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“Always Be Coaching”, NOT “Always Be Closing”
by Tony Vidler        Coaching clients is a concept which is beginning to gain traction with financial advisers, and for many this is a new line of thinking.  After all, they were taught that “you should always be closing”, right?  No matter what else you are doing with prospective customers, and no matter what they […]
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financial advisory prospecting
Is that Prospect really a Prospective Client YET?
by Tony Vidler        Oddly, many advisers do not quite get what a prospect is. They often think it is a name with a phone number.  But is that enough for a prospect to really be a “prospective client”?   Knowing their name and how to contact them?   Somewhere on the path to professionalism some of […]
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The Power of Visual Aids
by Tony Vidler        As advisers, we talk a lot.  And when we aren’t talking we are writing. Visual aids, or graphics, tend to get overlooked by us but there is LOADS of research which suggests we should be using loads of visual aids, and perhaps less talk and less writing. If you doubt the power […]
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The cost of convenience in insurance: Underwrite at proposal time, or claim time?
by Tony Vidler        Convenience in insurance can come at a steep cost: When does your client want to have the drama with their insurance company? At underwriting time, or at claim time? The cover is going to get underwritten at some point, it really is just a matter of when. This is a confusing facet […]
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trial closing
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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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