By now, we’re all more than a little burned out on Zoom meetings, virtual client reviews, and the seemingly endless litany of daily and weekly online check-ins and team meetings. These virtual get-togethers, which only a few months ago were an interesting novelty, have now become so ubiquitous that it can be incredibly challenging to remain engaged and energetic as you sit in front of your phone or laptop staring at “people in boxes” like the opening theme of The Brady Bunch.

We humans are highly social animals. We crave personal connection; something that given the current state of the world is difficult at best. Yet given the current market volatility and uncertainty, it’s easy to get so focused on managing your clients’ financial health that you forget to pay enough attention to their emotional health – as well as the social health of your team.

If you aren’t already, consider taking a little time to turn one of your weekly online team meetings (perhaps Thursday or Friday afternoons) into a virtual happy hour where everyone can turn off their business minds for a while and simply re-connect with each other on a more personal level. You might also want to seriously consider doing the same with clients once or twice a month – bringing them together online with your team to simply chat about how everyone’s bearing-up while sheltered in place.

Here at ClientWise, we’ve even created a way for you to spice up your next happy hour with our Online Happy Hour Menu. Whether your preference is a crisp Quarantini or an Isolation Old Fashioned, rest assured that we’ve got your next COVID-19 soiree covered.

Looking for ways to keep your team and your clients focused and engaged? Share with them some of the books, TV shows, movies, podcasts, etc. that have helped lift your mood or provided a welcome distraction. See attached for our recommendations.

Looking for ways to keep your team and your clients focused and engaged? Share with them some of the books, TV shows, movies, podcasts, etc. that have helped lift your mood or provided a welcome distraction. Here are some of ours to get you started.

Looking for ways to keep your team and your clients focused and engaged? Share with them some of the books, TV shows, movies, podcasts, etc. that have helped lift your mood or provided a welcome distraction. Here are some of ours to get you started.

ClientWise LLC Strengthens Channel-Focused Expertise with Addition of Three New Business Consulting Leaders 

• Bill Matyi joins the team to lead the independent network advisors
• Barb Novak joins the team to lead the RIA channel
• Stacey Sheridan is appointed to lead ensemble consulting for NM advisors

ClientWise LLC, a full-service coaching, consulting and training company serving business owners, managing partners, executives, leaders and high-performing financial advisors of RIA and financial services firms, recently announced the hiring of three new business consulting leaders.

Matyi brings nearly two decades of financial industry consulting expertise to his role at ClientWise, with a particular focus on the areas of business development, financial advice and planning delivery, as well as sales distribution. Prior to joining ClientWise, Novak’s 20+ years of financial services business consulting, practice management, sales and sales management experience includes business consulting experience focused solely on the RIA community over the last decade while working for Charles Schwab and Pershing. And Sheridan comes to the firm with an extensive coaching pedigree, having worked with more than 150 advisors and their teams on a variety of growth initiatives.

Four Fun Historical Facts for Financial Advisors on the 4th of July

Happy Belated Birthday! In actuality, the real Independence Day, is on July 2^nd. This is the day that Congress voted for independence. However, the written document wasn’t completed until July 4^th. When the document was sent to the printer (John Dunlap) on July 4^th, Dunlap printed that date in the announcement to the nation…and July 2^nd became forgotten. Blame it on the printer!

Boom! Congress first authorized the use of fireworks on July of 1777. Today, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association, more than 14,000 fireworks displays light up the skies. For fireworks professionals, the 4^th is kinda like Christmas for retailers, where they happen to do more than 90 percent of their revenues for the entire year.

Most successful financial professionals possess the technical skills and qualifications necessary to help their clients and colleagues maneuver in a fast-changing market and professional environment. However, in a business that is built upon relationships -- knowledge of communication skills is just as important, if not more so, than technical skills. Acquiring coaching skills enables advisors to listen at a higher level to their clients, prospects and colleagues, to ask incisive and challenging questions that will bring important issues to the surface, and empower others to become complete partners in creating their own success. 

Here at ClientWise, we often talk about the vital importance of “teaming.” We believe teaming is the future of the financial advisory business – allowing you to better serve your clients, enhance the value of your enterprise, and provide an exit strategy for when you leave the business. Yet, while much of our guidance on the subject is highly practical and tactical in nature, it can be exceedingly difficult to meaningfully quantify the impact of those efforts.

Communication skills are the most important skills that you need to be successful in any industry. For financial advisors specifically, being able to effectively communicate with clients or potential clients can make or break the relationships. When advisors take the time to focus on improving their communication skills, they witness better connections with clients and find it easier to differentiate themselves. 

So, advisor or not, we'd like to challenge you with this:

Just how good are your communication skills?