Finding Your Authentic Social Media Self

Clear Your Roadblocks | February 2010

Welcome to the February 2010 edition of our Clear Your Roadblocks E-Newsletter.

This edition of our Clear Your Roadblocks E-Newsletter includes;

• Coaching Testimonial – It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This!
• Finding Your Authentic Social Media Voice
• Finding My Authentic Voice
• People Buy What They Think They Want, Not What They Need
• Referral By Association

The publication of this E-Newsletter marks the 5th anniversary of my first blog back on February 26th, 2005. I trust that you are receiving value while the blogs serve me to refine my authentic voice.

Thank you for the opportunity to be of service.

Simon Reilly
The Financial Advisor Coach
1 877 248 6019

Coaching Testimonial – It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This!

Hi Simon,

I know you aren’t coaching me anymore but I wanted to send you a short success note!

I am seeing a lot of results this year from my ‘experiences’ in 2009.  The coaching I did last year is
really paying off.

So far February 2010 is my best month in my career!  In fact it is about 30% higher then my previous
highest month.  Staying focused on saying ‘thanks’ everyday has made a huge difference in my focus.  After struggling through the challenges of 2009 and ending the year on a positive note, I realize your coaching tips about remaining focused and diligent pays off.

I set my goal of income this year to be 20% higher then last year and I know that I will be there given the great start.  Also, as an aside, my focus this year was to increase my living benefits part of my practice.  With all the work we did last year on seeing my passion for this area as an asset not a liability I have already secured about 6 applications to date.  I am sure that was more then the entire 2009 year.

Thanks again for the inspiration you gave me throughout 2009 with the coaching.  I have grown tremendously and I am more confident in how I run my practice and help my clients.

Here’s to hoping your 2010 is a success as well,

Angela

PS. Please use any of the comments I have in here for a testimonial if you wish.

Angela Houle B.Acc. CFP CLU RHU
Certified Financial Planner
McAuley Financial Services/FundEX Investments
Ottawa ON

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Finding Your Authentic Social Media Voice

Finding your authentic social mediavoice is more important that ever with social media showing up everywhere you look.

Social media is fast becoming a significant consideration for part the financial advisor’s marketing
plan which includes understanding the marketing funnel and niche marketing.

One can discount and laugh off FaceBook, LinkedIn and Twitter all they want, but that is hard to do
with articles like this showing up in very credible publications … it is no longer the fringe internet marketers of pills and porn that are using these tools.

• Advisor.ca, Feb 12, 2010 – Social media to reboot financial advice

At the same time, compliance must come into play as this article demonstrates.

• Advisor.ca, September 16, 2009 – Social media may run afoul of compliance

The point of this writing is not to insult the reality of compliance because it would not serve to give broad brushed generic financial advice through social media because the financial advisor profession is based on a highly consultative relationship with the ever changing and unique individual needs of each individual client.

The point of this article is whether you buy into social media or not, you still have to find your authentic voice.

The discounting and laughing off of social media might be because of the absence of one’s authentic
voice which is discovered through the realization of one’s values, vision, purpose and mission.

It is planning it safe, being sabotaged by one’s unmet needs to discount and laugh off for he who fails
to act must judge to justify his inaction.

The development of one’s values, vision, purpose and mission will lay the foundation for both your
authentic voice and your social media voice.

I don’t believe that one can have one without the other. If you are not authentic from the inside out, how can you possibly communicate on the outside when it comes to expressing yourslef through social media?

Affirming your values, vision, purpose and mission will help you to become the person that you want to be because on the other side of fear is you.

Your most vivid fears… are almost certainly not the most important ones. We pay attention to the loud and the urgent. This can lead us to ignore the important and achievable paths open to us–because we’re so busy defending against the overwhelmingly dangerous (but unlikely) outcomes instead.
Seth Godin – February 21, 2010

An authentic voice is required to be all that you can be so that you can fully experience the full benefits of social media as in being part of a tribe or forming your own tribe though FaceBook, LinkedIn, or Twitter.

Many of these sites are about referrals, meaning referral by association.

As one recognized financial advisor coach and speaker said’ “if they can’t find you on Google, FaceBook, LinkedIn, or Twitter, you don’t exist” because it is all about referral by association.

Who are you connected to within your tribe of social media connections on FaceBook, LinkedIn, and
Twitter?

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Finding My Authentic Voice

I’m just getting settled, well nearly, back into a regular routine after being out of it for the better part of five weeks.

A week to get ready for the holiday as it takes a week to wind up or wind down depending how you look at it. Two weeks on holiday, and two weeks to get back that included five days of getting over jet lag. Annie
Bradley who was one the spouses on our Catamaran trip around The British Virgin Island said, “the better the holiday, the harder it is to get back” and she is absolutely right.

Upon return from The BVI’s I hit the ground running with a full coaching week and I finally got settled after a couple of Buffer Days the following week with refining my 2010 vision, business plan, actions and time blocking which brings me to …

Honestly, after being away all of this time, I have had my writing research and writing voice turned off for a while so this edition was a challenge to get out.

On the research side I’m really considering going far deeper into the practice management side of
product development and the communication with prospective clients in People Buy What They Think They Want, Not What They Need and I will explain why I am thinking this way.

On the speaking side, things have been very good for us upon our return having booked six speaking presentations and two of them are with a US company on US soil … our first;

On the creativity side, I have to make the best use of my free days to complete the following
PowerPoints;

• Advocis Vancouver – April 20^th
• Million Dollar Road Table – June 15^th
• Great American Advisors – June 17^th
• Great American Advisors – June 18^th

Which brings me right back to where I started … refining my 2010 vision, business plan, actions and time blocking which brings me to … once this is in place, everything starts to flow.

People Buy What They Think They Want, Not What They Need

Here is an excerpt from an e-mail that I sent to a prospective client on January 11^th after our conversation;

January 11^th – To Prospective Client

I will give you a system to get rid of any overwhelm on our first call and the rest of the things will fall into place.

• • Eliminate hesitancy / procrastination / become more comfortable with implementing change
  • Accountability
  • Create a business plan and a set of 90 day goals and actions
  • Create more balance
  • Manage your time
  • Improve your boundaries
  • Take action
  • Ask for and receive referrals to better clients
  • Increase your income

We agreed to talk again on February 19^th … you could be wondering why I did not close the prospective client on the spot … coaching isn’t something that I sell … the client has to want to change and I can’t want it more than they do.

Note the first thing on the above list which was as a result of me asking the prospective client; “what
is your number one roadblock?”

• Eliminate hesitancy / procrastination / become more comfortable with implementing change

I received the following considerate e-mail from the prospective client on February 15^th
in advance of our pre-scheduled February 19^th call;

January 15^th – From Prospective Client

Simon, I appreciate your time and efforts to this point. In respect of your time, I am going to cancel this Friday’s phone call. Guessing you may not be surprised due to my previous procrastination.  It is not complete procrastination as I have entered a different program that seemed appropriate.  If it does not achieve what I want it to, I would reconsider at that point-if you would.  Thanks again

Prospective Client

February 16th – To Prospective Client

Hi Prospective Client,

Thanks for your e-mail.

For my own insight, what are the things that you are going to be working on with the other program?

I’ll check back with you in 90 – 120 days to see if what you are doing is meeting your expectations.

Wishing you the best.

Simon Reilly

February 17th – From Perspective Client

Dear Simon,

Segmenting, networking, prospecting and closing. The psychology part might be lacking.

Sincerely, Prospective Client

Conclusion, people buy what they think they want, not what they really need.

The articles, Finding My Authentic Voice and People Buy What They Think They Want, Not What They Need have been a demonstration of being authentic as it is an illusion to assume that the life of the coach is not without its challenges … people want to know your authentic self … and marketing is the process of elimination … may as well use communication through social media to qualify the clients that will want to
work with you.

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Referral By Association

Referral by association is when one of your best clients invites you to a function and introduces you to their best associates and friends. You don’t whip out your business card and start pitching for an appointment right on the spot, because that would be in bad taste. Instead you drop a card in the mail thanking them for the opportunity to meet them. From time to time you send them a (news)letter sharing your opinions and thoughts about various different things. One day you give them a call asking them for the opportunity to have a conversation. That is exactly what you can do with FaceBook, LinkedIn and Twitter.