(From the March 2024 Edition of eFORUM)
By Kelly Maxwell
Spring is a time of growth, and growing your advisory business is a unique journey for every advisor. The crux of a successful business lies in building momentum in the desired direction, requiring a focus on the right tasks to instill confidence and bring freedom to your life. However, many advisors often find themselves juggling numerous responsibilities, feeling as if they’re keeping a hundred balls in the air without a moment to reflect.
“Is what I’m doing daily serving the growth of my business?
“Are these myriad activities necessary to achieve the desired results?”
In truth, the answer is often no. Advisors can get so absorbed in the daily grind that they transition from working on their business to becoming employees of their business. So, if the answer is no, the crucial question arises: which balls should we keep in the air to maintain momentum without risking a decline in productivity? This varies based on your business area and priorities.
In our Amazon bestseller, “Mastering Your Momentum,” we discuss the 15 critical areas of an advisor’s business. To avoid feeling overwhelmed, prioritizing these areas is essential for effective implementation.
To properly prioritize, you first have to know what stage of business you are in. Are you:
- Building Revenue
- Building Your Business
- Monetizing Your Business
If you are focused on 1. Building Revenue, you are a growing advisor or perhaps an associate advisor. We often see advisors achieve momentum when they focus on the following:
Strategy & Vision:
A clear strategy is vital for realizing your vision and successfully implementing business initiatives.
Human Resources and Team Excellence:
An effective, collaborative team is fundamental to productivity, profit, and business longevity. Focus on hiring right and strengthening your team.
Value Proposition:
Develop a deep understanding of your uniqueness and why people should do business with you.
Marketing Plan:
Align your marketing initiatives with your vision and articulate your value proposition.
Advisor Skills:
Stay ahead of the curve by being a continuous learner and staying informed about industry trends.
If you are 2. Building Your Business, perhaps you have been around for 10 years, have experienced some success, and are ready to grow. These businesses prioritize Vision and Strategy as well, but they also pay attention to branding:
Branding:
Your brand goes beyond a name or logo; it’s a distinct message ingrained in your business culture, personality, and communication.
Contact Management:
Explore opportunities within your client base to enhance office efficiencies and free up valuable time.
Leadership:
Strong leadership is crucial as you develop strategies and build your team. Delegated leaders should be conscious of their role in cascading leadership into the organization.
Financials:
The financial dimension is crucial, reflecting the success you want your clients to emulate.
Mergers and Acquisitions:
Ensuring the priorities already discussed are put into place, advisors become much more available for selling/buying opportunities that arise as they are already set up for success.
Accomplished advisors who are 3. Monetizing their Business continue to focus on leadership and their team, but they also prioritize Succession Planning.
Succession Planning:
Most advisors have a plan to grow their business, but they haven’t considered a plan to transition their role in the business. This is an industry-wide phenomenon where advisors have not given enough thought to their next stage of life and planning for their legacy. The truth of the matter is that every advisor will exit the industry one way or another. You are no exception, and you only get to do it once, so you want to do it right. There is a high price for poor succession planning.
Concentrating on a few key areas not only makes your plans easier to digest but also significantly more achievable. For a deeper dive, don’t hesitate to explore further by purchasing our book or connecting for a call with a Business Coach.
Kelly Maxwell is a marketing coach with The Personal Coach. She can be reached at kelly@thepersonalcoach.ca
