11 Finance Monthly Global Awards 2023. USA Clients get frustrated calling a company for a quick answer, but instead end up listening to a long AIgenerated voice message telling them what button to press for what topic or department. Or they are told to go to the website where the chatbot can help them faster than waiting on hold, or where they can look up the information themselves. All that’s fine to offer. But there is no replacement for the personal touch. My clients know that when they call Lashner Financial Group there will be a real person on the line to get them their answer, or to “hold their hand” for any investment or financial changes they want to make. Many clients have told me that they left their previous advisors and come to me because they didn’t like being directed to a website or unable to speak to a real person with real knowledge. In your book, 10 Common Mistakes Financial Advisors Make & Simple Ideas to Avoid Them, you distilled key pitfalls that professionals in the financial industry encounter. Could you share with us the process or experiences you went through to identify these common mistakes? Can you provide an insight into one mistake that particularly stands out to you? That is a great question. What prompted me to write the book was that I kept hearing many of the same types of complaints clients had with previous advisors. “I can’t get my advisor on the phone.” “I’m a successful executive, but I have no idea what my advisor is saying—it’s like a foreign language.” “I hear these folks on TV predict the market. Why do I need an advisor? I can just follow their suggestions.” And one statement I make sure no client of mine will ever need to say: “I have not heard from my advisor since the day I opened my account.” I thought about these common mistakes advisors make and saw that there were simple processes and actions to take, not only to resolve them but to avoid them altogether. Here is one example. A common mistake is that to grow your business and get big, you need to focus on the big things. There is a better way to grow your business: Never be too big to do the little things. I learned this the hard way—as we too often learn lessons. When I was starting out, I was not great about consistently following up with clients. Well, I had a client who I helped with a small IRA account. When he later had a very large investment to make, he didn’t consider me. It was not because he only knew me from handling a small account. It was because I didn’t do the “little thing” of consistent follow-up. It was a case of “out of sight, out of mind.” So, forgetting the little things is a big deal. And that is a lesson I always remember. Being recognized consistently as a top securities producer with Primerica is a significant achievement. Can you share what strategies and approaches you believe contributed to your success in this role? How have you maintained a consistent level of high performance in such a competitive environment? I maintain a consistent high performance because I love what I do. As I said earlier, my passion is not only for numbers but also for helping people achieve their financial goals. I wake up happy every day that I get to work with incredible clients and help make a meaningful difference in their lives and the lives of their children and grandchildren. And my clients notice because they frequently comment on my enthusiasm in working with them. I bring joy and enthusiasm every day, but it takes concentrated strategies and approaches to make my clients enthusiastic—or, as I like to phrase it, to turn them into “Raving Fans.” It will always be about how I can help my clients be better prepared for the future and reduce the stress they may feel about investing. One way is that I train my branch office staff to provide first class support. That means treating clients like my staff works for them—because they do. I also look at what I can do for my clients holistically. In addition to investments that I can handle for them, I will talk about other outside elements of financial well-being. I can handle their investments, but I also want to make sure they take steps towards a complete financial future. My clients appreciate my approach. How can I be sure about this? Many of my new clients come to me after referrals from existing clients. For someone just starting their financial journey, what would be the first step you’d recommend they take? The first step I’d recommend is to participate in their company’s retirement plan through their paycheck, or, if that is not an option, set up a monthly automated withdrawal from their checking or savings account into a retirement account. This is the simplest way to put yourself on track for financial independence. I would also recommend that they be patient. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your wealth won’t be either. But by consistently investing with proper asset allocation, you can feel confident that you are building a solid financial future.
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