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Fix the prospecting problem forever
by Tony Vidler        You can fix all prospecting problems forever if you generate enough referrals.  It is that simple.  Get this right, and prospecting problems are non-existent, as the number one source of professional prospecting is going to be “word of mouth” for some time to come.   The theory on getting more refrrals […]
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growing-a-practice
Does “Growing” Really Mean “More Clients”?
by Tony Vidler        Just about every adviser says they want to be growing their business and need more clients….and they also want fresh ideas; the business satisfaction of solving new problems for new people; they want to do something NEW.   So they say they want more clients plus more interesting work plus more […]
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The Strategic Evolution Of Advice Firms
by Tony Vidler        The evolution of advice firms into different service and revenue models is happening already of course, but the majority of financial advisory firms appear to still be trying to figure out what the next evolutionary step might be. There’s a classic cartoon that shows the way forward for those advice firms when […]
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Which Clients To Keep; Which Ones To Fire
by Tony Vidler         More clients is good, right? But when you have plenty of clients on the books the question becomes which clients to keep. Or which ones to get rid of.  Actually, advisers should be constantly asking these questions regardless of how big their book of clients actually is.  They are not questions […]
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Selling Change Inside Your Own Practice
by Tony Vidler        External challenges and changes mean we are often selling change – or the need for yet more change – inside our own practices to our own people. And that becomes yet another challenge, as change is frequently resisted.  What practice owners often don’t understand though is what it is that is actually […]
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Handling Regulatory Uncertainty
by Tony Vidler        The regulatory uncertainty level amongst advisers is just about at an all time high.  It’s not just new rules that create the uncertainty; it is the shift to principes-based or outcome-focussed regulation that doesn’t have the definitive and prescribed series of “thou shalts” and “thou shalt nots” which creates the most uncertainty.  […]
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e-advisor-technology
The Rise & Rise Of The e-Adviser
by Tony Vidler        There appears to be research from larger markets such as the USA to suggest there is a new type of financial adviser out there, dubbed the “e-Adviser”, who is winning way more business than other advisers are.   An e-Adviser is not a robo-adviser either….thought I would just get that one […]
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ideal-balanced-practice
Balancing Adviser Needs and Clients Wants
by Tony Vidler        The professional Financial Advisers’ needs matter as much as the Clients’ wants.  Consumer groups & regulators will probably disagree of course, but the ideal practice is one which surely achieves this balance isn’t it?  After all, practitioners are trying to earn a living and meet the wants and needs of their own […]
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robo-advice
The Cyborg Practice: Blending Robos With Advice
by Tony Vidler        Future advice practices will be cyborgs; blending robos with advice.  Robotic product and solution delivery together with humans managing relationships and working on strategy will be the single commercial “organism”.   You see, I am convinced that robo-advice models will succeed and prosper. I am also convinced that human advisers will […]
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business-disruption
Where will the greatest disruption to your practice come from?
by Tony Vidler        Disruption has long been a feature of financial services distribution.  Disruption constantly occurs with new market entrants, product innovation, shifting strategic focus on the part of suppliers in relation to control or autonomy of distributors….but disruption has typically come from within the industry itself.   Some years ago I read a piece […]
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