Love for The Business Helps Financial Advisors Succeed
June 26, 2014 / by David Hubbard / Best Practices, Managing the Relationship / 0 comments
Ok, it’s the moment of truth. Answer this question honestly. Do you love what you do? Wait, I didn’t say “like”, I said “LOVE”.
Hopefully, you answered with a yes!
Now, let me ask that same question a little differently. Are you passionate about helping your clients achieve their financial goals?
Again, I hope the answer is yes!
These are important questions that I ask the many financial advisors whom I coach. All of these financial advisors desire to be extremely successful. Unfortunately, not all of them are able to say that they love the relationship part of the business. That presents a major problem for them to achieve the success that they are looking for.
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