Above the Line, Below the Line
Two levels of conversation run through every client meeting. Being good at the technical one is what makes you competent. Knowing which one the work is for is what makes you hard to replace.
For advisers, not clients
Notes for advisers.
What I have found works in this business, written for people already doing the work. If you came looking for financial advice rather than a career in it, the client writing is here.
To Climb a Higher Mountain, First Come Down From the One You Are On
The best advice I received in this business came from a director who told me to stop working so hard. Why your biggest obstacle is usually the thing that is currently working.
Skip the Small Talk
A mentee asked how to build trust quickly. The honest answer is that most of what we are taught about rapport does the opposite, and there is something far simpler that works in the first five minutes.
The Fastest Way to Sell Is to Start Serving
If you had sixty minutes with a prospect, the worst use of it is a pitch. What to do with the hour instead, and why explaining harder is the thing that pushes people away.
If any of this sounds like the conversation you have been wanting to have,
Or read more widely: my team publishes The X Tribe, a twice-weekly newsletter and podcast by advisers for advisers.