“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”  asked Alice.
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
—Lewis Carroll

If you’re strapped for time and want more of that precious commodity, here’s a trap you must avoid.

Google can be great. You can find information on practically anything. You can get useful information you need right now. That’s a real timesaver.

This spontaneous interview is one advisor’s take on the troubling conflict of interest issue which is so prevalent in the financial industry. Bill is a holistic fee-only financial advisor and he’s telling me about how his colleagues avoid conflicts of interest.

The Top Six Cost-Effective Referral Activities for Financial Advisors

I recently attended a Marketing Forum given by the FPA of Michigan. Many topics were discussed, among them how to get referrals. Being especially interested in this topic I took some notes and here they are.

I made a big, stupid marketing mistake. The only solace I can take is that most service pros, maybe even you, have made this mistake.

In a previous article I described how a business coach acts as your sounding board, your motivator and friend to guide you to the outcomes you want. Sometimes a financial advisor coach helps you dig down deep inside yourself to take courageous action.

Here’s a real-life example of how that looks in action.

Why are happy clients a gold mine? Because they’ll refer to you if you ask them.

We all know the value of a referral. You’re not spending your time cold calling. Referrals are warm. You can design your referral system so that you attract your ideal clients.

Closing sales is much easier because referrals are pretty much presold on your merits.

One of the most important assets for a business owner to own is good communication skills. An independent financial advisor must not only know how to communicate with clients, but they must also communicate effectively with employees and industry peers. Communicating is the process of relaying a specific message, directive, or intent effectively.

I remember when I used to jump at everything anyone thought was urgent—the daily assault of e-mail requests and offers, visitors dropping by for a friendly chat, the ringing phone from people wanting anything except to hire me, that article I stumbled upon while surfing the web that I just might use…someday.

It’s a fickle world in the financial advisor industry. One of the most important things you need to have as an independent financial advisor is a constant love for change and the ability to cope with every single bit of it. Demanding as it is, this obsession for information is what separates the high-earning financial advisors from the rest.