Seminars?????

By far the most over-used tool in the industry, and least efficient from an ROI standpoint. Change it up a bit....look at other industries for seminar-like ideas. 

1. Do a "lunch" at a physician clients office.

2. Take bagels/donuts to an industrial clients warehouse.

3. Schedule a wine tasting at a Top 10 clients home and hire an executive chef.

Three separate seminar-like ideas that don't feel anything like a seminar to your clients or their friends (prospects).

What should you be selling??

"Relationships help us define who we are and what we can become. Most of us can trace our successes to pivotal relationships."

"You can't make the other fellow feel important in your presence if you secretly feel that he is a nobody."

Empathy can be a tough trait to foster in this business; simply because "profits" don't have feelings. But your colleagues, clients, those above and below you - do. Take the time during this holiday season to become a better person....no matter what forms that takes. 

Your practice, and more importantly, your life will be better for it.

Family.....

In todays hectic advisor lifestyle so many things can get set aside as you gather assets and solidify relationships. Let us encourage you to not allow one of those "things" to be family. Work as hard at creating time for family as you do at landing your next 5 million dollar account. A wise man once said, "Time is like oxygen - there is a minimum amount that's necessary for survival. And it takes quantity as well as quality to develop warm and caring relationships."

Take a moment to put that into the context of your life and particularly - Family. As you enjoy your holidays re-evaluate your quantity and quality of family time. Maybe its time to "re-invest" in those closest to you.

It really is SIMPLE.....

It really should be simple.....don't ask for ANYTHING, until you have given SOMETHING. Simply put, make sure you put value in your clients hands before you ever ask them for anything in return.

Here is a quick glimpse, or reminder, to something you already know but may have forgotten. "all things being equal, people want to do business with their friends".....and even more profound, but maybe not so obvious...."All things NOT being equal, people STILL want to do business with their friends."

In other words, in these very difficult financial times, gather more friends, not just assets.