Distraction-Proof® Advisor Ideas

Being enthusiastic about what you do can pay great dividends.
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Thirty years ago I set a goal to learn a language. I walked into the Let’s Learn Language store at the bottom of downtown Auckland, and I sat in front of Louise. Louise was so energetic! She was so vibrant and excited for me that I’d actually decided to learn German. Germany was the biggest nation in Europe! How do people get along without learning German? And her enthusiasm for the topic of learning German, in my case, was infectious. I was just listening to her roll with all the benefits of how my life was going to change learning German. I mean, I’d only won an Olympic medal, only had lunch with the Queen up until now, but now I was going to actually learn German! My life, as Louise made it sound, was on a trajectory for great change.

I purchased the series and frankly hardly ever touched it. (That’s another story.) But at the end of the conversation, she left such an impression in my mind, I said to her, “If ever I need to hire someone to come and help me at Speedo New Zealand, I’m going to come back after you.” A year and a half went by. The person I was working with at that stage left because she and her husband moved out of Auckland to start a family. I went straight back to Louise and said, “Here’s the offer, do you want to start?”

She was vibrant about that. “Speedo? Are you kidding me? I get the chance to work with a global brand! Yes, let’s go!” Her enthusiasm was infectious, and it was so encouraging for me.

That encouraging enthusiasm is what you need to have, as an advisor. We deal with serious matters to begin with, and there’s not much room for levity in our industry. But when you’re talking with people about their futures, about what could be, you want to bring some excitement to that conversation. You want to bring some enthusiasm to that dialogue and let them know that you are genuinely excited for them, the fact that they are thinking about their financial future, and, most important, that they’re talking with the right person who can help them. There is so much bad news constantly bombarding us, show some enthusiasm for what you do and how you help. It is a differentiator that will set you apart from a lot of advisors, and it doesn’t cost a cent.

So to more effectively get excited about what you’re doing,

1. Prepare mentally.. When you have a meeting coming up, whether it’s via Zoom or an in-person meeting, mentally get up for that meeting and look for ways to get excited for that client.


2. Physically get up for it.. Take a walk around the block. Get out and get some fresh air for five minutes and treat the meeting like it’s an event, just like Louise did when I was coming in to ask about learning German.


3. Show some enthusiasm. Let that person know they have an advocate in their corner, that you are genuinely excited about the fact that they’re taking their financial future seriously and are going to begin today.

You’re going to set yourself apart from other advisors and really stand out in the hearts and minds of the people you’re talking with.

So did I learn German? Nein. That’s about the only word I did learn, and I ended up selling the tape series on eBay. But here’s the thing: Louise started working with me, and after she got talking with the clients that we were working with at Speedo, oftentimes I’d go out for sales calls, and our customers all wanted to deal with her! They’d want to know when she was going to come on the next call because they wanted to meet her. They loved working with her. She left an impact in their hearts and in their minds, and Speedo New Zealand benefited from that, just like you’ll benefit from that as an advisor.

I look forward to bringing you another Distraction-Proof Advisor Idea next week.