This is a wonderful story which I update annually. It shows clients the need to stick with the plan. I spell out the disastrous events that await the unsuspecting investor in the next ten years. These events would stop anyone from putting their money at risk if they knew in advance what was coming. I then explain that the date on our crystal ball is ten years old. Over the last ten years, chaos prevailed, and the market did great, despite a chain of events blown out of proportion by a negative media. The DOW went from 13,412.55 on 1/2/13 to 33,147.25 on 12/30/22.

Most people either don’t know what a Financial Advisor does. Perhaps they have a vague notion. The burden is on you to make them aware of how valuable you really are. Explain what you do in ways that people understand. You help put jigsaw puzzles together, you tell people when it’s time to walk or drive and you are just like an airline pilot.

In order to calm down your clients when markets get choppy, relate volatility to things they understand, like Acapulco cliff divers, cans of tuna fish and elevators.

People don’t only decide what to buy. They also decide who to buy it from. If someone is to choose you as his or her Advisor, that person must like you and trust you. They can’t do either until they know who you are. And they can’t know who you are until they hear your story. The story you tell about yourself is the most important story you will ever tell.

If you are serious about becoming a great storyteller, read ‘What Great Salespeople Do’ by Michael Bosworth and Ben Zoldan. You’ll learn that, like most things in life, successful story telling is the result of a repeatable process. Bosworth and Zoldan have a great seven-step storytelling repeatable process.

If clients had a crystal ball in 2008, they would have never invested a dime. From the market crash of 2008 to the Fiscal Cliff to the war in Syria, it was a tumultuous ten years. Yet the Dow went from 13,000 to 24,000. If you predicted that, nobody would believe you. But it happened.

Create a plan of action for your clients in the case of an emergency with a clear path to getting back on track. Don't ad lib.

Geoffrey James writes a wonderful column for Inc.com. Recently he reviewed a book about business storytelling. In his article, James recapped the seven ingredients that make a story great. Just as one size does not fit all, the same story does not appeal to everyone. Therefore, you need to craft at least three stories and be proficient at telling them. Here's how you do just that.
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People's everyday routines will keep the stock market going.
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The importance of teamwork.
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Make an impact with simple, great stories.
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You need to have the courage to get on the path to greatness.
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Don't be discouraged if you haven't gotten where you want to be, appreciate where you are.
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You have to be understood. The highest paid people in the world are the best communicators.
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Self image is very important for all of us to maintain.
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Don't have just 'good' service, have 'memorable' service.
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Putting success into perspective.
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Here's a visual idea when you're talking to a client about estate taxes.
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The stock market is the only market that when prices are slashed, clients run away!
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They're just words!
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Visual example for 10% market decline.
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Buy straw hats in the winter.
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Build your client the proper toolbox. More money is lost preparing for a correction than in the correction itself.
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You don't measure a mile one foot at a time, just like you shouldn't check your performance every day. Investing is long term.
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Here are some analogies that some of the best advisor's in the business use.
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Your clients are not qualified to manage their own money
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Use this referral idea from a million dollar producer in Michigan.
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People want to achieve their goals, plain and simple.
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React to the market like the Great One reacted to the puck.
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Selling is all about learning how to make great presentations.
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