SmartPro Advisor Radio: Recent Episodes
SmartPro Financial
Courtesy of Patrick Rogers, check out the latest internal episode of SmartPro Advisor Radio! Want to watch the conversation? Check out our unlisted video here. Please note, this is for internal use only.
Rick Godfrey II invites Jesse Shaw, SmartPro's Chief Investment Officer, to share some of the hard-won wisdom he has acquired during his long career in finance, and how his introduction to Dave Ramsey's philosophy changed his life and his approach to managing money. Jesse shares how his focus has shifted during the past few years as a financial advisor, placing less emphasis on the investments and more emphasis on behavioral coaching and relationship building.
Brian and Derek talk about their impressions visiting the new Sarasota HQ office for the first time, the importance of intentionally connecting with other advisors and building your community, tips on how to close on the first appointment, and more!
Patrick Rogers is a SmartPro advisor in the Greenville, SC area that got his start in the business a few years ago while working full time as an engineer. Patrick walks us through his journey to going full time as an advisor and the difficult choices and adversity he faced along the way. Patrick talks about how focus, drive and intensity are the keys to success in this business.
Ben McPherson is a SmartPro advisor and member of our elite six-figure earners club, earning over $200,000 in personal income in 2020. What’s unique about Ben is the fact that he has only been in this business for three years, and has already established himself as a top producer within SmartPro.
Ben shares how he has approached these past three years as a sprint: working like a mad man, taking risks and reinvesting heavily in his business. Ben’s race to his goals during the past three years has put him in a position today that many advisors do not achieve in a lifetime, and now allows him the freedom and flexibility to define his future on his own terms.
Carlos Limon is a SmartPro advisor and member of our elite six-figure earners club, with over $300,000 in income in 2020. He started his career with the Godfreys before SmartPro was even formed, and shares the secrets of his success with us: work really hard, jump at every opportunity, be willing to be coached, and never let fear slow you down.
Carlos also offers great advice on the importance of building trust with your clients, and always bringing the same energy to every appointment, regardless of how many you’ve already done that day or how small the opportunity is.
In this episode of SmartPro Radio, Brian Wheeler talks to Angie Hundt about what success looks like in this business. Brian opens up about what his life is like now that he has achieved significant success in his business, and how that has impacted him professionally and personally.
Brian and Angie talk about the importance of setting goals and rethinking your strategy when you reach those goals, and how valuable it is to always be dreaming about your future.
Hayes Holland, National Account Executive for Ramsey Solutions, joins Rick and Brian to talk about what it takes to become a successful SmartVestor Pro, his career at Ramsey Solutions, and his infamous Chick-fil-A music video.
If you want to talk to Hayes about becoming an SVP or picking up a new territory, give him a call at (615) 843-9509 or send him an email at hayes.holland@daveramsey.com.
We are all familiar with Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps to Financial Peace, and now we are excited to present the 7 Baby Steps to Success at SmartPro Financial!
Two of SmartPro's advisors, Brent Wadzita and Derek Coffren, visited the Sarasota office and spent a day brainstorming with team about the critical components of success in our industry. During this podcast episode, they speak with Angie Hundt about how each of the steps play a role in building and growing your business.
Check out the infographic with each of the steps here!
In this episode, your hosts Rick Godfrey and Brian Wheeler discuss how to manage expectations during your first few years in the business, and what to focus your resources on:
What are realistic expectations for new advisors?
What will years one, two, and beyond look like?
How should you prioritize what you devote your time and money to?
Josh Potts and Trevor Shultz, two of SmartPro’s advisors in the Sarasota area, sat down with Rick to talk about how they got started in the business. Josh and Trevor both joined SmartPro a couple of years ago with no prior experience in the industry and are now making six-figure incomes! They share how they got started, their biggest successes and struggles so far, and tips for new advisors.
In Part 3 of our series on closing business, Rick and Brian interview Rick Godfrey Sr about how he runs his appointments and closes business quickly:
- Read the room to find commonalities.
- Don’t be afraid of silence.
- Sales tricks don’t work - the client will realize they were tricked.
- Simplicity and brevity are key. You are not a professional visitor.
- You have to control the narrative - not the client.
- How to close on the first appointment? If you have enough foundational knowledge, you can develop a plan on the fly while you are meeting with them. Close by saying “Let’s get started.”
- If Rick Sr’s dad can sell the design of an international airport (TPA) on a napkin, you can sell an investment plan in the first meeting!
- Do your homework before the meeting, but don’t overwhelm the client with your plan.
- Present your recommendations with enthusiasm and conviction.
- Sales is solving a problem. Your mentality needs to be that YOU are the solution to their problem, not the products you are choosing for them.
- Most people just want to know if they are doing OK. Be positive and encouraging.
- Great success can be had working a remote territory, especially if you already have or can develop a connection to the area.
Rick, Brian and Angie continue their discussion about the EntreLeadership Summit Conference they recently attended at Dave Ramsey’s headquarters in Tennessee.
The three day conference featured an incredible lineup of speakers including famous leaders and Ramsey personalities.
During this episode, we focus on Ian Cron’s speech on the Enneagram, an ancient personality typing system that defines 9 distinct personality types:
- The Perfectionist
- The Helper
- The Performer
- The Individualist
- The Investigator
- The Loyalist
- The Enthusiast
- The Challenger
- The Peacemaker
Check out Ian Cron’s book, The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery to learn more!
In Part Two of our series on closing business, Rick and Brian share more tips and techniques that you can use to close more business!
Don’t avoid the fact that we are in sales!
Focus on educating your clients: they should be smarter after meeting with you.
Recognize your own personal style, whether you are more relational or technical, but always keep it simple enough for the client to understand.
Realize that you won’t connect with everyone, and that’s OK. Don’t get hung up on the ones that don’t work out.
Building your book takes time and patience. Consitency is key.
Quickly identify who you are talking to and adapt your approach.
Control the narrative. Always be pivoting the conversation back to what the client needs to get out of the appointment.
Be flexible!
Rick and Angie talk about the EntreLeadership Summit Conference they recently attended with Rick Sr and Brian at Dave Ramsey’s headquarters in Tennessee.
The three day conference featured an incredible lineup of speakers including famous leaders and Ramsey personalities.
During this episode, we cover the highlights from the first day of speakers: Dave Ramsey, Ken Coleman, Craig Groeschel and Lou Holtz.
We also talk about the private meetings we had with the SmartVestor Pro leadership, and the insight we gained into how they view SmartPro and their plans for the future of the program.
Pete Gauthier, SmartPro’s highest producing advisor, joined Rick and Brian as our first guest on SmartPro Radio. Pete is a former rocket scientist (really!) and now a full-time advisor. He opens up about his path to becoming an advisor, his current business and how his background as an engineer influences his approach, and maintaining a lifestyle that prioritizes family.
Pete is an expert in variable annuities and shares how he determines when an annuity is suitable for a client and how he chooses the product. He also talks about how to discuss annuities and overcome the initial objections many of our clients may have.
Pete’s favorite variable annuity products are from Jackson and Lincoln. Contact your local wholesaler to learn more. As Pete mentions several times, it is critical to stay educated and current in your product knowledge.
In our inaugural podcast, Rick and Brian share their tips and techniques for closing business! Topics include:
Three phases of development as an advisor:
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I don’t know anything, please don’t ask me questions!
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I know everything and I’m going to blow you away with my expertise!
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Finding a balance. Get comfortable but not complacent.
Simple tips and tricks that can make a big difference:
If someone else sets your appointments, call the client the day before to ask if there is anything specific they would like to share to help you prepare.
Remember that you are selling yourself, not a product. Keep it simple.
Always schedule the second meeting before you end the first meeting. Don’t wait for them to reach back out to you.
Finish your meeting with a brief recap and outline what they should expect next: timelines, paperwork, introduce your assistant, etc.
Use compliance to your advantage.
End your appointments with authority and excitement!
This is Part One of our series on closing business, stay tuned for future episodes!