Welcome to "More Profit & More Time" that includes your 8th E-lesson on Simon's Success Strategies - Start 2005 Polished, Planned & Prepared.

Here it is again.  The long e-newsletter.  With respect, it will continue to be long. 

Some of you like to print off the whole thing so that you can refer to it from time to time.  Some of you save the e-newsletter to your desktop so that you can refer back to it on your computer.

Some of you enjoy;

• Simon’s Success Strategies to get your year off to a strong start
• Resources & Classifieds to pass your message onto our readers
• Advisors Only because you are a Professional Advisor
• Coaching Case Studies to see what is going on with clients
• Reilly’s Rants & Reflections to see what is going on with me in my business

The E-newsletter is also a way to pre-introduce you to the Documents that are in our Resources Section.

Thanks for understanding – Simon

In this issue:

Part 1 – Simon’s Success Strategies 2005 - Start 2005 Polished, Planned & Prepared

Time Management - 10 + Simple Steps to Time Management - Part 4

Part 2 – Resources & Classifieds Section

Resources &  Classifieds Section

A Few Reminders

Tell Your Friends

Letters

Our New Web Site Resources Section

Part 3 – Advisors Only

Eight Habits of Financial Consultants

 

Practice Management Tips

Part 4 – Coaching Case Studies

Telecoaching Calls & Follow Up E-Mails - #1, #2 & #3

Part 5 – Reilly's Reflections & Rants

My Personal Blog - Started February 26th

What is A Teleclass? - The More Than Human Side - Behavioral Time Management Assessment and follow up "Behavioral Time Management" Teleclass

 

Teleclass & Teleclass Etiquette

Another amazing two weeks topped off by a trip to Vancouver Island.

Referrals and existing client & new client business abound!  February month end completed and onward and upward towards March.  The completion of the updated web site, web site resources menu, web site products menu are within reach and my blog web site is completed!  I am having a lot of fun with the Blog – even more fun than the web site and e-newsletters.  Perhaps the completion of the Blog is inspiring me to complete the updated web site, web site resources menu and web site products menu.  With this in mind, I have decided to postpone updating the marketing plan and marketing assistant for two weeks and pull all energies towards the completion of the web related items.  Then it is full steam ahead to April – June, to lay the foundation for reserves to enjoy the summer months.

Read on for Simon’s Simon Success Strategies – Start 2005 Polished, Planned & Prepared - E-lesson on Time Management - 10 + Simple Steps to Time Management - Part 4.

I would love to hear your feedback, let me know what you think.

Simon Reilly
sreilly@leadingadvisor.com

10 + Simple Steps to Time Management – Part 4

For Parts 1, 2 & 3 go here;  http://www.leadingadvisor.com/success.html

Part 1

1. What are your beliefs about time?
2. Plan Your Day
3. Do Your ABC’s
4. Check in every 15 minutes

Part 2

5. Form The Habit Of Allowing 5 to 15 Minutes To Review Your Day
6. Use A Week At A Glance 24/7 Diary To-Do List

Part 3

7. Eliminate Busy Work
8. Schedule Time In Advance and Ask What Is Going To Distract Me?
9. Form Time Boundaries

Part 4

10.  You Say You Have No Time – Then Where Is Your Time  Going?
11.  Review and Summarize Your Time
12.  Start Time Blocking
13.  Your Daily Calendar / To Do List

10 + Simple Steps to Time Management – Part 4

10. You Say You Have No Time – Then Where Is Your Time Going? 

To answer the question of where is your time going, start tracking and logging your time daily for a least a week.  Track your time by writing down the exact time that you begin each activity, write a few words about what the activity is about and write down the exact time that you end each activity.  I suggest that you write down everything.  If you begin an activity and in the middle of it, you decide to answer e-mails or the telephone, then write down the exact time that you began and ended the e-mails or the telephone calls.  This requires you to be 100% honest about what you are spending your time on.  If you take 8 minutes to make a cup of coffee then write down 8 minutes.  Forget about being perfect writing down your time in 15 minute increments.

11. Review and Summarize Your Time

At the end of the week, review your time records and summarize your activities and the amount of time spent on each.  Create your activity categories and you can have from anywhere from 6 – 20 categories.  They should be meaningful to you.  Examples of Business categories are;  Planning, Administration, Clients, Computer, Financing, Marketing, Office, Product Development, Sales, Team & Training.  Examples of Personal categories are;  Planning, Auto, Clothing, Home, Storage, Financial, Health, Hobby, Intellectual, Family, Friends, Spouse, Spirit & Travel.  Next summarize how much time you spent on each activity on a daily and weekly basis and determine the percentage of time that you are spending on each activity.  The key is to become aware about where you are spending your time.

12.  Start Time Blocking

With your newfound time awareness in mind and taking your priority activities into consideration, start to schedule your major activities into the highest energy, productive parts of your day.  For me, early mornings are my best and that is when I write my e-newsletter.  Take a look at all the similar activities that you do and group them into time blocks.  For me the e-newsletter falls into the category of writing so this includes;  web site edits and additions, e-newsletters, blog and product development.  You can start to time block your e-mails and phone time together.  What about errands?  How about meetings so that you block them into time when you are out of the office.  What about e-mailing people that you have to have a meeting with and requesting a telephone meeting and letting them know that you can talk with them on the phone at either 3pm or 5pm?  The key here is that you will be empowered because you will be in charge of your time.

13.  Your Daily Calendar / To Do List

I believe in writing out my daily calendar so that it is a page at a glance.  There is something powerful about the power of the written word.  The power of the written word causes me to commit.

On an 8 ˝” by 11” sheet of paper I divide the page into 3 equal columns.

The first column is my daily schedule from 5 am – 10 pm to schedule the live and telephone appointments that I have committed to.

The second column is for what I must do that day.  I group the activities into similar activities, estimate the time required and then schedule.

The third column is for what I would want to do that day.  These are misc. items that are still a priority that will only take a few minutes to follow up on.  I often do these while traveling or waiting for appointments.

One thing to remember.  Do not block out 100% of your time.  Leave 1 – 2 hours of buffer time so that you can still handle those inevitable interruptions.

Call to Action 

• For a week, track your activities and time by writing down everything that you are doing and the time that it takes to the exact minute.
   
• Review and summarize your list of activities into categories and tally the amount of time that you spend on each category of activities.
   
• Time block your priority categories / activities into high energy times.
   
• Prioritize, estimate and schedule your activities.

Part 2 – Resources & Classifieds

Resources & Classifieds Section

In the last issue, I invited you to pass on anything that you would like to forward to our readership to; lreilly@leadingadvisor.com

Bango Body - Dayna Bango

Dayna is a really good friend of ours.  Dayna has been working with Laura and I as our personal fitness consultant for the best part of two years. 

For me, I jokingly said not too long ago … “I’m finally strong enough to do a workout!”  This means that through Dayna’s knowledge and expertise about diet and working out the entire body, I am able to do sustained planks, pushups and levels of weights that I didn’t really think were possible.

So what are you waiting for?  If you have been thinking about hiring a personal fitness consultant, and you want to get in great shape for the summer, now is the time to take action.  Give Dayna a call @ 778 895-9312 or e-mail dayna@bangobody.com.

P.S.  Dayna is also a client  :-) .
 

Laurie Bricker – Mobile Massage

I have mentioned that I like to receive therapeutic massage after a long week of working with clients.  I would like to introduce you to another good friend of ours that has been providing me with therapeutic massage for years.  Over the years, I have experienced many different types of therapeutic massage from a number of different people, Laurie is by far the best without question.

A Few Reminders

Here are a few reminders to go to;

• the main page of our website click or go to;
  www.leadingadvisor.com
• past e-newsletters and worksheets click or go to;
  www.leadingadvisor.com/resources/html
• unsubscribe click or go to;
  www.leadingadvisor.com/newsletter.html

Tell Your Friends

Thank you for taking the time to subscribe.  Many of you have passed on our Web Site and E-Newsletter offer to your friends and we offer you our thanks.

To make it easy for all of you to pass on the Leading Advisor Web Site and the More Profit & More Time E-Newsletter to your friends, we have added a Tell Your Friends Link to our Web Site.

Click here if you want to Tell Your Friends, about Leading Advisor and More Profit & More Time.
 

Letters

I first caught you on the weekend news.  I decided to subscribe as my wife and are firm believers in planning and goal setting.  We have never adopted any particular format.  The process has evolved.  Your website helped us along.  I hesitate to say it for fear of appearing simple but - what is the big picture or what is it that you are trying to achieve with your website. Enlightenment for freeloaders like myself and or new clients. What kinds of clients – businesses or individuals?

Thanks for all the great info,
J

Dear J,

Thanks for your reply. 

To answer your question - What is the big picture or what is it that you are trying to achieve with your website?

Our parent company and main web site is Leading Advisor. 

The opportunity to be on BCTV News on Global came as a result of Global TV being a client of mine and me offering the idea on a series on Starting 2005 - Polished Planned and Prepared.

The series Starting 2005 - Polished Planned and Prepared needed to be for a general audience and given that Leading Advisor may appear to be too much about business, Simon's Success Strategies and the web site and e-newsletter were born.

The intention is to offer value for all.  If a business person finds there way to the Simon's Success Strategies web site, they are invited to visit Leading Advisor;  www.leadingadvisor.com

We want to give readers 10 x more than they expect.  

We believe that readers may be more interested in our services when they respect us, trust us, like us and when they are ready.

Respect us, trust us, like us and when they are ready - all take time.  We will continue to offer the e-newsletter and it will always be free of charge and from time to time, we will offer products along the way.

Do I work with business or individuals?  Both.  With almost two decades in personal and professional development, I work with people that have a big dream that want to make it into a reality. 

Thank you again for your interest.

Regards,
Simon

Our New Web Site Resources Section

We are pleased to announce that we have a new Resources Section for our Web Site and you can access it here:
http://www.leadingadvisor.com/resources/

Our new Resources Section allows us to post our latest articles with more ease and it makes it easier for you to find articles with the search engine.

  Part 3 – Advisors Only

Eight Habits of Financial Consultants

December 29, 2004

After finding out that three of the most influential, charismatic and successful people I know come from a financial consultant background, I started to think about what else they have in common.

Hard knocks life - Each of them comes from a life that wasn't filled with silver spoons in their mouths. They learned the hard way that life was filled with rough spots and how to get over hurdles.

Edginess - There is a certain forced cheerfulness about each of them. Their personalities are deep and edgy, as if there is a strong current of negativity beneath the surface. It's as if that darkness gives their personalities color.

Generous - They are very willing to share what's in their goodie basket. They don't worry about what will or won't come out on the other side of the equation. Sometimes, their generosity and trust level gets them in trouble because they encounter people who aren't as generous. Yet, when burned, they don't shut off their generosity.

Genuine - Each of them shows their genuine self, no masks, no hidden agendas. They are honest to the point of offending some people who can't handle what they hear. They don't bother covering up what's on their minds, they speak what they feel.

Capable - They are good at just about anything they attempt. On the other hand, failure isn't a big issue. If they should fail, you won't see a weeping mass at the end of the finish line. They'll be off trying something else.

Self-aware - They know their weaknesses and strengths and are very good at using both to full advantage. I hear each of them say, “I'm not very good at that, so-and-so does that.”

Militant - I don't mean they are out their beating their chests and burning flags. I mean they don't take the well traveled path. They're willing to take chances and discover the path that they want to travel. They are the original drummers with a different beat.

Agile - Each of them strives to learn how to become better at whatever it is they are doing. They are constantly learning, reading, improving their processes.

Are these traits common for financial consultants or are they a product of the training they receive once they get into the trade?

The above article was written by Kimberly Black;  www.kimberlyblack.com Kimberly has been instrumental in the fine tuning and launch of my Blog.
- Simon

Practice Management Tips

#1
Begin At The Top
Advertising and marketing can help to broaden your customer base, but one of the best ways to gain new, high net worth clients is to ask for referrals. Review your files thoroughly and compile a slit of your top 20 clients based on net worth. If you’ve already done a good job for them, they should be happy to refer you to their friends and business associates.

#2
Send Stylish Invitations
A template letter that reads “Dear Client” isn’t going to impress a high net worth prospect. If you’re hosting a special event for high net worth clients and prospects, spend a little more time and money and print professional invitations that your prospects will notice and remember. Things like higher-quality, embossed lettering and gilded envelopes will help to set you apart from the competition.

#3
Learn About Charities
According to a study conducted y the research firm HNW.com, affluent individuals are more likely to make charitable giving decisions with the help of an advisor. If you want to work with high net worth clients, it’s a good idea to learn about different gift planning strategies so that you’ll be able to answer your client’s technical questions whey they arise.

#4
Consider Fee Based Planning
Because they are bringing more assets to the table, many high net worth clients may demand increased flexibility and transparency when it comes to commissions. By making a switch to fee-based planning, advisors may be able to better fulfill that need – for example, through hourly fees or wrap accounts.

#5
Be Prepared For Windfalls
According to a study conducted by Cap Gemini Ernst & Young Canada, there will be nearly one million HNW individuals in this country by 2010 (HNW being someone with more than $1 million in investible assets). Much of that money – about $500 billion – will come in the form of inheritances. Advisors working in the affluent market will need to be prepared to give clients advice on how best to invest large sums of cash.

#6
Offer Alternatives
Surveys suggest that more than 80 per cent of the Canadian millionaires hold investments such as property, hedge funds and direct investments in private companies in their investment portfolio. Advisors active in the high net worth market will need to be able to offer, and give advice about, alternative investment vehicles.

#7
Build A Web Page
High net worth clients are on the NET. Are you? According to research conducted by HNW Inc., an American marketing and media company focused on the high net worth demographic, households with incomes of $125,000 are twice as likely to spend time online. If you don’t have a Web presence, you’re not getting all the exposure you could.

#8
Avoid Statement Shock
If the market decreases by 7 per cent, a client with a $10,000 account will see his or her net worth decrease by $700. A high net worth investor with a million dollar portfolio, however, will see a decrease of $70,000 – more than many people earn in a year. If the markets are volatile, be sure to set aside time so that you can speak with your affluent clients in person before they receive their statements in the mail.

#9
Obtain Credentials
According to research conducted by The Stenner Group, a high level of expertise is the first ting high net worth clients look for in their financial advisor. “Building up your professional credentials such as FCSI or CFA or M, etc., is important in the eyes of the millionaire investor,” says Thane Stenner.

#10
Have Marketing Material Approved
Marketing material should be regularly updated to ensure all information is complete and accurate and not misleading to clients. Before placing an advertisement or sending out a mailing, be sure to have your compliance officer review the material first.

  Part 4 – Coaching Case Studies

Telecoaching Call Follow Up E-Mails - #1, #2, & #3

I thought that I would do something different for this issue and I have offered a few e-mails (anonymously of course) that I have sent clients over the past two weeks.

As you will see, I am a strong coach and I make strong requests of my clients.
 

Telecoaching Call Follow Up E-Mail - #1

Hi L.,

Confirming our call for 6:15pm.

First of all, congratulations on the attraction that you have created with the new business.

You have what it takes deep down and that is the main thing.  Business success is more about having what it takes than about what you know.  Forget telling yourself all the things that you don’t know.  You will just find more of them.

I hope that you got the printer fixed and that the orders got placed OK.

In advance, in order to gain focus for the call and for our coaching sessions, I have attached the Coaching Call Client Prep Form.

From our call on Monday … Here is a summary of my thoughts from our conversation which is by no means complete.  It is a snap shot of what we reviewed

Looking forward to our call.

Simon

Planning

Do you have a written vision?
Do you have a business plan?
What are your short term 90 day goals?
What are your daily / weekly priorities and a time estimate for each one?
What must be done, what do you want to do and what should be done?
What are all the urgent things that need to be done to meet the trade show deadlines?
Are your daily / weekly priorities and the time estimate for each one “time blocked” into a week at a glace calendar?

The above will get you clear about how much time that you do or don’t have.

Support

Sounds like you need to hire a $10 - $15 per hour person.
Stop doing $10 - $15 per hour work and get on top of your business.

Financing

You may say that you can’t afford the $10 - $15 per hour person.  Neither one of you can afford to be doing $10 - $15 per hour work.  Focus on the vision and the business plan and the money will follow.

With a vision and business plan you will attract financing if you need it.

If your business plan is sound then it deserves financing.  It is insane to think that a business can be profitable and that it can create it’s own funds from the get go.

Relationship

I can help you with how to manage your partner and to honor his uniqueness – we often project our style onto our loved ones and this can have disastrous effects in the long run.  He is creative and may not choose to have the same kind of drive that you have and that is not too diminish him in any way – He shines in a different light.  We drivers sometimes believe that everyone should do everything just like us.

Telecoaching Call Follow Up E-Mail - #2

Hi F.,

Staying Clear

I am checking in as a courtesy.  Please understand that it is best for you to make the notes from our sessions.

Have you Cleared your limiting beliefs yet?

You must clear everything about yourself and about them, the past ... all of it.  This stuff is draining you of your power.

Go to the location of the project and do some visualization of you completing the deal with a stronger position.  Imagine what it feels like having championed this for you and for the community.  You are creating a vision.  Write the vision in detail along with the feelings that are related to it.

Next, write down the 90 day goals to enable you to move towards your vision.

Write the action steps.

Call the meeting.

Start with confirming the vision.

Tell them what your 90 day goals are and what you need from them to enable you to do the work.

Remember leaders hand goals UP to the top, they do now wait for the goals to be handed DOWN.

Make it happen.

Please e-mail back with a written report of what happened.

This is a must.

This will help you to keep on track.

Simon

Telecoaching Call Follow Up E-Mail - #3

Hi N.,

Coaching works best when there is commitment & consistency.

As Yoda said, "there is do or not do, there is no try".

There is no sugar coated way to say this ...

We are either working together or we are not.

The intention is to give both my clients and I the space to identify strengths and areas to strengthen and proceed with an action plan and systems so that what we are working on is sustainable.

At the same time a tremendous amount of my energy goes into the first sessions for me to tune in, help clear the negativity and to setting up a game plan for the client.

I work with my clients with 3 - 1 hour sessions per month the first 3 weeks of the month and I request a 3 month commitment.

With respect, open sessions are not available.

I work with people that want to work with me to build sustainable systems to strengthen themselves from the inside out to build a strong foundation for their business and personal lives to stand on.

I sense the fear in you about money.  I suggest that a business plan would give you a sales and expense projection to give you some sort of an idea of where you stand.  To operate without this one component of a business plan is not recommended.

Thanks for understanding.

Simon
 

  Part 5 – Reilly's Reflections & Rants

My Personal Blog – Started February 26^th

I started my personal Web Blog on February 26^th.

Again, I am having a lot of fun with the Blog – even more fun than the web site and e-newsletters.  Perhaps the completion of the Blog is inspiring me to complete the updated web site, web site resources menu and web site products menu.

To go to my Blog go here and be sure to bookmark it as it is updated on a daily basis; 

http://www.leadingadvisor.com/blog/

A Blog is a frequent, chronological publication of personal thoughts and Web links.

A blog is often a mixture of what is happening in a person's life and what is happening on the Web, a kind of hybrid diary/guide site, although there are as many unique types of blogs as there are people.

People maintained blogs long before the term was coined, but the trend gained momentum with the introduction of automated published systems, most notably Blogger at blogger.com. Thousands of people use services such as Blogger to simplify and accelerate the publishing process.

Blogs are alternatively called web logs or weblogs. However, "blog" seems less likely to cause confusion, as "web log" can also mean a server's log files.

Blogging is a way for me to offer my authentic experience of what is going on with both my business and personal life both good and bad to again, give you a more authentic experience over and above the systems that I write about to add more value for you.

To get started we needed;

• Blogger Software
• A Title
• A Photo

The Blogger Software that we are using is Six Apart Moveable Type.

My Blog title is “What would a leader do next?  It’s better to lead than to follow”.

We will have the official Blog launched in the first week in March.  Until it is officially launched I am going to write the Blog into the E-Newsletter.

What Is A Teleclass? - The More Than Human Side - Behavioral Time Management Assessment and follow up "Behavioral Time Management" Teleclass

We launched our first E-Product a few weeks ago, "Behavioral Time Management" Assessment and follow up "Behavioral Time Management" Teleclass. The response from the Simon’s Success Strategies E-Newsletter readership has been non-existent.

In reflection I “assumed” that everyone must have known what a Teleclass is.  Silly me.  To this end, please find the following information about Teleclasses.

Teleclasses & Teleclass Etiquette

A Teleclass is a conference call, like a chat line. You and between 10 - 500 other registrants call a regular 10-digit number normally located in the United States at your class time and you are welcomed by the Teleclass Leader or host. A Teleclass is similar to a grad school discussion -- some lecture, some questions, some discussion. If this if your first time taking a Teleclass, you may wonder if and how it works. It just does. It's highly interactive and the 'flow' works well. You can listen and absorb and/or engage in the discussion. You can always ask questions of the Teleclass Leader. Most Teleclass sessions last an hour. Some meet one time only, others meet weekly for 4-8 weeks, sometimes longer.

You do not need a computer in order to be in the class. All you need is a regular phone!

Note: The cost to call one of our bridges is a standard long distance charge. There are no conferencing fees, so you would just pay your long distance carrier whatever your rates are. Most carriers charge $3-6 an hour for long distance, so the cost is minimal.

Teleclass Etiquette

There is some protocol when taking a Teleclass. This protocol will help you get the most from your calls.

1. The length of this call is 1 hour. We will be completing the call at this time.
    
2. If you have a two-line phone or other phones in your office/room, TURN OFF all ringers before calling in.  Call from a quiet place. If calling from your office, if possible, shut your door.  Temporarily disable call waiting by dialing *70 and waiting for a dial tone while you are on the Teleclass call.
    
3. Do NOT:
   
   Do work in the background like typing on the computer keyboard, doing dishes, etc., or eat while on the call. The sound is easily picked up and is an annoyance.
   Use your speakerphone. It distorts the sound, picks up background noise, and is annoying to others on the call.
   
   Do:
   
   Use your mute button is there is any unavoidable background noise of if you are using a headset.
    
4. If this is your first participation in a teleconference on a bridge line, you will quickly find it just like a regular conference room. Since others can't see you when you speak, begin by saying your name.
    
5. At one minute before your scheduled class time, dial the correct bridge number. If you are the first person to call in, the line will keep ringing until the second person calls in and you two will be immediately “connected.”
    
6. Pause a moment until you are welcomed.  Everyone who is already on the bridge hears a little beep or ring so they know someone has just dialed in.  A similar beep is heard when someone hangs up.
    
7. Do NOT use your hold button or flash button while on the call.  If you must leave the call, hang up and then re-dial upon your return.  The hold and flash buttons will lock out anyone else from calling in.
    
8. Make your point succinctly, share a quick story, ask a question simply. Please be sensitive to everyone's need to participate.
    
9. Above all else enjoy yourself!