Selling is as old as civilization itself. Put in the simplest of terms, selling is the exchange of goods and services for something of value. To financial advisors, however, the sale is often seen in a negative light, and many cringe at the word "sell." Interestingly, the same advisors who shy away from the concept of selling are often those who find themselves selling every single day! Sometimes they're even participating in the selling process multiple times throughout the day--and they may not realize it. Asking for client referrals, developing strategic alliances, seeking and talking with new prospects are all obvious parts of the selling process, but selling happens every time you remind a client why it's a good choice to do business with you, too. The fact is that most CFAs(R), CFPs(R), CPAs, and other professionals did not obtain these titles because deep down they really wanted to be in sales. Most times, their interests tend more toward data, analysis, and more solitary orientations. Selling is probably the last thing those who entered these fields were thinking of doing. They may not have considered the "people" aspect of their chosen profession; the aspect that involves sales. For this reason, and some others, turning into a salesperson seems like a negative, degrading thing. Many advisors will conjure up the picture of the slimy used-car sales guy. It's time to recognize selling as the valuable activity that it is. It is a way to: Let people know who you are and what you do well. Get your message out to those who need it. Promote your planning process, wealth management services, or investment expertise. Use your relationship skills to close new business. Take your business to the next level. If you want to grow your business, the bottom line is that you--or someone on your team--need to sell, and to sell well. This book will offer guidance on how you can sell in a comfortable and effective manner.

Learn what makes a client trust you to be their financial advisor. Put the power of story telling into selling financial products. The authors explain the process of making these intuitive connections, then translate their findings into understandable and practical strategies that any financial professional can use. They present actual stories, including many by Warren Buffet, one of the greatest "storysellers" of all time. These actual stories can help financial pros tap into the "gut reaction" of different types of clients. the book also includes special topics on communicating to women, the 50+ market, and the affluent.

This book is going to challenge you and everything you think you know about succession planning. For independent advisors, succession planning is quickly becoming the cornerstone to a strategic growth strategy designed to perpetuate their business and their income streams beyond their own lifetime, while providing a multi-generational service platform that attracts and rewards younger advisors. This makes succession planning one of the most, if not the most, important practice management tools in this industry today. As an independent financial advisor, now is the time to address the question of what will happen to your practice and your clients after you “exit the building.” In most cases, the answers are right in front of you. Thankfully, Succession Planning for Financial Advisors: Building an Enduring Business has arrived to transform today’s practices into businesses designed to endure and prosper and serve generations of clients. Learn how to create a “Lifestyle Succession Plan” that can provide a lifetime of income and benefits to the founder even as he/she gradually retires on the job Unlock the power of equity management – the best planning and building tool an independent advisor owns Learn how to attract and retain the best of the next generation to help you build a great business and to support your succession plans and care for your clients and their families Determine precisely when to start a formal succession plan and related continuity plan so that your business can work for you when you need it most Understand why succession planning and selling your business are completely different strategies, but how they can complement each other when used correctly 95% of independent financial service professionals are one owner practices. To the positive, these practices are among the most valuable professional service models in America. But almost all advisors are assembling their practices using the wrong tools – tools borrowed from historically successful, but vastly different models including wirehouses, broker-dealers, and even OSJ’s and branch managers. Revenue sharing, commission splitting and other eat-what-you-kill compensation methods dominate the independent sector and virtually ensure that today’s independent practices, if left unchanged, will not survive the end of their founder’s career. It is time to change course and this book provides the map and the details to help you do just that. For independent practice owners and staff members, advisors who want to transition to independence, as well as accountants, attorneys, coaches and others involved in the financial services space, there are invaluable lessons to be learned from Succession Planning for Financial Advisors. Written by the leading succession planning expert in the financial services industry, former securities regulator, M&A specialist, and founder of the nationally recognized consulting and equity management firm, FP Transitions, David Grau Sr., JD, has created an unmatched resource that will have an enduring and resounding impact on an entire industry.

The best financial advisors are well equipped to succeed regardless of market conditions. Based on interviews with fifteen top advisors, each doing several million dollars worth of business every year, The Million-Dollar Financial Advisor distills their universal success principles into thirteen distinct lessons. Each is explained step-by step for immediate application by veteran and new financial professionals alike. The lessons cover: * Building and focusing on client relationships * Having a top advisor mindset * Developing a long-term approach * Specialization * Marketing * And much more The book also features two complete case studies. First there is the "best of the best" advisor whose incredible success showcases the power of all the book's principles working together in concert. The second is an account of a remarkable and inspiring career turn around and demonstrates that it's never too late to reinvent oneself. Brimming with practical advice from the author and expert insights from his interview subjects, The Million-Dollar Financial Advisor is a priceless success tool for any and all financial advisors.

Financial planning is a young industry. The International Association of Financial Planning—one of the predecessors to the Financial Planning Association—was formed less than forty years ago. But as the profession's first tier of advisers reaches maturity, the decisions that may be part of transition planning for their firms loom large. A sale? A partner buyout? A merger? No matter what the choice, its viability hinges on one critical issue—the value of the firm. Unfortunately, many advisers--whether veteran or novice—simply don't know the worth of their practice or how to influence it. That's why How to Value, Buy, or Sell a Financial-Advisory Practice is such an important book. It takes advisers carefully through the logic and the legwork of coming to a true assessment of one of their most important personal assets—their business. Renowned for their years of experience helping advisers tackle the daunting challenges related to the valuation, sale, and purchase of advisory firms, Mark C. Tibergien and Owen Dahl offer guidance that's essential and solutions that work.

The Authoritative M&A Guide for Financial Advisors Buying, Selling, & Valuing Financial Practices shows you how to complete a sale or acquisition of a financial advisory practice and have both the buyer and seller walk away with the best possible terms. From the first pages of this unique book, buyers and sellers and merger partners will find detailed information that separately addresses each of their needs, issues and concerns. From bestselling author and industry influencer David Grau Sr. JD, this masterful guide takes you from the important basics of valuation to the finer points of deal structuring, due diligence, and legal matters, with a depth of coverage and strategic guidance that puts you in another league when you enter the M&A space. Complete with valuable tools, worksheets, and checklists on a companion website, no other resource enables you to: Master the concepts of value and valuation and take this issue “off the table” early in the negotiation process Utilize advanced deal structuring techniques including seller and bank financing strategies Understand how to acquire a book, practice or business based on how it was built, and what it is capable of delivering in the years to come Navigate the complexities of this highly-regulated profession to achieve consistently great results whether buying, selling, or merging Buying, Selling, & Valuing Financial Practices will ensure that you manage your M&A transaction properly and professionally, aided with the most powerful set of tools available anywhere in the industry, all designed to create a transaction where everyone wins—buyer, seller, and clients.

The Marketing Guide for Financial Advisors uncovers the truth about how independent advisors really get new clients in a digital world. Learn what no one wants you to know about marketing, how to avoid wasting money on your marketing, and the secret to unlocking your marketing potential, including: Why digital marketing is so challenging in financial services How to create a website that converts Email marketing strategies for financial advisors Using social media to get in front of your ideal prospects Search engine optimization to get more traffic to your website Content strategy to start the conversation Embracing a specialty to command higher fees Using webinars to warm up prospects In this exclusive guide, you'll learn proven strategies from top advisors to grow your firm and uncover a step-by-step process to build your marketing engine. About the Author Claire Akin, MBA grew up in the financial services industry working with her father, an independent financial advisor of over 35 years. She holds a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's of business administration. Claire founded Indigo Marketing Agency to help independent financial advisors reach more of their ideal clients. It's her mission to help financial advisors grow their firms through digital marketing.