The first three C’s of leadership
What are the key characteristics of a leader you admire and who inspires you? The answers from around the world are highly consistent and constitute what I call the Seven...
Tag Archives: practice management
How to succeed as a small business owner
“The mere thought of a salary, I don’t understand it,” said Eszylfie Taylor. “I’m like, what do you mean you want to get paid on the first and the fifteenth”...
Finding creative ways to stand out to your clients
I’m sure you’re quite familiar with the logo of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel — the lion facing the side with his tongue out. I imagine the board of directors spent a...
6 ways to increase the value of your business before you consider selling
The best time to consider increasing the value of your business is long before you’re ever ready to sell it. “Starting early is the best thing you can do,” said Brian...
Buying a new book of business every year
It’s not unusual for advisors to buy books of business from other advisors. It’s less common, however, for an advisor to average at least one business purchase per year. Yet Alain Poirier has been...
4 things to consider when starting a study group
If you want to either start or become a member of a study group, here are some things to keep in mind: 1. Identify a common thread to find potential members. It...
Troubleshooting meetings before you get started
One-on-one meetings rarely go from nonexistent or dysfunctional to perfect overnight. For that reason, managers should prepare to overcome a variety of obstacles. Obstacle 1: Employees question the new meeting. Solution: Reduce the surprise...
2 essential strategies for overcoming obstacles
We all know life throws obstacles at us. We either choose to absorb ourselves in them and become nonproductive, or we can choose to figure out ways to overcome them. We...
Find and keep clients by being 1% better
To stand out from the crowd of other financial professionals in your area, you don’t need to drastically overhaul everything in your practice overnight. That’s overwhelming and likely not practical....
Why I decided to outsource my staff
As we’ve changed our business plan to an RIA model, I’ve realized that I don’t want to build a huge practice. I don’t want to have to staff this and...
A key to success: Understanding your staff
Knowing your staff’s strengths and weaknesses can make all the difference in your business. It was a lesson 30-year MDRT member Donald F. White Jr., CLU, ChFC, learned well when...
10 questions to ask job candidates
Behavioral investigator Vanessa Van Edwards seeks to reveal candidates’ motivation, personality and values without having to give a personality test (read explanations at scienceofpeople.com). That includes...
How to turn employee potential into performance
Imagine on Monday, you discover that your meticulous, rule-following accountant and creative, eccentric marketing person have switched positions. How likely is this to work out? In truth, some variation of...
8 questions to ask about your succession plan
Karl John Krokosinski, a 37-year MDRT member from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, has advised on more than 100 succession plans. Whether you’re the one leaving or taking over someone else’s...
Books with impact
What do people like Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Mark Cuban have in common, besides billions of dollars of net worth? They read voraciously and selectively. Here are five unforgettable business...
