137 This Is Why Most CFP®-ers Are Terrible Helpers
You’re smart, motivated, and hard working. So you figure you have everything it takes to help people. Right?
Well, not quite.
To explain why, let’s do a little quiz. Let’s see how you do:
All Posts by Ronald Sier
89 This is Why Most CFP®-ers Don’t Rev People’s Decision-Engine
Let me ask you a question first.
Why do you think people buy your service?
Many people believe that buying decisions are fairly logical. Your prospect adds up the cost and benefits of your service, compares it with others, and chooses the service with the better score.
We like to think that a client’s decisions are conscious and deliberate. Although certainly there are rational components to many of your client’s decisions and actions, there’s another force that makes things happen.
113 Why SMALL Steps Have a BIG Impact on Your Financial Planning Prospects
It’s okay. You can admit it.
When you ask yourself how many prospects you really have for your financial planning business, you mostly tell yourself an exaggerated story.
Why? Because the real answer might be embarrassing.
You keep meaning to work on getting more people interested in your financial planning service – and you’ve read plenty of tips on how to do it – but in truth, your prospect-list has barely changed.
Unfortunately, when different experts give you contrasting tips, you can struggle to know which tip to follow.
Fortunately, surefire, simple and scientifically proven shortcuts exist. And no one has probably told you about them.
2 The Financial Planning Marketing Conundrum (and what to do about it)
It’s the Advice Marketing conundrum.
You want leads. They need advice.
Why doesn’t it all just come together?
Of all the problems most financial planners, accountants and brokers I speak to would love to solve, consistent, great quality leads is up there.
To create a flow of leads that means you can invest more time back into advising, instead of worrying where the next opportunity is coming from, drinking a thousand coffees with potential strategic partners or waiting for clients to refer through.
To be able to connect easily with people who don’t come questioning, but instead know who you are and how you help.
Great clients who come into your office whispering the magic words, “I know who you are. I know what you do. I’m here to talk to you about whether you can help me”
For the most part, though it doesn’t work like that, and the reason is this.
13 Duct Tape Metaphors for Financial Planners: How to Make Your Message Stick
Financial planning is like the Antique Road Show. It's real value, but people don't realize it at first.
Financial planning is like the Antique Road Show. It's real value, but people don't realize it at first.Many masterful communicators such as Einstein and Aristotle have harnessed the power of metaphor to effectively persuade and inform.
Metaphors allow you to make the complex simple and the controversial palatable. Conversely, metaphors allow you to create extraordinary meaning out of the seemingly mundane.
8 Here’s What Financial Planners Can Learn From LEGO About Solving Problems
Are you a good driver?
If you’re like most people, you probably think you’re a better-than-average driver.
181 Here’s What Financial Planners (CFP) Can Learn From Top FBI Hostage Negotiators About Creating Magical Connections In Less Than 45 Minutes
And even create more powerful relationships than many other lifelong friendships.
20 How People Talk About Financial Planners (and what to do about it)
Positioning Financial Planners
It’s the question you secretly dread:
“So, what do you do for a living?”
You should be delighted that someone’s showing an interest in your passion.
But the problem is, you’ve been here before. You know how it ends.
Pushing your doubts aside, you launch into an explanation, all the while waiting for that inevitable moment…
That moment when her eyes glaze over and you can practically read her thoughts.
She’s wishing she’d never asked.
She forces a smile. “I guess it’s nice to be a financial planner.”
And a tiny part of your dream dies.
So what’s the problem here? Is it you, or people’s opinions about financial planning?
If you’re struggling to spark people’s interest in our beautiful profession too, there’s a good chance it’s both.
But fortunately for you, there’s a simple solution…
65 How Financial Planners Can Use Guarantees To Build Trust
How Financial Planners Can Use Guarantees To Build Trust
Build trust as a Financial Planner
Imagine grabbing a cab.
Picture yourself sitting on the back seat and looking at the taxi meter. Don’t you hate watching the taxi meter going up, knowing that every extra inch of the way is costing you?
Why do you hate this?
It’s because of the pain you are suffering. Not the physical pain of course, but rather an activation of the same brain areas associated with physical pain.
Now, picture your client paying an hourly financial planning fee. Is it any different?
How Financial Planners Ought To Help To Pay Off Debt (it makes you cringe, but it works)
Can I be painfully honest with you for a moment?
Not thank-God-he-told-me honesty, where somebody points out you have spinach on your teeth.
No, I’m talking about the sucker-punch-straight-to-the-face brand of honesty.
It’s brutal. It’s ugly. It’s unexpected.
In fact, I’ve been holding off telling you this. So, out of respect for you, I want to tell you the truth.
And I can almost guarantee you will NOT enjoy it.
So here it is.
You know how you’ve been helping your clients with their debt-issues? Tried everything, and it’s just not working, right?
Well, it’s not because you haven’t found the right debt repayment structure. It’s not because of some easy budgeting tricks. It’s not because of the way you’re dealing with debt collectors.
It’s because you’re giving the wrong advice.