The GIVE:  In prior posts, I’ve noted I’m a member of NAIFA-Tampa, a financial advisors professional association. They recently asked for my help at their recent charity golf event for Epilepsy (see picture). I’ve also pinch-hitted as a speaker and moderator for them a couple of times. Not big investments of my time, and a nice way to personally connect with my target market.

The GAIN: In casual conversation with one of the group’s leaders, he suggested linking my free online advisor assessment to their website as a member benefit. But there’s more: here is what he wrote to me after his meeting with the board of directors :

“Your reputation and hard work with the association made it so easy to get approval.  Those who know you simply said this is good and let’s vote.” 

The purpose of my sharing this is not to toot my own horn, but rather, to share an insight that could help you. Here’s the insight” my ”hard work” has been anything but – I’ve enjoyed every minute and see it as “playtime” away from the office! And, talk about free advertising right to my ideal market! It doesn’t get any better than that.

And,here is an excerpt of the intro letter written by the association president-elect – again, you can’t get a better endorsement ”from the horse’s mouth” like this:  

“..  In short,  the “Advisor Blind Spot Assessment”  throws light on some areas of our business we might otherwise want to ignore. Take a few minutes to ….. take the assessment.  The time you devote to this survey and implementing the recommendations will be rewarded by increased effectiveness. ”

The best part for me was that these “gains”  were unexpected and easy, and simply grew out of my willingness to show up and give alittle of my time. I know you will agree that this way of “selling” is much more fun and effective - than the pushy, hard-sell tactics we all hate.

By the way, if you want to shed light on your advisor practice…just click on the link at right for your own, free custom Advisor Blind Spot Assessment. You’ll receive instant results online and via email.

How about you? – What examples can you share of your own” Giver’s Gain” experiences? We all learn from each other’s lessons. Oh, and feel free to pass along this article to your friends to inspire their creative giving!

As a member of the Tampa chapter of NAIFA, I recently moderated a panel of advisors who were honored by their peers. You can read about it here:  http://bit.ly/byYdT1

Which groups do you participate in and support with your time and contributions? How do you benefit from them?

Please share your comments here in the interest of professional development.

Thanks!

As a coach for Advisors, I was delighted to come up with questions for them to answer, introduce them and hear their answers from their perspective of youth. What I did not anticipate were the questions from a completely engaged audience, which reflected a deep desire to learn from these young advisors.

Each member of the panel responded with such great humility, respect and depth, which uplifted their peers and elders alike. The inspiring energy of their message, in the face of the current economic and political conditions, was palpable throughout a room. Of all the questions and answers, though, the one which struck us the most came from a member of the audience. The answers clearly inspired everyone into applause, so I will summarize them here in the hope it will have same affect on you:

How do you pull yourself out of a slump, especially these days?

• Just like in baseball, remember the best way out of a slump and into a hot streak is: practice!  Stay active, no matter what.
• Read inspiring thoughts from leaders, teachers and others you respect. Nourish your mind and soul.
• Pull out or start a folder with client thank yous,  awards and other reminders that what you do is worthwhile. Experience gratitude.
• Remember to stay connected to support of peers in groups such as NAIFA – remain engaged with your community

The bottom line of these words of wisdom is that taking action, and focusing on the outcome you want, is the first step in getting yourself out of a slump and into your next “hot streak”.  If you are finding yourself arguing with these words with “but,….”,  it is possible you are in a slump and therefore, not in the best mindset to act on them.

If that sounds like you, consider getting help from a coach, who can help you access the mindset that will allow you to leave your slump  in the dust. Read my article on Blind Spot Removal for more on this….http://www.masterfuladvisor.com/just-the-facts-not/#more-37

If you been in practice for awhile, then it’s likely you’ve already tried to address the above issues. Maybe you’ve purchased courses, books, DVDs or CDs on the topics…

Maybe you’ve paid expensive fees to a consultant promising “immediate, guaranteed results!” Maybe you have even decided to implement specific ideas for your practice – and yet, for various reasons, you have not yet taken action. Maybe you’re jaded…Bottom line is, nothing you have done so far has worked.

If that’s the case, chances are there are some “blind spots” keeping you from taking the actions you know will help.
How come? It comes down to the way human beings process, store and respond to data. Unlike a computer, human beings observe and react to information through 3 interwoven portals: language, emotions, and the body.

Here is an example to illustrate: One of my experienced Financial Advisor clients said, “I have a file full of ideas on Client Management Systems, and even access to one I can get at a discount through my office. I just haven’t found the time to decide. Can you recommend one?”

To which I said (rather than give him yet another idea to file), I noticed when you were speaking, that you folded your arms and that your voice seemed monotone. Can you tell me what you were saying to yourself in that moment? He thought for a second and then, with surpise, said, “I’m saying that I’ll probably make another mistake and waste money” He also realized this assessment was keeping him in a state of confusion and inaction.

Once he noticed how this “blind spot” was getting in his way, and we worked on helping him “see” from a more helpful perspective, he was able to finally choose the right system for a top-producing practice.

If this sounds somewhat simplistic, it is – and isnt. On the one hand, once a person looks with “new eyes” at an ongoing problem, it often allows for flashes of insight that seem to come from no-where. These insights create new energy and motivation to change. On the other hand, it can take time for new habits to replace outmoded ones. This is where practice comes in and is crucial for lasting success.

Want to learn more? Check out “Blind Spot Removal ™” for Financial Advisors

Here is the first test of trust you need to ace with clients:

Here is the second test…

Stayed tuned for the third test ….

The fact is, how your clients hear your facts depends on their level of trust in you….which is impacted by your verbal, emotional and physical consistency….

As a successful financial advisor, you know how important it is for you to connect your products and services with the emotional needs of your clients: How not to outlive their money….how to make sure their family can still pay the bills if they die….paying for the children’s college. ..taking care of elderly parents….

What you many not know is this: even when you are stating facts, emotions come through in a way that subtly affects how well your clients “get” your intended message….

According to neurological research, there is no such thing as a completely neutral, objective comment. As human beings, it is impossible to not have an emotional and physical aspect to our conversation….try this, say out loud, 2+ 2 = 4,  What did you say to yourself when you recited this fact? Even if you are “neutral”, neutrality is actually an emotion, and carries with it a certain body language and demeanor (think of the character “Spock” or “Data” from Star Trek).

Notice that your belief and confidence in the facts comes through your words, your body language and your mood. Do you use the facts in a way that answers the “so what?” test?

Do your facts tell a story that evokes emotion in you? Do you believe in what you are presenting? What do you think (really) of your audience? What are you telling yourself about them as you present your data? If they knew, would they be pleased?

Whatever you are saying to yourself, if it is not consistent with your words, your body language and emotions will betray you, even on a subtle level, and your clients are likely to react negatively to that discord

You can probably remember how this felt when you first started your practice, as you struggled to become fluent in the jargon, technical concepts and compliance requirements of your complex profession.

To help you with your next prospect proposal, try this to prepare:

1. Prepare yourself by sitting in a quiet, comfortable and focused locations without distraction. Take a few deep breathes to relax.

2. From an objective, curious mindset, answer these questions about your prospect(s):

• • what problems do they have that I can solve?
  • what are they most concerned about?
  • what challenges get in the way of them making decisions that I can address?
  • why should they trust me?

3. What facts are most important for my client to understand? Why?

4. What doubts, if any,  do I have about my recommendations?

5. What do I need to do to ensure I speak with competence, reliability and sincerity?

Once you have your presentation prepared, try practicing it until  your words, body posture and emotions match to create an irresistible offer your prospects will not be able to refuse?

Getting an objective party to observe your presentation from the standpoint of your words, emotions and body posture is recommended, as you may have difficulty seeing these elements yourself  (see ” Blind Spots – Who Me? )”

Doing this exercise before you meet with your prospect will help you discover any gaps to address so that you come across with all 3 parts of yourself behaving consistently.

Want to learn more? Check out “Blind Spot Removal for Financial Advisors”

This quote speaks to the idea that like a fish swimming in water, we are generally unaware of our surroundings. To take this idea one step further, the only time a fish IS aware of water is the moment it is taken out. Likewise, the first time we become aware of what might be missing in our practice is when it is NOT working as well as has before.

Being an insider can work against your ability to solve problems, simply because your ideas are limited by your perspective about how the financial services business should work.

These “blind spots” can cause you to become jaded, and therefore closed, to fresh ideas or workable solutions you have rejected on the basis that “I’ve seen it all before”.

Here are three conditions that suggest you may have your own blind spot in your practice…

1. you are disturbed about a persistent problem keeping you from growing your practice
2. your attempts to solve it have been unsuccessful
3. you cannot see another solution
4. you are certain that you are right

The more persistent the problem, the more disturbed you are about it, and the more right you are, the bigger the blind spot,,,want to know how to solve this?

Something to try:

1. Sit down with a sharp person from another industry.
2. Describe the details of a practice goal you are working on  (include your challenges).
3.  Ask them to point out opportunities you might be missing.
4.  Switch it up and do the same thing for them.
5. Recognize that someone else can often see the opportunities/challenges in front of you a lot easier than you can.

Want to learn more? Check out “Blind Spot Removal for Financial Advisors”