The Workshop

THE SEVENTEEN QUALITIES OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL ADVISORS

Having worked with so many advisors over the years, I decided to see if I could sit down and identify the attributes of success. Success for me meant that these advisors were happy with their work. They earned a good living and others saw them as role models. With this in mind, I would like to share with you what I think I have learned about these salient behaviors

1. People don’t need to be told of your INTEGRITY if you really demonstrate it.
2. Always be HONEST, even if it hurts a little. This includes giving credit where credit is due. If someone else wrote the material, don’t call it your own. Plagiarism is dishonesty.
3. Convey your message with PASSION. Real PASSION!
4. Truly BELIEVE in the things you say to prospective clients. If you believe that a solution is right for them, they will believe it as well. If you can’t convey this message successfully and with passion, there is little chance they will adopt your recommendations.
5. It is not about companies and products. It is not about your business logo or the alphabet soup after your name. It is not about your website. IT IS ABOUT YOU! Do they trust you? Do they believe IN you?
6. All things being equal, people do business with people they know and like. All things not being equal, price will not be your disqualifier if they believe you are like them. BE LIKE THEM.
7. Listen hard. Paraphrase and give it back to them. Demonstrate you truly understand. Don’t pretend to listen . . . LISTEN.
8. Understand their heart. People listen with their head, they make decisions to buy from their heart.
9. Set clear and agreed upon expectations. Never get mad at someone for doing something you didn’t tell them they couldn’t do. If you get a “think it over,” it is your fault for not being clear that a decision would be made. NO MUTUAL MYSTIFICATION.
10. Never stop learning. Make some time every day to learn.
11. Set goals and objectives. Doing better than last year is not a goal. If you don’t have a goal, how will you know when you get there?
12. PLAN. Every day should not be a surprise. Real businesses have written plans.
13. KNOW WHERE YOU ARE. Measure your progress daily. Use tools that help you understand how you are doing relative to your goals.
14. Step out of your comfort zone. You cannot grow if you remain in that comfortable place. Go out and try something new for a while.
15. Get some accountability. We can’t do this alone, so find a third party who can be objective and tell you the things you don’t want to hear.
16. Have fun! Albert Schweitzer said “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
17. Remove negative influences from your life.

Some of these behaviors you already embrace. Others will need to be acquired. Don’t be overwhelmed. Working on them one at a time over the course of the year will get you there.

Over the coming weeks, we will take a look at each of the 17 providing detail and exercises to help you embrace these qualities.