say it so it makes a difference Archives - Page 7 of 9

What to Do in The First Client Meeting

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

Meeting with a prospective client for the first time makes many advisors nervous. It’s your big opportunity to influence people to do business with you – or lose them forever. It’s essential to be prepared so that you come across as likeable and reliable – someone they can trust to oversee their finances and establish their future security. Here’s how to do that.

A Story to Use When Discussing Your Fees & Commissions

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

The Springfield Story - Discussing Fees and Commissions

There are times when prospective clients are going to focus on your fees or your commissions. I want to talk about that, because it’s no one’s goal to offer the cheapest possible financial advice. That’s just not the way it goes.

So when someone talks to you about commissions or fees, I want you to tell them the Springfield story.

Watch the video or read the transcript below to hear the full story.

Creating Urgency with Prospects

/ by Don Connelly / Prospecting / 1 comment

I can recall few times in my career when business has been as slow as it has been recently. Perhaps the slowdown is due to the fast approaching year-end. Certainly, the pending Presidential election has a lot to do with it, as does the recent DOL running. Clients and Advisors alike have adopted a wait-and-see attitude. But there also are more traditional reasons at work.

People don’t enjoy the prospect of saving for a rainy day. There’s always a reason to delay investing, and never a ‘right’ time to make the move.

Understanding Your Clients’ Behavior Is Key to Your Success as a Financial Advisor

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

The more you understand what motivates your prospects and clients, the better your chances of success when it comes to attracting and retaining them. When you begin to see things from your clients’ and prospects’ point of view you can start to influence their decisions and help them make good financial decisions.

So break out of your own mindset. Step into their shoes: Then you will be able to build strong client relationships, anticipate your client needs and manage their expectations.

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.

Common Mistakes New Advisors Make – Ones that Could Ruin Your Business

/ by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

There are many pitfalls to face when you’re first starting out as an advisor and mistakes are easy to make. Look out for these potential mishaps because they could halt your business in its tracks before it even gets off the ground.

Why Being a Good Advisor Is No Longer Enough to Succeed

/ by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

Few industries have become as commoditized as the financial services industry. It’s become more and more common to see a personal touch replaced by ‘cookie-cutter’ automated solutions.
On the bright side it’s clear that technology cannot replace the service of a really great financial advisor. Clients still crave advice that’s customized. They need the services of an advisor who can look at the ‘big picture’ and understand the complexities of their lives in terms of their aspirations, family and careers.
If you want to succeed you need to be more than ‘good enough’. You need to prove you are prepared to go that extra mile and provide a service that’s above and beyond your clients’ expectations.
How do you get to become an Elite rather than a “good” Advisor?

Storytelling for Financial Advisors – Acquiring High Net Worth Clients through “Storyselling”

/ by Diana Marinova / Connelly Corner, Storytelling, analogies and power phrases / 0 comments

Nowadays “storyselling for financial advisors” is a big search trend. I found a book with that title but I doubt that’s what people in the industry are looking for. My guess would be that they are after high net worth clients with yet another “modern technique”. Truth be told, storyselling is just a catchy name for good old storytelling that Financial Advisors so rarely master completely.

Investing, Self-awareness and Tolerance to Risk

/ by Don Connelly / Investing Wisdom / 0 comments

Before you can embark on any financial plan on behalf of a client it’s essential that you understand their tolerance for risk. You must also know what their goals are, ensure they are achievable and keep them committed to the plan for the long term.

What’s the Journey of the Successful Advisor Like?

/ by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

Developing a career as a financial advisor is not for the fainthearted. There are plenty of pitfalls to look out for along the way. New advisors often lack the essential soft skills they need to hit the ground running while others embark on the journey without a clear roadmap or measurable goals to guide them.

Here’s a look at how successful advisors navigate their way to success.

1 … 5 6 7 8 9