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Typical Day as a Financial Service Professional

• Client Interviewing: Having the ability to take a client from A-Z through the financial services process.
• Networking/Marketing: Positioning yourself in the marketplace to attract ideal new clients. Attending networking events and functions for the purpose of identifying "centers of influence."
• Referral Gathering Skills: Referrals are the #1 way ideal clients want to meet you. This is a vital skill to develop throughout your career. Tiburon Strategic Advisors conducted a study on how clients found their financial representative; a stunning 58% of clients met their advisor through an introduction from a friend, employer, CPA or other professional. With high net worth individuals, almost all business takes place through referrals and introductions. Through this solid endorsement, the trust your client has in you is transferred to their referral.
• Phone Techniques: Having the ability to engage an individual or business that you have been referred to. Our advisors do virtually no cold calling!
• Case Design: Having the ability to create and build strategic plans to help your client achieve their objectives.
• Product Knowledge: Having a solid understanding of how financial products work and where they fit into a client's plan.
• Professional Development: We have 100% participation in ongoing professional development. Through our association with The American College all associates are expected to obtain industry designations such as CLU or ChFC. The company offers a generous reimbursement program. Seminars, schools and other continuing education events are common and often required by the NASD and state insurance departments.

The Financial Services Process

1. Initial Interview: Visit with a prospective client (prospect) and present your personalized service and compensation structure.
2. Fact Finder Interview: Collect and inventory a prospects assets, liabilities, income etc. This is called getting a clear picture of a prospect's current planning. This data is often referred to as "hard facts". The second part of the fact finder interview is conducted in conversational format trying to capture the prospect's financial objectives and special circumstances that must be considered in the planning process. This information is referred to sometimes as "feeling facts". A financial plan will be built using the data collected in the second interview.
3. The Analysis and Preparation of the Financial Plan: Our financial plan is developed using four key components: 1.) Organized Data: Preparing the data collected in the second interview in an organized format, telling the prospect important information such as net worth and cash flow.
   2.) Objectives: What are the specific and measurable financial planning objectives? Remember you cannot manage what you cannot measure.
   3.) Observations: Once the analysis is complete we will prepare observations. These observations are based upon the prospect's current planning and objectives. Observations also identify areas of strength and improvements.
   4.) Recommendations: Recommendations are developed to help satisfy planning shortfalls to achieve the objective earlier stated.
4. Presentation of Strategy: The final strategy is presented to the prospect; the objectives, observations and recommendations are covered. The education of the client is an important part of the process.
5. Implementation: This meeting is often combined with the presentation of the financial strategy. However, the process of creating a strategy needs to be completed before the implementation meeting can take place. This is by far the most critical part of the process. The representative’s role in this meeting is to represent the prospect in the marketplace and help him or her to gain access to products, services and strategies that were recommended.
6. Monitor/Review: This is just like going to a doctor every year even if you think you don't need to. A financial services professional has a responsibility to deliver on the promises made to his or her client. Annual if not quarterly reviews are an important part of the relationship-building process with a client.