10 Keys to Becoming (and Remaining) a Successful Financial Advisor
September 25, 2012 11:27 AM
10 Keys to Becoming (and Remaining) a Successful Financial Advisor
After working under one of the most successful advisors in our industry, Matthew Halloran took time, studied, read, and reviewed all of the top financial advisors he worked with over the years and found these ten things are the keys to being a top advisor.
Matthew Halloran, MS, Certified Coach is the President and Founder of Top Advisor Coaching, a company that coaches advisors to become the best they can be using their own skills, tools, and talents. Be your best, not a clone of another. www.topadvisorcoaching.com
Matthew Halloran, MS, Certified Coach is the President and Founder of Top Advisor Coaching, a company that coaches advisors to become the best they can be using their own skills, tools, and talents. Be your best, not a clone of another. www.topadvisorcoaching.com
1. Great Advisors Take Great Care of Themselves
Advisors who have achieved real success do not ever forget about the need to take good care of themselves. Eating healthy and a regular workout routine keep the mind and body sharp. Some would say they are self-centered when it comes to this, but if you as the top advisor are not healthy, it impacts all those you employ and your clients who trust you are on the top of your game.
2. Maintain a Clear Vision
Advisors who find long term success know exactly where they want to go in life, all the way to the end. They know what needs to be done to truly live that vision. Writing it out and recording your vision in your own voice is a great way to program your mind to success. Top advisors use this technique to remind themselves of their vision daily. This keeps them focused and allows them to push through when things get hard.
3. Remain Focused
Yes, top advisors work hard, really hard. They work a lot, but it is very focused work. Yes they need to have vision and take good care of themselves physically and mentally, but they live for what they do. They work before everyone else is up. Come on, you know the saying the early bird and so on.
4. Make Mistakes
Falling down only means you have another chance to get up. Failure means you have a humble way to remind yourself you are human and there is something to learn from the failure. All successful advisors do not dwell on failures or mistakes; they learn and try hard not to make that mistake again.
5. Control Your Time
A great advisor does not let their day control them; they have to take control of it. Successful advisors will block out their day so they can spend the right amount of time on each task. They close their door; turn off their phone and email notifications empower them. They feel in control of their day. One of the best ways they control that time is they have the right processes in place to know when things leave their hands they will be processed correctly and efficiently.
6. Find a Coach, Not a Consultant
Great advisors have been through every consulting program out there. They glean what they find important from each and implement the important details into their practice (and their life). Now, they have a coach because they know they have the tools to be successful; they do not need to be clones of another anymore. They focus on becoming the best they can be; only a great coach can help you with that.
7. Learning Never Stops
Top advisors are voracious learners, they have multiple designations, licenses, and take time each day practicing and studying their craft. Their day begins with reading. This gets them into the mindset needed to focus all day. Your clients want an advisor who is well read on current issues and ideas.
8. Master the Art of Delegation
Everyone needs someone in their corner that can take care of the minutia. This can be a spouse, partner, or an assistant. All successful people do not get there without the support structure to allow them to focus on what they do best. They know what delegation really means. Delegation means you are able to totally hand off that responsibility to someone who can truly do it better than you. Delegation is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of intelligence. Delegation is not losing control; it is a sign of real control.
9. Have a Brand
Top advisors have the best brand they can sell, because it is them to their core. All great advisors have a successful brand that they can spout off at a moment's notice. It is in their DNA. They have a story of why they do what they do and how they do it. It is something they are proud of and ready to say. They believe in their process, because it is structured and works, it is totally in line with their brand.
10. Give Back
This can take the form of charity, mentoring, great benefits to their employees and team members. No matter what form it is, a truly great and successful advisor gives back.
Matthew Halloran, MS, Certified Coach is the President and Founder of Top Advisor Coaching, a company that coaches advisors to become the best they can be using their own skills, tools, and talents. Be your best, not a clone of another. www.topadvisorcoaching.com
Matthew Halloran, MS, Certified Coach is the President and Founder of Top Advisor Coaching, a company that coaches advisors to become the best they can be using their own skills, tools, and talents. Be your best, not a clone of another. www.topadvisorcoaching.com
