Elementality for Financial Advisors | Elements Financial Vitals System™

Looking for the right niche market for your business? The opportunity is exciting, but there is work to be done if you want to find success.  On this episode of Elementality, Reese and Matt talk about the allure of niche markets. Finding the right niche leads to faster firm growth, but you'll first need to become a specialist at the jobs within that niche.

Advisors have sometimes been called financial physicians. After all, you know finance like a physician knows medicine. But how good are your therapeutic skills? An attentive doctor also has a good bedside manner.  On this episode of Elementality, Reese hosts Beverly Flaxington of The Collaborative, to discuss the emotional side of giving advice.

Clients rely on you to ease some of their stress by taking on their financial jobs. You need to help them see your value through that lens.  On this episode of Elementality, Reese and Matt explain why the term "financial planning" doesn't reflect all of the work being done—and why you need to detail the jobs you do for clients so they realize the value you provide.

As their advisor, you create roadmaps to a better future for clients. Discover why your marketing plans need to be just as deliberate.  On this episode of Elementality, Reese interviews Marie Swift, CEO of Impact Communications. While you're a skilled planner, Marie offers her tips on how to avoid traps that can trip you up as you market that expertise.

Most of your clients have negative feelings about their finances. Encouraging them as they take positive steps is a big part of your job.  On this episode of Elementality, Reese and Matt look at why positive energy plays an integral role in making client meetings successful. Clients read your energy as much, if not more, than they hear your words.

How do you engage your clients in a conversation about their spending habits and the effect it has on other parts of their life? On this episode of the Elementality podcast, hear Reese talk to the clients of his RIA about the things they should guard against as they develop spending habits that will affect their finances over a lifetime.

Asset management software was created for an industry focused on product sales. Is technology keeping pace now the value prop is changing? On this episode of the Elementality podcast, Reese and Matt discuss why traditional planning software is good at projections, but why something new is also needed to provide indicators for ongoing financial health. 

As the industry shifts towards more value-based advice, to really understand your clients, you need to understand what motivates them. On this episode of the Elementality podcast, Reese Harper and David Dodd, of The Other 90 Financial, discuss faith-based investing, how personal values can change a client's portfolio, and a socially conscious approach to money.

What if you could eliminate most of the pain of an initial plan? How much background would you need before you could deliver value? Modern consumers want their lives to be as uncomplicated as possible and on this episode of the Elementality podcast, Reese and Matt look at how to make the starting point of a client relationship less overwhelming.

How will a new generation of financial advisors who look beyond numbers and help focus client goals around their passions and values affect planning? On this episode of the Elementality podcast, Reese Harper welcomes Justin Castelli, Co-Founder at The AGC™ . Hear why Justin thinks your advice shouldn't be framed solely around money, but also on what makes a client truly happy.

Elements® drives prospect interactions while encouraging quicker commitment. But could it also motivate prospects to "do-it-yourself"?  Freemium offers are now a part of lead nurturing, but will clients eventually leave after they get used to a free app? Reese and Matt say "no." Find out why on this episode of the Elementality podcast.

You help shape your clients' finances around their life purpose. But are you as intentional about your own business as you are about planning?  On this episode of the Elementality podcast, Reese Harper interviews Matthew Jarvis of The Perfect RIA. You also have values and dreams and Matthew explains why it's important to stay true to yourself as you build your firm.

Do you ever challenge prospects to think about money differently? By disrupting the status quo, you actually begin to build trust. On this episode of the Elementality podcast, Reese and Matt explain how to take greater control of the sales experience. The results may surprise you when you compel prospects to consider a new viewpoint.

When it comes to financial forecasts, accuracy is always questionable. So what would clients lose if planners stopped using them? On this episode of the Elementality podcast, Reese and Chad discuss why forecasting seems to be a remnant from the past—and why your clients may do better if you concentrated more on the present.

Hustling for sales works for financial products, but as a planner—whose product is advice—you have to prove why your advice is valuable first. On this episode of the Elementality podcast, Reese Harper welcomes Sten Morgan of Legacy Investment Planning. Sten reveals why sharing your best ideas with prospects from the start builds trust and leads to higher close rates.

Systems like Elements® provide tools to help make your job easier and better, but much more is needed if you want to be a great advisor. On this episode of the Elementality podcast, Reese and Chad examine why emphatic listening skills and an aptitude for problem-solving are vital in helping you become a first-rate financial advisor.

For the idealist, pure financial planning succumbs to a practical need to sell products which keeps it from its true potential. But times are changing. On this episode of the Elementality podcast, Reese Harper welcomes the founder of Inside Information, Bob Veres. Bob examines the changes taking place in financial planning and shares his vision of where the industry is now headed.

Developing an accurate picture of a retiree's assets and determining a withdrawal strategy is a good first step, but vital to a plan's success is monitoring behaviors that can make it succeed in the long-term. On this episode of the Elementality podcast, Reese and Chad discuss how using Elements® to precisely measure a client's asset mix allows you to easily formulate a tax-efficient, asset liquid...

In the past 20 years, digital innovations have transformed the financial planning industry. Unfortunately, RIA firm owners have failed to keep up with changes that could make their businesses more efficient and able to scale faster. On this episode of the Elementality podcast, Reese Harper interviews technology expert Tim Welsh of Nexus Strategy. An industry veteran, Tim explains how understanding...

Periodic calendared meetings allow you to deepen client relationships, but they are no longer the best way to demonstrate your value. On this Elementality podcast, Reese Harper and Chad Jardine discuss why meetings should focus on therapy as you use other proactive interactions to show clients how planning is moving their finances forward.

There are not many careers that require so many diverse talents as financial planning. For today's advisor, technical, coaching, and listening skills are all crucial to success. Then add in the challenge of running your own business. On this episode of the Elementality podcast, Reese Harper interviews Jim Crider of Intentional Living FP. Hear how Jim put his firm on the fast-track, and why his bac...

In the age of Netflix-type pricing, it shouldn't be surprising people want a flexible approach when accessing financial services. On this Elementality podcast, Reese Harper and Chad Jardine look at why subscription fees might make sense for advisors who are adapting their offerings to meet the changing needs of younger clients.

There's a wide divide between people who can afford money management and those who want help managing their money. Wealth accumulation is only one facet of planning for a growing number of people looking for help to understand money better. Mac Gardner, well-known author, speaker, and founder of FinLit Tech joins Reese Harper on this Elementality podcast. They explain why expanding financial liter...

Investment management has driven our industry's tech innovations since the internet first gave us cash-based planning in the 1990's. Today, a transformation in financial planning itself is taking the creators of technology in a new direction. On this Elementality podcast, Chad and I discuss past planning technology, which has given us great cash-based and goal-based tools. And then we look at futu...

Financial planning is much more than managing assets for the wealthy. In fact, when done right, financial planning can transform a client's life. As Hannah Moore, CFP® and founder of Amplified Planning, puts it, "financial advisors are the money experts, but clients are the experts on their life." Hannah is Reese's guest on this episode of the Elementality podcast, and explains why she believes op...