say it so it makes a difference Archives - Don Connelly & Associates

How to Be a Financial Advisor

June 24, 2019 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

Working as a financial advisor is one of the highest ranked business careers according to a recent U.S. News & World report, advisors rating it highly for job satisfaction and prospects. As a financial advisor you can make a real difference to your clients’ lives, making this a rewarding profession to aim for.But if you want to be a financial advisor, you need to have two quite distinct skill sets.

Firstly, you’ll need to pass the relevant industry exams. Financial acumen is a must.

Secondly, and indeed more importantly, you should have a real desire to help people and have an ability to understand their goals and concerns.

5 Marketing Strategies for Financial Advisors to Ensure Steady Growth

June 10, 2019 / by Don Connelly / Marketing Yourself / 0 comments

Never attempt to distinguish yourself on products or price. You won’t win using this strategy. Instead, find ways to differentiate yourself from the competition by offering a service that goes above and beyond.

But before you can prove your worth you need to find and connect with potential clients – because they won’t find you by accident. Here are some potential marketing strategies that could help you get on their radar.

4 Things You Can Only Achieve with Effective Communication Skills

June 3, 2019 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

Effective communication skills are essential if you are to achieve successful outcomes for your business. Here are 4 relationship goals you should be striving for, along with the requisite soft skills you must possess if you are to realize them.

Why You Need to Find a Niche Market and How to Identify One

March 25, 2019 / by Don Connelly / Marketing Yourself / 2 comments

The saying ‘you can’t please all the people all of the time’ is never truer than in this business. As a financial advisor you’re ill-advised to work with all and sundry – you’re far more likely to succeed if you can identify a profitable niche and become the ‘go to’ advisor in that area. Once you’re established in your target market potential clients will naturally head your way, keeping your sales funnel full.

You could base your selected niche on people you’ve enjoyed working with or those who share a similar background or interests. You could also decide to concentrate on working with people in a sector that is underserved. Here are three such niche markets you could consider.

6 Analogies to Use When Convincing Clients to Stick to The Plan

July 9, 2018 / by Don Connelly / Storytelling, analogies and power phrases / 0 comments

Stories and analogies are great ways to capture a client’s attention and get them to see things from a different perspective. When used correctly they’re highly useful tools to help persuade clients to act in the way you want them to. Analogies are especially effective because clients come to understand what you’re saying by drawing their own conclusions.

Here are six great analogies to help your clients see that they should stick to the plan.

5 Stories to Develop Strong Relationships with Clients Based on Trust and Likeability

January 8, 2018 / by Don Connelly / Storytelling, analogies and power phrases / 0 comments

The best way to initiate a strong relationship with clients is to tell them stories. People don’t need to have a ton of data thrown at them in the first meeting. They will be more interested in whether they like and trust you. Forget the numbers and pie charts, and use your personal stories and experiences to help you establish trust and likeability in the minds of your prospects. Here are five such stories to get you started.

Help Clients Get to Know the ‘Real’ You

October 23, 2017 / by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 2 comments

Before a client makes the decision to do business with you he or she has to feel you are the ‘right fit’ for them. They’re about to embark on a journey into what’s often unknown territory for them – so they need to feel a real connection with their selected advisor.

Build rapport by letting prospective clients see the kind of person you really are. Let your personality shine through.

Put Investing in Terms That Clients Can Understand

June 26, 2017 / 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.

To Be The Best Financial Advisor You Can, It’s Essential to Challenge Yourself

June 19, 2017 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

Challenge Yourself To Be The Best Financial Advisor You Can

There are two paths you can follow in your career: One that goes uphill or the easy one, which involves simply getting through the day. Not many people take the steepest and hardest path, which is why so few really achieve success. But if you’re prepared to challenge yourself and commit to hard work, practice and persevere, you will maximize your talent and do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do.

So, step out of your comfort zone and start creating your own success story. Here are a few important self-challenges.

Put in The Effort if You Want to Become The Most Sought-after Financial Advisor in Town

April 24, 2017 / by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

To become a truly elite financial advisor you need to have an incredible work ethic. If you’re new to the business, you will need to spend most of your time actively prospecting and looking for clients. It could take years to build a solid client base – but when you have built up the right clientele, you will be rewarded with a pool of people who are happy and willing to provide you with referrals.

To achieve this enviable position, continually visualize yourself as a first-class advisor. Program that picture into your subconscious mind. Then work harder than any other advisor, perfect your soft skills, earn referrals and make this dream a reality.

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