1.  Objective: You must have a clear focus and objective as to what you hope to achieve with the contact
2. Conviction:  You must convey confidence in the value you are presenting
3. Activity:  You must actually make the contact

Michael Boudway was doing the dials and following the typical process for prospecting but generating dismal results.  He had the discipline and the determination but lacked a clear objective and as a result limited conviction in his message.  With business owners being his clearly defined target market I helped Mike set up an event specifically for the business owner.  We first identified what were the most pressing issues concerning business owners today and then built his event topics around those areas of interest.  Mike was able to secure a high level speaker from his firm to speak about  The Outlook for the Economy a topic of specific interest to business owners.  Just having this new focus to his calls turned a miserable experience into a fruitful venture. 

The results:

1. Leading up to his first event Mike was able to generate interest and gather email addresses of over 40 business owners who had expressed interest in participating in future events. These 40 are now in his drip system. 
2. 12 of the business owners RSVP’d for his first event of which he has already scheduled 5 follow up meetings.  
3. After the event Mike also followed up with all 40 prospects, provided the highlights of the event and has already secured two more appointments. 

By setting up a series of business events Mike now has a clear and inviting objective to his calls and expresses greater conviction in the value he is providing to the business community. This first event is just the beginning.

Franco LaMarca was a new Financial Advisor with a loaded contact list but empty arsenal.  With minimal training as a Financial Advisor he struggled to find a focus or a method for turning his affluent contacts into clients.  As a former attorney Franco knew he needed more knowledge before he would feel confident and become effective at bringing in the business but time was a critical factor. Time he didn’t have.  Being that Franco was already respected in his community it was even more important that in his new role as a Financial Advisor he appear knowledgeable, confident and competent. 

Our first step in working together was to identify what was Franco’s objective.  When he met with his former colleagues, friends, and associates, what was it that he wanted to accomplish? What was his objective?  He knew he didn’t want to “sell” them or make them feel like a “prospect”.  What he soon recognized was that what was most important in those meetings was that the contact left the meeting with a very clear understanding of why being a financial advisor was important to him.  They needed to know what Franco did as a Financial Advisor, who he did it for, and  what was his value. This sounds easy enough but this actually took a lot of work, but that work paid off. 

As a result of our work together

1. Franco began having more productive meetings. 
2. He had a clear objective, and a compelling message
3. His conviction and confidence continued to grow. 

This combination allowed Franco to open 26 accounts and uncover $12,000,000 in assets in just 6 months.

Mohini McCormick, an Advisor at Credit Suisse has over 15 years of experience in the business.  As with many Advisors who have focused on alternative investments this past year has created the need for some “reorganization”.  With production at the low end Mohini used this time to take a fresh look at the business as she began the process of rebuilding.   Recognizing the vulnerability of her current business model Mohini decided to make a change and refocus her future business on the affluent female client. Although this new focus seemed to energize her it felt close to a paradigm shift in her business model, she would have to rebuild her message and process. 

With much thought and care we developed a message for Mohini that reflected her high level of expertise and focus but also the aspects of the business that she was passionate about, a very different approach from the alternative investment arena.  As planned Mohini began setting up cold meetings with attorneys in the area. Being the perfectionist that she is, Mohini was initially tentative of the new approach and process.  With each meeting her confidence and excitement grew as the response and feedback became more and more positive.  She understood her objective was to leave the center of influence with a clear message as to whom they should be referring to her.  In half of the meetings the recipient was so enthusiastic that they would refer her to another colleague who they felt would be an additional and even better source of referrals.

Mohini had a clear objective to make her mark, to make and leave an impression with the intent of generating a referral and additional contact.  15 contacts led to 23 meetings. By focusing on what was important to her Mohini showed tremendous conviction in her practice as well as in her desire to add value. 

All three of these Advisors are at different stages of their career with a different focus to their practice.  All three of these advisors were struggling to generate the results they were looking for until they were able to clearly identify their objective, display their conviction and at the end of the day they made the calls.  All 3 had what it took to succeed; they were determined, disciplined and willing to make the calls. All 3 were lacking a clear objective, which creates focus for a clear message fueled with your passion and conviction and ultimately moving you to activity.  To be successful you need all 3.

There are two primary prospecting strategies that must be incorporated in order to accelerate the relationship process. You need both Active and Passive Prospecting methods. An Active strategy is when you have an opportunity to speak with someone over the phone, present to them at a seminar or event, talk with them at a networking event and the most effective is meeting with them one on one. Each of these methods can feasibly take a relationship from level 1 to level 4. This is when the iron is hot. The objective lies in maintaining that level four and building from there. If you wait for the next opportunity to call or see the prospect over time that 4 disintegrates and you eventually have to resurrect that relationship, this causes you to constantly back track going two steps forward and one step backwards.

Passive strategies are the most effective method of maintaining the current relationship level and sometimes even enhancing that relationship. The passive strategies eliminate the need to constantly back track from loss of ground. Passive strategies are both critical in maintaining happy and loyal clients but also in elevating your value in the eyes of the prospect. Passive strategies can be newsletters, invitations, articles of interest, announcements. Basically anything mailed or emailed is a Passive Strategy. Can you initiate a relationship and open an account with just passive strategies? no. It is the combination of both Active combined with Passive strategies that have the greatest impact on accelerating the relationship. If you utilize an active strategy to initiate the relationship i.e.; phone call, conversation at a networking event, your relationship has gone from a 1 to a 4. You must IMMEDIATELY begin implementing a passive strategy routine which maintains the current level and leads up to the next Active contact. This allows your next contact with the prospect to effectively move the relationship closer to an 8; opening an account.

Not only can passive strategies elevate your prospecting efforts but passive strategies can easily become automated simplifying your life. By automating your passive strategies this allows you to add tremendous value to both clients and prospects with little effort. Incorporating passive strategies is easy and can be developed in advance allowing you to be more strategic in your process.

If you are really focused on prospecting for new business, and if you have a desire to accelerate the relationships you develop with new acquaintances then just follow the Passive Strategy Action Plan below. By incorporating these two Passive strategies you will immediately begin to reap the benefits of combining both your active and passive strategies to grow your business.

Action Plan:

• Set up Bi monthly emails: Everyone (clients, prospects and leads) get added to this list
  1. Select monthly recap report to send out each month: Provide personal email message that entices the recipient to read the article
  2. Select 1-4 articles that can be sent at the end of each month: These can be typically focused on products and services. Following Adri’s Thematic Wealth Process can make this process more strategic and coordinated.

• Develop a Prospecting Follow up strategy: to be initiated immediately following first meeting or conversation in order to keep the lead WARM
  1. Mailer #1 - Select interesting chart that is simple engaging to be sent to any new prospect immediately following conversation. Attach a personal hand written note and if possible refer to your previous conversation.
  2. Mailer #2 – 5 days after the first mailer send a personal brochure with a note that reminds them of your mission. If a personal brochure is not available another interesting chart or graph can be used. Again a personal note should be attached.
  3. Mailer #3 – For those that incorporate Adri’s Thematic Wealth Process you can send the quarterly Thematic Wealth letter. This quarterly letter will prompt the purpose of another phone call or meeting.
  4. Phone Call: Now is your chance to take the relationship from a 4 to a 5 or a 6. The passive strategies (mailers) should have helped to maintain and even advance the level of the relationship.

• What tangible value do you provide your clients that other financial Advisors are not providing?  (How can you make” trustworthy” a  tangible?)
• If you could make a list of all the tangible ways you add value to your client what would be on that list?

Once we feel comfortable that our clients are receiving consistent and customized value we need to take a look at our marketing and prospecting strategies. In today’s environment there are so many investors who have been passed around from one advisor to the next OR are totally discouraged with the service they are receiving.  Unless you are out there marketing your service and value they will turn to someone new and it won’t be you. So consider your current marketing and prospecting efforts:

• In what ways are you currently getting your name and value in front of new people?
• What are you doing to reach out to every prospect in your data base?(If you don’t have a data base what are you doing to build one?)

If you are having trouble answering these last two questions then odds are you really need help in the next area of focus, administration and operations. More often than not this area of the business can consume even the best Advisor.  Without systems, routines, schedules you will lose hours every day eliminating any time for prospecting and harvesting new business. Although this can seem like an overwhelming problem there are some simple concepts that will quickly increase your efficiency.
Consider the following questions:

• What times do you have scheduled for the daily/weekly administrative and operational issues? (If it’s more than 1-2 hours a day we have a problem)
• How effectively are you delegating this work and to whom? (You may want to ask your assistant this question.)
• How much time each day is spent on administrative service issues? (BE HONEST)

While clients and prospects are on vacation this is your time to plan, strategize and clean up the systems in your business. Come September clients are ready to refocus, prospective clients are more receptive to taking action.  Be sure you have the last 3 productive months (Sept, Oct. & Nov) well planned out to take advantage of all of those investors ready to get back to work.

By making sure your business model is running smoothly you will feel less stress, feel more confident in your daily activities. You will encourage more referrals and introductions while spending more time growing and building instead of just treading water.

I immediately gasped and said “Throw the whole file out!”.

Thinking she heard me wrong she repeated “Throw the whole file out???” I said “YES, lock, stock and barrel.” There was silence.

I explained to her that most if not all of that information is the same ideas and strategies that have been floating around the industry for the past 100 years (okay maybe that’s a mild exaggeration). Certainly some of those ideas may still apply today but most are a reflection of what DID work, I repeat DID work. I shared with her that today’s environment is different, and as long as we continue to solely lean on the methods that used to work we deny ourselves the opportunity to break out and really build something extraordinary and more compelling. I told her that my job is to identify the most effective and creative ways for her to rebuild her business model based on her individual strengths. In addition, my job as her coach is to push her out of her comfort zone in order to try new methods, expand her capabilities, and challenge her in new ways that will ultimately raise her business to a level which surpasses the competition.

These are no doubt challenging times, for many in the industry these are desperate times. This sense of desperation and scrambling to recover causes us to go back to what we know or more than likely KNEW to be true. If I hear one more client tell me their branch manager want’s them to do 250 dials a day I think I will scream. 250 dials a day????? Is that the most effective way to grow a business when trust has been annihilated and caller id is filtering all your calls? Today’s environment calls for MORE. More personal attention, more eye to eye contact, face to face connections. As a Financial Advisor today you need to be in front of people not sitting in a cubicle or office punching numbers and waiting to hear a live person answer the phone. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying making phone calls is passé. What I am saying is: if you’re going to be making calls, you must have more to back it up to support your efforts but, also be implementing more creative strategies that are more conducive to our current environment.

But let me stop right here, this newsletter is NOT about prospecting strategies, this newsletter is more of a WAKE UP call. This month I’m asking, encouraging, almost begging you to recognize that most of you are sitting in your “comfort zone” doing the same activities over and over again yet getting fewer and fewer results. The world has changed, the business is different the industry is evolving before our eyes; the question is, are you? As my guest Betty Robinson shared on this month’s strategy call, “By staying in your comfort zone, by continuing to do the same activities , following the same routines day after day, year after year you will deny yourself the success you desire”. To continue growing, to reach new heights even during turbulent times we must continue to challenge ourselves (and that doesn’t mean just getting yourself into the office each day), we must continue to identify what is working and not working in our business. In order to continue growing we must constantly recognize the changes in our world so that we too can change and adapt. It is this constant growth that continually pushes us out of our comfort zone, that pushes beyond what makes us anxious and sometimes even fearful. It is that same approach that makes our lives fun, our business exhilarating, that keeps us alert, positive and constantly watching for the next opportunity to evolve, change and GROW.

It’s time to shake it up, SHAKE YOU UP. Don’t let another day go by doing the same old activities, following the same old routines. It’s time to try something new to take your business to the next level. Start by applying this simple ACTion Plan. Small steps lead to big discoveries!

Action Plan: ACT

1. ASSESS: Take some time this month and do a complete review of your business growth and business model. Identify those aspects of your business where you are not 100% satisfied with the results you are achieving.

2. CONSTRUCT: Based on each of the areas identified construct a simple plan that will potentially improve the results you are currently achieving. Rank each plan starting with the changes that will have the greatest and potentially quickest impact on the growth of your business. Set realistic deadlines for action and completion.

3. TRY: Put the pedal to the metal and GO. Start taking action.

This past week, while coaching my clients (FA’s like you) the fog seems to be lifting and I’m seeing a pattern in what your clients are looking for and needing. I believe that they too are coming out of the fog. Where a month ago they were still depressed about their financial future this month they are starting to accept the reality and are becoming more receptive to solutions and new ideas. As I thought about this phenomenon I realized something what I consider quite profound and a concept we need to embrace in order to attract more clients with assets going forward. What sells has changed.

In the 80s most all of us (those of my era) built their business selling products. We cold called on stocks, bonds, limited partnerships. If you didn’t have a product you didn’t get a client. In the 90s we moved to Financial Planning. The importance of having a “plan” for our finances became the commodity of choice. We learned to cold call and instead of offering a product or investment we learned to profile and qualify a potential client, gathering the necessary information to create a Financial Plan. So where are we today? We certainly are not cold calling with products like we used to and to be honest most people that have any money in the markets probably have a financial plan. More recently performance became the selling tool of choice. With the onset of the technology boom our ability to open a new account had everything to do with high performance and low fees. But that has ALL CHANGED.

With the scams and ponzie schemes the public is leery of any product calls. Most investors already have a plan and performance, well need I say more? So how do we reach out and attract new clients today? How do we compel them to make a change? How do we get them to recognize that they are not getting what they need and deserve? Service.

85% of clients today are unhappy. Do they blame you for poor performance, that’s tough to do as no one has performed well. What matters today is the value and service you provide your clients on a consistent basis. Most investors are unhappy NOT because their accounts are down in value (as everyone’s accounts are down) but because they have lacked the guidance and communication necessary from their Advisor. The big question is how do you sell service?

There are actually two factors that you must consider in order to really sell your value and market your service. First you must know what your value is and secondly you must announce your value. Let’s break it down:

Define it: Before you can sell it you have to know what it is you provide. Most Advisors struggle to answer this question. Ask yourself, What is the value I provide to my clients on a repetitive consistent basis? The key words being repetitive and consistent. Consider the following:

• How do I communicate to my clients? What is the frequency and method?

• How do I educate my clients on a repetitive basis?

• What is your policy for responding to a client and do you follow it?

• What can clients expect from you when they first open their account?

• How does my team add value to my clients?

In answering these questions you must force yourself to be specific. When I say specific I mean how could you write the answer in a brochure so that it appears as a benefit to doing business with you? Here are a few examples:

• I provide weekly market updates via email

• I host quarterly events with specialists

• I provide monthly conference calls focused on new products and services

• We help you get set up on the on-line access to your accounts

• We provide quarterly progress reports

• You can expect a phone call from us on a monthly, quarterly, annual basis

• We will meet face to face 2 times each year

• You will receive our customized Wealth Binder for your important documents

Are you getting it yet? I wanted to share with you a testimonial from one of my clients. As you will see she now is able to clearly articulate and sell the service and value she provides her clients:

Adri,
Before I started working with you I had no systems, I had no free time, I was unorganized working inefficiently. I now have a consistent and compelling marketing plan.  I send monthly informative emails to all my clients and prospects. I send quarterly newsletters via the US mail.  I have continued to host my events but am more effective in capturing the audience and working the leads.  I am now hosting conference calls for my clients and prospects which has become especially important during these volatile markets.   And last but certainly not least I have implemented your Thematic Wealth Program which helps me reach out to my clients with a purpose on a quarterly basis. This has helped me uncover more assets and opportunities for production.  And what I love the most is that before we implemented all of these systems I had no time, now I have more time and energy to get on the phone and set up meetings with new prospective clients. My systems have truly automated my practice while providing a more personal and compelling touch to my clients. I have not lost 1 client during these challenging markets and I credit that to my new marketing strategy.  ~ Polly Rosenstein, Redstone Financial

MARKET YOUR SERVICE: Once you have defined your service you must learn to market your value. Don’t ever assume clients recognize the many ways you add value. Unless you are constantly reminding them they will take what you provide for granted assuming that every Advisor provides the same. So how do we do this without looking like we are tooting our horn?

• A. Roll it out: Whenever you are incorporating a new service ROLL IT OUT (Drum roll please). You think I’m kidding but I’m not. If you were to start emailing market updates on a weekly basis for example you should send a letter announcing what you are doing, why you are doing it and what will be the benefits to the client. Here is an example:

“Dear Client
As we continue to experience volatile markets it is sometimes difficult to sort through all the noise and drama of the media. Therefore we have made a commitment to provide you with weekly market updates from sources we deem reliable. It is our hope that these weekly updates gives you more clarity as to the current market environment, simplifies your process for deciphering the barrage of news reports and gives you more confidence in your financial future.

• B. Annual Letter: Another method that allows you to remind the clients what you are doing and the value you provide is to give them an annual letter, recapping all of the services you provide and actually ask them of the services which ones they have been able to take advantage of. The most important aspect of this letter is that they are reminded of your value.

Once you have clearly defined your service and value be sure to share this list with every prospective client, especially when you are about to present your fees. Once committed to your service plan be sure to describe all the things that you do in your presentation book, web site and brochure. Tell it every chance you get.

We are experiencing unprecedented times, we must expect that this experience will change the paradigm as to how we do business going forward. Understanding the importance of service and being able to articulate what you provide and the value it brings your clients is going to be a critical component to growing your business. But be careful, whatever programs you decide on you must commit to it. To start and then fail to deliver can be more detrimental than doing nothing at all. Start with one new aspect to your client service model, once it becomes automated and reliably routine then consider adding another to the package. By staggering these new services it gives you additional opportunity to announce your new service and remind both your clients and prospects of the incredible value you provide.

Remember your value will be measured by the service you provide…,,,

I’m mad, I’m frustrated and honestly I’m disappointed with myself. Even I have allowed this environment to start affecting my mood, my perspective, my outlook. And WHAT is that going to do for me? How will that help me provide ideas strategies and solutions to my clients? Last night I spoke with both of my brothers, both of their industries are struggling to survive yet THEY are aggressively moving forward to expand their reach, prospect more broadly and get the word out. Why? Because the competition is NOT. The competition is huddling in the corner and pulling everyone in there with them. Well I’m done and I’m ready to stare down the beast. Millionaires are made during times like these because the weak cower and hide while the bold emerge stronger. The question is which one are you?

My brother Dwight, owns the largest garage door company in Southern California, Mesa Garage Doors. Dwight started with just $500 to buy a set of tools and now dominates the California market place. Over the past 15 years Dwight has been through many market cycles, cycles that could have brought his sales to a complete halt, just like it did for other garage door companies. The difference? When things got tough he got tougher. When revenues decreased his marketing budget increased. When your competition is huddled in the corner cowering from the storm there IS NO COMPETITION.

This recession is a marketing haven for those who get it and want to reap the rewards. You may not see immediate results but the seeds are being planted and soon when the environment turns (and it will) others will be just getting back to business and YOU will be harvesting the rich rewards or months of hard work, months of SMART work.

As a Financial Advisor there are many ways you can be marketing your practice. If you do nothing else these three simple strategies are a MUST:

Bi monthly if not weekly emails and I’m not talking about just attaching a document and off it goes. Forget that. Send an email, make it positive, make it personal, start finding the humor in this current situation. Here is a great example from Dean Billman an FA in Pasadena Calif. who really does a fabulous job making the receiver WANT to read his emails. I receive so many emails but I always open Deans, that first paragraph always makes me smile.

Sample Email:
Waiting a year for the economy to go back up. Living on less per month. Cooking dinner at home. The market went up +149.82 points for a lot of reasons, but we are not pointing to any particular event. You will read the first line below in the news and see some ideas, but with all the billions of dollars already committed and billions of dollars soon to added to the economy, it is only a matter of time for the economy to begin to turn around. In the meantime, get out the crock pot and The Betty Crocker Cookbook. Maybe it will be time again to eat around the kitchen table!

Monthly Workshops in your conference room are being resurrected. I’m talking roll up your sleeves, and let’s get down to business Workshops. For so long we have almost bribed clients and prospects to come to an event because of the food or location. In today’s market, given the right topic they are thirsting for answers, solutions, ideas. Here is a great piece from Patricia Bennett FA at Merrill Lynch and “Marketer Extraordinaire”.

Monthly Real Recovery Workshops:
Beginning in March, we are hosting monthly evening meetings called: Real Recovery Workshops. Various topics will be highlighted each month in addition to summarizing the month’s conference call topics that you may have missed during the month. Many of you said the Thursday at 2pm conference calls were not convenient and this information is just too important to not try to make it accessible for you. Our first workshop will examine how to guaranty you will have cash to spend each month for the rest of your life. Yes, I said guaranty.

Monthly Conference Calls for clients and prospects have become a cost free yet very effective tool in broadening your reach but also enhancing your value to clients and prospects. You can use these calls in a variety of ways all of which cost you nothing and elevate your level of professionalism. Consider some of the following ideas: Interview an internal specialist: A portfolio manager, internal analyst, chief economist are a great resource. Have pre-planned questions that you can ask the guest and just have a conversation.

Bring in an outside resource like an attorney, a CPA or even a life coach or in this market a psychologist. Janice Goldman at Howe Barnes last month held a very successful call with a CPA who talked about how to better prepare yourself for next year’s tax season.

YOU, yes you heard me YOU can be the guest speaker sharing this month’s most commonly asked questions. Your fielding these questions all month long why not reach out and share the questions and your answers. Of all 3 of these strategies this, hearing you is the most effective. Just because your not an expert doesn’t mean you carry less weight with your clients.

Now I know many of you are already saying “No way, compliance will never let me do that.” Or perhaps “I can’t afford to spend more on my business right now.”. Go ahead and continue cowering. Go ahead and keep finding reasons why you can’t succeed.

The Victors in this economy will be the ones who find a way.

The Victors will be the ones who find the solutions.

The Victors will be the ones who stare down the beast and yell “I’M SICK AND TIRED AND I’M JUST NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANY MORE!”

Here’s  to your success!

Here is just one of my new pictures from my NY photo shoot. You will see more popping up on my website and new upcoming products.
If only I could look like that EVERY DAY!

For those of us that are natural optimists keeping ourselves upbeat and positive is a fairly simple undertaking. In fact for those (like myself) that are off the chart optimists this positive perspective can at times be a detriment, preventing us from looking at life realistically. But in the environment we are all experiencing today, whether you are an optimist or a pessimist it is difficult to not think the glass is half empty. We are constantly being bombarded with negativity; it seems there is very little positive news coming from the media. Then on top of the constant barrage of the media we are all dealing with our own personal financial and family issues. Friends being laid off (which as a Financial Advisor is a double edged sword). Retirement goals are being extended, parents losing income. For someone that is not naturally optimistic this kind of environment can be quite detrimental. But there is hope (there is always hope for an optimist).

For years I have read books about the power of positive thinking, starting with Norman Vincent Peale, Tony Robbins, Zig, Brian Tracy and even Joel Olsteen All of these famous authors and motivators basically say the same things, just with a different spin or perspective and yet we continue to buy their books. We continue to search for the answer to that utopian world. Each of these authors have tips and suggestions, all similar, leading to the same positive end yet different, based on their style and position. So what is the answer? Keep reading. Yes you heard me keep reading these books.

The law of attraction or the power of positive thinking is not something that you read about and then poof it happens. This way of thinking comes from constant repetition. Continually reading about the power of positive thinking, the impact it can have on your business, your life, your family, your future. To make it work (and it does) you must be practicing the tips, strategies and exercises all the time. It must become a part of your life like brushing your teeth or eating. This is the real secret. So many people talk about it, agree that it can have an impact but what are they doing every day to reinforce the message? What activities are they incorporating into their lives that help to combat the constant harassment from the media, the news, the newspapers?

Now is the time to really begin focusing on implementation. Even I have recently incorporated more of the recommended strategies to keep me fresh, to keep me focused, to keep me balanced in a world that often seems out of balance. Here are a few personal examples:

Recently I experienced a very down day and those that I would normally turn to were unavailable or not reachable. I remember this intense feeling of gloom causing me to be distracted and unfocused. It seemed nothing could remove me from this hovering gloom. So as I sat on the floor in our den I thought about all the suggestions I had read about. Suggestions to keep a positive attitude. This was not something I had to spend a lot of time doing on a regular basis as my optimistic personality rarely required the boost but, that day was different. So I began to say what I was grateful for. I spoke out loud to myself and listed just three things in my life that I felt good about. I can tell you with 100% confidence that this simple little exercise had an immediate impact on my attitude. Soon after my daughter came to the room, knowing the state I was in, and inquired how I was doing. I looked up at her and said “Broghan, I’m fine, I’m really fine now.” She could see that these weren’t just words but I truly was fine again.

• 1. What exercise do you use to pull yourself out of a “funk”?  As I sit here at my desk, hanging from my lamp is my affirmation statement. An affirmation statement can help you to constantly remind yourself of what is important to you and what you want to achieve. If you can perceive it you will achieve it. Here is my affirmation statement:“I run a million dollar practice that inspires and motivates others to achieve their true and unlimited potential”

• 2. What is your affirmation statement and where is it?  On the wall next to my desk is my Vision Board. This was an exercise I did with our 4 teenage daughters over the Christmas break. We watched the Secret on DVD then we each created our own vision board, cutting out pictures from magazines. Looking at this everyday reminds me of where I am going, the life I choose to lead and the future I will create. This is different from my affirmation statement as it has to do with many aspects of my life from vacations, lifestyle, attitude etc…..I’ve left enough room on this board so that I can continue to add to it.

• 3. What does your vision board look like?  Beside my bed are a variety of books, all positive in nature; Dr. Wayne Dyer – The Power of Intention; Jesus, Life Coach by Laurie Beth Jones and the most recent is The 4 Day Diet by Dr. Ian K Smith, which spends 4 chapters talking about mindset, goal setting and visioning. I may only read 1 page of these books at night before I go to sleep but sometimes with consistency that is all you need.

• 4. What books are on your bedside table?  Success in life comes when we are achieving our best in all aspects of our lives. Success is knowing you are living the life you choose and continue to appreciate each and every moment.

I would love to hear from YOU how you keep yourself positive on a regular basis, what is it you do for yourself to maintain your focus and optimistic attitude in a world full of doom and gloom. I’d like to know HOW DO YOU KEEP THE GLASS HALF FULL?

I hope when I am 77 I will continue to get the same interest regardless of what I have to say!

I’m sitting here in the Chicago airport after three days at the Financial Advisor Symposium. As an exhibitor with a booth my goal was to draw the attention of as many Advisors as possible. Most of the exhibitors have done this many times before and had all the apparatus for a 3 dimensional cool looking booth with cute little cachkiesto give away, from miniature rubber barrels of oil to chip clips and pens. This was my first time doing this and I had no desire to provide a little gismo that really had no significance and actually cost me money. If I was going to invest in attracting potential clients I had to do something that got noticed as well as being relevant to what I do for clients.

Many of you have heard my presentation on the brown bag vs. the Tiffany’s box. For those that have been denied let me clarify. It is my feeling that most Advisors walk around with an old brown bag, worn and wrinkled. In this brown bag are all the products and services they can provide a client. In this brown bag is how they present themselves to a potential client, usually in a very generic manner. The brown bag is not attractive and certainly not organized but that symbolizes how most Financial Advisors present themselves as well as their capabilities. My goal as a business coach to Financial Advisors is to take what you have in that old brown bag, take what is inside of you, your values, strengths, skills and interest and create a new marketing package that is as attractive and draws as much attention as a Tiffany’s box.

So as you can see from the picture of my booth I purchased approximately 15 small crystal bowls from Tiffany’s. Don’t get too excited, they were beautiful little bowls but only $30 each. In fact if you sign up and become a Tiffany’s Business Client (which costs you nothing) you receive a 15% discount on all purchases. This brought my cost down to $25.50 per bowl. I didn’t give these away for free. I stacked them attractively on my table in a pyramid style which immediately got the attention of anyone passing by. As Advisors came over to inquire (many times practically lassoed by me) about the Tiffany’s Boxes I used that as my chance to share with them my experience as a coach. I held up an old brown paper bag and began to explain my story. I would then ask if they were interested in winning a Tiffany’s Box. Although many were hesitant, their curiosity got the best of them. I explained that in the small brown bag were five laminated cards each with a different question. An example of some of the questions were:

• How do you add value to your client in a way that sets you apart from the competition?

• Describe your client process in a clear and compelling manner?

• What specifically is your investment philosophy?

For those willing to chance walking away with a Tiffany’s Box they would pick a card from the bag. I would then read the question to them allowing about 10 seconds for them to respond clearly and in a manner that compelled me to want to learn more. I had a little gizmo that played the Jeopardy wait music. 80-90% of those that gave it a try failed miserably. They used similar vocabulary, generic phrases and had very little uniqueness to their message. However, there were a few that surprised me and really understood the concept of niche marketing. Yet, even those that walked away with a Tiffany’s gift needed some buffing and polishing but what a difference in their message.

Not only was I able to attract a large number of Advisors to my booth but, those that won received their Tiffany’s gift in a large Tiffany’s gift bag and as they walked around the conference they continued to market me and my booth. I had people coming up saying, “Oh you’re the Tiffany’s booth, I’ve heard about you!” I even had a number of exhibitors, especially my neighbors who finally asked “What is in the boxes?”

Lastly, when the Advisor realized how they could have presented themselves in a more compelling manner I encouraged them to sign up for my upcoming “Creating Your Tiffany’s Box” teleconference program. I enticed them to my booth with my Tiffany’s Boxes. I engaged them in the process through the game. As a result of the game they recognized their weakness and the impact this has on the growth of their business and I had a way to immediately capitalize on this experience with a program that would give them a taste of what I do and how I can help them.

This is an example of what I want you as an Advisor doing to market your business. Not only was this a highly effective method for attracting attention but my Mom and I had tons of fun. As you consider your opportunities to market your practice, event’s emails, or community activities, do something different, something that sets you apart but is meaningful and purposeful. Do something that gets noticed and then be prepared to capture their interest and take that interest to the next level.

Here’s to your success!

After participating in my daughter’s workshop I was inspired. Watching these kids openly declare their destructive behaviors and embrace their new more positive behaviors was a once in a lifetime experience. Watching this presentation made me recognize that all of us have behaviors or attitudes that we bring into our own lives with out ever questioning why. These are not attitudes we were born with these are attitudes we learned. These same attitudes drive our behaviors many times creating destructive and unproductive behaviors. Even in our business world there are attitudes, rules, protocol that we learned that are not in line with who we are what we believe and are certainly not conducive to growing the business. Let me give you a few examples.

Perhaps you are one of those people who must get everything checked off your list by the end of the day. The list may contain tasks and items that will have really no impact on the growth of your business but you learned that everything must be completed to be a good person, a good Advisor. At some point this attitude or concept starts getting in the way of growth, starts impeding our ability to grow because there is just not enough time. And yet the behavior continues.

Another attitude might be “If you want something done right you have to do it yourself”. How many of you can relate to this one? This rule very quickly leads to an inability to delegate and without delegation we are limited to what we can accomplish. Another attitude which is rather common with Financial Advisors, “Sales is cheap and sleazy”. The concern about being sleazy and sales like creates tremendous hurdles to opening accounts and doing business. But, when I am able to get the Advisor to recognize that without closing the business they can never help this person, then am I able to get them to be more assertive in their presentation.

I could go on for pages describing those “rules” that we live by yet really make no sense but it’s something that was engrained in our heads and hard to shake. But if those teenagers can rid themselves of their behaviors that were impeding their growth in life so can we, especially being the mature, educated adults that we are. Here are three simple steps that you can do that will begin the process of reinventing yourself, your attitudes and your ability to achieve success not just in your business but in your life. These 3 simple steps can be applied to every aspect of your life.

When I first became a Financial Advisor the attitude I learned was He who works the most hours wins. Meaning he who comes in the earliest and stays the latest will be the most successful Financial Advisor. This concept did NOT sit well with me at all and really went against every belief in my body. First of all I didn’t have the long hours to spend because I was a single Mom with three young children to care for. Secondly I always believed that I was capable of working harder and smarter than most people around me. Therefore I built my business working 8 hours a day, I didn’t work weekends and every once in a while worked an evening, not because of protocol but because there was a specific need. There was definitely no fluff time in my day but by doing things in a way that were in line with MY attitude and beliefs I was able to surpass all my peers and build a great practice.

Now it’s your turn, look at your own practice and follow these next four steps to determine if you are truly working towards achieving YOUR true potential or are your actions driven by someone else’s attitudes.

1. Take a Behavior Inventory:

The first step is to look at the behaviors that continually delay our progress, that continually cause us angst or seem to add more stress to our lives. You know which ones they are, these are typically the behaviors that we are constantly trying to overcome. Perhaps some of our struggles are:

• Making our 50 cold calls a day

• The need to feel overwhelmed and stressed with work

• The need to feel busy vs productive

• Working long hours and neglecting family

All of these behaviors are driven by attitudes, the question is where did you learn these attitudes and are these attitudes still relevant in today’s world, in your world?

2. Do an Attitude Assessment:

What are the attitudes that are driving our behaviors? Where did these attitudes come from? Who did we learn them from? Are they really in line with our attitudes today? Are they really relevant in our current lives? How are these behaviors impeding our ability to grow and achieve our goals?

• Making 50 calls – is this really the most effective way to grow your business

• The need to feel overwhelmed – if your not stressed your probably not working hard

• The need to feel busy – If I’m not busy all day long I wont be successful

• I work these long hours FOR my family

3. Rewrite the Rules:

As you consider these attitudes or “rules” we live by change them, rewrite them so that they work in your life.

• My time is best spent getting in front of 5 new people a week regardless of how I do it.

• When I am relaxed and not stressed I am more effective and productive

• I should focus on what I do best and delegate the rest

• I am more productive when I have a healthy balance between work and family

4. Have a Burning Ceremony:

Once you have determined that these attitudes or behaviors are contrary to the way you want to live your life prepare for a burning ceremony. A burning ceremony is just one way of physically declaring you are done with the past attitudes and are committed to embracing the new rules and attitudes and behaviors.

• Create an affirmation statement that lists the new rules that you will live by.

• Have a burning ceremony where you announce to your family or friends your new discovery and by burning the paper describing the attitude you are eliminating it’s impact on your life.

I know this may sound dramatic but have fun with it. Trust me if this is your attitude and it has had a negative impact on the growth of your life and business your kids will have picked this up and will be headed down the same path. Openly acknowledge this attitude, recognize and share where this attitude came from. Clarify that this attitude no longer has a place in your life and you will be more apt to implement and maintain the change. The change to more positive and productive behaviors that will lead to a more successful satisfying life and practice.

Unless we act boldly these attitudes will prevail, the choice is yours.

Here’s to your success!