Advisor Benchmarks
Originally Published 12.27.2016
Building a digital footprint is critical in the era of collaboration.
Everything that you publish, whether it be in the form of comments as in this article, or in the form of blog posts as seen here on this blog post… or a combination of the two, curated to bring meaning to my beliefs and opinions in a tangible fashion. This blog post is a working example of HOW to leverage your digital footprint by exuding your authentic value 24/7. Your ideal audience will find you so you had better be publishing with a purpose.
The Future for Advisors is about proving value. 24/7.
When Advisors allow any other entity besides themselves to define their authentic value they diminish the chances of survival and hinder their plans to thrive in the digital age. You mustn’t allow your plans to thrive in the digital age be undermined by anyone… much less yourself. Avoid self-sabotage by reading on…
The advisor in the future must look beyond industry standards and minimum antiquated regulation to demonstrate in a tangible fashion why anyone should do business with them Pertaining specifically to this article, (Original Article from RIABiz.com) the advisor who relies on the industry to demonstrate his or her value through a benchmark is more likely to be replaced by the industry. Advisor autonomy goes beyond the realm of value props.. In order to thrive in the digital age of transparency advisors must own a “client-centered purpose.” Technology and transparency will weed out the ne’er do wells. It’s already happening without (and in spite of) regulation. Clients are becoming more empowered through transparency and technology , which is a beautiful thing. Advisors must also leverage the same transparency and technology to empower themselves.
You can’t police advisors into stewardship roles.
Any form of industry standard benchmark weakens the advisor… it does nothing to empower the perception of value, which is under the complete control of the advisor… more specifically, the advisor who owns a client-centered purpose. – Most advisors are good.-(Especially those advisors who subscribe to RIA Biz.) More industry drafted oversight is only adding to the digital noise. Advisors must become empowered through autonomy to thrive in the new collaborative world of 24/7 advice. My opinions about the facts in this article are backed by my conviction about HOW advisors can and should become empowered. Advisors must be afforded the opportunity to exude their authentic value through – ownership – of the perception of their value. Acquiescing to antiquated industry standards that limit the ability of the advisor to own the perception of his or her value, in my opinion, is a catastrophic mistake that can and should be avoided. Now, more than ever, investors are searching for a trusted source of wisdom. Advisors who are empowered through autonomy will be more likely to exude that wisdom than those advisors who agree to become suppressed by industry created benchmarks. ((BTW, this is a great article that shines a much needed light on the difference b/t portfolio alpha and advisor alpha. Keep ‘em coming.)) This article is an important component in moving the conversations away from the “what” that most RIABiz readers are already well aware of.
The comments after the article (found in the link above) are nearly 2 years old… and there they sit… Conveying my unique beliefs and opinions about this business.
If advisors rely on the industry to define their value will they be replaced?
Who do you trust?
Who should your clients trust?
Better conversations start with questions that lead to better definitions which lead to better solutions that can truly make a difference in the lives of trusted clients…
By posing these questions I am reminding my current ideal clients of my authentic value while exuding my alpha to a new audience who is looking for a trusted source of wisdom to help them see hear and feel about their business in a different dimension. The perception of my value is entirely up to me. There has never been a greater opportunity for advisors to take advantage of technology. By ignoring this statement you risk extinction… discover as much as you can as soon as you can.
#TangibleAlpha
Always available when the time is right for you.
The Quality of Your Curiosity
Introspection Is The Key
Introspection The Key To Your Survival
This is why introspection and value development are the keys to your survival in a robo-world.
It’s not leads… it’s not marketing metrics… it’s not a sales funnel… it’s not copying what other successful advisers have done…
The key to your survival already exists… the big question is…
Do you have the ability to discover and define it?
In a robo-world where change is exponential you do not have the luxury of time to eventually discover your authentic relevant value, you must discover your value immediately and proactively define and design that value for digital consumption so it can be made available 24 hours a day.
One luxury you do have made available to you, is the opportunity for introspection 24/7 offered exclusively here…
it’s the express lane for advisor survival in the digital age of financial services.
Take a look at the infinite progression of advisor introspection made available exclusively for you.
You must be proactive in the development of your own relevance to survive in a robo-world.
Nobody else is going to do it for you.
It’s nobody’s business but yours.
Be proactive and take advantage of the opportunity in front of you right now.
You Have The Answers
We Have The Right QuestionsAdvisor Conversations that Matter
3 reasons to nail down your topics for meaningful engagement.
1 Content leads to your unique value.
2 Questions lead to your value to filter.
3 Conversations are competent and add to your confidence.
Your virtual value must be aligned with the human experience.
Topics are derived from your purpose, principles, values, beliefs, opinions, experiences, expertise, promised behavior, behavior you expect from clients, your philosophy, and your processes…
Those disciplines of your alpha must be defined (by you) before you can create categories for content topics for engagement and questions that lead to your value.
Topics Tie It Together
The medium is the message. Your digital experience must flow seamlessly with your daily behavior if you want to survive in a robo world.
This is how to do exactly that… quickly.
If you are thinking about outsourcing your content to a third party, think differently.
You don’t need leads for a sales funnel.
You need to filter in prospects and keep clients with personalized topics.
Cookie cutter content will get you washed away.
No more silos.
Your value must become tangible for clients and prospects to see and hear.
Nobody wants to be placed in your sales funnel. Transparency lets prospective clients know exactly what you are up to.
Think Differently.
Own the words. Design your topics. Get and keep ideal clients. In perpetuity.
Conversations that matter don’t happen “off-the-cuff.”
Most advisors have never been afforded the opportunity to discover and define their authentic relevant value… they were hired to sell products. To remain relevant and become irreplaceable advisors are going to have to think differently about their job description. You are going to have to think differently about sales… you are going to have to think differently about service… you are going to have to think differently about your unique value.
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You can’t have a conversation about the solutions you provide without the courage of your conviction.
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The courage of your conviction comes from well defined value…
The conversations of most advisors, up until recently, have been centered around either products or the trustworthiness of their firm. But now, the greatest opportunity in the history of financial services awaits you…
Owning The Words That Define Your Value
By owning your value you are creating opportunities to have conversations that matter 24/7
In order to engage in conversations that matter you must have a formalized process in place in which the client experience is never left to question. Your business must become designed to exude your value and leverage all of your resources to consistently improve your client experience while simultaneously engaging in (and improving) the conversations that matter. Essentially, the client experience and the conversations that matter dovetail to enhance the overall development of your business. Owning your Advisor Alpha creates this opportunity.
Once you define your value… you own your Advisor Alpha
Owning your Advisor Alpha and making it tangible nullifies the element of desperation inherent in a business where you can’t exude your value.
Lacking the courage of your conviction to have conversations of your value is the number one killer of all advisor client relationships… If you can’t put into words why your clients should be paying you, you will neglect them… and neglecting your clients is still the reigning champ of client defection.
They need to feel it… and you need to know how it makes them feel… Tangible Alpha.
If you don’t own the words that define your value you will be destined to attempt to become a version of “all things to all people.” This version of you fails eventually… and this version of you fails more rapidly in a robo-world.
Not owning your value will be the number one reason behind your failure… hourly, daily, monthly failures will ensue… and eventually, not owning your value will be the end of your advisory business.
You must first own your value before you can engage in conversations that matter.
Owning the words that define your value enable you to create a business in which your conversations fuel the client experience and the client experience fuels the conversations that matter. Owning your Advisor Alpha and making it tangible will drive the success of your business in the future… by design.
Ponder This…
How can you escape the trap of client defection due to advisor neglect? How can you empower all trusted partners to have conversations with the courage of their conviction? How will you remain relevant and become irreplaceable?
Topics Must Be Defined
My TopicsAsking Better Questions
Better Questions
You have to arm yourself with better questions to ask your clients and prospects.
But first, you must ask yourself better questions…