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Bill Bachrach: Are you aware that not everything you believe is true? | |
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 Are you aware that not everything you believe is true? And that some things that you don't believe to be true actually are? I'm not talking about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the tooth fairy. I'm talking about crucial beliefs about what is actually true that you believe is not true and what you believe to be true that is false. These are called limiting beliefs. Sometimes referred to as baggage. Some of them are harmless and others can have a devastating impact on your success and happiness in life. For example, most advisors believe that it takes many, many years to build a clientele, any clientele. Or that prospecting is a lifetime activity. Many believe that having a community of ONLY Ideal Clients, people who you LOVE doing business with and LOVE doing business with you, who appreciate your service so much they will help you build your Ideal Client Community by referral only, and happily pay you exactly what you need to fund your present lifestyle and future goals is a pipe dream. Many advisors believe this kind of clientele is an impossible level of financial advisor Nirvana that is unattainable. Most advisors don't even know where these limiting beliefs came from. These limiting beliefs just live in their head, directing their choices at an unconscious level, from many years of failing to achieve certain goals, listening to the endless blather and excuse-making of mediocre advisors, and ineffective managers who simply don't have the vision or the skills to actually help advisors be successful. We have a compelling vision for where your business can be in 3-5 years, or less, that you may find hard to believe. More importantly, we have the tools and experience to help you make it happen. Can you set aside your limiting beliefs long enough for an objective analysis? What if it's true? What if we're right? What if you really can have the business we describe? Go to www.baivbfp.com and read my message on our home page, several times. And try not to let your limiting beliefs get in your way. It's a great time to be a Financial Advisor! LANCE ARMSTRONG 7x Tour de France champion Keep moving forward, Upcoming Webinar... How to be the "CEO"of your Financial Services Business. Date: June 16, 2009 Time: 2:00-3:00pm ET / 11:00-12:00 Noon PT Register: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/604524187 (Complimentary Registration limited to the first 1,000)
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Anne Bachrach: Are Limiting Beliefs Stopping you from Achieving your Goals? | |
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 Inherently speaking, there is nothing that you are not
capable of accomplishing. The truth is there is no such thing as can't -
you only think you can't. Success is not a special privilege handed out
to a selected few; success comes to applying success-oriented beliefs. Transform
limiting beliefs into success beliefs and you can achieve anything. During one of my coaching sessions with a Financial Advisor, I asked him about his success with obtaining referrals. He told me that he typically will receive two referrals per client. When I asked him why he thought he didn't receive more, he replied, I just can't imagine obtaining more than two referrals per client because that is what I typically receive. Then I asked him if he expected and believed he would receive more than two referrals (something like 5, 8, 12 or 25), did he think he might actually receive more referrals? He hesitated for a minute and in an "a-ha" moment, said yes. He realized at that moment his limiting belief was holding him back from something more. As soon as he changed his limiting belief, he began experiencing a higher number of referrals from his clients. How are limiting beliefs affecting your success? Success is available to anyone who applies success-oriented beliefs to their life. Limiting beliefs create obstacles, while success-oriented beliefs tear them down. Although limiting beliefs are only thoughts, they create obstacles - literally. When you let go of limiting beliefs, you gain the power to not only get around obstacles, but prevent your mind from creating them in the future. Success beliefs help you realize that you can do anything and any obstacles you face are only imaginary blocks created by your limiting beliefs. Success Belief #1 Everything begins and ends with you. Blaming others for anything, including your reality, is nothing but a limiting belief. It never matters what other people say or do, it only matters what you say or do. Taking responsibility for everything in your life isn't accepting personal blame; it's understanding that you are the creator of your life and you have the power to make successful choices. The power of choice takes you from being a passive acceptor to an active creator. Success Belief #2 Yes you can! Self-defeating talk is disempowering - give it up. It literally takes away all of your creation power. The truth is - there is no such thing as can't. There is no can't about it - you can if you choose. Get back in the driver's seat and speak empowering words like, I am, I will, and I have. Granted, you have to actually do the work required to achieve your goals because saying I am will not magically transform you into someone else. Success Belief #3 Commit to your goals. If you want it, but aren't willing to do the work in order to get there, there's not much point. You have to really want it to commit to it. Choosing to do something because someone else wants you to do it only makes it easier to quit. Achieving your goals isn't always hard, but it does take focus, commitment, and hard work. Commitment is much easier to deliver when you have the desire for the end result. Success Belief #4 You have got to believe in yourself. From now on, you believe you can do anything because you realize that success just comes down to applying the right belief system. Those who believe, create the impossible every day all over the world. They dissolve disbelief in others by defying the odds and accomplishing what was said to be "the impossible." How did they do it? Because they believed they could do it, and committed to doing what needed to be done to get there. If they can do it - so can you. Success Belief #5 Ignore the negative talk around you. Many times you don't even realize people are holding you back. They may not even realize they're doing it, but it's natural for those close to you to want you to remain at their level. If you want something more than you currently have, and realize that means having to loosen the ties with those who are holding you back; you are entitled to excel to your next level. You don't have to necessarily leave them completely behind, but realize you are not obligated to remain in a limited level in life. You have the freedom to reach the next level, even if your current peers, friends, and family choose to not rise with you. Success Belief #6 State it in the positive. Remember, your belief system shapes your reality, so say what you want and state it in the positive. For example, "I want a career that unleashes my potential." instead of, "I don't want another mindless job." Here's another, "I want to own my own successful business." instead of, "I don't want to be stuck in this career forever." Think about what you want, not what you don't want. Do you think Bill Gates spent all his time thinking about being a college dropout? No - he was to busy being focused on building his multi-billion dollar business. Success Belief #7 Take financial responsibility. If you want success, financial professionals above all others need to know how to handle your money well. Do you have a written, comprehensive financial plan? If not, you need one. Having a plan will provide clarity for you to know exactly how many clients you need who pay you an annual predictable amount so you can live your current lifestyle, pay your taxes, and fund your future. Having a plan will help guide you on your journey in a lot of ways. Success comes to those who make financial decisions that support their long-term goals and success. There is creation power in your belief system; so use success-oriented beliefs to create a success driven life. HENRY FORD Founder of Ford Motor Company  ________________________________________Anne Bachrach is the author of the book, Excuses Don't Count; Results Rule!. She has 23 years of experience training and coaching. Anne works to help financial professionals improve their productivity, profitability, and quality of life. Through her proven systems, she inspires her clients to stay focused and take action on the highest payoff activities that lead to their ultimate professional and personal success. Take advantage of the many complimentary resources on her website (www.AccountabilityCoach.com) |
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Mark Little: Letting Go Will Allow You to Grow | |
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 One of the greatest struggles experienced by many Trusted
Advisors is letting go of their involvement in the creation of documents
preparing for upcoming client progress meetings. Ten years ago, I was especially
"controlling" about the preparation of these reference documents to be used in
client meetings, because I recognized that it was my reputation under threat if
I reported a number incorrectly to a client or if I didn't accurately articulate
the current asset structure or incorrectly stated an income flow or a planned
withdrawal. I knew it was my keister on-the-line if I incorrectly reported on
something to a client based upon inaccurate reports in front of me. But even I
was able to delegate this important task of "meeting prep" when I implemented
the organized process called The Dry-run Prep Meeting™ (DRPM). Preceding this Dry-run Prep Meeting™ process are some assumptions. First of all, it is assumes you will, or can, establish a standardized meeting agenda for your upcoming client progress meetings. A routine agenda allows your administrative support people to establish certain "standardized" documents you will require to feel prepared for meetings. Another assumption is that you have, or can, establish some routine reports and documents which, if updated properly, will ordinarily prepare you for most any issue brought up at a routine client progress meeting. Both of these assumptions are well-handled if you have implemented The Three Meeting Process™ (described fully at The Trusted Advisor Toolkit.) With those two assumptions in-place, let's consider how you can release control of the creation of these reports and documents. First, meet with your Administrative Manager (AM), or other capable administrative support person available to you, and explain that you are going to delegate to them the preparation for a single client progress meeting (at least 3 weeks from now). Further, you are going to schedule a formal The Dry-run Prep Meeting™ with them 7 – 10 days prior to the actual client progress meeting, in order to fully review the reports and documents, clarify all questions and make any corrections necessary. You see, with at least a week until the meeting, you will have ample time to remedy any information that needs to be put right. You may offer as little or as much support to the individual as you like, but the best results seem to come from advisors who start out by giving limited hands-on training regarding the creation of these documents in favor of encouraging resourcefulness. Devote some time to providing sample reports or documents wanted along with notations regarding any helpful advice as well as guidance regarding where source information can be located for information that will be "fed into" the items you want created. While your administrative support person should feel welcome to set a time to approach you for help if they "get stuck," you should encourage them to be as resourceful as possible, and to create a draft to review before approaching you. Be patient at The Dry-run Prep Meeting™. The purpose of the Dry-run Prep Meeting™ is to conduct an abbreviated run-through of the client progress meeting agenda, ensure all of the supporting documents are accurate, current and available, and to anticipate any questions or concerns the Clients may broach. The Trusted Advisor’s main focus in this meeting is to ensure the accuracy of all documents and to firmly establish the 2-3 most important issues to address at the meeting. Assuming this Dry-run Prep Meeting™ went well and your Administrative Manager is gaining a clearer understanding of what and how to prepare everything you need, then book this prep meeting 7 – 10 days in advance of every client progress meeting you have on the calendar. Allowing your team to take-over the preparation for client meetings allows you to grow your practice while maintaining the quality and consistency of your service. It is very difficult, if not impossible, for a Trusted Advisor to personally prepare for multiple client progress meetings for 75 – 150 Ideal Clients, or whatever your ideal client number will be. Consider that by inserting this The Dry-run Prep Meeting™, into your pre-meeting routine, you will have plenty of time to review the "meeting prep" you have delegated, and your client progress meetings will be thoroughly-organized, well-prepared with your thoughts highly-focused on "the big issues" for the meeting. ________________________________________ To learn more about how to implement The Dry-run Prep Meeting™ and The Three Meeting Process™, you can sign up for "The Kate Wilson Case-Study" at no charge at The Trusted Advisor Toolkit. Mark McKenna Little is a speaker, author and Trusted Advisor who began implementing Values-Based Financial Planning® in 1999. Contact Anne Bachrach at the Financial Services Speakers Network at anne@fsspeakers.net to schedule Mark Little for your next meeting or conference. |
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Tom Voccola: Our Reactive Identity | |
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 Part 4 of a continuing series on CEOing and the Values
Based Financial Advisor. Last time we explored our reactive identity, so now I want to introduce you to that part of you that has been missing all these years. That part of you that was always meant to work with your reactive self and bring you to a different, more fulfilling outcome. Meet your Creative Identity. My thesis is that we are each born with more than just a reactive Ego and its obedient Personality. We are also born with a unique Passion and Purpose, a unique set of Core Values to guide us, and a set of Unique Abilities, including our Personality, to serve us on our journey. Okay, let's define these new players that I call our Creative Identity. Parts of us we suspected were there all along, but were never really  identified or appreciated in our reactive, fear driven
world, but are mission critical if we ever want to shift to a creative, purpose
driven life, business, world. Our Creative Identity Passion: Passion is the Why of your life. This is what you are giving your life for and when you work or do anything in alignment with your passion time stands still. You experience great joy because you are fulfilling the meaning of YOUR life. When you know what you are giving your life for, and act out of that, you may experience fear, but you will rarely act out of fear. My Passion is People at Peace with Themselves and Others. This is what I am giving my life for. It's who I am in my professional life and, it's who I am in my personal life. Purpose: Purpose is the How of your life. This is how you engage the world and what you bring to life simply by being in it. You could say it's your mission. When you are living your life in alignment with who you really are there is little stress. My purpose, for example, is Through intimacy and sharing, I help myself and others appreciate our pasts, be courageously present in the moment and be clear and excited about our futures. I know who I am and what to do every moment of my life. Core Values: Core Values, along with some learned behaviors, are the guide posts of our lives and are very important to our successful delivery of our Purpose and Passion. Two of my core values are intimacy and sharing, for example. And each of these values has a unique definition as well. Unique Abilities: All the things in life we may be able to engage in break down into four categories: Those that we are incompetent in; those that we are competent in; those that we are excellent in; and those in which we have a unique ability. Here is what I believe to be a very powerful, supportive belief: we are not just our ego or purpose, we are all of it. And the more that we appreciate our reactive self and embrace the untapped power of our creative self, the more access we will have to the power of creativity, innovation and manifestation we have been looking for in ourselves and our organizations. If you look at the words Reactive and Creative, notice the placement of the letter "C". My partner, Frances Fujii, says, "Our ability to "C" who we really are is buried in the middle of all the reaction in our lives. And when we bring our ability to "C" what’s really happening up front, we suddenly gain access to our Creative selves." This is not to say that we do not unconsciously access our creative identity, we do. But when you are conscious of its existence you begin to have access to a power only a few ever master. So here, in this chart, is what is available if you choose to access it in yourself. When you find ourself  upset, angry, fearful, you are most likely acting out of
your reactive identity. This can be an amazing signal to questions what's making
you feel this way and give you access to your creative self. And this is the
greatest truth: If this is true for you, then it is also true for every
other person in the world. It's what you are trying to access when you
take a client up a Values Staircase. One of the questions this expanded model raises is when does free choice occur? For example, if you were designed with both a reactive and creative identity, but are only operating out of your reactive side, do you have free choice? The answer is no, if you are in reaction there is no choice. However, when the creative self is fully realized, you question your beliefs and your behaviors change to be in alignment with your purpose and passion without a lot of pain and drama. This is true for people. This is true for organizations. Now, why would knowing yourself be important to you as an entrepreneur and financial advisor? The key is belief. Have you ever had someone believe in you? If so you know exactly what I mean. When someone believes in you that last thing you want to do is let them down. Conversely, have you ever been around someone that thought you were an idiot? How did that make you feel? Well now you have access to a piece of information about yourself, and therefore, about everyone else on the planet that few ever realize: No one goes to work to do a bad job.  Your number one job as an entrepreneur - and if you do this
you will be an amazing CEO, one who creates extraordinary organizations - is to
unleash all the pent up creativity and innovation in your people in the service
of your dream. This is the quintessential way to work "on" your organization.
But it is one thing to be aware of this, and altogether another to be able to do
it. Next month: The Second Law of Leadership. Stay tuned. ________________________________________ Entrepreneur, speaker, author and CEO Coach, Tom Voccola is the CEO of CEO2, a Chief Executive Consulting Firm specializing in the rapid transformation of corporate and organizational cultures. Tom is the author of The Accidental CEO – A Leader’s Journey from Ego to Purpose. His life's work is to inspire a new generation of leaders who transcend ego and its fear based agenda. His work gives executives immediate and authentic access to new levels of power, influence and freedom within their organizations. |
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| The Trusted
Financial Advisor (tm) ISSN 1543-432X A monthly publication dedicated to helping transform the financial services industry from salespeople to Trusted Advisors. Bachrach and Associates, Inc. baivbfp.com info@bachrachvbs.com 8380 Miramar Mall Suite 200 San Diego, CA 92121 800-347-3707 Printing Tip: For best results print this newsletter in landscape mode. (c) 2009 Bachrach & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. The following are registered and trademarked and intellectual property of Bachrach & Associates, Inc.: Financial Road Map®, Success Road Map®, Values-Based Selling®, Values-Based Selling® Academy, Values-Based Selling® Academy 2, Trusted Advisor Coach®, Values-Based Financial Planning™, Being Done™, Values-Based Financial Professional™, The Values Conversation™, High-Trust Leadership™ and The Quality of Life Enhancer™. All rights reserved. |