Of all the productivity tips I’ve learned and shared over the years, time-blocking has had the biggest impact – on me and on others with whom I’ve shared it. Perhaps you’ve heard the expression, “If you don’t plan your day, your day will plan you.” Time-blocking is a great way to plan your day (or week) in advance to get the big things done. I’ve also heard it referred to as timeboxing or creating a “model day.” Like most of you, my introduction to the concept was from Stephen Covey. […]
Some of our readers may remember when email was still so rare that it was actually exciting to hear the AOL voice say, “You’ve got mail!” People even sought out fun email notifications. Of course, as email usage grew rapidly, we had to mute our computers to avoid the annoying “ding” of email notifications. But even then, there’s the constant checking – for some it’s become an addiction! How can we be productive when we spend so much time checking our email? Given that we can’t pull the plug on […]
“I just can’t seem to get anything done.” “As soon as I start, something pulls me away.” “Why can’t I just stay focused?” Sound familiar? Our desire to be always available and always in-the-know can leave us feeling attacked on all sides by a barrage of information vying for our attention. But by allowing ourselves to be so easily distracted, we damage our own ability to think. One study found that those who are persistently interrupted by emails and phone calls had a 10-point reduction in IQ – more than […]
Our last two posts (Stop Touching Your Clients and The Ways and Means of Client Communication) emphasized the importance of being intentional in your client communications. As we prepare to enter a new calendar year, take time to plan when you will communicate with your clients. Here are three simple ways to do that. 1. Create a plan for the new year. Start with a calendar and pick the days you want to commemorate with clients. Most advisors and planners provide some type of holiday greeting at Thanksgiving or in […]
Last week we wrote about why and when you should reach out to your clients. One of the points we made was that just because you think something is important doesn’t mean your clients do as well. The same is true for how you reach out to your clients. Just because a certain type of communication works for you doesn’t mean that’s how your clients want to hear from you. Let’s discuss some of the ways and means of client communication: Group messaging through newsletters, email or social media. A broadcast […]
Perhaps the one piece of marketing advice that annoys us the most is that you must “touch” your clients X many times in a year. We have yet to meet someone who said, “Oh, you should work with my advisor, he ‘touches base’ with me every month!” Similarly, we’ve never heard of the magical “12th touch” that pushes a client into the category of “extremely satisfied” and leads to an avalanche of referrals. Keep in mind that your advice is the product, and your service is the wrapper. Your clients […]
When we work with new (or newer) financial advisors, there are three themes we hear consistently: I never feel like I know enough. I want to help people, but when I talk about what I do, I always feel like a sleazy salesperson. I wish I had others I could talk to. The Imposter – For many younger advisors, it’s not easy to give advice to people the same age as your parents or grandparents. Couple that with the fear that you just don’t “know enough,” and it can be […]
Are you ready for it? You know, the question that always comes when you are just getting to know someone in a new group in your community. The one that goes like this: “So…what do you do for work?” Many advisors stumble or are less effective than they want to be when someone asks about their work. Sometimes they’ll launch into a “value proposition” because that’s what they were trained to say. Or they’ll simply respond with, “I’m a financial advisor,” and expect that the other person will know exactly […]
Last week we wrote that one key to success with community involvement is joining a group that you would join if even if you weren’t a financial advisor. Another key to success is finding ways to demonstrate the characteristics that people value in a financial advisor. What are those characteristics? Here are a few: Good communication skills Pleasant demeanor Care and concern for others Honesty/trustworthiness Willingness and ability to get things done When others observe those characteristics in your community involvement, they’ll assume that’s what they would see in you as […]
Community involvement can be one of the easiest ways to grow your network. Rather than reaching out to new prospects one by one, getting involved with community organizations connects you with groups of people with similar interests. The key is to get involved with groups that you would join even if you weren’t a financial advisor. If your heart’s not in it, it’ll show. I’m loosely defining “group” as an entity where there’s a unifying purpose. It doesn’t have to be a purpose with a capital “P.” Rather, something as […]
