Training Next-Gen Advisors In Business Development By Getting Really Clear About Who They Serve And How They Help: #FASuccess Ep 494 With Kristin Harad

Welcome everyone! Welcome to the 494th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast!

My guest on today’s podcast is Kristin Harad. Kristin is the founder of Full Advisor Coaching, a marketing and coaching firm for financial advisors.

What’s unique about Kristin, though, is how her role has given her a window into how some advisory firms are struggling to train next-generation advisors in business development practices that might have come natural to founders (and how firms and newer advisors can overcome this hurdle in part by being clear about who they serve and the value they provide).

In this episode, we talk in-depth about how Kristin finds that a firm’s branding is at the heart of business development success for its advisors (as it gives team members a strong foundation to lean on when explaining the firm’s value proposition), why Kristin counsels firms to craft an ideal client persona, which can make it easier for newer advisors to identify good-fit individuals to approach, and how Kristin suggests that firms can put together a one-pager that introduces the firm, talks about the problems it solves for clients, and includes elements of “social proof” so that team members have a consistent source of truth when engaging in business development activities.

We also talk about how Kristin helps newer advisors overcome hesitancy they might have in seeming too “salesy” when engaging in business development (including by focusing on how they actually help their clients rather than simply sell a product to them), how Kristin finds that newer advisors can introduce financial planning to contacts without being awkward by focusing on the problems they and their firm help clients solve, and why Kristin thinks that getting out and talking to more individuals (whether personal contacts, peers in local organizations or business groups, or centers of influence) about how they help clients can boost newer advisors’ confidence (and potentially lead to new leads or referrals in the process).

And be certain to listen to the end, where Kristin shares how using content marketing can help newer advisors build their credibility and create more ‘warm’ leads who are familiar with their expertise and who they serve, why Kristin thinks that firms could benefit from having a more expansive view of what constitutes business development by newer advisors (for example, by increasing ties between the firm and the children of older clients), and how Kristin overcame her own business development hurdles by being confident in her own value and by leaning into the types of personal interactions in which she thrives.

So, whether you’re interested in learning about how to build a firm’s brand to make it easier for newer advisors to engage in business development, how to overcome advisors’ reluctance to seem to ‘salesy’ when touting the firm’s services, or how content marketing can create more ‘warm’ leads, then we hope you enjoy this episode of the Financial Advisor Success podcast, with Kristin Harad.