Most trainings, certifications, and designations financial advisors receive fail to teach the difference between crunching numbers and working with emotional human beings on the emotionally charged topic of money. Working with human beings requires a completely different skill set centered on building trust, uncovering values and emotions around money, and changing behavior. A skill set that sits at the core of financial therapy. And, fortunately, Dr. Kristy Archuleta is the foremost authority o...
May 25, 2022•2 hr 3 min
This is Part II of the conversation. It's a continuation of the previous episode (Episode 49). I highly recommend listening to Part I before diving into this one! Dr. Meghaan Lurtz joined the show to explain the keys to unlocking the superpower of questions with prospects and clients. We discuss: The secrets to asking great questions that get great responses Two types of questions designed to instill and build trust Two types of questions designed to elicit information by getting the person to o...
May 11, 2022•1 hr 21 min
For financial advisors and planners to do their job at the highest level requires the ability to do two things: Uncover someone's personal, intimate financial details Unearth someone's values, emotions, hopes, dreams, and fears about their money and their life Most people don't talk about one of those things with anyone else in their life. And almost NO ONE talks about both with the same person without being under the influence of something! That's why the best financial advisors are masters at ...
Apr 27, 2022•59 min
This is Part II of a two-part conversation. It's a continuation of Episode 47. I would highly recommend listening to that episode before diving into this one!* When Bill Bachrach started his career as a financial advisor, he was in his mid-20s trying to convince wealthy people in their 50s, 60s, and 70s to leave their current advisor and entrust him with their life savings. He knew he needed to do something different that would stand out and inspire his prospective clients. So, he spent countles...
Apr 13, 2022•1 hr 38 min
When Bill Bachrach started his career as a financial advisor, he was in his mid-20s trying to convince wealthy people in their 50s, 60s, and 70s to leave their current advisor and entrust him with their life savings. He knew he needed to do something different that would stand out and inspire his prospective clients. So, he spent countless hours refining and developing a process that eventually became known as "values-based financial planning." For the last 34 years, he's been teaching advisors ...
Mar 29, 2022•1 hr 38 min
In an industry that praises the relentless pursuit of growth, Jeremy Walter chose to pursue "enough." He chose to optimize for satisfaction rather than revenue. But, as Jeremy learned, even crafting a business with intention has its own set of challenges when you've been preached "grow, grow, grow" your whole career. Jeremy shares his journey to building his current advisory business, his process for having "off the balance sheet" conversations with clients, and how he uses his one-page financia...
Mar 16, 2022•1 hr 45 min
The best conversations with clients and prospective clients have two things in common: 1) They create trust and connection that allows the person to open up and share information with you that they've likely never shared before 2) They unearth valuable information and stories about the person that provides insights to help them align their money with the life they want to live. Ultimately, they place the life of the client at the center of the conversation. In this episode, Mitch Anthony shares ...
Mar 02, 2022•1 hr 35 min
How many times have you created a goal and vision for your advisory business only to fall short? You came up with the plan to make it happen, but you miss your growth goals while still working too many hours to fully enjoy your life outside of the business. That's because most people focus first on the plan (the strategy and tactics) instead of their mindset. Stephanie Bogan works with advisors to master their mindset, think differently about what's even possible, and accelerate your business to...
Feb 16, 2022•1 hr 27 min
How many times have you created a goal and vision for your advisory business only to fall short? You came up with the plan to make it happen, but you miss your growth goals while still working too many hours to fully enjoy your life outside of the business. That's because most people focus first on the plan (the strategy and tactics) instead of their mindset. Stephanie Bogan works with advisors to master their mindset, think differently about what's even possible, and accelerate your business to...
Feb 02, 2022•1 hr 24 min
Meetings are the single most important component of your entire business. Whether it's a client or a prospective client, it's the meetings where things actually happen. Meetings are where prospects become clients (or don't). Dan Smaida, a "Meeting Execution Specialist", has consulted with over 10,000 advisors on how to use behavioral science and a consultative process to create more persuasive and engaging meetings. We discuss: The most common mistake Dan sees in a discovery meeting and the idea...
Jan 19, 2022•1 hr 32 min
Ever wondered why your clients and prospective clients have failed to take action on your advice despite the fact you've shown them exactly how to accomplish their financial goals? This episode is all about developing the skills and techniques to deliver advice that clients actually follow through on. Financial coaching "works to narrow the gap between what people know and what they do; it illuminates through thoughtful questioning what gets in the way of meeting life goals." Saundra Davis has d...
Jan 05, 2022•1 hr 44 min
With the future of our profession continuing to shift towards the human side of advice and the CFP Board's announcement earlier this year that they added "The Psychology of Financial Planning" as a principal knowledge topic, it's becoming crucial for advisors to start familiarizing themselves with this aspect of the business. At the same time, it's too much to think that advisors and planners are all going to become experts in financial therapy, financial coaching, life planning, etc. on top of ...
Dec 22, 2021•1 hr 4 min
Change and transition are a constant and pivotal part of our clients' lives. And it's these moments that can shape both the future of their life and their money. However, successfully guiding clients through the changes and transitions of life requires more than sound technical knowledge and advice. Susan Bradley coaches advisors around the world on how to navigate change and joined the show to help advisors understand the dynamics of change, the psychology of transitions, and the skill set advi...
Dec 08, 2021•1 hr 53 min
Carl Richards has a mantra for financial advisors that he says changes everything once you can fully internalize it: "Financial advisors are guides in a changing landscape. Not the defenders of an outdated map." It's no longer enough for advisors to build a detailed financial plan or construct a portfolio. It's about building trust and connection with clients, unearthing their values and emotions around money, and changing their behavior for the better. It's about the human side of advice. We di...
Nov 24, 2021•1 hr 18 min
When financial advisors work with couples, it's more than just navigating their finances. It means navigating an emotional and complex relationship dynamic. It's not just a matter of aligning the numbers. It's a matter of aligning two completely different belief systems. When you combine two different upbringings and two different sets of belief systems around money, naturally tension arises. Ed Coambs combines a background in financial therapy and financial planning to offer advisors some criti...
Nov 10, 2021•1 hr 38 min
When was the last time you thought about: What your office or Zoom background is "signaling" to prospective clients? What minor detail or design on your website could drastically improve conversions? How to package your services in a way that feels less overwhelming and provides clarity around exactly what the client receives? What things could be causing your clients to perceive your services as expensive rather than a bargain? Rory Sutherland, author of Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Scienc...
Oct 27, 2021•2 hr 7 min
Imagine guiding your clients through a process of discovering what a meaningful, fulfilled life would look like and then providing them with the financial strategies to fuel that vision. You help your clients clarify and fund their best life. That is life planning. But, what does life planning actually look like in practice? When do I have these heartfelt conversations? What do these conversations sound like? Fortunately, Scott Frank is the founder of Stone Steps Financial, has been through the ...
Oct 13, 2021•1 hr 46 min
Imagine going into a meeting with a complete picture of your client's money mindset. You know exactly how they like to communicate about money, that they have a tendency to "keep up with the Joneses", and that they are likely to panic when the market plummets. Armed with that information, you would know exactly which behaviors to focus on changing to improve their financial outcomes. But, that kind of information is not readily apparent and difficult to uncover. Which is why behavioral assessmen...
Sep 29, 2021•1 hr 19 min
After five years of frustratingly inconsistent prospecting meetings, Dan Solin decided there had to be a better way. So, he spent a year researching and learning everything he could about the neuroscience and psychology of what it took to seamlessly convert a prospect into a client. From that, he built an evidence-based process that flipped everything he knew on its head. And, in his first year prospecting with this new approach, he brought in $100 million under management (no, that's not a typo...
Sep 15, 2021•1 hr 11 min
Most financial advisors conduct some version of goals-based planning. If you're helping a client use their money to accomplish a goal, then you're doing goals-based planning. But goals are formed and shaped by values. Yet, "goals-based planning" is an industry buzzword, and "values-based planning" is more like a foreign language. Natalie Taylor CFP®, BFA™ has built her practice around "Values-Based Financial Advice That Works In Real Life" and joined the show to explain why her values-based appr...
Sep 01, 2021•1 hr 40 min
There are at least three things every financial advisor wants in their relationships with clients: 1) Great conversations and connection 2) Use their money to live a fulfilled life doing the things they love 3) Seamless buy-in and follow-through on the advice given to avoid spending time following up Amy Mullen is the President of Money Quotient, a company that arms advisors with tools, resources, and a process to consistently deliver on all three of these things. In Part II of our conversation,...
Aug 25, 2021•1 hr 1 min
There are at least three things every financial advisor wants in their relationships with clients: 1) Great conversations and connection 2) Use their money to live a fulfilled life doing the things they love 3) Seamless buy-in and follow-through on the advice given to avoid spending time following up Amy Mullen is the President of Money Quotient, a company that arms advisors with tools, resources, and a process to consistently deliver on all three of these things: great co In Part I of our conve...
Aug 18, 2021•1 hr 7 min
Financial success relies just as much on knowing yourself as it does knowing what to do with money. After spending the majority of her career teaching people what to do with their money, Rachel Cruze realized that knowing what to do wasn't enough. That the gap between knowing and doing is forged by how we think, feel, and behave with money (our mindset and motivations). And it's these mindsets and motivations that drive most of our financial decision-making. The key to behavior change and financ...
Aug 04, 2021•51 min
The value of behavioral coaching continues to show up as the top "value-added" service provided by financial advisors. And, while it's no surprise to advisors that have been working with emotional human beings on an emotionally-charged topic like money, studies also show that over 80% of advisors DON'T actively promote this value to clients or prospective clients. We discuss: Understand what clients think about behavioral coaching Think about whether they should be actively promoting the value R...
Jul 30, 2021•31 min
If you're a financial advisor or advisory firm who wants to pursue growth through digital marketing, but you've always been unimpressed with the results, you've probably skipped the most important part: The human side of digital marketing. Knowing the behavioral and psychological principles to build trust and connection online while intentionally designing for the desired behavior forms the foundation of any successful digital marketing strategy. (Especially in an industry where obtaining a clie...
Jul 21, 2021•1 hr 23 min
Every financial advisor knows how crucial it is to effectively build trust and connection with prospects and clients. Study after study and story after story will tell you that's what clients look for when choosing an advisor and it's why they stay with their advisors. But, is it even possible to build the same level of trust and connection virtually? Is it reasonable to expect the same level of comprehension and follow-through from the client (or prospective client)? Dr. Sarah Asebedo and her c...
Jul 07, 2021•54 min
As the value and future of advice continues to shift towards the intersection of technical knowledge and the human side of money, it has coincided with the rise of financial therapy. Financial Therapy is focused on improving how clients think, feel, and behave with money to improve their well-being. Nathan Astle, founder of Relational Money, helps advisors who don't want to be full-fledged financial therapists develop and hone the most critical skills from financial therapy that lead to better c...
Jun 23, 2021•48 min
We've all been inundated with information showing how behavioral biases impact financial decision making. But far less attention has been given to the fact that these same biases can undermine the identification and prioritization of goals. Research shows that there is indeed a gap between the goals clients think are important to them and the goals that are actually important. And that gap is forged by our biases and mental blind spots. Samantha Lamas and her colleagues at Morningstar have condu...
Jun 09, 2021•1 hr 26 min
One of the main challenges for financial advisors when it comes to applying behavioral finance is as simple as this: it's a lot easier to construct a financial plan than to deconstruct your client's emotions. Graeme Newell has been helping financial advisors better understand what goes on in their client's minds by literally putting them in brain scanners for most of his career. And he takes the insights he learns and turns them into practical advice to improve client's decisions and behavior. T...
May 26, 2021•1 hr 10 min
Research shows asking great questions builds trust, establishes likability, and uncovers valuable information. Which is why asking great questions forms the foundation of a successful first meeting that converts a prospect into a lifelong client. This episode is meant to be a guide for advisors to hone their question-asking abilities, so they can enhance client outcomes and forever change the trajectory of their business. To sign up for Brendan’s monthly newsletter focused on the human side of a...
May 19, 2021•32 min
