The relationship dynamic between advisors and clients is shifting. It’s shifting away from treating the plan and towards treating the person. The old model was the financial advisor as the “advice giver.” Treating the problem by dispensing advice. The new model has the advisor playing the role of “thinking partner.” It goes like this: Diagnose …
Every advisor remembers sitting in a meeting with a couple where one person is engaged and the other hasn’t said a word. Or the meeting with the couple whose goals aren’t aligned. While working with couples certainly has its challenges, it’s also an opportunity for advisors to help couples align and thrive financially. But, doing …
If you want to convert more prospects into life-long clients… You need to know the answer to two questions: Why do people hire a financial advisor? Why do people fire their financial advisor? They just might be the two most important questions for any advisory business. Fortunately, Samantha Lamas and Danielle Labotka did the research …
Christine Benz has been dispensing financial planning knowledge and impacting the lives of people around the world for decades. She’s written hundreds of articles for Morningstar on practical financial planning advice. In fact, she’s one of the best out there. But there are 3 articles that stick out from the rest. They deviated from her …
There’s a dilemma that every financial advisor eventually comes face-to-face with. It’s when you realize that you have too little time and need to be more efficient. At the same time, you also know that the real differentiator for your business is human-to-human connection. And you start wondering, “Can I still be efficient without sacrificing …
There’s an email you can send that actually: 1) Improves conversion ratios 2) Improves connection and receives responses like “You get me.” In other words, it wins clients AND their trust. Thus, it’s the most important email you’ll ever send. We discuss: The psychology behind why these emails are so powerful The key things to …
After 18+ years in the industry, Justin Castelli decided to shift his business model away from traditional financial planning. Here’s his quote to explain why: “My clients were planning for the life they were told to live. Not the life they wanted to live.” Too often, our client’s life and money decisions are influenced by …
“Behavioral Coaching” continues to emerge as the primary source of value in a relationship between an advisor and client. Yet, most advisors have never learned the skill set required to actually influence and change a client’s behavior for the better. It starts by first understanding the forces that influence client behavior both positively and negatively. …
There’s one communication technique in the skill set of FBI hostage negotiators that stands above the rest. One they describe as being the closest you’ll get to a jedi mind trick. It’s called “mirroring”. Here’s what it does in conversation: Facilitates bonding and trust, creates connection and empathy, buys you time to regroup your thoughts, …
The financial advice industry does an outstanding job of training and developing technical knowledge. The industry is full of advisors and planners who can sit down at a computer and calculate the time value of money with the best of them. But, financial planning done right isn’t just about technical answers. It’s about how those …