advice process Archives - Page 18 of 21

Pro Bono Pays In The Long Run

by Tony Vidler Pro bono is a novel concept for many in an evolving profession – working for free for the public good. But pro bono pays in the long run in a number of ways for a professional. It may sound counter-intuitive but giving away your knowledge, skill and time for free is a […]

Lost Sales Skills? Trial Closing Techniques Are Still Very Useful

by Tony Vidler Trial closing techniques from the world of sales are still very useful for modern professionals wanting to figure out whether their prospective client is getting onboard with the advice or not. Nobody likes to be “closed” by a sales person, and we sure don’t want prospects to feel like we […]

The 5 Essential Soft Skills For Professional Advisers

by Tony Vidler Technical knowledge will only take you so far, and sometimes (like when the world is in lockdown and there are no rational markets) they won’t tyake you anywhere at all. There are times when what you know just doesn’t matter. Knowing how to deal with people is all that matters sometimes. They […]

The Words We Choose To Use Have Power

by Tony Vidler If we want to give ourselves the best chance possible of influencing clients and prospects to change course, which is what professional advice is all about really, then there is no doubt that the words we choose to use can make an enormous difference. Enough experts have done enough research over […]

Prospecting: Reconnect to Create New Opportunities

by Tony Vidler A simple prospecting idea which usually pays off is simply re-connecting with those who you have spent time with, but did not do any business with. I am talking about “prospects” from 6 months ago…or 12 months ago. There are always people we are seeing who are potentially great customers, but […]

The Right Way To Present An Advice Recommendation

by Tony Vidler When you are presenting quotes or recommending product solutions, are you still giving the prospect a few choices, like 3 perhaps? Don’t do it. Consumers are onto it, so as a “sales technique” it loses impact…and it was never fabulous technique to begin with. More importantly, it undermines your professional […]

Compliant Advice: Paper Beats Scissors Every Time

by Tony Vidler When it comes to compliant advice Advisers really need to grasp that they are playing a game of “Rock, Paper, Scissors” with every client engagement now. There almost certainly will be an instance where a client throws the Rock…. We try to beat it with Paper. Complaints authority or regulator takes to […]

Becoming Elite Comes From Being Just 1% Better

by Tony Vidler Becoming an elite adviser, or building an elite practice doesn’t come about by chance. It takes graft and grit…and help. Building a great business is rarely the result of a single champion taking on the world. The champion business owner is usually the captain of a team that has taken on the […]

You are a professional? That doesn’t mean I trust you.

by Tony Vidler You’re a professional. Should I trust you? Nope. As a consumer, a user of professional services myself, I’m tired of hearing from professionals that they should be trusted just because they are labelled professionals. Let’s face it; many carry the label “professional” only by association anyway. The industry they are in […]

Let’s be honest with our honesty

by Tony Vidler Disclosure is back on the regulatory agenda again, and the rules will undoubtedly be changing yet again. There is no doubt in my mind that disclosure of costs, fees and conflicts enhances trust and professional credibility. However, there is also no doubt in mind that disclosure can be taken so far that […]

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