say it so it makes a difference Archives - Page 8 of 9

Five Analogies Financial Advisors Can and Should Use with Clients

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

What we find very easy clients often find difficult to digest. Even when you think you’re getting across your points well clients can be baffled by your financial knowledge. To get across your ideas so that clients will understand, use analogies.

Advisors who use storytelling and analogies to convey strategies and concepts have a competitive advantage over those that don’t. Analogies help to paint a powerful mental picture that connects to a client’s emotions. Using vivid analogies also helps to leave a powerful impression once clients have left the office – both of you and of the message or takeaway.

Good Stories Don’t Need to Be Long to Be Effective

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

Let me tell you a couple of cool things about stories. For one thing they don’t need to be very long to be effective.

The shortest inaugural address ever was George Washington’s. It was just a hundred and thirty-five words. Now compare that to William Henry Harrison. In 1841, in his inaugural address, Harrison talked for two hours, he said 9000 words, and it was freezing. A month later, he died of a cold and pneumonia.

Watch this video or read the transcript below to learn more about short stories effectiveness and to hear a couple of stories from Don.

Personalizing Your Services Will Help You Succeed as a Financial Advisor

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

All financial advisors generate income in the same way, by offering similar platforms at essentially the same price. The job description: to help people simplify their finances and get peace of mind that they can reach their goals. Naturally achieving this task is of the utmost importance but if you want to stand apart from the crowd and win more businesses you need to do more; you need to personalize your services.

By treating each client personally and making them feel important you will not just meet their expectations but exceed them. If your clients feel they’re just a number to you they won’t rate your services and they will be unlikely to refer you to others.

How to Become a Better Listener

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship / 0 comments

As Calvin Coolidge once said “No one ever listened themselves out of a job” so why do so many advisors find it difficult to stop talking and listen to their clients?

In order to become a great advisor, you need to be a good listener. It’s the only way you’ll get to understand your clients’ and prospects‘ goals. It’s the only way you’ll be able to overcome their objections. Plus, the more people are given the opportunity to talk the more they will feel that you’re interested in them. And they will like you for it. Listening will help you start a client relationship and keep your existing relationships on a firm footing.

How to Win Over Clients by Becoming More Likeable

/ by Don Connelly / Marketing Yourself / 3 comments

People will only do business with you if they like you and trust you. Human decisions are generally subjective. Even if you are the most professional financial advisor out there, if people don’t warm to you they won’t commit to you. Prospects will not choose you simply because you are competent; they will choose to do business with you because you are competent and likeable.

By becoming likeable you will stand head and shoulders above other advisors. And you don’t need innate talent to become more likeable. You can learn how to radiate confidence and charisma.

How to Get Your Point Across in Fewer Words

/ by Don Connelly / Presentation Skills / 0 comments

When you address clients and prospects, you are a techie talking to non-techies. There is always the threat that you will confuse your listener and we all know by now that people don’t buy what they don’t understand. Many are the Advisors who have talked themselves out of commitments.

One way to mitigate this danger is to get our message across in as few words as possible. Advisors who can do that gather a lot of assets.

Don’t Feel Guilty About Not Being Perfect

/ by Don Connelly / Best Practices / 0 comments

There will be times when you get it wrong. Car mechanics and even doctors don’t get it right all the time and neither will you. Mistakes are easy to make and inevitable. As markets get more and more complex the chances of getting things wrong increase even more, and the longer you’re in business the more times you will be wrong.

But never see this as failure. Accept mistakes as part of life and keep on track by not feeling guilty. If you are doing everything you can with everything you’ve got you are a winner so you have nothing to feel guilty about.

5 Reasons to Develop Effective Listening Skills

/ by Don Connelly / Managing the Relationship, Prospecting / 0 comments

The fact is, most of us simply don’t listen enough. That could be because of the increasing number of distractions going on around us, or because we often find it easier to focus on non-verbal clues – such as body language – rather than on what people are actually saying. But if you want to get ahead as a financial advisor you need to develop effective listening skills.

Why You Need a “Who I Am” Story to Succeed

/ by Don Connelly / Marketing Yourself / 0 comments

When someone tells you they want to ‘think it over’ it’s a sign they haven’t invested in you. They are most likely not deciding about your recommendations. They are deciding about forming a relationship with you. Remember, the three most important things in this business are to be likeable, smart and trustworthy. A great way to be likeable and build trust is to tell a ‘who I am’ story to prospective clients. By telling them a story about yourself you can influence people and establish your credibility. A great story will resonate with clients, stir up their emotions and get them to act.

Why Storytelling Should Be an Integral Part of Any Advisor’s Selling Strategy

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

As a Financial Advisor, it’s your job to influence and persuade. In order to buy from you people must like you, trust you and understand what it is you’re offering them. When a hot prospect walks away it’s usually because they didn’t ‘get’ what it was you were selling them. And no one buys what they don’t understand.

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