Get Your Year in Gear “A 12 Week Campaign for Your 2012 Strong 1^st Quarter Launch”

12 Key Strategies for Your Success

More Profit in Less Time, with Less Stress and More Joy

Welcome back, for Week 12

Maintain great balance between work, rest, and play

This strategy is more outcome than strategy. It results from implementing the other strategies.

Post 911, 2001, many of us started more seriously asking ourselves and others, “what’s really important here?” or “when all is said and done, what really counts, in the end?” Given our most important priorities in life, why does the tyranny of the urgent often trump what we hold dear?

When potential clients inquire about our coaching services, I often start by first asking, “What, for you, constitutes a great life, a fulfilling life and a life well-lived? And how is your business practice and professional life set up, designed and run to serve you well to have that great life?”

Over the years, we have received very positive feedback on that approach and process. Many clients have reported the lasting impact for them and their loved ones on the quality of their lives.

Click here for your “Maintain Great Balance Between Work, Rest, and Play Workbook”

Then click here, for your “Quality of Life Self-Assessment Checklist”

A little over 2 years ago, to the stunning surprise of my family, friends and doctors, I was totally blindsided by a major cardiac event that I was extremely fortunate to survive. It made me think.

During the weeks that followed, I shared a few ideas with the many family and friends I knew. I gathered my reflective thoughts to be an additional source of relevant value and interest for them.

Here are some practical lessons I advocated then. For many of you, these may be obvious:

•           Learn to relax more and actually take time to do so. It’s more creative and productive.

•           If you don’t take care of your body, you won’t have a body to take care of.

•           In order to fully engage in our lives, we also need time to fully disengage/chillax.

•           Seek out multiple, credible, diverse opinions from best sources you can access.

•           Once you have determined for yourself what your standards need to be, commit to be.

•           Take all the help you can get – and do so for others – then set up and stick to your plan.

•           Get all your legal, financial, insurance documents reexamined and updated, as needed.

What gets scheduled, gets done. Timeless truth. If it’s not on your calendar, it’s unlikely to be.

That especially includes Exercise to Energize Time – click here for more details

And for more ideas about Making Great Use of Your Time and Your Life, click here.

Two known authors in the financial services industry have summarized biz/QOL this way:

Steve Moeller from American Business Visions and author of Effort-less Marketing for Financial Advisors says it’s “5 Steps to a Super-Profitable Business and a Wonderful Life”

Ron Carson and Steve Sanduski, co-authors of Tested in the Trenches, say “Build a Great Financial Services Practices AND a Great Life Filled with Passion, Purpose & Enthusiasm”

Bonus suggestion – recommended book/reading, for you and your clients?

Life Balance: How to Convert Professional Success into Personal Happiness (Ultimate Consultant Series)

Publication Date: April 21, 2003

“A popular aphorism suggests that in the end, no one ever regretted not spending more time in the office. Yet during our lives and careers we often seem to confuse our priorities, shifting our focus so that we end up with clients whom we know extremely well and families who are de facto strangers. In this book, widely renowned consultant Alan Weiss – cited as “a worldwide expert in executive education” in Success Magazine—tells how to blend life, work, and relationships in a way that will help anyone to work smarter and live better.”

That’s it for this week – yes, let’s talk again soon – best in coming days. See you next week!!

Get Your Year in Gear “A 12 Week Campaign for Your 2012 Strong 1^st Quarter Launch”

12 Key Strategies for Your Success

More Profit in Less Time, with Less Stress and More Joy

Welcome back, for Week 11

Effectively manage your finances and cash flow

First of all, let me start with this statement – I wish the heck I had heard about this a whole lot earlier in my life – decades ago would have been good – and then got trained – beyond helpful, IMO – here we are.

I believe that we are all hearing more and more amplified talk about money these days – the stressed economy, the lack of jobs, the raging political debates, the social services resources needed, etc, etc – money is non-discriminatory and no one is exempt. Many ask, as they now do their taxes – what do we most need to learn and master and from whom and where shall we learn and develop these systems/skills?

As I think we all know, the way we handle (or don’t handle) our finances can either bless us or it can kill us. Will we have money or will money have us? If we have no margin, we have no mission. It’s kind of like air – we really know that it’s not there if it is missing. Like everything else, it all goes much better when we have systems in place. Probably obvious by now, yes?

In the professional consulting world, many experts cite relationships and money to be the two most challenging and important areas of life to master, stressing the indisputable upsides of having it well handled and the huge, incredibly distraught downside of being ignorant and inept in these 2 critical areas.

It is a fact that, after 3-4 years, 90 out of 100 new businesses fail. Bank Managers and the Small Business Administration tell us that the reason is because they don’t manage their finances well. After 10 years, only one out of 100 new business will remain. Why? Lack of financial control.

So, let’s start by identifying 7 STEPS FOR MAINTAINING FINANCIAL CONTROL

1 Create Budgets [on a personal and professional basis]

2 Create Monthly Management Accounts

3 Look at your Financial Results

4 Make Course Corrections

5 Get your Prices Right

6 Reduce Debt

7 Create Reserves

The benefits to incorporating these new habits are:

_ Increased sense of control

_ Increased self-esteem and self-confidence

_ Significant drop in stress levels

For more details, click here for your “CONTROL YOUR FINANCES Workbook”

Then click here, for your two page “Financial Health Checklist for Individuals”

To serve ourselves and others well in this mission-critical, quality of life area, how do we get our sustainable systems and structures in place? Built to Last, if you will? Based upon much personal experience, as well as observing many others over the years, I suggest you get and take all the support you can access. Courses, mentors, coaches, programs, etc, etc, over and over again, to relentlessly persist and make sure that this happens, no matter what, period, exclamation points!!

This is the area of life in which so many people and businesses rise and fall, big-time. I have discovered that many financial services professionals suffer as well, even though they are in the industry full-time and are paid to help others succeed here. Plumbers & leaky faucet syndrome??

Given the “whatever it takes to get it done” spirit that I envision you personify and your “in your heart of hearts” commitment for your clients best interests, I salute, encourage and support you.

Bonus suggestion – recommended book/reading, for you and your clients?

Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence: Revised and Updated for the 21st Century

That’s it for this week – yes, let’s talk again soon – best in coming days. See you next week!!

Get Your Year in Gear “A 12 Week Campaign for Your 2012 Strong 1^st Quarter Launch”

12 Key Strategies for Your Success

More Profit in Less Time, with Less Stress and More Joy

Welcome back, for Week 10

Refine and hone your Professional Sales/Presentation Process

To begin, click here for your “REFINE YOUR SELLING SKILLS Workbook”

Then click here, for your one page “Ethical Selling Principles” prompt sheet aid

Going Deeper into Discovery

“The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything” – Stephen M.R. Covey

The Power of Discovery

Perhaps one of the most important components of your business and one of the aspects that will distinguish you is the role of comprehensive discovery. Discovery is not just about asking questions and not just about filling our data forms. It’s about gaining trust. Then it’s about deeper discovery.

Deeper in Discovery

As Dale Carnegie once said: “You want to be interesting? Be interested.”

Effective mastery of the use of our language is central to our professional lives

Language influences discussions, which influences relationships, which influences business flow

Start from position being an educator and a trusted advisor – you are on the same side of table.

4 core steps for each meeting, as you interview and gain insights:

1. Eliminate the issues that don’t pertain to you
2. Identify issues you feel you already addressed
3. Prioritize the remaining issues
4. Action steps and time frames

You are looking to see what to rule out and what to rule in – going for root causes. Work to structure your questions to identify key values, goals, concerns and critical predispositions with regard to their current situation, future, feelings and family dynamics. Then systematically identify and prioritize top 2-3 issues to work on next, with and for your client. Keep in mind where client is today and where they need to be, given their vision, needs, core values and financial situation.

Benefits of Values Based Selling questions for deeper discovery:

• Lays the groundwork for greater trust.
• Starts with authentic, sincerely caring engagement.
• Reveals emotionally motivating core values.
• Facilitates accurate goal prioritization, on shoulders of more total financial disclosure
• More likely to result in a commitment to proceed immediately and take effective action

Seek first to understand, until they say you understand what they you want to understand:

Consider “Indian Talking Stick”, popularized by Dr. Stephen R. Covey – 3 minute video clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUxi-Zc45tA

In relationships, slow is fast and fast is slow – take your time – don’t rush the relationship

Creating clarity, via great questions and great listening, builds trust and saves time, downstream

Trusted Advisors ask lots of carefully crafted questions and listen well – can happen in minutes

Trusted Advisors engage in meaningful conversations and demonstrate/exude competence

Partner with your clients, to do just that – be on same side of the table & act in their best interest

Be willing to address whatever questions they want to address, so that they can be fully informed and comfortable with all the information that they need to know to make their wisest choices

Seque phrases to consider using:

• Help me understand…I see…hmmmm…
• X means different things to different people…can you say more…
• can you give me a little more perspective on that…
• let’s assume for a moment that X has been a reality for you…

Our job is to uncover value-based emotions so they can see the relationship between making wise financial decisions and fulfilling their life values – like stadium lights versus a flashlight

Start your meeting with verbiage and questions like:

You invested time to meet with me, which tells me that you must be serious about making wise choices about your money – is that true?

Foundational questions – help me understand –

• “what’s important about money to you?”
• “what’s important about security to you?”
• “what’s important about freedom to you?”
• “what’s important about time with family and more balance to you?”
• “what’s important about a sense of accomplishment to you?”
• “what’s important about helping others/making a difference to you?”
• “what’s important about feeling satisfied/life has purpose to you?”

The emotion escalates toward a clarification and a connection to their most heart-felt values

Given all that, what would you most like to accomplish with your hard-earned wealth and resources? And let’s talk about the best ways to customize your portfolio to serve those purposes.

If I could show you a way, would you and I have a basis for working together?

Now that we understand what’s important to you, the next step is to get completely clear about your current financial situation and to prioritize your financial goals. Which one would you like to do first? You are now into the financial profile or fact finding process. Utilize your PFO.

Also, contrast with possible risks of not making a decision and not taking effective, timely action

Other questions, for openers?? Can create door-opening, sustained campaigns around this:

Higher level conversations and pointed questions, to uncover possible blind spots and solutions

What keeps you up at night?

For biz owners – have you thought about/planned for Diversification? Liquidity? Exit strategy?

Are you comfortable with your Long Term Care Plan? Is it your plan or is it State Medicaid?

Many Advisors report great progress as they worked with and increased their authentic mastery with these sincere questioning and listening skills. Drill, practice, rehearse. Role play/real play. Work with a coach or a mentor, to practice like you’ll play. Your future growth is awaiting you.

Bonus suggestions – recommended book/reading? 2 must read classics, IMO

Values-Based Selling : The Art of Building High-Trust Client Relationships

Advanced Selling Strategies: The Proven System of Sales Ideas, Methods, and Techniques Used by Top Salespeople Everywhere

That’s it for this week – yes, let’s talk again soon – best in coming days. See you next week!!

Get Your Year in Gear “A 12 Week Campaign for Your 2012 Strong 1^st Quarter Launch”

12 Key Strategies for Your Success

More Profit in Less Time, with Less Stress and More Joy

Welcome back, for Week 9

Set up and run a Recurring Referral Request System

For referral systems to succeed, I have found that there are two very critical factors that need to authentically be in place and are the shoulders upon which it all stands:

#1) we have to have exceptionally delighted clients. (discussed in Week 6)

#2) we have to sincerely believe and act in best interests of anyone we meet.

We have all heard that the best source of new business is “word of mouth” marketing. There is certainly no shortage of ideas about how to best do this.

If we are to make good on this premise, the question we must all ask ourselves is:

Do we have a system for consistently asking clients to refer others to us?

You’ll hear such ideas as:

#1) Ask for referrals the first time you make contact with a new client. You can send welcome packet information to a new client that includes a sentence like this:

‘The bulk of our business comes through personal recommendations. If we do a good job, we would be happy for you to refer others you know to us.’

#2) The first time you directly meet a new client, let them know that:

‘Most of our new business comes from personal referrals. We promise you       great service – if we do a good job, we’d like you to refer other people to us”

#3) Include this conversation during your selling process:

‘We get paid in two ways. Firstly, we are paid for the services we provide, and secondly, if we do our job, we ask you to refer us to others. Is that OK with you?’

#4) At the end of providing a service, write a follow up letter along the lines of:

‘We have now completed this service. How was it for you? If it was great, please tell others. If it was not great, please tell us. You will recall that our business grows through personal recommendations. Here are 3 copies of our leaflet/brochure/referral card. Please feel free to pass these on to anyone else who you think would benefit from our product or service.’

#5) Any newsletter or other printed marketing material. Include referral requests:

‘We have room available in our business for the right type of client. Please feel free to recommend us to anyone whom you think would be interested.’

#6) On your website, it’s essential that you have a referral request invitation and the ability for your clients to recommend others to your user-friendly website.

While considering all those ideas, do we have a consistent practice?  Are we time-blocking 30-60 minutes/day, for the purposes of referral request marketing? Do we send out 1-2 referral request letters per day, that we feel represent us well? Do we have a designed, scripted approach, with which we are comfortable and fluent, that is dignified and effective, as we are making our follow up calls and our requests? Have we addressed any self-image challenges that might undermine our process?

All of us stand to gain from working to set up and master our Recurring Referral Request System. For many of us, working with a coach and/or a mentor, to initially design it to best fit us and then role play our way to fluency and success, til it rolls.

My experience has shown that the people who are best at getting quality referrals on a regular basis do it as a natural extension of themselves. You can barely tell it’s happening, given how well developed it has become – a gift that keeps on giving.

Some resources, from which you can draw upon and create your own system:

Sample Referral Request Pre-Approach Letter (we suggest you send out 1-2/day)

Sample Referral Request Script (role play/real play, to get your version down pat)

Sample Referral Request Letter for the Summer Season (a gentle reminder for all)

Sample Referral Request Letter for Next Generation (to prepare for your future)

Sample Letter for People to Whom You Are Referred (as an initial introduction)

Sample THE TOP 10 REASONS TO SEND US REFERRALS (a possible insert)

(A reminder – these all need to be compliance approved, specifically by your firm – they are offered here, for our discussion/additional inspiration, for now – of course, you can use any of these ideas in your current verbiage, scripting & conversations)

Run your system twice per year? Once per quarter? Develop flow as you go?

If you are willing to develop a fresh mindset, tool set and skill set, we can work with you to strengthen how you work to best serve your clients during turbulent times and build upon that to come out stronger in the end, with referral growth.

While many others might be “singing the blues”, we invite you to sing a more colorful song. We believe you can be productively engaged and be busy creating good news for yourself and your business, with a referral engine that won’t quit.

• Why not set up an exploratory call and see directly for yourself, first-hand?
• Why not collaborate with others & get all the effective help you can access?
• Why not only survive through this time period, but set yourself up to thrive?

Additional Bonus suggestion – recommended book/reading?

An FYI, that may help

Million Dollar Referrals: The Secrets to Building a Perpetual Client List to Generate a Seven-Figure Income

Alan Weiss has taught thousands of people how to put their expertise to work through consulting, speaking, and coaching. Now, in Million Dollar Referrals, he takes it to the next level, giving you the tools to leverage relationships with current clients—and grow your business exponentially. Million Dollar Referrals reveals Alan Weiss’s powerful system for cultivating relationships and generating more business than you ever thought possible. Learn how to:

• Build sincere, trusting relationships with current and past clients
• Tailor your referral requests to the personality of the client
• Identify opportunities to communicate the value of your services
• Stay in touch throughout the year—with everyone
• Build a repository of references, testimonials, and other referrals in writing (or on video)

That’s it for this week – yes, let’s talk again soon – best in coming days. See you next week!!

Get Your Year in Gear “A 12 Week Campaign for Your 2012 Strong 1^st Quarter Launch”

12 Key Strategies for Your Success

More Profit in Less Time, with Less Stress and More Joy

Welcome back, for Week 8

Set up and run a Productive Center of Influence Program

In speaking with Financial Advisors over the years, as well as with other consultants and coaches in recent months, many have reflected that a major of their most important business can be trace back to 3-4 key relationships, from which an abundance of referrals and new business development opportunities flowed. Challenge is, which 3 or 4 relationships might that be?

I first heard that kind of idea in 1989, from Paul J. Meyer, Founder of Success Motivation Institute. Over the years, I have experienced the truth of it and continue to wonder about it. A hunter type person, from back in the day, once said it to me this way: “you got to consistently get a lot of squirrels and rabbits before you can get to the elephants”. Not especially my way of expressing it and I think you get the idea. If we are talking about hunting, I prefer the fishing minnow/whale analogy, if you know what I mean.

This really got driven home to me when I was part of a team of about 12-13 coaches for Financial Advisors, back in the late 90’s. During one of our Reflection and Planning meetings, I January of that year, we were reviewing what worked and what didn’t work for our clients. As best as I remember, for those few coaches who started a Center of Influence Business Development Program approximately 18-24 months and carefully maintained the management of it, they reported bringing in an additional $30-60 million dollars in Net New Assets from the previous 12 months, that they attributed to the faithful implementation and follow through of that program. Well, that got my attention, big time and I never forgot it. So then I wondered.

If that worked so great, why weren’t more Financial Advisors applying and diligently following through on that strategy? I discovered several main points, of which I am sure there are others.

#1) A Center of Influence needs to be more clearly defined, For example:

• A Center of Influence could a person who is influential in a particular field/profession.  This person knows a lot of people and is well respected in the community.  The goal in developing your Centers of Influence is to have that person “take you under their wing.”

• A Center of Influence could be someone you are already friendly with, the goal is to have them act as a mentor, to help you take your business to the next level. They will give you referrals because they want you to succeed.

• Centers of influence may or may not be existing clients.  If they are not currently your client, remember the goal is not to get their business but the business of the people they know.

#2) Next, as a Financial Advisor, you need to have a believable vision and a doable, sustainable system/process for themselves that they would be inspired to commit to and follow through on.

This goes back to Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich 101 – that is:

“Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve”

In an industry that has been so heavily conditioned, for decades, to operate from month to month or now, from quarter in quarter, in many cases, this is a major mind-set shift, especially when most of the culture of the industry, and many of its firms, are pulling so strongly in that direction.

To have that inspired, compelling vision, to develop a pool of 10-13 Centers of Influence, over a 2-3 year period, that could yield 3-4 lasting relationships, which could bring an infusion of Net New Assets from target markets and select demographic groups, demands persistent patience.

Reminds me of the story of the Bamboo Tree, from which one of my successful clients nicknamed himself “The Big Bamboo”, as he continues to grow his business from this process.

The Miracle of the Chinese Bamboo Tree

I’d like to suggest that in everything you do, you keep in mind the miracle of the Chinese bamboo tree. After the seed of this amazing tree is planted, you see nothing, absolutely nothing, for four years except for a tiny shoot coming out a bulb. During those four years, all the growth is underground in a massive, fibrous root structure that spreads deep and wide in the earth. But then in the fifth year the Chinese bamboo tree grows up to 80 feet!

Many things in life are like the Chinese bamboo tree. You work and your invest time and effort, and you do everything you can possibly do to nurture growth, and sometimes you don’t see anything for weeks, months, or even years. But if you’re patient and keep working and nurturing, that “fifth year” will come, and you will be astonished at the growth and change you see taking place.

So, to paraphrase one of the greatest leaders of the 20th Century, Winston Churchill, we must “never, never, NEVER give up!”

#3) Once you get your vision and your determined commitment in place, what are you going to do from here? My experience is that it takes dedicated effort to set up and consistently implement such a program, with all the support you can access and muster. It is beyond the scope of this brief newsletter to detail out what system/process could work best for each of you. I recommend finding a mentor or coach, who has effectively done this and has helped many others to succeed.  (click here for an initial Centers of Influence Action Plan)

#4) As I learned in recent years from a trusted colleague, here is a simple 4 point agenda for approaching Centers of Influence for an initial meeting (hereafter, COI). It is simple and straight-forward and can help to leverage your best source of new business, which is satisfied clients.

1. Want to learn everything you can about that particular COI, their practice and who their practice/business is structured to serve – and you want to tell them that that is what you want them to do. How do they want to be understood and best be served?

1. And then you want to share about yourself, your business and who your practice is best structured to serve – and you’ll find common points of interest there and commonality and make connection points there.

1. Identify ways you can collaborate – in which you can add more value to your prospects or clients than you can on your own – if they were you, how would they proceed? that may come in the form of providing referrals, conducting joint seminars, meeting clients/prospects, face to face, newsletters, etc. Look for what you can manage and fulfill.

1. Once you have found those points of collaboration, then set next step time frames and action items to help develop both businesses – how will we operate going forward – what will you do? What will they do? To organize seminars, to set app’ts, etc.

Click here for a simple letter one of our woman advisors used to get a series of appointments

Additional Bonus suggestion – recommended book/reading?

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_20?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=effortless+marketing+for+financial+advisors&sprefix=effortless+marketing%2Cstripbooks%2C356

Effort-Less Marketing for Financial Advisors by Steve Moeller

Use a 5-Step Process to Transform Your Business–and Your Life! If you’ve ever yearned for a business that would energize rather than drain you, if you’ve ever known and admired someone who made financial services look easy and fun, then you’re ready to learn a new way to market. A way that doesn’t require so much of your time and energy. A way that requires less effort. Effort-Less Marketing is based on author Steve Moeller’s extensive research and refinement of the best strategies to build a financial advisory practice. You’ll toss aside conventional, exhausting sales techniques for a newer, easier way. With these 5 steps, you’ll take the guesswork out of reaching the wealthiest and most enjoyable clients, make referral-gathering a no-brainer, and completely revitalize your business.

Assuming that you are committed to beating the odds, this is all worth a conversation, yes??

That’s it for this week – yes, let’s talk again soon – best in coming days. See you next week!!

Get Your Year in Gear “A 12 Week Campaign for Your 2012 Strong 1^st Quarter Launch”

12 Key Strategies for Your Success

More Profit in Less Time, with Less Stress and More Joy

Welcome back, for Week 7

Set up a consistent and systematic marketing program – overall design

Marketing – our future rises and falls to the degree that we are masterful and successful in this arena – I’ve always love the definition and the challenge provided by 50+ books Guerilla Marketing author Jay Conrad Levinson – “marketing is the truth made fascinating”

We’ve all heard it – getting to the right people at the right time with the right message and the right services. I think we also know that there are hundreds of ways to approach this – in fact, you can visit our comprehensive workbook here, titled, “Create a Low Cost Marketing Engine”.

And here’s the main point that I want to communicate with you, after thinking about this further over the last couple of months – determine 2-3 strategies that you can set up and follow for the course of at least the next 90 days (or even one year), that you can develop depth, mastery and momentum for all of your marketing efforts. My conclusion is that nothing beats the following 3:

• Speaking, via 15-20 minute “sweetheart talks” following by a 5-10 minute Q&A.
• Referrals from both Centers of Influence and Delighted Clients, who become advocates
• Strategic Alliances and Networking

For the most part, these are personal contact, face-to-face strategies and processes, which all other marketing methods, like social networking, newsletter of all kinds, articles, emails, etc can feed into, fuel and support. Our goal is to create a funnel that propels your marketing engine.

#1) Public Speaking as a Marketing Tool? I always loved Toastmasters where “I get to practice like I’ll play” – well-organized and professional – see if you can find a fun club to test drive and develop your talks. www.toastmasters.org – and speak to whom, where? How about:

• Rotary Clubs and other Social Service Clubs are always looking for brief Guest Speakers
• Conferences and Association Meetings, along with your own mini-workshops
• “brown bag” luncheon office visits, at places where your potential clients gather/work

#2) Referrals? To be covered in much more detail, in one of our upcoming e newsletter issues.

#3) Strategic Alliances and Networking?

An idea for healthy Strategic Alliances? Check out The Alliance-Ability Checklist and this book

And a biggie for Networking? Business Network International (aka BNI) – you must know this?

www.bni.com – the World’s Largest Business Networking Organization

And I am sure that you’ve discovered & utilized many other methods and resources. Let’s talk!!

Additional Bonus suggestion – recommended book/reading?

one last FYI, that might be helpful – a different discipline and business, with similar principles

http://www.amazon.com/Million-Dollar-Referrals-Perpetual-Seven-Figure/dp/0071769277/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319664677&sr=8-1

Million Dollar Referrals: The Secrets to Building a Perpetual Client List to Generate a Seven-Figure Income [Paperback] Alan Weiss (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Build a million-dollar business out of untapped referrals!

Alan Weiss has taught thousands of people how to put their expertise to work through consulting, speaking, and coaching. Now, in Million Dollar Referrals, he takes it to the next level, giving you the tools to leverage relationships with current clients—and grow your business exponentially. Million Dollar Referrals reveals Alan Weiss’s powerful system for cultivating relationships and generating more business than you ever thought possible. Learn how to:

• Build sincere, trusting relationships with current and past clients
• Tailor your referral requests to the personality of the client
• Identify opportunities to communicate the value of your services
• Stay in touch throughout the year—with everyone
• Build a repository of references, testimonials, and other referrals in writing (or on video)

About the Author

Alan Weiss, Ph.D., founder of the Summit Consulting Group, Inc., is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of the American Press Institute and an inductee into the Professional Speaking Hall of Fame. He has also been named a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants. Weiss has written more than 500 articles and 40 books, which have been translated into nine languages, including his bestseller, Million Dollar Consulting.

Assuming that you are committed to beating the odds, this is all worth a conversation, yes?? J

That’s it for this week – yes, let’s talk again soon – best in the coming days. See you next week!!

Get Your Year in Gear “A 12 Week Campaign for Your 2012 Strong 1^st Quarter Launch”

12 Key Strategies for Your Success

More Profit in Less Time, with Less Stress and More Joy

Welcome back, for Week 6

Have exceptionally delighted clients and a system for delivering/managing that

Several months ago, I delivered a presentation (available here), titled:

Retaining and Developing Your Best Clients

(Click the above to download the Word document.)

Its basic purpose?

• to retain your best clients and have them be raving fans as a result of exceptional service

• to expand the size/value/worth of those relationships and attract promising, ideal referrals

The goal for that presentation?

• To create a system that meets/exceeds client’s expectations and leaves them delighted
• Determine frequency/nature of communications, so you can measure and manage well

Your intended system would cover 5 basic areas:

• Client Segmentation
• Developing the Client Experience
• Client Communication Plan
• Client Education Plan
• Client Appreciation Plan

Focus is systems. You set up systems, work the systems and the systems work for you. SYSTEMS?

• · Save
• · Your
• · Self
• · Time
• · Energy
• · Money &
• · Stress

Obvious leverage and greater ease, yes? And from a number of years ago, I also created a workbook.

Click here for the DELIVER A ‘WOW’ PRACTICE Workshop – a whole different set of ideas

Talking about systems – you must have read Michael Gerber’s seminal book on this topic, yes?

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber

In an article by the Wall Street Journal titled, “The Best Advice Around, By Those who Took It,” posted November 14, 2011, the E-Myth Revisited book is listed as the top business development book for business owners looking to actually implement change in their businesses. Here it is:

http://www.amazon.com/-Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329353278&sr=1-1

but how about this??

An additional Bonus suggestion, in that light and recommended book/reading?

The E-Myth Financial Advisor – Michael E. Gerber (Author), Michael Steranka (Author)

http://www.amazon.com/-Myth-Financial-Advisor-Michael-Gerber/dp/0983500150/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329353423&sr=1-1

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding and Must Read for Financial Advisors, July 22, 2011

By J. Cumrine (Loveland, CO)

This review is from: The E-Myth Financial Advisor (Hardcover)

“I know, there are about a thousand books out there on creating a successful Financial Services practice. However, Michael Steranka is a genius when it comes to building a practice. Having only been in the business for about 20 years, Mike has figured it out, and he’s passing that information along to us. I have been fortunate to work a little closer to Mike with one of the companies we both belong to and I can tell you that he is a wealth of knowledge and is eager to help. Will this book solve all of your business practice problems? Probably not. But if you put these strategies and practices into play within your own financial firm you will see a dramatic change for the better. Definitely a must read for financial advisors.”

On a final note – you a reader/student of Michael E. Gerber’s books? If so, why not talk?

That’s it for this week – yes, let’s talk again soon – best in the coming days. See you next week!!

Get Your Year in Gear “A 12 Week Campaign for Your 2012 Strong 1^st Quarter Launch”

12 Key Strategies for Your Success

More Profit in Less Time, with Less Stress and More Joy

Welcome back, for Week 5

Develop & lead a championship support team – creating “ win-win” everywhere

So much could be written about the power of teams and synergies and already has. This newsletter will be unique, in coming to you with several guides attached and sample ideas. My suggestion to you is to sit with your teams and take the best and leave the rest.

To begin, let me cite from the book, The Discipline of Teams, which helps small groups implement the disciplines, frameworks, tools, and techniques that enable performance.  With detailed guidance and dozens of indispensable exercises, they present a regimen proven to improve performance and help groups adhere to the Six Basic Principles of Team Discipline:

1. Keep team membership small
2. Ensure that members have complementary skills
3. Develop a common purpose
4. Set common goals
5. Establish a commonly agreed upon working approach
6. Integrate mutual and individual accountability

Next, click here for our 9 STEPS TO A CHAMPIONSHIP SUPPORT TEAM Workbook.

1. Eliminate – negative, miserable and incompetent employees

2. Fabricate – an organizational structure

3. Orchestrate – systems for everything

4. Motivate – recruit, train, motivate and retain your team

5. Indoctrinate – share your vision with your team

6. Delegate – as much as you possibly can, except the responsibility!

7. Congregate – make it a priority to listen to your team regularly

8. Compensate – your team well and institute a group performance bonus system

9. Educate – develop the skills of your team

Next, click here for a Team Meeting Guide. (to optimize your team meeting dynamics)

Finally, click here for a sample team letter, to announce the growth of your team.

Additional Bonus suggestion – recommended book/reading?

http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Trust-Creating-Prosperity-Low-Trust/dp/1451651457

Smart Trust: Creating Prosperity, Energy, and Joy in a Low-Trust World by Greg Link & Stephen M.R. Covey (Jan 10, 2012)

Here we go again – another great book to fuel the fires of actually being more effective and happy. After listening to series of lead in, beta testing development calls for this book, it is now here, in audio and in print. My 20+ year affiliation with all things FranklinCovey has never disappointed me – ever – and this latest release continues to add to their momentum and their right-on-the-mark relevance. You must see for yourself. At least, as an appetizer, order the cd, for less than $10, and make your own determinations. Let me know. Obvious common sense?? Maybe. Obvious common practice?? You tell me. Possible to master?? Well, let’s see…

And I’d be remiss not to at least give you a heads up – more to come.

That’s it for this week – let’s talk again soon – good luck in the coming days. See you next week!!

Get Your Year in Gear “A 12 Week Campaign for Your 2012 Strong 1^st Quarter Launch”

12 Key Strategies for Your Success

More Profit in Less Time, with Less Stress and More Joy

Make the time to plan your time and execute around your priorities

Some fundamental time use practices for you to master

“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” – Stephen R. Covey

When asked about the essence of what we do for business owners, I often respond that we help our clients establish, and consistently pursue, a clear focus and their most important priorities.

This strategy is a crucial step in the development of your business success. Disregard it at your peril. This is where you make time to work ON your business rather than just IN your business.

Practice #1. In light of your 3-5 year goals and 1 year goals, keep your 90 day written goals fresh and refer to them often, as you plan your months/weeks/days.

Practice #2. Plan your week the week before and plan your day the day before.

A.  For weekly planning: Find/create a regular weekly time (for example, Friday afternoon, Saturday morning, Sunday evening) where you can invest 30-60 minutes to quickly write out what you have accomplished and learned in the last 7 days and then plan the next 7 days. Typically, there are 3-8 key priorities (big rocks), that represent you accomplishing 80-90% of what’s most important. These may be key relationships, transactions, focused communications, appointments, projects, etc that really move you, your business and your life visibly forward.

B.  For daily planning: 10-15 minutes at the end of the day – review first thing in morning, after a good night’s rest, to make sure it still make sense. Make the time for Daily Strategic Planning.

Try and find 15-30 minutes every day to switch everything off, find a sanctuary, close the door and allow yourself the time to think and plan. Do NOT allow yourself to be interrupted.

Reflect on what you’re hoping to achieve that day – or the following day/week/month etc.

Do this at a time when you are fresh – not tired – whether you’re a morning, day or night person.

This is primarily the time when you organize your ‘to do’ list for the day ahead. Whether you use a personal organizer, a PDA or a PC, the rules are the same:

• Make a list
• ABC the list
• Prioritize the A’s, B’s, etc

Practice #3. Fully utilize your “peak energy periods”, to most effectively address your highest priorities and biggest challenges.

Most people have 3 1/2 – 6 hour time periods when they have an abundance of seemingly unstoppable energy. For most people, it’s the first part of the day – simply stated, address your most challenging, complicated, intricate, creatively demanding and meaningful priorities then.

Upon the foundation/momentum of those achievements, you can address lighter situations later in the day, other required administrivia, etc with much greater ease and execute all a lot quicker.

Practice #4. Always remember that you can only do the best you can do and no other.

Keep yourself vigilant about continuous training and improvement – do whatever you have do to keep yourself highly inspired, energized and well-taken care of – can’t give away what we don’t have – model an exceptional personal and professional life – exercise well, sleep well, eat well, love well.

Practice #5. The Power of Completion and Celebration – find multiple ways, big and small, to celebrate appropriately with those you work for and with! Enjoy the ride – relish your process of accomplishing as well as your accomplishments, as you beat your most pressing challenges.

Click here for a bonus Team Meeting Guide.

Additional Bonus suggestion – recommended book/reading?

(Considered by many as the best life and time management book ever written)

First Things First [Paperback]

http://www.amazon.com/First-Things-Stephen-R-Covey/dp/0684802031/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

Stephen R. Covey (Author), A. Roger Merrill (Author), Rebecca R. Merrill (Author)

“I’m getting more done in less time, but where are the rich relationships, the inner peace, the balance, the confidence that I’m doing what matters most and doing it well?

Does this nagging question haunt you, even when you feel you are being your most efficient? If so, First Things First can help you understand why so often our first things aren’t first. Rather than offering you another clock, First Things First provides you with a compass, because where you’re headed is more important than how fast you’re going.”

That’s it for this week – let’s talk again soon – good luck in the coming days. See you next week!!

Get Your Year in Gear “A 12 Week Campaign for Your 2012 Strong 1^st Quarter Launch”

12 Key Strategies for Your Success

More Profit in Less Time, with Less Stress and More Joy

“The price of excellence is discipline. The cost of mediocrity is disappointment”

William Arthur Ward

Welcome back for Week 3

Further detailing out your business vision, philosophy and written goals.

Stage 2 – Mission Statement

OBJECTIVE: To map out broad vision for yourself and what you are trying to become and do.

“Who am I? What do I do? Where am I going?”

A mission statement is a statement of the purpose for your business. The mission statement should guide the actions of your business, spell out its overall goal, provide pathways, and guide decision-making. It provides “the framework or context within which your business strategies are formulated.” Your Mission Statement gives you the opportunity to define the following terms:

1. Who are my clients?

2. What are my clients’ needs?

3. What products and services will I use to satisfy those needs?

Stage 3 – Investment Philosophy

OBJECTIVE: To define the services, products and strategies that you offer to differentiate you the most, and set you apart, from your competitors, while best serving your highly valued clients.

Note: Don’t confuse your Mission Statement with your Investment Philosophy. Although not required, you may want to write a separate Investment Philosophy, as a set of guiding principles that inform and shape your investment decision-making process. Keep in mind that this stage best be brief and to the point. This is not the place for goals or actions; merely objectives.

Stage 4 – Longer-Term Goals

2-3 Year Longer-Term Projects

OBJECTIVE: Define specific goals and objectives that relate to your Mission Statement.

Goal-setting is a result of conscious, deliberate planning for achievement and acting to bring our goals into reality. It is one of the strongest human forces for self-improvement. Without specific, written goals, our efforts are often neither focused nor directed. Written goals force us to clarify our thinking and serve as a basis for measuring goals. Please make sure that you are creating SMART goals – defined as Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Tangible – the beginning of successful achievement. The following metrics should be part of your goal planning:

1. Commissions generated broken down by year.
2. Assets gathered broken down by year.
3. Asset management
4. Value-added client services.
5. Team building and/or team management
6. Referrals.
7. Target Markets.
8. Time Management
9. Computerizing your business
10. Product Knowledge

Your objectives are (1) to crystallize your thinking in terms of increased in net new assets, production and new accounts, and (2) to look at developing various target markets via relationship building, providing new services to clients and establishing benchmarks for future success.

Stage 5- Short-Term Goals
6 Months – 1 Year

OBJECTIVE: Set yourself up to win!! Remember to keep your goals SMART

(SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE AND ATTAINABLE, REALISTIC and TANGIBLE)

Short-term goals should be a direct reflection of your long-term goals. There should be at least one if not several short-term goals listed for each long-term goal. You can start by carrying forward your commission and asset gathering goals for this year from your long-term goals. From there, you need to go through each long term goal and develop several goals that can be completed in the next 12 months that will work toward the achievement of that one specific long term goal. This may require some brainstorming but remember the more thorough you are in this stage, the easier your plan will be to execute. Please remember that you need the small victories. It would be much wiser to achieve the goal in 6-8 months and raise it then to set a goal that’s unattainable. This is the time to identify projects that need to be implemented.

That’s it for this week – let’s talk again soon – good luck in the coming days. See you next week!!

With sincere and deep appreciation,

Don