As we begin to head toward fall and the final quarter of the year, it’s a great time to take stock of where you are in relation to your goals. Are you happy with your results? If not, what can you do now to finish the year on stronger footing?

If you’re thinking it’s “too late” in the year to take action for significant results — it isn’t! For example, do you have a professional referral source you’re already working with who has clients who would benefit from a workshop you could deliver to them? This would be a wonderful way to amplify your results before the end of the year because these potential clients might be willing to engage in your services sooner because they have an existing relationship with your professional referral source. Ideally, this workshop also wouldn’t take as much effort to fill the seats than doing one entirely on your own.

A professional referral source who has many past clients (like an estate planning attorney or a CPA) can be great because you can get in front of them and deliver a seminar in your area of expertise. Could it be time to review their financial plan, set up a retirement plan, or investment plan? 

First, think about the results you want and are intending to produce by year end.What is your desired outcome? Next, think about how you will produce the results you desire. If you want to attract new ideal clients, how will that happen? If you want to build on your professional referral source relationships, what is the best plan to do that? Once you know the outcome you’d like to target, you can work backwards to put together your plan to re-engage and finish the year strong.

In the past, if I found myself in this situation, I would start by re-engaging with colleagues, a coach, or someone who might have wisdom and an outside perspective to help me move forward. From there, we would discuss what was going on for me and my plan of attack, review it in a few weeks, and finetune as needed. This would help me get re-engaged in my plan of action.

It’s also crucial to set up structure to help you get back into the zone and to support effective action being taken. Carve out time for planning, to do research, and to talk with people who will be able to share perspective and wisdom, and of course — make time to implement! For most people, if you don’t get the steps of your desired action plan on the calendar, it simply won’t happen.

Here are 3 ways to get back into action

1. Carve out time on your calendar to think about the results you want, and what you’re willing to do to get there.
2. Think about friends, colleagues, associates who are inspired in their business development process. If anyone in particular comes to mind, what are they doing to stay focused and on track to reach their goals? Bottom line: what are they doing to grow their business? Is there anything you could learn from or borrow from their success?
3. Run your plan by someone else, like a mentor or trusted colleague. If you don’t have someone  like that in your circle and could benefit from working with someone who knows how to support you in moving from planning and strategizing to action, reach out to me (susan@susandanzig.com) and we can put together a plan for you!

Do you find yourself agreeing to business-related requests for the wrong reasons, and regretting it later? It’s a common reaction, and happens for many reasons, like not wanting to potentially lose a business opportunity (despite it not being a good fit for your business model), or disappointing the person making the request.

Many financial services professionals responsible for contributing to or responsible for their bottom line can feel pressure to accept most (if not all) of the potential business that comes their way. One important skill to learn is when and how to say no to things that aren’t priorities, in order to protect your time and energy for what is truly important and necessary.

For example, have you ever been asked to speak to a group who wasn’t your target market, but you’ve gone ahead with it because you figured any exposure was positive for your business? This is a great example of a good time to politely decline the invitation and seek speaking opportunities in front of your target audience.

Another example of a good time to say no to an opportunity or request that comes your way is always agreeing to meet with prospects at any time of the day or night.If they become a client, you having previously agreed to meet at any time they desired could set up a precedent for your working relationship that is difficult to alter later.

It is also important to not confuse donating your time with actual marketing.I’ve had many conversations with people who figure that donating their time to an event or cause is equivalent to marketing, as they’re getting in front of new people and making connections, however this is not often the case. In order for donating your time to be a good marketing opportunity, it needs to offer you a way to interact with or get in front of your ideal clients – such as fellow board members for the particular charity you’re working with, or fellow attendees at events supporting your favorite cause. Donating your time is a wonderful thing to do – just be clear about your intentions for how you are spending your time.

A final area you may want to consider saying no to protect your boundaries and time is with a prospect trying to get you to jump through hoops, and asking you to provide a service outside your business model. While in certain cases this may make sense, it typically takes an advisor far off course from their established (more efficient) business model.

Bottom line: it will help your business in the long run if you can say no to requests that will take you off course and detract from your efforts to work with ideal clients. That time will be better spent supporting your momentum in focused ways. If you’re unsure about saying yes or no to a certain situation, a question you can ask yourself is: what’s the likelihood that this activity will pay off and create the results you’re looking for?

If you’d like help building a marketing plan in alignment with your business model and sharpening your decision-making skills around the best types of revenue-generating activities, I would love to speak with you today: susan@susandanzig.com. I also invite you to read about the various coaching programs I offer and the ways I work with my clients.

Whether you’re a business owner or financial advisor feeling under pressure to keep your motivation and work output high, it’s normal for enthusiasm to falter on occasion. Keeping motivation running high long term can be a challenge, and this is something I love to work on with my clients. Here are the top reasons I see motivation impacted, and how you can get your head back in the game.

Issue #1:

Long hours with little or no time off is common amongst RIA owners and other financial services professionals. When you feel responsible for your own bottom line, it can be hard to get to a point when it feels comfortable to take a break without worrying that you’re hurting your business. Once your business is running well, however, it’s important to cultivate a healthy balance that allows you to take care of yourself in addition to taking care of your business and your clients.

If you’re not at a place yet to take a vacation, there are small but impactful ways you can build restorative breaks into your work routine. A simple place to start is lunch breaks – do you regularly take them? (And do you take lunch breaks away from your desk?) Other areas that also often get neglected are exercise, healthy diet, and time with friends and family. If you’re finding that long hours are negatively impacting your life outside of work, it is likely time to start delegating some of your lower level tasks so that you can cultivate a work/life balance that is comfortable and will support you in doing your best work.

Issue #2:

Another issue that can stall motivation is lacking a long term plan, which can make some advisors feel like they’re working and working, without seeing progress or understanding how what they’re doing fits into their long term vision.

If you’re feeling like you are lacking that sense of what your efforts are doing for your long term plan, take time to think about your “Big Why” – why you are in this business and why it’s important to you. Another helpful technique is having a sense of smaller stepping stones along the way toward your larger goals, and staying on top of tracking your progress along the way. Another great way to help sustain your motivation long term is having someone help you implement your grand plans. If you’re playing a big game and feel you would benefit from someone helping you implement your vision, I invite you to consider my array of coaching programs. I would love to help you carry out your vision!

Issue #3:

An unappealing or uncomfortable office environment can also negatively impact overall enthusiasm and motivation for work. Does your space inspire you to do your best work or when you’re at the work, are you more inspired to leave? To improve your work environment, I’d invite you to think about what’s missing. Do you need to paint it a color that feels good to you, hang up some appealing art on the walls, invest in a standing desk, or find some better lighting? If you’re feeling uninspired looking around your office but aren’t sure where to start, ask yourself what you could do for yourself that would make your office a place you’d want to go? What makes you feel productive and energized?

If you want to make sure your motivation remains strong and steady to support long term success, I would love to speak with you. Reach out to me today: susan@susandanzig.com

At the beginning of the year, it’s easy to feel energized and full of optimism about our strategic plans. We feel like we can accomplish everything we want, reach our potential, and succeed beyond our wildest dreams. As the months begin to go by, motivation can wane. Day to day demands eat up our time, and our strategic plan gets less and less of our attention. Now that we’re more than halfway through 2018, it’s time to ask yourself – are you on track to meet goals and intentions you initially set for the year?

If you’ve either forgotten you even set yearly targets in January, or simply aren’t as close as you’d like to be, this is a great time to check in with yourself. Here are a few questions to uncover what might be holding you back, and what you can do about it.

• Have you been intentionally avoiding a certain task or project? That could be an indicator that you have resistance to whatever it is.Ask yourself, what’s going on there?
  • Rather than whistling and looking the other way, try instead to look head on at what you’ve been avoiding. If it’s your marketing plan that’s fallen by the wayside, are you afraid of putting yourself out there and failing? Examining limiting beliefs can be hugely valuable in getting unblocked and getting back on course.
  • If instead you’ve been avoiding asking for referrals or introductions, let me tell you – it’s a common place to feel blocked. Mindset again can come into play here, as it can feel uncomfortable or even vulnerable to have that conversation. Getting comfortable with a “script” of sorts that you feel authentic delivering will make the process easier. (Try practicing on a friend, colleague, or even Fido!)
• Have you been unable to put your strategic plan into action? This could be an indicator you need more support in a certain area. Ask yourself, what do I need in order to take action?
  • Rather than giving up on your plans entirely, try instead to take an honest look at areas you could use additional skills or support. Is it time to sharpen your skills in certain areas (such as sales conversations), or enlist outside guidance to help you implement your overall strategic plan?
  • Engaging with an expert business coach like me can be helpful in numerous ways. I can support you in putting your grand plans into action, provide accountability, and help you build your skills in areas you’d like to improve.
• Do you feel overwhelmed and like you simply don’t have time to put your strategic plan into action? Ask yourself, is it time to delegate some of my lower level tasks?
  • • Optimal delegating can be a game changer. Could it be time to pass off some of your lower level tasks to a team member or consultant so that your time is freed up to focus on higher level work? Feeling like you don’t have enough time to implement your strategic plan could be a sign that your bandwidth is being encroached upon by things that could be delegated. Read about how to delegate effectively here.
    • If you’re not ready to delegate, you can try to look at your strategic plan and ask yourself, what’s one step I could take that could make an impact?It’s likely not necessary to implement your entire strategic plan to see results, and being highly strategic about whatever small action youdo have the bandwidth for could make a real impact, provided you make the right move.
• Does your strategic plan no longer resonate with you? Ask yourself, could it be time to re-calibrate my plans around what’s exciting and appealing at this stage?
  • It’s entirely possible that the strategic plan you made at the end of last year or earlier this year no longer resonates with you. Are you struggling to take action because your goals no longer excite you? If so, it’s time to take some time and re-calibrate around what would make you excited to take action.
  • If you’re not feeling excited about your goals and strategic plans, it’s likely you’re not entirely engaged in your work. This means you’re not pushing as hard, or possibly letting the quality of your work lag a bit. Maybe you’re not following up on leads as quickly as you need to, showing up to networking events you RSVP’d to, or reaching out to connect with new potential professional referral sources. If so, the question to ask yourself is, what action step would make you feel re-energized?Do you need a short vacation to recharge your batteries? Or maybe a motivating meeting with a coach like me to get you back into the zone?

If you’d like help revisiting and refreshing your strategic plan and want to make sure you make the most of this year, I would love to speak with you. Email me today: susan@susandanzig.com

The idea of having “everything under control” is appealing, but when someone is thought of as “controlling,” it can have a negative connotation. Control is a funny thing — the right amount keeps things on track and helps us succeed (and it’s worth noting that it’s very common for successful people to be at least somewhat controlling), but holding the reins too tightly can hold the growth your business back.

Are you holding the reins too tightly? I invite you to ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you handling items that you know could be delegated to someone else?
• Have you ever held off on training a team member on tasks because you believe you can do them more quickly and effectively?
• Are you unwilling to make changes that would allow lower level tasks to be completed without your involvement?
• Are you working long hours attempting to catch up on those lower level tasks you don’t truly need to be doing?

When we think about financial advisors, this “controlling” attribute can manifest in swiftly taking action that make sense to enhance their game and take care of their clients. These advisors deliver. There’s peace of mind — everything’s good, there’s a feeling of confidence and security: “Everything is my way, and it’s working.”

However, the reality is that there’s only so much time in the day. Micromanaging all of the details related to running your business ultimately creates a ceiling for the growth of your business. No matter how great we think we are at multitasking, or how little sleep we get per night, there is a limit to how much we can do. Failing to delegate effectively inhibits your ability to be the rainmaker, resulting in less time to attract and bring on new clients and take care of your existing clients.

Once you’re ready to take steps toward delegating, here are a few important points to consider:

• Delegate as much as your team can handle.
  • Communicate with your team and have a solid understanding of their bandwidth and if/when they can they take on more. Oftentimes the lead advisor isn’t aware of the status of their team’s bandwidth, and that they actually have more or less capacity than they imagine.
• Set up a team accountability structure so you have a system for tracking completed tasks.
  • Depending on your needs, this might be a spreadsheet or a project management tool tracking to whom you delegated the task and when it should be completed, enabling you to quickly see the status of the work.
• Commit to additional training if needed in order to support team members effectively taking tasks or projects off your plate, and your comfort level that the work will happen as you would like.
  • If they need additional courses or training to work at a higher level, you may want to consider making an investment in their education, thus supporting your ultimate game in expanding your business.

When you’re ready to grow your business and would like support to ensure your success through the process, I invite you to reach out to me: susan@susandanzig.com

And for more on delegating, I invite you to read this previous post.

Many top producers put their own needs last. Are you one of them?

That laser focus that allows you to deliver and grow your business can obviously make a difference for those crucial periods when your attention is needed in order to accomplish certain goals or milestones — but too much focus on business outside of business hours resulting in too little attention on one’s personal life can eventually be damaging.

I have a client who is a top producer with an extremely successful practice, and one of the people who saw an almost obsessive focus on his work go to far. Though he was extremely successful in business, he saw an immediate need for healthier balance between his personal and professional lives. In fact, he was concerned that if he didn’t make changes, there would be serious repercussions on his marriage. He was consistently missing dinner with his wife and not taking care of himself physically. While his obsessive drive was generating high revenue, it was  damaging his relationship, personal life, and health.

One of the first things he acknowledged when we began our work together was that he often scheduled client meetings from 7am to 10pm, as well as on weekends. This was a clear opportunity to put boundaries in place around his schedule to support the improved work/life balance he sought. He also shared that he consistently skipped meals during his work day when things were busy (which was the majority of the time), no longer made time for exercise, and had gained weight as a result.

Since that time, he has been honoring his boundaries and self care practices. He is now much more aware about what it takes to nurture himself in his business and personal life to get his needs met.

I am happy to share that through our work together, he has been focusing on the care and feeding of his body through nutrition and exercise, as well as the care and nurturing of his partner through more dedicated quality time together. For example, he has begun implementing more regular physical activity inside and outside of work – and even building activity into his day, like having walking meetings with his assistant. He no longer skips meals during his workday, and instead he brings healthy meals to work (which his assistant helps him remember to eat!).

Another success to date is that he has been using boundaries between his professional and personal lives to take time out to have fun. This time is spent nurturing both himself and his spouse, and also helps rejuvenate his inspiration for work. He is now making it home earlier on a more regular basis to share dinner with his wife, as well as creating the time and space to take vacations together! (As you can imagine, his wife is very happy about these new developments!)

Would you like to achieve better balance between your professional and personal lives but aren’t sure how to start? I can help. Reach out to me today: susan@susandanzig.com

Think for a moment: when is the last time you looked for a weakness within your work or business structure and actively took steps to improve and strengthen it?

For many, focusing on areas perceived to be areas of weakness can be uncomfortable, but ignoring them can hold you back. If you’re not seeing the results you’d like to, I invite you to consider brushing up in some main areas: time management, effectively delegating, and communicating your value.

To help you start the process, I’ve put together a “round up” of my top pointers for optimizing your efforts in theses areas, which will ultimately improve your results.

Time management:

Is Your Time Management System Working for You?

10 Steps to Achieving Your Goals (may not be what you think!)

How to Make Time for You and Benefit Your Business

Delegation:

How to Start Delegating More Effectively

Showing Appreciation to Those Who Support Our Success

Communicating Your Value:

Do You Confidently Communicate the Value You Bring to the Table?

Are you Fully Aware of the Expanded Value you Provide Your Clients?

How to Have More Effective Prospect Conversations (including a template!)

Improving weak areas takes dedicated time and consistent effort, but the results will be worth it! If you feel you would benefit from additional support or coaching in these areas, I would love to speak with you. Email me today: susan@susandanzig.com

Do you work 7 days a week? Do you feel compelled to answer client communications 24/7? Do you feel like there’s too much on your plate to actually take a vacation?

I have had quite a few clients who, when we first began working together, never took time for vacations. This pattern can lead to lower energy, less enthusiasm, and ultimately, to burnout  (never a good look when you’re trying to project your best self to clients and prospects!).

To give you an example, I had a client who, when we first began working together, worked 7 days a week. One of our first steps for her was to set boundaries between her personal and professional lives. She was able to begin leaving the office at a reasonable time to enjoy dinner, and was able to begin taking weekends off consistently, and even vacations. As a result of taking better care of herself and having better balance between her personal and professional lives, her business grew and she saw even greater revenue!

Are you wondering how that could happen for you? As people begin to take better care of themselves, to train their teams to support their boundaries, and re-establish appropriate boundaries with clients, they often grow much happier (no surprise there, right?). They’re taking better care of themselves, are happier, and as a result, enjoy their work more. Plus having adequate time off means that focus and productivity can rejuvenate and it’s possible to maintain a higher quality of work over the long haul.

When we’re happy and taking care of ourselves, everyone around us can tell. If you want to show your clients that you can support them in having the wonderful life they desire, you’ll be a more attractive advisor by modeling positive qualities. Plus you will set a positive example for other team members and create an upbeat environment that breeds more success.

On the other hand, without adequate rest and time off, our productivity and quality of work suffer (not to mention our physical and mental health!). This is not new information, but in our culture where work stress, little sleep, and long days are often badges of honor, trying to make these changes can at first feel like you’re swimming against the current.

Ready to take some personal time out? Here’s how to get started:

Step 1: Think through how much time you’d like to take, and how often you need a break to be refreshed and revived? How long do those breaks need to be? As an example, you might decide you’d like to have at least a long weekend per month, and/or a week off per quarter.

When you carve out specific time for a vacation, make sure to also think about how much time before and after the break you’ll need to catch up on phone calls, email, and to focus for the week ahead to transition back to work mode. We all want to squeeze as much fun and relaxation out of time away, but that cushion time is crucial so that we foster a smooth transition back into work mode and preserve the benefits from taking time out in the first place.

Step 2: Look at what needs to change in your business model (if anything) other than setting up your calendar to enable the time off that you want. In order to succeed, client education and training around boundaries has to happen first. Your clients won’t automatically know what the boundaries are, and will follow the example you set — for example if you tell them you’re available 24/7 they will reach out to you 24/7.

If that expectation has been set previously, the next step would be to begin setting new expectations, such as receiving responses only during business hours (client emergencies excepted, of course). If you let them know that your office hours are 8:30am-5:30pm and that they can get questions answered during those hours, they’ll get trained to expect responses only during those hours.

This is a wonderful opportunity to think through your client services policies and to decide if they reflect and support the work/life balance you and your team desire. And whether you’re new in your practice or will be onboarding new clients in the near future, remember that it’s much easier to educate people from the start!

Step 3: Educate your team so that they can set you up to win. This is an important step for your team to ensure that you can fully relax and unplug while you’re away knowing that everything will be taken care of in your absence. (For support with delegating effectively, I invite you to read this previous post).

Final step: If you’re flying somewhere for a vacation, BUY THE TICKET! Commit to the lifestyle that you want.Make reservations in advance, and pay up front to support your commitment. When I have a trip on the calendar and I’ve paid for it up front, that action motivates and excites me, even if it’s 6 months down the line.

To help you set up boundaries and better work life balance, reach out to me today: susan@susandanzig.com

In my previous blog post, I outlined an initial set of core points to focus on when you’re ready to take your game to the next level: branding, networking, and follow through.

Once you have these down and are ready to further refine your game, the next set of core points to focus on are: referral sources, client events, speaking engagements, and social media.

1/ The keys to excelling with referral sources is effectively communicating your brand, the value you deliver, how you stand out from your competition, and sharing your vision for growth in your business. Asking existing clients and professional referral sources for referrals who might be a fit for your practice and following up with those people is of course the most important, and last, step! Oftentimes advisors don’t realize the steps they’re missing in this process and simply hope that their current clients and professional referral sources will send them referrals. (And then they’re left scratching their heads when they don’t receive referrals out of nowhere!)

Whether you’re just starting out and have just a few ideal clients or are a seasoned professional and you have 150 ideal clients, it is critical to include all of the critical components of the conversation that will support receiving the referrals you want. For tips on a vibrant referral attraction process, read this blog.

Keep your brand in mind as you’re building relationships with other professionals who work with your ideal clients. Professional referral sources can be a wonderful way to support your practice’s growth, but you have to make sure that the referrals you’re getting (and the time you’ve invested in order to receive those referrals) are in line with your overall goals and business plan.

In my previous post, I recommended not wasting time networking in the wrong pond. The same principle applies to professional referral sources. Don’t network with people outside your ideal client profile, and don’t waste your time with professional referral sources who don’t work with your ideal clients, either. An easy way to build your professional referral network is to ask your top clients who their CPA, estate planning attorney, business broker, etc is and to start there. Since you have a client in common, they’ll be more inclined to schedule a meeting with you.

2/ The key to excelling at client events is simple: create an event that attracts people, follow up on the interest it generates, and repeat!

One of my clients has a wine tasting annually, and with a bit of creativity, she has created a fabulous annual event. Last year she dedicated certain rooms in her office to match different countries where the wine was from. She’s had wine tasting for several years now and the turnout continues to grow each year. The first year she threw it, there was a relatively low turnout, though last year she had over 60 people show up!

Even if the first event you throw doesn’t go as well as you hoped, don’t give up! It’s important to be consistent and to continue the effort to build your community. As interest grows and more people are aware of your events and you learn to communicate the event with enthusiasm, your event turnout will grow as well.

3/ The key to excelling at speaking engagementsis again, to focus your energy on the “right pond.” Look for opportunities to speak at professional associations where your ideal clients spend time and attend events.

In this day and age, webinars can be a great way to get in front of potential clients with less investment than an in-person speaking engagement. You can create your own webinar around a signature topic, or connect with a strategic partner and co-create a webinar that combines both of your expertise. Plus, partnering up with a strategic partner can help you “fill the room.” Another great opportunity these days is to be featured on a podcast with a strategic partner.

4/ The key to excelling at social mediais being extremely clear about your brand and your audience (and taking into account what they’ll be interested in), taking consistent action, and staying organized to leverage and measure your efforts against the specific goals you had set. If it’s completely out of your wheelhouse and you’d like to add it to your marketing plan, I’d recommend bringing in someone to manage it for you. (Many of my clients prefer this route to maximize their time spent on higher level activities.) You can read more on what to avoid with your social media program here.

At this point, you may be wondering what step to take next in order to take action on these items. If you have the bandwidth or you have a team that can support you, you can of course pursue all of them at once, though many advisors with their own practices simply don’t have time (or often, the interest).

Here are the different paths you can take to implement these recommendations:

• Break them up and take action over a long period of time as your schedule allows
• Once you’ve created a strategic plan (for, say, client events or social media), you could outsource implementation of certain projects to someone on your team
• Receive support, guidance, accountability, and structure from an expert business development coach like me to help you efficiently and strategically take the right action to excel at your own game.

Are you inspired by the idea of enhancing your game but overwhelmed and unsure about where to begin? I would love to speak with you about how I can help you take the next step with your business and achieve the success you truly want. Reach out to me today: susan@susandanzig.com