What makes a financial advisor who uses the Trusted Advisor Toolkit different? Not long ago I had someone ask me that question.  In answer, I had to admit that there are some wonderful financial advisors out there who have done a great job providing a real service to their clients.  But they had to work incredibly hard, reinventing the wheel  of successful financial advisory practices. 

The goal of the Trusted Advisor Toolkit is to make it easier to display the characteristics that are crucial to this advisor-client relationship. Let me share five characteristics that a trusted financial advisor must possess and see how they resonate with you:

1. Consistent. People – both your clients and your staff – like to know what to expect. By having a written plan everyone on your team, including the client, is held accountable. In this way everyone knows what is expected of him or her and when, thereby ensuring the greatest probability that the plan unfolds as it should. 
2. Good listeners. Each client has goals that are important to them.  Financial advisors have to be good listeners to hear what the client wants so that the comprehensive financial plan created for each individual allows them to manage their money and accomplish their goals.  
3. Well-connected. When your services are comprehensive you make certain nothing falls through the cracks and that the plan is on-track.  A trusted advisor has a well-connected  team of the best-in-class experts across every area of finance.
4. Clarity. Trusted advisors establish in the beginning of the relationship whether there will be a good fit in working with the client.  If not… they give the client greater clarity about their situation, which is highly valuable, and direct the client to someone who can help. 
5. Trustworthy.  Trust is both earned and given. It’s a requirement of any meaningful relationship but it’s especially critical when money is involved. This means you need to spend sufficient time during your initial meeting to establish a relationship of trust before you can begin moving forward together.

The financial services industry has changed forever because of the economy uncertainties, financial markets, government interventions and world events.  The quality of service that a financial organization provides is the measuring rod for establishing the difference.  

The Trusted Advisor Toolkit will equip you with a value proposition that’s attractive to affluent clients and solves one of the foremost financial dilemmas they have: “How will I find advisors who are highly skilled, offer comprehensive service in all areas of finance, and worthy of my trust?”