Similarities do not sell. Differences sell. This is a discussion of how to stand out in a crowded marketplace. You will become elite by blending in. You will begin to be elite when the word spreads that there’s just something about you that wealthy people find appealing.

A value proposition is a promise of the value you will deliver. It’s the main reason a person should do business with you. How will doing business with you solve that person’s problems? What benefits can a client expect to derive? Why should he or she do business with you and not the competition? Your success is dependent on you having a great value proposition and saying it over and again, day after day. Who are you and why should I do business with you?

Selling creates clients. Marketing creates prospects. Write your marketing plan and put it inside your business plan. Who are you going to prospect? Why that particular group? When are you going to start? How will you go about it? Prospecting without a marketing plan is like going to the grocery store without a shopping list. And remember that every target market needs a separate marketing plan. Never prospect without a plan.

Can you tell me in less than thirty seconds what you do, who you do it for and how you do it? You can if you have the right value proposition, which is nothing more than a believable collection of the most persuasive reasons your clients should do what you’re hoping they will do.

For someone to select you instead of one of your competitors, three things must happen. They must like you; they must trust you and they must believe your recommendations are spot on.

Your competition is not other Financial Advisors. Your competition is Disney. People spend money where they get the best experience. That’s what Disney understands so well. Create a service model that people will talk about. Get the folks in your town telling Disney-like stories about you.

The more charismatic you are, the more people will follow you and your advice. Learn how to be charismatic. You will never regret it.
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When building your brand, offer more than just investment advice. Your brand is how people feel when they think about you. Decide what you want your brand to be and work backwards.

Your brand is the essence of who you are. Focus on your reputation, what you do for people and how people feel about you.

Clients make decisions based on emotions, so it's up to you to be less objective and more emotional. Come up with your own why am I doing this story. Whoever tells the best story wins.
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Get creative when planning client events. Make them something that your clients will remember.
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This is the story of a young man on an apprenticeship in South Africa. He quickly became discouraged with the not-so-great working conditions. It took his friend to remind him why he went there in the first place. It wasn't to complain, it was to learn. So, asked his friend, what are you going to do about it? Answering that question got him back on course.
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All Advisors chase the same business with basically the same results. It's hard to be better than everyone when everyone is doing the same thing. To escape the pack mentality, it's critical to be different from everybody else. That difference is not going to manifest itself in the hard skills. We all know what it takes to do the job. The truly great Advisors stand apart because of their soft skills. if you want to go to new levels, hone your conversational skills, you people skills and your sense of self-awareness.
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Are you modest? How about conscientious? Do you consistently track your progress against your goals? I hope you do all this and more. Steve Martin, Professor of Sales Strategy at USC, surveyed more than 1000 top sales people and found seven personality traits consistent among the top performers. Hopefully these traits sound familiar to you.
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When you are at your most vulnerable, you cannot let it show. You must remain strong for the simple reason that the more uncertain the times, the more certainty clients will demand from you. your equity is your relationships with your clients. It is imperative that you always do what is right, in order to preserve those relationships. if you get down, motivate yourself right back up.
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Don't just sell things, sell things people want.
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You are a professional. Think of yourself that way.
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