Every Day Is A Presentation, Just Like The MDRT
August 21, 2009 by Simon · Leave a Comment
I just reflecting that whether I’m coaching, speaking or writing, every one of these is a presentation in some way shape or form.
Coaching includes reading the notes from a previous conversation, Speaking can include an interview with the Advocis Chapter President or Advocis Program Chair in advance of speaking at an Advocis Chapter to find out what the audience wants to hear about and Writing can include writing out a description of a speaking presentation.
It’s 7:45am Thursday, August 20th and I’m sharing what I am doing to qualify to speak at the MDRT in Vancouver in June 2010.
There are many qualification steps to speak at the MDRT and I have been suggested as a potential speaker and this was created by way of a referral which had to pass through a committee to get to the place that I am in right now in the process.
The next steps include a telephone interview with The Program Committee Captain which is today at 1pm.
The interview is to discuss my interest, a discussion of my proposed presentation and to answer any question that I may have.
I have not spoken since June 17th so here are my notes to help me to get focused on the presentation that I would like to offer to the MDRT.
Clear Your Roadblocks
Tag Lines;
- Increase Your Referrals By 1000%
- Understand and Eliminate The Plateauing Out Syndrome
- Attract More High Net Worth Clients With Less Effort
Positioning Statements
- Most people do not know what their values are
- Values are what pull you forward, ignite your passion and your vision, plan and goals
- Many advisors have no written vision, business plan, marketing plan or goals
- Many advisors agree that asking for referrals is the best way to build their business
- A survey indicated that 10 – 15% of advisors actually ask for referrals
Why?
- Advisors and others suffer from The Unmet Needs Disease
- When one has Unmet Needs, they have Negative Beliefs and Negative Emotions
- The Unmet Need of approval is the Roadblock that prevents an advisor from asking for a referral and fuels Negative Beliefs like “the client may say no” or “I might make a mistake with the referral and I may lose the client as a result” and these in turn fuel Negative Emotions like anxiety and fear.
Values are like turtles, they only come out when it is safe. Unmet Needs not only fuel Negative Beliefs and Negative Emotions; Unmet Needs will eventually sabotage values, vision, plans and goals.
The Clear Your Roadblocks presentation helps advisors to understand and clear their Unmet Needs, Negative Beliefs and Negative Emotions and gives them the strategies to;
- Redefine their Values
- Create a Vision
- Set 90 Day Goals
- Maximize Time
- Empower Their Teams
- Delegate More
- Attract High Net Worth Clients
- Ask for and receive Referrals
- Create a Brand
- Focus on A Niche Market
- Receive Testimonials
- Increase Their Sales By 25%
- Ignite their Passion & Inspiration like never before
Well If You Had A Dream Like Mine
July 14, 2009 by Simon · Leave a Comment
Monday, July 14th at 1:40pm and powering through writing a PowerPoint and workbook for the workshop that I am delivering on July 16th and Bruce Cockburn’s “If You Had A Dream Like Mine” is on the radio.
Robert Gignac will be here at 6:30pm and Laura and I will take Robert for dinner. Robert is visiting us after speaking at a National Freedom 55 Event over the weekend in Victoria.
Robert has referred me to the decision makers for the MDRT event in Vancouver 2010 and the contact wants the following today ( Monday ) for a Tuesday meeting;
Dear _________,
I’m following up on Robert Gignac’s MDRT speaking referral.
Thank you for taking the time to consider me as a speaker for the MDRT.
Please find the answers to the following questions at the bottom of this e-mail.
1. Full name of person you are suggesting
2. Address
3. Email
4. Phone number
5. What is this person’s “claim to fame” the message for the audience.
I hope to have the opportunity to be of service.
Simon Reilly
5. Create Sustainable Success by Understanding The Plateauing Out Syndrome - Curing The Unmet Needs Disease
I’ve delivered the core of this message coast to coast across Canada to 12,000 financial advisors at over 100 financial advisor speaking presentations over the past 36 months and more notably at larger Advocis Chapters in Victoria, BC, Calgary, AB, Regina, SK, Saskatoon, SK, Ottawa, ON Toronto, ON, Moncton, NB and St. John’s NL. Click here for Speaking Testimonials.
Please note that I offer a pre-presentation interview to find out what the issues are that the audience is facing and create a customized presentation.
Finally, while I am more than pleased with our web site speaking folio and testimonials, the show reels on the web site are over a year and a half old, and do not do justice to the speaking testimonials and the quality of the speaking.
Create Sustainable Success by Understanding The Plateauing Out Syndrome - Curing The Unmet Needs Disease
No matter what milestone is championed, sooner or later, even the most successful financial advisor will get to a place where they say, “Is this all there is?”
While unmet needs like approval, recognition and safety propel the financial advisor to advanced levels of success, like the grain of sand that forms the irritant in the oyster that becomes the beautiful pearl in the end, the unmet need like the grain of sand is still irritating the financial advisor.
The unmet needs that propelled the success have not been met and deep down these incomplete unmet needs of approval, recognition and safety generate an array of limiting beliefs such as, “people don’t appreciate me”, and “this is not good enough”, and “there is something missing and I can’t put my finger on it” which are often compounded by negative emotions.
Trouble is, unmet needs cannot be met from outside things like; awards, money, possessions or relationships. Unmet needs must be met from within, and meeting these unmet needs are the cornerstone of discovering ones’ values which are the true foundation of ones’ success.
The challenge, values are like turtles, they only come out when it is safe and unmet needs will dominate a persons values until they are met.
When values are realized one is fulfilled from within by delivering their values to all whom they serve, not because they need it.
My speaking presentation shows the audience the steps on how to cure their unmet needs and re-associate to the values, positive beliefs and positive feelings that will inspire them to go forward.
Working Weekend Confession
July 11, 2009 by Simon · Leave a Comment
It’s Saturday morning and I’m confessing that I’m likely going to be working Saturday and Sunday mornings/early afternoons and I’m just taking a moment to celebrate the successes that we are experiencing … at the same time, this writing will spur me on as it is sunny and going to be near 30° C today.
I’m working completing a workshop, PowerPoint, workshop manual and coaching gym for delivery on July 16th.
Even though I’m working the weekend, I’m truly inspired for a number of reasons;
- Laura’s Mom Helen is here for a weekend visit
- I laid off of writing what is going on with us in business and personal blogs for the entire week and all the business blogs are already written for next week
- A Staycation from June 29th – July 3rd and enjoyed; barbeques, boating on Sprout Lake, cycling, mini golf, peace of mind, puppy class, walking Shadow, visiting my Mom Irene and yoga – click here for Staycation Pics
- Completely on track with our vision
- Ended the week by Emptying My Head and office cleanup
- Robert Gignac of Wealth Is A State Of Mind is coming to visit us on Monday afternoon and a messy office would not do
- Bob personally referred us to the MDRT for Vancouver 2010
- Jeff Comiskey of Succession Strategies Inc. and Advocis London Chapter President referred us to six other Ontario Advocis Chapters
- An exceptional week of coaching calls and we are doing more and more consulting work
- Reminded to re-visit Dragon Voice Recognition Software after putting it aside five years ago … this is spurred on with receiving a Coaching Call Client Prep Form from a client that was done in Dragon
- Reminded to re-visit Skype after putting it aside a few years ago after receiving a client call from Europe
- A new client started
- Financial Advisor Speaking Update sent to Life Insurance and MGA Companies
- Booked Advocis Trail, BC and London, ON for financial advisor public speaking
- A July 15th breakfast meeting booked in Vancouver with two COI’s from a national financial advisor firm that can sponsor financial advisor public speaking, workshops, manager coaching and financial advisor coaching
Best of all, the work on completing the workshop, powerpoint, workshop manual and coaching gym for delivery on July 16th which we are doing with Kim Black, our Coaching IT Master is preparing the foundation for us to launch a public financial advisor coaching gym that includes;
- Unlimited E-Mail Access to Simon Reilly
- E-Lessons
- Audio Lessons
- Monthly ¼ Hour Phone Call with Simon Reilly that can be booked using and automated appointment booking on-line software
- Monthly group coaching calls
- E-Coaching Follow Up to your E-Lessons, E-Mails and Progress Reports – this means I am with you every step of the way reading your E-Lessons, E-Mails and Progress Reports and Responding with; Articles, E-Lessons, Feedback, Forms, Insights and Tough Love
- Weekly Progress Report ( Automated )
- A Private On Line Forum
We are hoping to launch a Free Beta Version in our July E-Newsletter for the month of August to create a September Strong Start.
Niche Marketing, Referrals, Testimonials With A Branding Spin
June 25, 2009 by Simon · Leave a Comment
Make a list of your best clients based on; you like them, they have a strong association or business/corporate network
Ask them;
- What do you do best?
- What do you do for them that they did not expect?
- What do you need to do to improve your service? (If there is a service requirement, complete it.)
- If they were going to describe you and the products and service that you offer to someone, how would they describe you and the products and service that you offer? (Write the answers to these questions down and then e-mail the client with what you wrote asking their permission to share their words with any new prospects that you may be talking to.)
- Who do they know that would appreciate the same kinds of products and services that you offer?
I believe that the answers to these questions will also give you your branding message and the reason that I say this is I was working with an Advocis Chapter President three to four years ago and I provided him with a dry run of my speaking presentation and he told me that I should call it “Removing Your Roadblocks To Success” which became “Clear Your Roadblocks To Success”.
Go back to your list of your best clients based on; you like them, they have a strong association or business/corporate network
Sort them by their association or business/corporate network.
Examine your research and;
Determine the largest group of clients by association or business/corporate network. It does not take a large group. I started with seven financial advisors.
- Attend functions, meetings and tradeshows in the same association or business/corporate network, network and gather information about the things that are going on in the association or business/corporate network, find out what their problems are – think of ways that you can help them using your expertise.
- Read material about the association or business/corporate network and gather information about the things that are going on in the association or business/corporate network, find out what their problems are – think of ways that you can help them using your expertise.
- Write articles about the association or business/corporate network adding in the experience that you have to offer creating solutions to the problems that they are experiencing.
- Contact a list broker and purchase a list of prospects within the association or business/corporate network.
- Send your articles to the people on the list every 6 – 8 weeks.
- Distribute the articles to the people that you run across in the association or business/corporate network functions, meetings and tradeshows.
- Call the list of the business people that have been receiving your articles after they have received 3 – 4 articles.
Chances are, the value that you create in the articles will influence the prospects to call you.
One last thing, there is no such thing as an overnight success … this process takes time and if you are patient, you will get results.
* * *
It is 5:30pm on Wednesday evening and I’m off to couples Yoga with Laura at 6:30pm and I am still tired after having gotten to bed at midnight on Tuesday night after coming back from Kelowna from the Live Financial Advisor Practice Visit.
I’m pretty much back to back with calls on Thursday but Friday is wide open and a blessing as I need to catch up on things from being on the road and to finish the week as I want to take next week off.
Nearly Half Way Through 2009
June 15, 2009 by Simon · Leave a Comment
It’s Monday afternoon and I’m packed and ready for my Tuesday flight to Toronto where I will acclimatize to the time zone change while working doing tele-coaching calls on Wednesday in advance of speaking at Advocis Toronto on Thursday morning.
Toronto’s trip also includes a meeting with a COI relating to financial advisor speaking, facilitating workshops and one on one coaching on a national level.
I’m flying home Thursday afternoon/evening and I’ll wrap up the week with tele-coaching on Friday.
We will be half way through 2009 on June 30th and we have already started to re-affirm our Objectives, Strategies and Actions for the second half of 2009 and I have completed a Giving Thanks List for the second quarter of 2009.
I’ll use the flight time to Toronto and back to work on the following;
- Advocis Toronto Power Point Presentation which is two hours – financial advisor speaking is like a box of chocolates and you never know how much time you are going to get
- A scheduling letter to my clients
- June E-Newsletter + Fiduciary Responsibility
- Learn Blackberry
- July Objectives, Strategies and Actions
- The Leading Advisor Live Workshop
Leading Advisor Giving Thanks List For The Second Quarter Of 2009
Vision, Projects, Schedule
- Vision is on track as evidenced by;
Computer/Technology
- BlackBerry Storm
Financial
- Yearly Accounting Completed
Marketing
- Completed IDA, Live Insurance, MFDA and MGA Data Base
- Created A New Referral Card
- Financial Advisor Speaking Testimonials Documented By Company
- Speaking Intake Form Follow Up Automation Underway
Articles
- Ghost Writer Hired
- Published at The Toronto IFB by Heather Slawner
- Published in Advisor.ca
- Published on Investment Executive TV
Blog
- Video Added To Blog
Power Point
- The Compassionate Advisor Completed
- The Six Degree Of Life Insurance Connection Completed
Social Networking
- Associated To Facebook & Twitter
Speaking
- We are presenting financial advisor speaking coast to coast – Advocis Victoria, BC March 28, 2009 and Advocis New Foundland Labrador, St. John’s, Newfoundland along with having completed the following dates.
Sponsorship
- We are in conversation with two national financial advisor companies that may hire us to complete national financial advisor speaking presentations, workshops and financial advisor coaching
Strategic Alliances
- Complete Web Cast with Duncan MacPherson of Pareto Systems
Product
- 1000 Curing The Unmet Needs Disease Books In Print
- New Web Based Coaching Call Client Preparation Form Created
Sales
- Sales Have Been Steady In This Economy
Team
- Assistant Job Description Completed, Hired And Office Completed
Training
- Integrated Spencer Johnson’s Peaks And Valleys
Advocis Newfoundland Financial Advisor Speaking Testimonials
May 25, 2009 by Simon · Leave a Comment
Advocis Newfoundland & Labrador Chapter 56th Annual Sales Congress Financial Advisor Speaking Testimonials May 22, 2009 – St. John’s, NL
“It opened my mind to my hopes and recognized my fears but inspired me to persevere. A renewed commitment to purpose and focus.”
Cyril Rogers
London Life
“Ideas and energy, and passion. I really liked the ideas that were presented. Great values presentation. The unmet needs concept is new and I will definitely follow up on this.”
Lowell Bonnell
Ryco Financial
“Great energy, and concepts. Best examination of beliefs and values that I have ever seen.”
Michael Kidney
Great West Life
“I came away with a real feeling of excitement and passion about the business that I am in.”
Marcus Penney
Freedom 55 Financial
“Great ideas and energy, and passion. I really liked the ideas that were presented. Great values presentation.”
Lowell Bonnell
Ryco Financial
“Made me realize that unmet needs should NOT determine my happiness or goals in life.”
Freeman Nannam
Hannam Insurance Services
“Internal focus on what prevents me from achieving my goals. The focus on the psychology behind why we do what we do.”
Andrew Dixon
Freedom 55 Financial
Half Hour Ahead Or Behind?
May 22, 2009 by Simon · Leave a Comment
This four and half hour time change and jet lag may drive me to Screech as I missed my first coaching call of the day on Thursday, May 21st because of a self imposed time fog. The rest of my coaching calls for the day went well and we had two more new clients come in … all adding to our goal to sell out in June for the summer months when I will be off the road from financial advisor speaking.
Common sense is a forgotten gift and I am mystified why a front desk clerk would book us into a room for four nights when we are surrounded by rooms that are all under construction. The hotel manager was mystified as the rooms in that wing had all been closed because of the construction so we are being credited for our first night stay and we were moved and upgraded at the same time.
Wednesday, May 20th was a great day travelling from a 3am PT wakeup In Parksville, BC to lights out after the finale of American Idol in St. John’s at 12pm NT … Adam was too much of a screamer.
Twelve hours of travel time and three flights via Nanaimo-Vancouver-Halifax-St. John’s allowed me to complete the following;
- Associate To Outcomes For This Trip; Coaching Calls, Coaching Prospect Goals By Way Of Speaking Presentations, Speaking Presentations, Network With COI’s At The IFB
- Back To Basics – Warm Door Knocking Strategy Blog
- Leading Advisor Workshop Draft
- My Delegation Wish List For Our New Administrative Assistant Starting The First Week In June - this dovetails in an article of mine that was just published in Advisor.ca – Are You Majoring In Minor Things?
- Short Listed Business Improvements
- Wide Or Deep Blog
Laura I finished the day with a fantastic lobster dinner at Oliver’s.
I have an easy day on Friday … funny, I’m just observing that I am writing that Friday is an easy day because all I have to do is deliver Clear Your Roadblocks to 120 financial advisors at the Advocis Newfoundland & Labrador Chapter 56th Annual Sales Congress … there was a day when this would not have been easy … at the same time I will not take this for granted and I will be investing time to review my PowerPoint of my financial advisor speaking presentation so that I am 101% on.
Laura and I are staying over in St. John’s until Sunday and we are taking a guided tour of St. John’s on Saturday. I love this place with the charm of the friendly people along with the architecture and the natural beauty.
Perhaps it resonates as the Irish settled here over 400 years ago and this was our first port of call when I immigrated with my parents from the UK in 1957.
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Dates for 2012 TBA - stay tuned!
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Now Reading
Planned books:
- Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
- The Book Of Air And Shadows: A Novel by Michael Gruber
Current books:
-
The Brave: A Novel by Nicholas Evans
Recent books:
- The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
- The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
- Shadow Of The Wind by Carlos Zafon
- The Outlander by Gil Adamson
- The Book Of Negroes by Lawrence Hill
