Recently, a veteran financial advisor was asked a tough question by a colleague during one of our group coaching sessions, “Why are you in this business anyway?” The advisor had been discussing his lack of motivation and constant frustration with the industry. His deflated attitude had become a common one and the rest of the group was weary of hearing it, hence, one brave peer decided to pose the question.
Momentarily silenced, the veteran humbly admitted, “I don’t know.” He hesitated but then went on to explain what aspects of his practice that he didn’t like; plus having just lost his assistant he stated he felt like that was the last straw.
Does this scenario sound familiar? Have you ever felt this way? If so, rest assured that you are not alone. Many financial advisors feel overwhelmed at some point in their careers. When this happens, you need to put passion back into your processes.
Understanding Your Passion
The first step on the road to recovering the passion in your practice is to comprehend the reason you got into the business in the first place. You may have always had a passion for investing, or a desire to start your own business or maybe it was your own personal experiences towards money that drove you to wanting to work in financial services. As you you seek the answer, you may also find that deep down you simply enjoy helping people.
Translating Your Passion
Once you make the realization of why you are working in this particular field, it is important to translate that passion into the feelings you have experienced while doing so.
Let’s use the example of “helping people.” Helping people accomplish their financial goals is rewarding, satisfying, and makes one feel accomplished. This process allows you to identify what emotions are most likely to motivate you. When times are difficult then you remind yourself that the reason you are in this business is to help people and the reason you love helping people is because it makes you feel “X”.
Communicating Your Passion
It has been said that “communication is the lifeblood of every great relationship”. In this business building and maintaining healthy relationships with prospects and clients supports you in not only surviving but thriving!
So why is communicating your business passion(s) so crucial? Once your prospects and clients know how you feel from getting to work with them it provides an awareness that you genuinely enjoy what you do. That can only strengthen relationships.
One of the ways to communicate your passion is by using an “attitude of gratitude”, by taking a moment to offer your appreciation to the clients that give you their business. Then, watch what happens next. Clients will immediately feel more connected to you because you have opened up and explained the passion behind your practice.
The ripple effect of the aforementioned conversation is that you are more likely to hear what they (your clients) are passionate about. This allows for a complete circle of communication.
So be sure to ask yourself as we end a new year and begin a new one “Is there passion in my practice”? If the passion exists, be sure to keep the embers burning brightly. If the passion has waned, it is time to re-ignite it before your business burns itself out.