Many financial advisors do not prospect consistently, because they experience Sales Call Reluctance — which is fear of self-promotion. If you are experiencing Sales Call Reluctance, you have choices to solve your prospecting problem. 1) Hire someone else to make your prospecting calls. A small...

The theme of uniqueness keeps bombarding us from all directions in just about all the media and marketing that comes our way.  Ironically, the majority of businesses keep making remarkably similar statements that they are different, they are better than their competitor and they are unique. Obviously it...

You’re sitting in your office after promising yourself yesterday that you would start making prospecting calls today . . . and you reach for the phone and you stop. . . you suddenly remember you need to make a dental appointment, then you remember your dog is overdue for grooming, then it hits you that...

STOP trying to patch holes in your practice – there are no magic bullets. START with the end in mind. Step back and envision what your business will look like in 3-5 years then build a plan, find the right partners to make it happen. Makeover your business and never look back! DO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT...

How important is a clear vision in helping financial advisors get really focused towards their pursuit of success? My experience in working with hundreds of financial advisors is that many of them feel that articulating a clear vision is not warranted because it does not drive direct results. It’s...

Every year I have the privilege of travelling across the country twice–in November and January–to host the Distinguished Advisor Workshops for tax and financial advisors who require continuing education credits and updating for their professional practices. This teaching tour always ends with...

Do the words Twitter, Facebook and Blogging make you nervous? Have you thought about increasing your online presence to capture a new market but aren’t sure where to start? Staying up-to-date with the latest trends in technology when marketing and selling insurance may seem overwhelming and...

In forming relationships with prospects, do you lack assertiveness?  Do you constantly seek approval?  Do you lack the ability to close a sale?  These symptoms point to a costly form of call reluctance that may well be the Achilles’ heel of the sales industry. Jon has been in sales for nearly 12...

As 2009 draws to an end, the “list” making begins. One of the most outrageous I’ve seen includes the Top 10 Most Annoying Alarm Clocks. So, in the spirit of list making, I thought I’d compile my own. Here are my Top 10 Favorite Personal Finance Blogs of 2009 (in no particular...

You may assume it’s only natural to think angry or contemptuous thoughts when someone tries to “sell” you.  This is a trap.  Don’t do it.  It’s essential to your own prospecting success that you view salespeople from a positive or at least a neutral position.  Here’s...