Case Study #1: 30-year veteran

Background

“I wanted to be financial advisor since I was a kid. I grew up in the army and when living in Panama, I made a close friend who later became a financial advisor. He was like a big brother to me. I looked up to him and wanted to be like him, so I started doing this at age 21, right out of college.”

Goals and Challenges

“Altius Learning spoke at a training function and I was impressed. I later spoke to my manager and concluded I needed a coach to take me to the next level. I’d recently had an important client leave as a result of a divorce situation and I lost a third of my business. This was certainly a wake up call, plus I knew I needed and wanted to broaden my methods. I started Altius coaching in September. We began by listing my goals and objectives and mapping that into a coaching plan.”

Tactics

“We’re working on consistent client contact, client events and networking. I’ve re-learned the language of networking which has helped me present myself to the various community boards I participate on within the community. Previously, I wasn’t comfortable bringing up what I do. Now I am comfortable introducing myself and my services because I have the scripts and mindset to be successful. I am pleased to say I haven’t been turned down by these prospects. My coach helped me realize I have much to offer these folks and that confident spirit comes through in my interactions with them.

Previously I’d never really gained wallet share with those I serve. Now, I’m confident talking to people about insurance, mortgages and long-term care options. Altius coaching has taught me to look for business in places I’d never thought of before. Implenting the Altius strategy has essentially expanded my practice and made my offering a holistic one.

I now know how to structure my day so I can accomplish what I need to. If I’d have done this on my own, I would’ve had to take a month off to figure out how to streamline my systems. For instance, I make sure I contact two to three clients every morning, wait to check my email until noon, and then spend the afternoon making new contacts. As a result I’ve changed the way I think about my business — I am proactive instead of reactive and that feeling of being in control is invaluable. I am so much happier in my work space.”

Performance and Practice Changes

“What I was hoping for — and am getting — is structure. I knew what I needed to do… I just didn’t know exactly how to do it. My Altius coach got me to organize, focus and held me accountable, all of which reduced my stress. I was managing $100 million, then went down to $62 million when one client left and was back up to $72 million after about 10 months. My Altius coach quite literally saved my career.”

Advice to FAs Considering Coaching

“Call Altius Learning. I’ve been in this business for 30 years and my Altius coach helped me improve my practice in ways I’d never thought of before.”