Invest in Marketing Assistant

Invest in a Marketing Assistant
Dear Leaders,Check out previous articles at: http://regleaders.blogspot.comInvest in a Marketing AssistantAfter new advisors have been with us for six months, we encourage them to get out their checkbooks and invest in a marketing assistant. Most of them already have administrative assistants. We are trying to drive the message home to them, through Securian, that they are business entrepreneurs who need to invest in their practice.Two or three advisors can share the expense of hiring the assistant in the beginning. After a year, though, each advisor should have his or her own full-time marketing assistant.Often, a good salesperson is not a good businessperson. So we have to build that skill set. We train and educate our advisors on how to make use of marketing assistant’s expertise. Most of them don’t know where to begin. Many times, they try to treat their new marketing assistants like administrative people. That doesn’t work. We also help our advisors recruit their marketing assistants. We consider it a joint venture—even though the advisor is paying that person’s salary, we invest a lot in making sure that the relationship helps the advisor increase production.We have found that this helps a new advisor’s practice go to next level. It has also made a big difference in our retention of new advisors because they’re acting like businesspeople, investing in the infrastructure of their business. If you’re thinking about doing this, I would advise that you plan on the first marketing assistant not working out, and maybe the second, too. The one who works out will be about your third hire. It’s important to have a strong positive chemistry between the advisor and the assistant.I used this strategy when I worked with Prudential. Of our 25 top-ranking advisors, 23 of them had both an administrative and a marketing assistant. We saw a great improvement in their retention and in moving their practice to next level. The main responsibility for a marketing assistant is to increase the number of quality, face-to-face appointments between the advisor and qualified prospects, in the advisor’s conference room or office. The assistant also helps get cases ready, prepares presentations and illustrations, anything that he or she can do to make selling easier for the advisor.I can remember the day when I finally convinced one of my advisors at Prudential, Terry, to invest in his practice by hiring a marketing assistant. Now he leads Prudential as the No. 1 advisor, and he has six or seven people working for him. He had always had an administrative assistant and was reluctant to hire another assistant. When I finally encouraged him to do so, the first two people he hired didn’t work out. The third one was the charm.As a result, Terry’s commissions and fees have increased from $150,000 to more than $600,000. He had been averaging 11 or 12 appointments a week, many of them out of the office. Now he averages 22 appointments a week and 90 percent of them are in the office.Thomas P. Burns, CLU ChFCSenior Vice PresidentSecurian Financial Network/Minnesota LifeSt. Paul, MN===========================================================================================================Leadership StylesWhen asked what do you want to see most in an MBA graduate today.The answer was “Someone who is articulate, persuasive, and can read a balance sheet- in that order”The soft skills – being articulate, persuasive and effective – are what most people need coaching.In another example in Coopers and Lybrand’s corporate brochure they describe their core values as integrity, teamwork, mutual respect and personal responsibility, the style side of business, the softer side. The technical side of the world’s largest accounting /consulting firm isn’t emphasized. Granted, it’s assumed.And the same is true for you. Once you reach management and executive levels, your substance is assumed. What your boss wants to see is if you fit in, reflect the corporate culture’s image (as well as their’s) and if you understand the “code”. Substance and style, they permeate all walks of life!Pepsi-Cola rate its top middle and senior management people on thought leadership, people leadership, organizational impact, and professional maturity. By the time an individual get to that level in the organization, their managers rightfully assume competence. What they are looking for is the style. If you don’t have it, you are out, regardless of how brilliant you areMortimer B Zuckerman and Thomas R Evans in Fast Company, rates leaders on nine elements1. Charisma – instills faith, respect, and trust. Has a special gift of seeing what others need to consider. Convey a strong sense of mission2. Individual considerations. A coach, advises, and teaches people who need it. Actively listens and gives indications of listening. Gives newcomers a lot of help.3 Intellectual stimulation. Gets other to use reasoning and evidence, rather than unsupported opinion. Enables others to think about old problems in new ways. communicates in a way that forces others to rethink ideas that they had never questioned before4 Courage. Willing to stand up for ideas, even if they are unpopular. Does not give in to pressure or others opinions in order to avoid confrontations. Will do what’s right for the company and foe employees, even if it causes personal hardship5 Dependability. Follows through and keeps commitments. Takes responsibility for actions and accepts responsibility for mistakes. Works well independently of the boss.6 Flexibility. Functions effectively in changing environments. When a lot of issues hit at once, handles more than one problem at a time. Changes course when the situation warrants it.7 Integrity. Does what is morally and ethically right. Does not abuse management privileges. Is a consistent role model.8 Judgment. Reaches sound and objective evaluations of alternatives courses of action through logic, analysis and comparisons. Puts facts together rationally and realistically. Uses past experiences and information to bring perspective to present decisions9 Respect for others. Honors and does not belittle the opinions or work of other people, regardless of their status or positionsNote how these leadership skills apply not only to ability but to style as well.Coaches get juice through fair and honest treatment of people, gaining trust, learning from mistakes, understanding tactics, plus observation and patience in dealing with various situations. That’s juice- the intangible, the soft, the style side. The person who thinks this can’t be learned will probably remain in a subordinate or ineffective position.You can even take style into another level: Prana. Prana is a Sanskrit word.It means “breath” or “life force”. Your business qualifications combined with your prana makes for your all –important juice