I’m happy to say that we have received two new clients in the past 30 days from social media which is significant given that we received them as a result of posts on LinkedIn while I’m at the home office in Parksville, BC and not thousands of miles away speaking at a financial advisor speaking event.

Here again is the Post that I put on LinkedIn, FaceBook and Twitter via Hootsuite and this is followed by a Comment reply from a follower. I then followed up by E-Mail Reply which lead to the creation of a client appointment and a relationship. A beautiful thing.

Social Media Post

Are you hiring assistants so that they will like you or so they have the values and behaviors to do the job?

Social Media Comment

“This question touches a nerve. I’ve hired for ability and had them end up with personality conflicts, and hired because I liked them (and also thought they could do the job) but that hasn’t worked either. Admin assistant hiring for me has been a major pain as well as a big problem because I can’t get one to work out. They each have done some parts of the job well, but not the ‘package’ and more often than not don’t ‘get me’ so this also create problems. I’m very frustrated about this.”

Dear John Doe Social Media Prospect,

Thank you for your thoughts.

I understand your frustration.

As a business coach and a values and behaviours analyst, I use values and behaviours assessments to help my clients understand their values and behaviours / strengths and areas to strengthen.

When we don’t understand ourselves there is judgement. When there is judgement there can be no understanding.

The values and behaviours assessments form a foundation when it comes to hiring the right assistant as we work with our clients using the understanding gained from the values and behaviours assessments to write the job description, the ad, the interview questions so that we are attracting the right candidate based on the values and behaviours that match the person that they report to and the job. The final step is the candidate completes a values and behaviours assessment to guarantee a successful hire.

If this sounds of interest, please e-mail me back and I’ll have Laura contact your to schedule a telephone conversation.

Best regards,

Simon

P.S. We will be away until September 6th.

 

June 21, 2011

Could I ask for assistance from anyone who has a Job Description for a Personal Assistant? There is so much involved in the day to day administration of our practises that it would help enormously to see a template that you may have for this position.

Thanks and I would appreciate your help.

Joe

June 24, 2011

Here is a link to two examples of financial advisor support staff job descriptions.

June 27, 2011

Hi Joe, Here is a link to three examples of financial advisor support staff Ads.

June 28, 2011

Hi Joe,

Thanks Joe and happy to help.

Here is one more idea about Empty Your Mind which I invested time in this weekend to gather up all the many details that fly around me as a coach, speaker and writer.

At the end of the Empty Your Mind Process … you can truly ask yourself what I love and what do I want to delegate.

I challenge the advisor clients that I work with to Hire Up … meaning don’t under hire … hire much better than you think that you need so that you will outgrow them in 90 days.

Best regards,

Simon

Free One Page Business Plan Webinars September 9 & 28^th – Register Now!

Announcing Leading Advisor’s One Page Business Plan(TM) Free Webinars and the One Page Business Plan(TM) Webinars! “If you don’t get the words right, you might build the wrong business and may never get the numbers right.” The dates for the One Page Business Plan(TM) Free Webinars are: Friday, September 9th at 11:15am EDT Wednesday, September 28th at 12:30pm EDT

Who should attend?

• Do you have too many scattered ideas?
• Do you need to focus on a few?
• Do you need to jumpstart your business right now?
• Do you have no time or interest in writing a 50 page business plan?
• Do you need to determine if you’re focusing on the right things?
• Do you need an effective blueprint to keep yourself and team focused?

Then consider a fresh, simple approach to business planning that will enable you to focus on what is important…the One Page Business Plan^(TM) – a powerful tool for building and managing a business. It’s short, it’s concise, and it delivers results quickly and effectively. There can be no question as to where your business is headed when it is in writing, especially when you have the key essentials about growing your business clearly specified on a single page.

Is this another ho-hum course on business planning like the ten others you have attended – no way! I know how to capture the essence of any business in just a few minutes using the innovative key word and short phrase techniques using the One Page Business Plan^(TM).

To Register for the One Page Business Plan^(TM) Free Webinars:

Call Laura at 250 248-6012 / 1 877 248-6012 or e-mail Laura at lreilly@leadingadvisor.com and you will receive your GoTo Meeting Webinar Link, Phone Number and Access Code.

• Friday, September 9^th at 11:15am EDT
• Wednesday, September 28^th at 12:30pm EDT

 

Sales Assistant to Senior Financial Advisor

For Industry Leading Independently-Owned Full Service Brokerage Firm

The successful candidate must:

• have successfully completed the required Securities Course and be fully licensed with current Investment Advisor qualifications.
• be an enthusiastic team player with exceptional telephone, communication, and interpersonal skills building team and client relationships.
• have the ability the quickly adapt to ever changing priorities relating to accounting, marketing, quotes/transactions, scheduling.
• have high standards and attention to detail while following procedures dealing with large volumes of paperwork.
• have the ability to solve problems quickly and independently.
• have proficient computer skills.

Salary 35-40 K. Bonus pkg. neg. Please reply in confidence with salary expectations; e-mail or fax your cover letter and resume to:  ______________

Example #2

Group Insurance Administrator

_________________ is an established financial planning firm, servicing ______________ clients with employee group benefits, individual insurance and money products. We are looking for a part-time Group Insurance Administrator who is eager to establish their career with a financial planning firm.

The Group Insurance Administrator will be a dynamic team player with exceptional telephone, communication and interpersonal skills; work well independently; adapt quickly to ever changing priorities; have high standards and attention to detail; have proficient computer skills including MS Office and Simply Accounting; have previous customer service experience, and post-secondary education.

This is a part-time opportunity offering a competitive salary, yearly bonuses and group coverage. Please reply with cover letter stating salary expectations and resume to: _______________

Example #3

Executive Assistant – Financial Services Firm

We are a financial services firm located in _____________ and we are looking for an exceptional assistant to join our team. You are a dynamic team player with exceptional communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills, and you are customer service oriented. You work well independently, are flexible, can prioritize, and manage a complex workload. You have high standards and attention to detail and are MS Office proficient.

Please reply with cover letter stating salary expectations and resume to: ___________________. Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. No telephone calls or recruitment agencies will be accepted.

 

Example #1
Executive Assistant / Office Manager Position

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

________________ is currently hiring for the position of Executive Assistant / Office Manager to perform a range of duties including, but not limited to:

Responsibilities:

• Booking travel; handling all arrangements; verifying travel and event details
• Client follow up for event details required
• Mastering a tracking system to keep track of time sensitive events
• Scheduling Client conference calls
• Ordering books, shipping supplies in advance of events; processing and shipping online orders
• Data entry and upkeep of the company’s database, ensuring a high level of accuracy
• Payroll and CRA monthly payments; providing information to Bookkeeper monthly
• Receivables, payables, invoicing, tracking payments, banking, account reconciliation, credit card transactions
• Managing special projects and events
• Monitoring online presence, to include website, Google alerts, responding to blog and twitter mentions
• Handle general inquiries

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Completion of high school and administrative training or equivalent work experience
• Excellent command of English to be able to speak, read, and write fluently
• Dedication to detail and accuracy
• Ability to follow directions and work with minimum supervision; take ownership of assigned tasks, and think for themselves
• Excellent administrative, time management, and organizational skills

Proficiency in the use of computer programs for:

• Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Outlook, Excel, PPT)
• Familiar with; ACT!, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Expression Engine, PayPal, Tripit, Dropbox, iContact or equivalents
• Basic knowledge of bookkeeping processes and software (Quickbooks)
• Internet savvy

Personal characteristics

The Administrative Assistant will demonstrate competence in the following areas:

• Relationships: Maintain positive working relationships with others, both internally and externally
• Communication: Excellent listening skills, oral and written communication skills
• Needs Assessment: Anticipate, understand, and respond to the needs of their employer and the clients to meet or exceed their expectations
• Teamwork: Follows direction well, work cooperatively and effectively with others to set goals, resolve problems, and make decisions to enhance company’s effectiveness; ability to undertake self-directed tasks when necessary
• Organization: Excellent time management skills; excellent attention to detail; the capacity to prioritize by assessing situations to determine urgency; ability to develop a work schedule, and ability to make clear and timely decisions

Working Conditions

• To commence, the Executive Assistant will work onsite in our office
• Part time work, approximately 3 days per week
• Salary will reflect experience and qualifications – ranging from $18 – 23 / hour
• This is a nonsmoking office
• References are required

Example #2
Receptionist / Administrative Assistant

Company Overview:

Over the last 20 years, ______________ has developed a strong reputation in financial planning and insurance consulting, both here in _____ and across _______.  We endeavor to offer a comprehensive range of financial services, including the management of individual insurance plans and investment portfolios; the development of executive benefits plans and corporate buy/sell agreements; and the administration of group benefits/pension plans.  Our ability to provide superior guidance is evident from our prestigious list of clients.

The Receptionist / Administrative Assistant position is an excellent entry level opening for our company.  This role will provide you with exposure to a wide variety of tasks, as listed below.

Duties:

• Answer the telephone and direct incoming calls to the appropriate person
• Open and sort incoming mail and couriers; prepare outgoing mail and couriers
• Basic day-to-day banking / payables / postage
• Maintain inventory of stationary supplies
• File client statements and correspondence
• Keep the office clean & orderly
• Ensure office equipment (printers, phones, computers) function properly
• Assist the President with personal errands, travel plans, and organization
• Provide administrative support for the Insurance, Group Benefits, and Investment departments, as required
• Assist with the implementation of marketing programs.  This will include researching prospective clients and sending out marketing communications.
• Organizing client events and arranging for client gifts.

Qualifications:

• Training in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• A pleasant telephone manner and upbeat personality
• Excellent English skills (verbal and written)
• Very strong organizational skills and the ability to work with minimal supervision
• A “can-do” attitude and enthusiasm to assist on a wide range of projects
• Experience in arranging travel plans and event planning would be a valuable asset

Compensation:

• Salary of $30,000 – $32,000 per year
• Vacation of two weeks per year
• Participation in the Group Benefits Program after 3 months of employment.
• Educational Expenses – 100% for approved insurance, benefits, and financial related courses.
• Hours 8:30am to 5:00pm

 

This is an article that Neil Menzies of Arbutus Financial wrote for Manulife’s eDialogue monthly.

Flash forward to 2011 and Neil has a flourishing business at Arbutus Financial. “Over time, I gained momentum and my natural market of 25-year-olds matured into more senior roles in business – controllers, CEOs, CFOs – as we all grew older,” says Neil. “My little one-man operation has grown to a firm with two locations, in Vancouver and Nanaimo, and a talented ten-person team.”

Embracing technology, while challenging and expensive because it advances so quickly, is a key plank in Arbutus’s business growth. “Today, being progressive and light on our feet is essential,” says Neil, a self-described “gadget guy” who loves playing with new technology in his spare time.

Each advisor at the firm is equipped with a customized iPad for use in the planning process, which Neil says results in a consistent Arbutus Financial client experience and the iPads are simple to update.

Keeping things simple, standardized and easily repeated is essential. “Our goal is for clients to have a consistent white-glove experience, regardless of which team member they have contact with. Leveraging technology ensures we all have quick access to information, make detailed client-contact notes and truly know the people we serve.”

Arbutus’s standard tech platform also includes:

• Paperless office, with document scanning, efiling, paperless fax
• Interoffice messenger communication on each desktop
• Standardized desktop for each team member, simplifying training and improving best practices
• Secure remote access to office computer and filing system
• Proprietary client database (CRM), with key information at fingertips, for quick response to client queries, including soft facts regarding client profile (example: mother has Alzheimer’s, do not take instructions)
• Resource eLibrary – centralized with key resource materials to assist with communicating planning strategies
• Use of Dropbox for document management and mobility
• Robust telephone system with many options for customization, mobility etc.
• Cordless headsets for all team members
• Copytalk for dictation
• eProcedure Manual, to ensure consistency of delivery, and understanding of standard operating procedures

Neil credits a mentor who taught him the potential for productivity improvement through technology integration. He took that advice and grew with it. “We are fortunate to have an excellent support staff with a culture of cooperation and collaboration. A standardized technology platform is essential in supporting our growth. By sharing best practices through technology, we all learn to work smarter, not harder.”

Free One Page Business Plan Webinar June 23^rd – Register Now!

Announcing Leading Advisor’s One Page Business Plan(TM) Free Webinars and the One Page Business Plan(TM) Webinars! “If you don’t get the words right, you might build the wrong business and may never get the numbers right.” The date for the One Page Business Plan(TM) Free Webinar is: Thursday, June 23rd at 1:45pm EDT

Who should attend?

• Do you have too many scattered ideas?
• Do you need to focus on a few?
• Do you need to jumpstart your business right now?
• Do you have no time or interest in writing a 50 page business plan?
• Do you need to determine if you’re focusing on the right things?
• Do you need an effective blueprint to keep yourself and team focused?

Then consider a fresh, simple approach to business planning that will enable you to focus on what is important…the One Page Business Plan^(TM) – a powerful tool for building and managing a business. It’s short, it’s concise, and it delivers results quickly and effectively. There can be no question as to where your business is headed when it is in writing, especially when you have the key essentials about growing your business clearly specified on a single page.

Is this another ho-hum course on business planning like the ten others you have attended – no way! I know how to capture the essence of any business in just a few minutes using the innovative key word and short phrase techniques using the One Page Business Plan^(TM).

To Register for the One Page Business Plan^(TM) Free Webinars:

Call Laura at 250 248-6012 / 1 877 248-6012 or e-mail Laura at lreilly@leadingadvisor.com and you will receive your GoTo Meeting Webinar Link, Phone Number and Access Code.

• Thursday, June 23^rd at 1:45pm EDT

 

The One Page Business Plan translates the standard elements of a business plan into five simple, universal questions.

• Vision: What are you building?
• Mission: Why does this business exist?
• Objectives: What results will you measure?
• Strategy: How will you build this company?
• Plans: What is the work to be done?

Your next steps are to have the team set their goals, acknowledge what they are doing right, make requests for what they need to change, offer support where needed, follow up 30-60-90 days while letting the team know about the rewards for taking action and consequences for not taking action.

It is all about them taking action … not about the externals – you, the company, the job, the clients etc.

30-60-90 days is like 1, 2, 3 strikes you are out at the old ball game when requests are made changes are not made.

The above must be documented to create a paper trail of reward / accountability to those that are performing or not performing … in the absence of this documentation, one lacks clarity about the situation and could tend to feel somehow responsible for the lack of commitment and action of others.

At the same time, in the absence of documentation about what the team member is doing right and what they need to change, your mind may have a tendency to focus on all the negatives and with the negatives in mind, one cannot possibly see what the team member is doing right.

Remember, the ego is addicted to finding out what is wrong about what is right.

With this going on, and in the absence of the above noted plan, one can continually feels victimized by their team.

 

Jason’s article includes two key points that are include in The Leading Advisor Hiring Process.

1. “We interviewed some really good people. The problem: Most of the best candidates saw the job as a steppingstone. They wanted to start out as an assistant and end up somewhere else. That’s completely fair, of course, but it didn’t do us much good. We needed an assistant who wanted to be an assistant—someone who actually enjoyed sweating the details at a small but growing company, someone who would excel and grow but not grow out of the job itself.”
2. “So we set out to find an assistant: someone to assist me, David, and anyone else at the company who needed help with administrative tasks. Since we’d never hired for this kind of position, I went online and reviewed a bunch of assistant and office manager job postings. But the listings didn’t really do much for me. This is a problem with job listings in general: They don’t seem to describe an actual day’s work. They’re heavy on skills but not actions. We decided to go in a different direction to locate our new assistant. Instead of a boring list of skills—this software, that many years of experience, “team player,” etc.—we wrote a list of 26 things that this person would have done in a week had he or she been working here.”

I can’t agree more with Jason Friend’s comments having run into countless financial advisors that have attracted a Hiring Fatal Attraction.

They attracted a Hiring Fatal Attraction because they did not have a clear hiring plan and they wasted too much time explaining the merits of their company and the qualifications that were required versus the things that the new hire was to do in a week.

Many financial advisors get fooled by potential new administrative and marketing assistants that are using the financial advisor as a stepping stone to become a financial advisor at the financial advisor’s expense, with the new hire taking the financial advisor’s clients out the back door when they leave.

When the things that the new hire is to do in a week are not clear it means that there is an absence of a job description and it is sad to say that the new hire will wind up doing their version of the job description, not the financial advisors.

 

These elements demonstrate the following characteristics;

• Fire – Bold, pioneering, competitive, driving, direct, determined
• Air – Optimistic, persuasive, sociable, inspiring, convincing, trusting
• Earth – Adaptable, systematic, logical, patient, relaxed, unhurried
• Water – Precise, perfectionist, orderly, diplomatic, accurate, meticulous

Many advisors have fire in their behavioral style.

Most financial advisor assistants have air, earth and water in their behavioral style and not a lot of fire.

Here’s how each of the behavioral styles deals with change.

• Fire – Loves it
• Air – May not notice it
• Earth – Does not like it, needs much preparation
• Water – Concerned of the effects of change

When it comes to conflict, here’s how each of the behavioral styles reacts.

• Fire – Confront, fight back
• Air – Flight, run away
• Earth – Tolerate, put up with
• Water – Avoid

If the behavioral style of fire is not managed it can create a lot of damage.

The behavioral style of fire is like nuclear power; it can power a region for a thousand years or detonate it in a matter of seconds.

So fire thrives in the ever changing priority world and they can get very frustrated when deadlines get missed and it can feel like a blow up to the other behavioral styles and it will be necessary to apologize and come from a place of leadership and responsibility to clean up the situation.

Advisor: “I would like to talk with you about how I behaved yesterday about the work not getting completed on the XYZ file. I am sorry that I got upset and about what I said to you. I will work on a better management strategy so that the situation doesn’t happen again. I will meet with you every three days to review my priorities and to discuss the progress that you are making.”

Note that there is no YOU in the above paragraph … there is only the “I”.

Free One Page Business Plan Webinars May 11^th & 26^th – Register Now!

Announcing Leading Advisor’s One Page Business Plan(TM) Free Webinars and the One Page Business Plan(TM) Webinars!“If you don’t get the words right, you might build the wrong business and may never get the numbers right.”  The dates for the One Page Business Plan(TM) Free Webinars are: Wednesday, May 11that 11:15am EDT Thursday, May 26th at 12:30pm EDT

Who should attend?

• Do you have too many scattered ideas?
• Do you need to focus on a few?
• Do you need to jumpstart your business right now?
• Do you have no time or interest in writing a 50 page business plan?
• Do you need to determine if you’re focusing on the right things?
• Do you need an effective blueprint to keep yourself and team focused?

Then consider a fresh, simple approach to business planning that will enable you to focus on what is important…the One Page Business Plan^(TM) – a powerful tool for building and managing a business. It’s short, it’s concise, and it delivers results quickly and effectively. There can be no question as to where your business is headed when it is in writing, especially when you have the key essentials about growing your business clearly specified on a single page.

Is this another ho-hum course on business planning like the ten others you have attended – no way! I know how to capture the essence of any business in just a few minutes using the innovative key word and short phrase techniques using the One Page Business Plan^(TM).

To Register for the One Page Business Plan^(TM) Free Webinar:

Call Laura at 250 248-6012 / 1 877 248-6012 or e-mail Laura at lreilly@leadingadvisor.com and you will receive your GoTo Meeting Webinar Link, Phone Number and Access Code.

• Wednesday, May 11^that 11:15am EDT
• Thursday, May 26^th at 12:30pm EDT