There’s a big difference between advisors who do between $200,000 and $500,000 and those who do north of $1 million. Can you guess what that difference might be? The answer is delegation. And though delegation is challenging for many entrepreneurs, Matt and Micah are going to break down why it's necessary and how to do it well. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2p3OZ7q

How do you run a virtual team? Today Jamie Shilanski (Micah’s sister) joins the show to share how she does such a phenomenal job managing a virtual office and how the team dynamics work when half the team is in the office and the other is spread across the country. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/35wPbwm 

Are you being your most productive self in your meetings? Today Matt and Micah discuss how to add massive value to your meetings, and therefore your clients. They will share what their teams do to maximize efficiency during a surge week and ensure things run smoothly. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2AXDhgU  

Are you marketing—or are you avoiding work? Today Micah and Matthew discuss what it means to market with purpose, and not just for the heck of it. They will be evaluating different marketing techniques and weighing in on their value, who has success with them, and whether or not you should be using similar tactics. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2nsEav1

Many people look at the way others run big businesses and think, “I can do that, it looks so easy!" Is it truly that easy to start up and run your own firm? Today Micah and Matt discuss how they got to where they are in their businesses, including the hard work and mastery that goes on behind the scenes. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2khMrAj

Micah and Matt frequently talk about two of the core tenets of The Perfect RIA: delivering massive value to your clients and running a highly profitable and efficient practice. In this episode, the guys are going to get a bit more personal and in-depth as they discuss the third tenet: spending time with your family. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2lGYoQf   

Micah and Matt are back with another mailbag episode answering your questions! Today they share tips and tricks for building your firm and providing massive value to your clients. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2m6eP92 

As entrepreneurs and business owners, we often try to squeeze too much into a day. So how do you free up your time for the important things? Today the master of delegation, Gina Cotner, joins the show to explain how to delegate tasks to your team and train your assistant to think like you. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2Pi4QLQ  

When a firm goes through any major strategic shift, it is always a concern that the team will not want to comply. So how do you get your team on board through important changes? Today Micah and Matt will share advice on how to address your team's fears and questions, while also sticking to your convictions. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2Zu3gX8 

Today Micah and Matt are breaking down fees and how much you should be charging your clients. While there is no perfect way to set a fee and no ideal structure for every firm, the guys will teach you how to be confident in the value you are providing for your clients. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2TPkBbO

There's a lot of advice out there about how to network effectively, and the truth is that while some of it is solid stuff, plenty of it is just plain bad. So in this episode, Matt and Micah will help you sift through the tips that are totally off-base and find where networking can be a powerful marketing tool. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2OVMY9k

Matt and Micah are frequently asked about how they have set up their practices, what it takes to manage a successful business, and how to make sure you still have time to do the things you love. They will be answering those questions and plenty more in today's mailbag episode. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2YGbnzo 

Clients come in and express all kinds of ideas, such as buying gold, purchasing property, getting in on a timeshare, and more. But what do you do when something seems like a bad idea? In this episode, Matt and Micah break down how to use caution and strategy to help lead clients to a good decision that fits with their goals—without shooting down their ideas right away. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2Ysv1Tt

Although many people complain about compliance and see it as a burden, this episode is all about changing your attitude so you start to see it as an opportunity. Compliance and audits exist to get the bad guys out of the market, so as long as you’re not one of those bad guys, Matt and Micah have some great tips and insight into how you can prepare, communicate, and stay ahead of the game. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2xZ01eZ

Today Matt and Micah discuss the importance of tracking your numbers. While doing his mid-year review, Matt found that he had come in lower in hours than he expected, which got the guys thinking about the value of owning where you have slacked off or messed up in order to improve and get back on track with your goals. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2XBWB1e

How do you know if it's time to hire a new employee? And how can you be sure that employee will fit in and become a valuable part of your team instead of just being an unnecessary extra expense? Today Matt and Micah discuss staffing and how to hire the right person for your business. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2Ja7sqf   

It can be really hard to know where to begin when you’re building your practice from the ground up, so today's episode covers the basics on how to start your practice from scratch. Matt and Micah dive into the key pieces that will make a big difference in how well you do from the beginning so you get up on your feet faster. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/31V8QnI

This episode is dedicated to opening up that mailbag and answering your questions. Many listeners asked about how Matt and Micah set up calls, meetings, and planning, so they will lay out how they handle these things from their different strategies to the policies they have in place. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2XdBH7p 

If you think Matt and Micah's journeys to building successful practices were easy, think again. They made just about every mistake along the way, and today they discuss where they went wrong and what they learned in order to give you the insight and guidelines you need to avoid making these same mistakes in your own practice. Listen in to hear some of their biggest marketing flops and what they could've—and probably should've—done differently. You'll also get to hear some of the successful marketing choices they have made that will make it easier for you to gauge and ensure success for yourself. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2Z9GwMd

Regardless of the company, staffing issues happen, and it’s up to us as leaders to investigate these problems with a curious mindset. In this episode, Matt and Micah discuss the importance of looking into where the system failed, instead of blaming your staff when a problem comes up. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2Qi46TK 

When it comes to generating positive revenue, it's easy for advisors to end up focusing on the wrong things. In this episode, Matt and Micah dive into profitability metrics and discuss the key tips and tricks they use to stay on track. If you’re interested in improving in this area, then this conversation is for you. Listen in to get a new perspective on how pride and chest-pounding factor into this and what advisors should really be focusing on. You'll learn where integrity comes into play, where expenses get out of hand, the different accounts that are important, and more. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2weJLpe

Adding valuable services to your practice that benefit your clients is simple, but in order for things to run smoothly, it’s important to understand the whole story. Today Matt and Micah will go over some of the most valuable takeaways from their conversation in Episode 28 with Ed Slott. Ed's detailed and practical training has been a huge game changer for financial planners, and this episode breaks down some of the most important things he shared. Listen in to get examples of what it looks like to add the types of services Ed mentioned and how to implement them so that clients have as much clarity and peace as possible. From tax planning to showing clients how things will play out beforehand, you’ll learn how to properly demonstrate and communicate these services in order to get the best outcome for you and your clients. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2WMELUr

What does it take to provide true value to your clients? Today we have financial expert and advisor Ed Slott on the show to answer that question and more. Named “The Best” source for IRA advice by The Wall Street Journal, Ed works with advisors across the country and provides training in IRAs and retirement distribution planning. In this episode, Ed breaks down the key areas advisors should focus on in order to ensure they are offering high-value services to their clients. Listen in to learn common (and costly) mistakes many advisors make, why it's so important to ensure you have proper tax training, and what consumers really need from their financial planners. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2PWBAXY 

There’s something that plenty of advisors are guilty of doing without even realizing it: lying to themselves. It’s easy to inflate the numbers in your practice, or even guess at them without truly knowing the metrics. And while it may seem harmless to toss around estimations, the truth is that it’s actually quite the opposite. In this episode, Matt and Micah dive into the subject of integrity and how to make sure you’re living and owning your truth. Listen in to learn how this subject relates to continuous growth, improvements in your practice, and increased efficiency. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2UMSDfU 

When it comes to client meetings, we’ve talked a lot about why grouping appointments is beneficial to you, your team, and the people you serve. But what happens when someone wants to see you outside of the appointment surge? Do you let them come in during a time you haven't blocked off for meetings, or is it better to stick to your pre-established schedule? In this episode, Matt and Micah discuss what it takes to reach that important balance between working with clients to achieve their goals and making sure they don't dictate your full schedule. Listen in to learn how to set time parameters that empower both you and your clients, as well as systems you can put in place to make sure client communication runs smoothly and efficiently in your practice. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2L0dxII 

Too often, people hang onto the idea that anyone who is successful must be lucky. Worse yet, those same people decide that a similar type of success is impossible for them because they believe that they don’t have that kind of luck. So today, Matt and Micah are setting the record straight about what really leads to success. Listen in to hear how attributing others' success to luck not only discredits their knowledge and hard work, but also discourages us from taking ownership of our own ability to change our situations. You’ll discover where “luck” truly comes from, how to adjust your mindset so you can learn from successful people instead of envying them, and what you can start doing today to create the kind of practice you want. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://bit.ly/2X895Zw 

Key Links [Link Needed for QCD/Tax preparation document Report that Matthew generates for clients. He references that if someone emails Colleen, we can get a sample of it for the show notes around the 12:34 mark of the episode] Gear Up Program to learn about taxes: https://checkpointlearning.thomsonreuters.com/GearUp Bob Keeblers site for education resources: http://www.keeblerandassociates.com/about Ed Slott’s website for resources: https://www.irahelp.com/ Michael Kitces’ site: https://www.kitces.com/ ---- Important Show Note/Disclaimer: When Micah discussed doing paperwork for ROTH conversions/rollovers, he was referring to establishing standing instructions for the client with the custodian so that if a rollover is needed, the ‘link’ and permission has already been established. Micah was NOT suggesting that you have clients sign paperwork that is held until needed. This would be a huge compliance issue that we strongly discourage. ---- Matt and Micah are back to talk about taxes! Last episode covered a lot of ground, but there was still a few key points that hadn’t been addressed. So, this talk covers expands upon the previous themes of bringing massive value to clients through tax planning and a solid communication of your expertise to the client. And as a showcase of the always pragmatic advice of the Perfect RIA hosts, they delineate key tax planning strategies for your benefit, as laid out below. [#1 Tax Benchmarks ] Micah has a system for tax planning with clients that accounts for the next 30 years. He stresses the importance of looking forward and not in the rearview mirror. Because tax codes aren’t static (nor are rates), dynamic adjustments are needed. Only forward-thinking moves can adequately handle this. And once this 30+ year benchmark is projected and established, then every tax move with the client is relative to the baseline number that is set. It’s a very tangible, measurable way to plan for taxes. And keep in mind, the overall goal is save the client money, so the benchmark becomes a way of adjusting to taxes to make that happen. And one more vitally important aspect of this benchmark is that you have to communicate to clients in a graceful and effective way. Being able to articulate the plan in a way that keeps in mind the emotional aspects of writing X amount of dollars now to save money in the long run can take a lot of grace. Very important to consider. [#2 Enhancing a Client’s Tax Benefits Through Charity ] For tax planning, Matthew involves himself with client’s and maximizes the return that his client’s get for charitable giving. He says that giving to charities is not a means to an end for a tax break, but that it can still be used as a way to leverage tax benefit. They both also bring up the value of Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), which can bring a lot of tax benefit. But Matthew also states that whoever is doing the tax preparation needs to be told about the QCD, or else it might go unreported. And to ensure that clients get the tax benefit they are entitled to, Matthew actually sends out tax letters to the tax preparers of his clients to make sure they know about any QCDs, so they can factor them in. [#3 Asset Sales ] Rental properties, land sales, and other various business aspects are often neglected. Micah stresses that no, RIAs are not real estate agents, but you can still look at demographics and stats that are reinforced by taxes from planning perspective. Often real estate agents won’t factor in a long term strategy for taxes like a tax-savvy RIA can for clients. It’s all about timing! And good timing often means being proactive with clients about the timing of an asset sale and what that means from a tax standpoint. It could be the difference of saving $15,000 in taxes for a client. [#4 Roth Conversions and Rollovers ] Micah breaks down the combination of Roth conversions and rollovers for increasing the tax value for clients. And Matthew explains what he does in his practice to achieve ‘tax liquidity,’ where he moves remaining amounts of money in a client’s tax bracket to a Roth IRA. ---- Matt and Micah’s Action Items You need to start getting tax returns from clients. Every page is key! And make sure you are articulating the importance of getting the tax return so that clients are jumping to send it to you! Continue your tax education. Don’t settle for a certain amount of knowledge. Really keep studying and improving your tax knowledge. Micah suggests Gear Up seminars and Ed Slott for tax learning and tips. Matthew suggests Bob Keebler and Michael Kitces as resources. Learn how to articulate this essential tax information to clients. Have a checklist, especially if you’re newer at doing tax returns, to ensure that you’re covering your bases and asking the right tax-related questions. More details at: http://theperfectria.com/lets-talk-about-taxes-part-2/ ---- Produced by Simpler Media

Key Links Micah’s appearance on Michael Kitces’ podcast: Adapting the 4-hour work week ---- Matthew and Micah are of the opinion that an expertise in tax planning (not preparation as is accentuated in the episode) is an essential base of knowledge to cultivate for all financial advisers. As they both elaborate, it would be a case of gross negligence to neglect discussions of taxes with clients. In fact, Micah says that taxes are the biggest expense for any client. So you should invest considerable effort in tax planning. This begs the question of tax expertise in your own firm. Are you well-versed in the nuances of the tax code? Can you provide the necessary value for clients on the nature of tax planning? Matt and Micah talk of their own experiences and give advice, represented by these key talking points below. [#1 Difference Between Tax Preparation and Tax Planning ] Micah stresses that he doesn’t give advice on tax preparation, which involves gathering the necessary documents, etc. He is involved in tax planning, which means that the future is brought into focus, and things are looked at that might affect the taxes of the client. So, it doesn’t hinge on giving tax advice. Matt and Micah share that the role of the tax planner really is about educating compliance officers, CPAs, and the client, about the line between financial planning and tax preparation. [#2 The Infrequency of Tax Planning in the Industry! ] As our hosts state, it is surprising just how little tax planning is being done for their clients. They state that even though clients may have CPAs and other professionals who are handling taxes, what they’re really handling is the tax preparation side and not the planning side. This means that ultimately clients are spending a lot more money on taxes than need be because no one is doing the necessary planning. [#3 The Importance of a Client’s Tax Return ] Matthew likens a client’s tax return as an essential tool for checking the heartbeat of a client. That is, he compares it to a doctor checking the blood pressure of a patient, as an introductory measure. And Micah says that a tax return is a quantifiable way of measuring the value you can bring to your client. It’s also key for making tax planning decisions as well. But they stress that you need to know how to read the tax return to a T. That way you can break it down and readily discuss it with clients. And it shows you have a handle of what’s going on. It is very valuable. A warning from Matthew though is to really know your stuff before you jump into tax planning with clients. Also, making sure you work as a team with the tax preparers is essential as well. ---- Matt and Micah’s Action Items Go out and get tax returns for all of your clients. If they ask why, just simply tell them how big a role that taxes play in getting the big picture and returning maximum value. If you are getting the returns, the next step would be studying the tax codes, knowing the new laws inside and out, and actually using the information to return value to your clients in whatever way possible. Learn how to view a tax return and then communicate that information to clients in an effective manner. It’s one thing to know taxes like the back of your hand, and it’s another to explain it in a clear way to someone who doesn’t. Incorporate taxes into your prospect process. Set up a long term tax planning strategy with every client so that you know their future tax implications. Clients love having that safeguard in place. More details at: http://theperfectria.com/lets-talk-about-taxes/ ---- Produced by Simpler Media

Key Links Micah’s appearance on Michael Kitces’ podcast: Adapting the 4-hour work week Joe Lukacs’ website: http://practicepower.net/ ---- Some common questions that Matthew and Micah encounter are: “should I charge a commission? What about a planning fee? How much of a percentage should I take for that?” And so forth. If you can think of any variation of question regarding fees, Matt and Micah have been asked it. And so in turn, to set your mind at ease, they spend the entirety of this episode setting up simple systems and tips for determining how much, when, and why you should charge a certain rate. Below are the most telling aspects of the episode. [#1 Make a Business Plan ] As Micah states, it’s ok to charge different amounts for differing levels of service. When likened to what a motel charges, depending on the amenities, service, and value you receive, the price expected will rise in response. And the way to really know how much you should charge is to break down the financial goals for your firm through a business plan. This is the first thing that should be done. The purpose is to delineate the amount of money needed to be able to guarantee that clients will receive the massive value they deserve. But Matthew confesses that he didn’t really have a business plan in place until his practice was a little more profitable. A decade ago he used to charge 1% for certain fees (to keep it simple). So he offers that as an alternative to a business plan until your practice is robust enough to warrant one. [#2 The Many Different Types of Fees ] Income fees, asset fees, hourly fees, commissions, and the list goes on. How should you build a system around the many different types of fees out there? Both Matt and Micah suggest that you don’t overcomplicate the issue. Matt also likes to stress that perceptions of fee-only advisors could be that of the slimy used-car salesman. But really, there’s no one way of charging that is better than the other. It’s up to you as a person: your integrity, character, and the value you bring to your clients. [#3 Don’t Stigmatize Any One Type of Fee ] As Micah elaborates in an anecdote he shares, he provides direction to clients regarding insurance. It doesn’t earn him a lot of revenue, not by a longshot. But it definitely brings value to his clients who would be thrown out to the wolves in certain situations. Matthew echoes this sentiment by stating that commissions shouldn’t be stigmatized. That is, you shouldn’t feel the need to protect your clients from certain methods of fees (commissions from an insurance agent), you should only focus on bringing clients as much value as possible. So if that means someone else is getting a commission based on your actions, there is nothing inherently wrong about that dynamic. The outcome for the client is most important. [#4 Transparency With Fees ] Micah expresses his dislike of surprise fees and undisclosed commissions. Again, whatever fee you decide on (fee-based, fee-only, commission, etc) doesn’t matter so much. There’s nothing wrong with any one of them. But you have to make sure to communicate all you can about fees to the client. And this transparency has a lot to do with your integrity as an advisor as well. Being willing to openly discuss how and what you charge is key for perceptions of your integrity for clients. ---- Matt and Micah’s Action Items Let your fees reflect the real value you bring to clients. Not through some abstract interpretation that is far removed from the actual operation of your practice. Jump on Joe Lukacs’ website: http://practicepower.net/. For his resources on how to cultivate the necessary internal dialogue for bringing value to clients. He calls it My Operating System (MYOS). Look to see what the non-independent brokers (the wirehouses) are charging their clients. This is just for a frame of reference for what you should be charging your clients relative to the service and value that you provide. More details at: https://theperfectria.com/to-fee-or-not-to-fee ---- Produced by Simpler Media

Every advisor doesn’t necessarily need to establish a clear-cut account minimum for their clients. In fact, Micah Shilanski doesn’t have one in his practice. He has a system of fees in place which function in a very similar way. But for those who do establish account minimums, like Matthew Jarvis, this all-important number will guarantee, at the very least, the growth of your practice. To ensure that you practice what Matt and Micah consider to be one of the most important facets of the industry, they provide some great advice on the topic through these keys talking points. [#1 Be Ready For Clients Who Are Below Your Minimums] Matt starts off right away with the recommendation that you should know how to react to the select clients who fall below the account minimum you have set in place. A great practice that Matthew likes to utilize when clients don’t meet the mark is to refer them elsewhere using an apt analogy. He likens himself to a cardiologist. But what the client actually needs is a neurosurgeon. No hard feelings, just not at the right place. In addition, for those who perhaps get irked that you won’t take them on as clients, explain to them that by taking on any more clients, you run the risk of spreading yourself a little thin and taking away value from already existing clients. [#2 It’s OK to Tell People No! ] It’s hard to tell people no sometimes. If you have a new practice, if you have a more general enterprise versus niche clientele, the idea of turning people away from your venture can be difficult. Micah says one of the quickest ways to grow your practice is to respectfully tell prospects that don’t fit, no. [#3 Discounted Fees? Not a Good Idea! ] The question of ‘what if it’s someone you know?’ comes up and Micah states that every instance where he has been involved with a discounted fee situation has blown up in his face in some say or another. But Micah also does state that he has done some pro bono work in the past with strict conditions in place that actually led to the making of very strong clients he still works with to this day. [#4 The Risks of a Hybrid Firm ] Matthew says that making your firm a quasi-charity will probably lead to burnout because you are burning valuable time and resources on many different cases. You aren’t really doing anyone that much of a favor. As Micah states this hybrid dynamic (part charity, part financial advising practice) makes for a confusing time for clients. This is because so many clients are part of the same network and know each other. If you have a reputation for pro bono work, recommending clients becomes harder: “Do I recommend those who need cheap work or those who will bring more value to the practice?” [#5 Common Mistakes Most Advisors Make ] All business is not good business. In this respect you risk running into the quantity over quality realm i.e. rushing around in a mad frenzy with too many clients. If you are afraid that your hard account minimum (say $750,000 in revenue) is too much and you’ll miss out on so many clients, don’t worry! The million dollar clients are out there and will find you. ---- Matt and Micah’s Action Items Develop a strategy for communicating with the prospects that you are not interested in working with. Train your team on how to filter phone conversations regarding inquiring prospects who want to join as clients. Determine who your ideal client is: assets, age, profession, location, and so forth. Set your soft and hard minimums. Have an outlet for pro bono cases. More details at: https://theperfectria.com/account-minimums-as-a-metric-for-finding-ideal-clients ---- Produced by Simpler Media

Key Links Book that Micah references: Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport Time blocking series by Matt and Micah: https://theperfectria.com/time-blocking/ 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss ---- Matt and Micah are here to talk about the importance of what they define as ‘return on time’. It’s a concept set in place to ensure that time is spent growing revenue. Because revenue and growth are both extremely important for the longevity of your firm, your time should be spent accordingly. To calculate your return on time, Matt simply divides the amount of hours he works every year with the gross revenue of his firm. This then is his ‘hourly rate’. There you have it. Simple enough, but oh so crucial for weeding out the work hours that don’t serve your practice. If you’re in the middle of doing a task that doesn’t equate to your hourly rate, it’s probably not worth your time. The rest of this episode is spent reinforcing this idea. Here are some of the key principles to echo:   [#1 Don’t ‘Play Office’] Matthew admits to his wasting time with powerpoint presentations and obsessing over the minutiae of the slides, but realizing that if he spent 6 hours on designing the thing, what kind of value was he bringing to his practice? Was he making his hourly rate? Not at all. Again, playing office in this context means spending too much time on tasks that would be best delegated to someone with powerpoint design strength. Someone who could knock out a powerpoint in 30 minutes, instead of wasting 6 hours on font size.   [#2 Forcing Mechanisms for Productivity] Matthew likes to set a timer when he’s designing a new financial plan. In addition to making the financial plans simple (a different podcast episode entirely), he makes sure he has this simple forcing mechanism in place, or else he can get caught up in the details. Micah, in addition, likes to remind himself that his work should be bringing his practice, his family, and his clients as much value as possible. Another example is that Micah has to constantly remind himself that he does need to delegate tasks to other people. He can get caught up in thinking he can retain and handle a lot of different responsibilities that are best delegated elsewhere. Never underestimate post-it notes! Micah likes to have a note he sticks on his computer that keeps him focused on the 5 most important tasks he has to get done during that day. Essentially, he limits the things he needs done in his day to the most important.   [#3 Outside Accountability ] To keep yourself on the straight and narrow of productivity and revenue-producing best practices, your team, clients, family, and so forth can help keep you focused. Having your assistant keep you on track with meetings and to stay less-distracted by ‘shiny objects’ as Micah states, brings that third-party accountability that is so crucial.   [#4 Misconceptions About What is Required for Work ] Matthew says that so many feel that being reactive is real work. In other words, you need to block out the required time for responding to emails: always being on call to the whims of clients or killing your own productivity by stopping and starting projects to respond to an IM (if you can help it) is a bad practice that detracts from your overall value. Don’t let your teams interrupt you all of the time. A better system needs to be set in place to prevent your teammates from always interrupting your flow. Social media and news is not needed to be a really good advisor.   ---- Matt and Micah’s Action Items Check out the time blocking video series that Matt and Micah just put out recently. Put a post-it note on your computer as a reminder to work your true hourly rate. Read or reread the 4-hour workweek by Tim Ferriss.   More details at: https://theperfectria.com/tips-to-maximize-your-return-on-time ---- Produced by Simpler Media

Key Links Book referenced in this episode: Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy ---- Matt and Micah are tired of well-worn assumptions about advising. In particular, about how lifestyle advisors are lazy by nature. On the other end of the spectrum, many think the job should entail 60+ hour work weeks. Both are wrong. It’s not about the time spent, but how effective the time was used. Matt and Micah have four words of advice to give to advisors: quit pretending to work. The hosts lay the issue to rest through these tenets: [#1 Evaluate How Much Work You Actually Do] Really dive into the weeds and evaluate what you do every day. If you are reading ESPN articles, stop. If you are on social media, disconnect. If you are working 60+ hours a week, ask yourself if you are just pretending to work. Really be honest with yourself.   [#2 Take Time Away From Office]   A counterintuitive notion, but one which makes your work practices effective. Schedule time away from work to keep yourself fresh. An advisor who is fresh is an effective and personable client. Someone who is burned out, working 60+ hours a week, is not going to be able to bring massive value to clients.   [#3 Work for a Thousand Dollars an Hour ]   This means to examine every action you take and ask yourself, “Am I doing something that is worth a thousand dollars an hour right now?” This also means working with clients as much as possible. Making calls, setting up meetings, and helping a client achieve their goals is much more valuable than hiding behind a computer screen. Do real work. Don’t pretend. Do the things you find yourself avoiding at the office. They are probably the most important.   [#4 Analyze The Overall Scope and Vision of your Firm]   Analyze the evolution of your business. Take time to think, plan, and practice forward-thinking with your venture. Work in-house and make sure your team dynamic is strong. If working alone, hold yourself accountable, and look to strengthen your prospecting, process, and overall net revenue. ---- Matt and Micah’s Action Items Put an alarm on your phone that reminds you to ask yourself the question: “Am I doing something that is worth $1,000 an hour right now?” Write up a list of things that are not worth your time at the office: social media, websites, ESPN articles. Get rid of them. Set up an exercise where your team holds you accountable for every time they catch you on social media or wasting time. Pay $100 to a lunch fund or for fun team activities. Hold yourself accountable that way. Shorten your work day, as it will make you work more efficiently. Set a hard boundary that bars you from working past a certain time. Let’s say 5 or 6 PM.   More details at: http://theperfectria.com/stop-pretending-to-work/(opens in a new tab) ---- Produced by Simpler Media

Key Links Books referenced in the episode: Extreme Ownership  || The Dichotomy of Leadership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin The Five Love Languages  by Gary Chapman ----According to both Matt and Micah, to truly know your clients, you have to put these key principles to use in your practice: [#1 Learn The Communication Styles of Your Clients and Team] According to Micah, there are about 15 different communication styles out there, but he personally likes to use 4 styles that he and his team attribute to clients and each other: these are the Driver, Analytical, Amiable, and Social communication styles. The Driver is someone who wants to get things done right away. They aren’t impatient so much as they are eager to get right to work and tackle their tasks diligently. The Analytical person on the other hand works at a much slower clip because they want to make sure their ducks are all in a row, that all of the relevant data is squared away, and that no surprises crop up. Thirdly, Amiable types of communicators truly value conversation and friendliness and won’t open up and communicate effectively until they feel comfortable enough. Opening meetings with conversations and chit-chat is the best way to communicate with this style of person. Lastly, the Social type is more spontaneous. A person with this communication style tells you what’s on their mind and is expressive in their decision-making process. Maybe a little impulsive and emotion-driven, but in the best way, of course! [#2 Start Meetings With a Client-First Mentality] Like Matthew states, starting meetings by addressing the needs of the client first has made all the difference in communicating with his clients in an effective way. Start with the phrase: “How can I be of most assistance?” Or a variation of the same phrase. The emphasis should be on turning attention towards the client first, as this will help ameliorate any nagging concern and thus open up a more concentrated meeting thereafter. A follow up question of, “anything else on your mind?” is always a great addition to the aforementioned phrase. [#3 Ask the Client About Their Most Pressing Expense(s)] Micah says a great way to gauge the priorities (and subsequently adjust to them) is to ask what the next 1-2 months of cash flow will be most directed towards. If it’s a vacation or a trip versus tuition for a grandchild, then Micah has the information he needs to communicate further with clients. [#4 “Can You Tell me More About That?”] One of the most effective questions in the book, asking if clients can further articulate an expense or a plan can initiate a positive dynamic of trust, as well as unlock information that would have stayed put if not addressed. ---- Matt and Micah’s Action Steps Start small! Take your top 10 clients and figure out their communication styles. Next step is to go internal and attribute a style to yourself and your team members. Be honest and take ownership! Lastly, Matthew suggests buying The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman, which is not only for learning how to effectively communicate with your spouse, but for broadening your mind on the whole spectrum of communication styles and methods out there. More details at: https://theperfectria.com/talking-points-for-true-communication-with-clients ---- Produced by Simpler Media

The Perfect RIA hosts have a few action items for delicately dealing with clients during rough financial climates and circumstances. [#1 Let Clients Frame the Conversation] Let the client direct the subject of conversation during meetings. This way, you let the client bring information to you: concerns, figures, facts, charts, you name it. The point being that you can let clients take the wheel and frame the conversation. Don’t jump to conclusions! This goes with the aforementioned information; making sure you understand the client’s concerns first, and then responding accordingly, is very important. You can then redirect and get them back on track after all anxieties are addressed. [#2 Make Sure Your Client Knows That You Have a Plan] This is an extremely important facet of setting a client’s’ mind at ease. Reminders that there are safety nets, disposable income, and buffers at play can make all the difference, and can help keep a client focused on the long term goals that were set in motion from the early going. Just letting them know that there is still a cash bucket--or as Matthew call it, a “war chest”-- in place can make a big difference. Once you remind a client about the established, unwavering plan, getting them to articulate it back to you for reinforcement is a good litmus test for the mitigation of anxiety. [#3 Wait for 7-10 Clients to Contact Your Firm Before Sending Out a Response ] Micah stresses to not train your clients to be reactionary to every dip and dive of Stock Market. If it falls by 500 points, don’t rush to send out a newsletter and to pacify the minds of your clients. Let about 7-10 clients come to your first before reacting. Talk about the long term, and not the short term trends in the market that will inevitably happen again. Matthew says that his firm tries to not break their twice-quarterly reports, even during times of economic turbulence. This prevents Pavlovian conditioning to every happening in the market. [#4 Have a Regular Communication Schedule with Clients] Matthew reminds you that clients need to have a consistent drip of information from your firm. This does not mean bombard the clients with newsletters and resources because they are being bombarded already; instead, it means to have a firm presence and to provide relevant, helpful information to your clients, on a rigid schedule. [#5 Make Sure Plan is Clearly Communicated] Matt and Micah tell you to not give canned economic commentary or irrelevant information that takes away the focus of the long term goals. Clearly articulate the plan and information, and make sure that clients understand. Matthew calls this “doing it in crayon,” which he learned from an engineer, and which also means to simplify the language as much as possible. Speak in language that accentuates the long over the short term. It is much too complicated and murky to try and predict a month’s time ahead or financially forecast the economy. Clear communication means speaking in long term language. [#6 Weekly Team Meetings to go Over Market Concerns] Matthew expresses just how important it is to have weekly meetings with your teams to express concerns about the market, to instill confidence in the overall plan, and strength of the firm. There’s nothing worse than having a client call in and have an office manager or team member that doesn’t sound confident about the longevity and efficacy of the overall firm, despite the precarious circumstances. [#7 Talk the Talk/ Walk the Walk] Micah encourages advisors to do the same exact things they preach to clients. Being on the same page, having investments in the same stocks, being affected by the same market, all of these things are important to communicate for building empathy and reassurance in the minds of clients. Take ownership, follow the plan and program that you have set in place, don’t bend to the whims of clients, and stay consistent in what you say; let your actions stay in step with your words. [#8 Remind Clients That Your Door is Open] Matt likes to remind clients after every newsletter, meeting, you name it, that if they need anything to call, send an email, and express any concern they may have. A thank you is always expressed after clients reach out as well. ---- More details at: http://theperfectria.com/coaching-your-clients-off-the-ledge ---- Produced by Simpler Media

Although Matt and Micah realize that vacation is a time for much needed R&R, they couldn’t help but notice the strong business practices of Disney during their time at Disney World. This episode is the product of their seizing an opportunity to appreciate some intelligent business principles at work. This episode is thus solidified around 5 central tenets from the Disney World business model that were gleaned during their vacation. ----According to both Matt and Micah, the five biggest business takeaways are as follows: [#1 Voluntary Transactions] Disney World is expensive, but they are completely transparent with just how expensive they are. They even have shirts that say “the most expensive day ever.” What this creates for those in the amusement park is almost a willingness to participate in the expensive nature of the park. Disney World promises a magical experience with an above average price tag; the biggest part of the experience is willingly forking over the money and getting that return of value that is promised. This is directly applicable to your practice. [#2 Paid Prospecting] Once you pay the cover charge to get inside the amusement park, everything else still costs money. And every ride ends in a gift shop, as Micah states. They really don’t give you anything for free. This is directly applicable to advisors who set up introductory meetings for prospecting and who stick to their rules about pricing. After introductory consultations, you won’t throw free stuff to the client to get them on board, you demonstrate your ability to provide the client value, and it will cost commensurately. [#3 Saving Clients’ Time Through Skillful Guidance] As the episode explores, there are expert guides one can hire at Disney World who walk you through the park and who know the system well enough to provide you the most rides, attractions, and the most efficiency for your buck. Just like your advising practice, one should be a comparable guide for clients. [#4 Increasing Pricing] It is well-known that Disney has no qualms about increasing their prices to line up with their need for profit and growth; so too you need to increase prices to meet goals and to fully bring the quality of work needed for your clients. [#5 Don’t Budge] Plain and simple, there are rules in place at Disney that are completely enforced. So too one should not bend to the whims of clients in your practice. Prices shouldn’t drop, exceptions should not be made. Communicate to prospect and clients that your business model is concrete and its practices unwavering. ---- Matt and Micah’s Action Items Be aware of what you need to charge to make 50% profitability (remember, this means after all salaries are paid!) in gross revenue a reality for your firm Create unwavering rules that are not broken. Just like the Disney World guide, guide your clients in a similar manner. Be the time-saving expert they can depend on. When you are on vacation, leave the office at home--and yes, that means the email. And when on vacation with your family in particular, being “there” with your family is the most important thing. More details at: http://theperfectria.com/5-business-lessons-learned-from-disney-world/ ---- Produced by Simpler Media

The content of this episode is anchored in 3 necessary traits for effective financial advising. In addition, Michael provides action items for better financial practices. ----- Key Links Ken Gau and Tom Unger’s Program: The Academy of Preferred Financial Advisors -----According to both Matthew Jarvis and our guest, very accomplished wholesaler Michael Appleby, the most successful advisors have these 3 traits: [Focus] Successful advisors have the concentration to take their practice to the next level. They have garnered enough concentration to understand who their ideal client is (i.e. pursuing a narrow market versus using a shotgun approach). They also focus on the strengths that bring their team together, turning the practice into a smoothly-functioning mechanism for success. [Discipline] Successful advisors are disciplined with time management: their schedule, marketing outreach, every facet of the business. And they understand the importance of investing the necessary capital in facets that will make their business flourish: prospecting, personal development for the advisors themselves, coaching, or hiring a skilled team. [An Affinity for Productive Business Partnerships] Successful advisors are not hucksters; they won’t peddle or waste time on small-scale operations with prospects or business partners. They are focused on establishing productive partnerships with their wholesalers or other connections. They make value propositions to accentuate the most important aspects of their symbiotic partnership--and they stress honesty during their conversations about what works and doesn’t work. [Additional Topic: Michael’s Most Common Advisor Mistakes] They ceased to do the basic activities that brought them to success: the cold calls, due diligence on prospecting--in short, the important actions that first put them on the map. Another common mistake is a habitual procrastination towards business planning and forward-thinking types of organization. Advisors drop the ball when speaking events aren’t rehearsed enough: the speaking is flat, the fluidity of the event isn’t seamless, seating isn’t mapped out, directions aren’t given, the organization is clumsy, and so forth. They don’t follow the same advice they give to clients and thus sacrifice their integrity, reputation, and the overall weight of the advice they give.   ---- Michael’s Action Items Advising isn’t a commodity. Offer something that resonates personally with individuals and which communicates tangible value in a way that transcends the dollar signs. Hire a coach, join a program, plan your work, and network. Pick a plan and work it consistently. Be persistent with it; it will pay off.   More details at: https://theperfectria.com/confessions-of-a-wholesaler ---- Produced by Simpler Media

Let’s face it; sometimes partnerships sour. In all vocations, all industries, differences arise between individuals. And for something as valuable as the dynamic between advisor and client, sometimes firing clients is an absolutely necessary action. If an RIA is using time on a client that is less than ideal, that dynamic should be reconciled. Anything but the garnering of massive success for both client and advisor is a recipe for a stagnant practice. So, by necessity, Matt and Micah gather their resources and experiences to walk listeners through the when, why, and how of firing clients. Matthew mentions an important caveat during the start of the episode: this isn’t about cutting off the bottom 20% of your books; instead, it is about analyzing all clients and making a reasonable assessment towards future sustainability with those particular clients. It is also about finding the clients that “fit your mold,” as Micah says. If they don’t, it is important to mentally admit you made a mistake and then move on accordingly. Matthew also points out that while you are analyzing your existing client base, the most important thing to consider is the cost. Your cost-benefit analysis of your clients should take into consideration if your confidence is being undermined, your process is being disrupted, or you cringe whenever ‘X-Client’ calls. Matt also states that if his clients don’t follow his advice, they are out. Especially if clients start undoing key steps in the process; or, even more so, if a client keeps missing meetings, one must part ways. But with all this being said, there is definitely a delicate way of letting someone go. Sending a letter, not going into the details in the document, and refunding the current quarter is Matt’s process. And then taking any calls that may come through for explanations. Being delicate and careful on this issue is very important. Micah prefers having face-to-face meetings; but again, he communicates his reasons for firing the client very carefully. Both also bring up the important point that one should never be beholden to a client. This means that you should have a deep enough reserve of clients to keep the revenue stream flowing--even if you have to fire a client who brings your firm a lot of money. Both Matt and Micah have some action steps for everyone in the industry. The first is to print off a list of every client you have and then ask yourself this: would you hire any given client again? If not, if you can’t justify your keeping them, or you cringe whenever you see their name on the caller ID, it’s time to part ways. Doing this first by yourself, and then later with your team can be a very powerful tool. The second action step is to make a commitment to what Micah calls the “graduation conversation”--that is, the firing conversation or letter that will mark the termination of your partnership with a client. The third actions step is to draw up a statement that clearly communicates your moral code, beliefs, and a line that won’t be crossed by any means, to avoid waffling or gray-area conundrums. Outline what a ‘fireable offense’ is.

Key Links Episode 5: Always Take the High Road -------------------- Financial Planning Software is scrutinized in this episode. But right away, Matt and Micah are sure to remind listeners that they aren’t completely condemning the technology, just encouraging less of a reliance on the tool. It is certainly true that a lot of planners are required to use some sort of financial software for compliance requirements or for the more detailed reports that clients may ask for. Yet, Matt and Micah still usually don’t put a lot of stock in the software’s potential to bring value for clients; they both feel that value can be better drawn from the wellspring of positive client interactions over the by-the-numbers approach only received well by those with an affinity to complicated formulae and diagrams (i.e. engineers or financially-minded clients). On average though, the detailed and bulky reports that FP software spits out is too involved for the ordinary client. Eyes will grow glassy and yawns will be stifled. Instead, simplification is needed. Matt states that forcing mechanisms like one-page executive summaries and up-front fees to determine the value you are bringing to the table is much more important than beating your client over the head with a dense collection of Monte Carlo Simulations. Instead, Matthew states that he only has four key things he goes over with clients: retirement income, risk management, income taxes, and their investment portfolio. Long term goals are always discussed as well, but that is a given regarding the nature of the business. This leads to the biggest take-home message of the episode: tailor your financial plan to the client. If they want a more involved financial plan then give it to them. Determine how you can bring the most value to your client, first and foremost. Most likely they will want the succinct, one-page summary over any other alternative. And, like all of the episodes, Matt and Micah preach the merits of taking advice and spurring it into action. They provide three key action points to take: go through your financial plan and seek to minimize the noise e.g. the extraneous noise, learn to effectively communicate your financial planning process in 45 seconds or less, and shorten your financial plan into an executive summary.

This episode is, as the title suggests, all about broker-dealers. And more specifically, Matt and Micah draw from personal experience to allow listeners to gain their perspectives on the issue. Because both have worked with broker-dealers closely in the past, they know the ins and outs of what to look for in the partnership. They highlight some of the pros and cons to assure listeners that there are many factors one has to weigh in order to make the decision that makes the most sense for your firm: either parting ways or sticking with a broker-dealer is a matter of monetary concern as well as a qualitative concern for your clients. The pros to working with a broker-dealer are as follows: a BD takes care of all of the compliance in your practice, so that all SEC and FINRA rules are followed. This frees up a lot of time and effort on the part of the business owner, who doesn’t have to deal with a lot of the busywork, shopkeeping duties like: email archiving and proper file storage. Working with a BD also looks good when dealing with auditors; you can avoid conflicts of interest that way. On the other hand, some of the cons of a BD include: you have to keep a record of your own stuff anyways. So, as Micah points out, you are working with duplicate systems: the BD backs up your files, but doesn’t guarantee that you will have access to them if you part ways or an emergency happens. So, with duplicate systems come duplicate costs. In addition, another con is that the cost can be steep enough to warrant your consideration of severing any ties completely. And with that, there are many other elements to weigh, but these are the biggest that are brought up in the episode. To end the episode, Matt and Micah provide some actions points for listeners: Create a contingency plan. This means that one should always be prepared for emergencies and should plan for the possible severance of relationship with your broker-dealer. Establish vision between firm and BD so that there is transparency in communication. Measure total monetary and potential qualitative cost between you and your BD. And lastly, Reach out to a custodian bank for the purpose of getting your feet wet and finding out what it’s like on the other side (Micah endorses Charles Schwab).

Key Links Magellan MasterMind & Network: Page The financial advising program that Matt references: Academy of Preferred Advisors ----------------- In this episode, the dynamic duo, Matt and Micah, are back to talk about their previous episode with Joe Lukacs. Because of time constraints in addition to the importance of the subject material, Matt and Micah (M&M) wanted to take a whole episode and analyze the insights and principles that “Coach Joe” introduced to listeners. They also express a “hindsight is 20/20” type of regret for these concepts they wished they had known about and implemented in their practice many years prior to their first meeting with Coach Joe/Matthew’s respective coach. And so, for the benefit of seasoned pros and fledgling entrepreneurs, listeners are bequeathed the invaluable advice from a man who wrote the book on financial investing. Micah starts the discussion by explaining his own relationship with Joe and the usual route both Joe and Micah take in their business relationship. This means they talk once a month, go over important details about Micah’s practice, and meet face-to-face a few times a year. Coach Joe also has a mastermind group called Magellan MasterMind & Network which Micah is involved with, all for the purpose of establishing highly profitable lifestyle practices, as well as reinforcement from fellow RIA’s and professionals. And on the flip side, Matthew shares that he takes weekly calls from his own coach. But despite the differing dynamics at play, both see immense benefit in their respective coaches, noticing positive trends towards forward-thinking in their own lives because of it. Also, as Coach Joe pointed out to both Micah and Matt, it is extremely important to reinvest either 5% of your gross revenue or 10% of your net into your own personal development. To simplify this process, Micah likes to have a separate account just for personal development. The reason being that it can quickly become unnecessarily confusing to differentiate business funds and other financial holdings--the process is made much simpler when everything is financially compartmentalized. They also talk about the importance of being a part of a mastermind--but with a caveat. Joining a mastermind should be done when all parties present have “skin in the game” and where the mastermind itself doesn’t become a full-time job. Some other important topics discussed on the episode consist of not falling for the “next big thing” in marketing or the shiniest widget designed for flawless output; instead, focusing on what you know, on one particular modality, so as not to waste valuable time and energy or spread yourself thin in the industry. The point being that long-term plays are the most important. The truly valuable enterprises will ultimately take a long time to establish, but are invaluable to have implemented. Matt and Micah also echo Coach Joe’s sentiments on morning rituals before stressing once again the absolute importance of finding a financial coach.

Key Links The financial advising program that Matt references: Academy of Preferred Advisors Joe’s free program: PracticePower International Performance Group: Website Magellan MasterMind & Network: Page ---------------------------- Micah Shilanski’s coach for the better part of fifteen years, Joe Lukacs, is the guest of this episode. And within the time allotted, Joe disrupts the usual gamut of topics discussed for some interesting insights he has gained over the years. One of the first topics that he brings up is boredom. More specifically, how a coach can handle the boredom brought upon by holding too comfortable a position in the industry. As is common in most vocational positions, Joe knows just how detrimental a comfort zone can become for a coach. He says that human beings are happiest when we are in “expansion mode.” That is, we are challenging ourselves, learning, and overall expanding our repertoire. In short, to stave off boredom and to prevent a harmful mentality from developing, challenge yourself and challenge your clients. He says that as soon as one thinks they have figured something out is the first day they start to slide from any lofty position they may have held. Don’t hasten the backwards slide and don’t let yourself get bored. Another crucial segment in this talk is when Coach Joe talks about the middle stage that all successful investors must move past to truly reach prosperity in their practice. He calls it the “pivot point to prosperity.” According to Joe, there are three different levels of being a financial advisor. The first being what he calls a “scarcity startup.” Essentially, this is the stage where advisors are paying the bills and keeping the lights on. The second, advisors are sustainable and abundant--this is the comfort zone and the most tempting stage to never pull one’s self out of. This is the stage that advisors need to pole vault out of to reach prosperity. And the last is where the magic happens, where the future is realized and plans of “what’s next?” become further cemented and realized. To get there though, failures mustn’t be avoided, but instead, encouraged; it is the crucial time to take risks and to avoid regrets of not having taken the chance to expand when the opportunity was there. And Joe encourages advisors to never stop chasing the next thing. Don’t be failure-phobic. Lastly, Joe talks about the importance of surrounding yourself with a network (or tribe as Joe calls it) that inspires you, bolsters your practice, and ultimately reinforces beneficial mindsets of abundance for your personal development. Joining a mastermind is brought up as a strategy for obtaining all of this; meaning that deep, lasting friendships are developed as well as valuable support for your enterprise. This is one of the most important techniques for shifting your mindset from complacency to prosperity. Some other important action points are laid down by Joe, Micah, and Matt. These include, establishing a morning success ritual, reinvesting 5%-10% of your total revenue in yourself for the purpose of personal development, and last but not least, joining a mastermind group.

Key Links The ‘Sleep On It’ Jarvis Financial Process Carl Richards Book on the One-Page Financial Plan -------------------- Most financial planners thrive on helping people. In addition to having an affinity for numbers, many CFP’s share in common the desire to take in an innumerable amount of clients as a means for bringing more reassurance and financial security to the biggest pool of people as possible. Unfortunately though, there is only a finite amount of clients that one can possibly meet with. In addition, clients also have to bring in enough capital to sustain the entire practice. This means that tough decisions need to be made for the sustainability of the business itself. But how does one go about insulating one’s self from unprofitable clients or safeguard one’s time from borderline charitable acts instead of profit-driven endeavors? For managing and dealing with complicated circumstance like this, simplicity is key. Either refer unprofitable clients to other ventures who can help them or like guest Neil Rossiter implements in his own practice, send them to a junior advisor instead of another firm. Another way of looking at this is when Matthew states that he likes to give the analogy that some customers approach him looking for brain surgery instead of the heart surgery that his firm provides. And much like the many specialists who comprise the spectrum of the medical profession, so to the financial world is replete with specialists who have their own function. Matthew offers a simple solution to the problem. In addition, this episode delves into the importance of streamlining the process from which clients can get ahold of the financial planner. Matthew states that instead of wasting time and being constantly interrupted, there is a simple but powerful solution for having too porous a barrier between client and advisor: what needs to be done is that unless in an emergency, the client will always be scheduled to talk to Matt or Neil usually by next day. And then once questioned if the nature of the call is administrative or financial advice, sometimes the admin can actually do the work and minimize the scheduled call from actually taking place. This strategy provides simplicity to what was potentially a convoluted process. And last but not least, the one-page financial plan makes a reappearance for the sake of streamlining and simplicity. Matthew ends the episode by providing two action items: Don’t take incoming phone calls unless by emergency or appointment and start trying and practicing the Carl Richards, one-page financial plan that has been a staple of the Perfect RIA podcast.

To start this episode, Micah Shilanski provides a very valuable comparison between the mentalities of a shopkeeper and a CEO. He starts this way to illustrate the often erroneous assumption that many business owners make about the amount of time they should devote per day to their practice. Workdays start to become these open-to-close events that are very quantity-over-quality phenomenons. Instead, there is an incessant need to optimize days like a visionary or CEO would; doing things efficiently will ultimately transcend the quantity of hours spent. Micah also points out that having a shopkeeper mentality doesn’t make much sense because most financial advisors or business owners aren’t paid by the hour, but instead by result. Sure, if it takes you twelve hours on a given day to see the best results for your client, that might be true, but consistently overworking and creating busywork are bad habits to cultivate. Matthew Jarvis then rides the momentum of this concept and admits an area in his own daily practice that isn’t very productive. He stresses that reading the Wall Street Journal makes him feel like he is busy, but the pressure to always feel busy is detrimental to the overall value of his practice. For the next hour, instead of spending time on bringing actual monetary value to his firm, he spends an hour reading opinion pieces in the Wall Street Journal. By his own admission, the time is perhaps wasted. To keep the ball rolling, Micah states that there should be an alarm system of sorts in place: a self-administered system of checks and balances that one can use to test if the time being spent is worth a thousand dollars an hour (or five hundred); and through that metric, personal accountability is possible and the value of your firm will only increase. And to keep themselves accountable to what they preach, both Micah and Matt use “forcing mechanisms”--a concept they have underlined in previous episodes as an accountability system and value-building mechanism that one forces oneself to stick to. The forcing mechanism that Matt uses is he looks at a picture of his wife and kids on his desk and asks himself if he could look his family in the eye and say something along the lines of: “Hey, I'm sorry I worked late tonight, but I really had to get the Wall Street Journal read.” These type of mechanisms really provide a positive framework for how valuable your workday can and should be. Lastly, during the talk, Matthew accentuates four key things that advisors should do to save themselves from cultivating a shopkeeper mentality: (1) Eliminate pop-ups, alerts, distractions like email or anything that constantly pulls you away from the task you are focusing on.(2) Don’t waste time on guilty pleasures: things like social media or games that you find yourself gravitating towards at all times of the day. (3) Implement a backup plan just in case clients cancel or time is freed up in another way; this way time is always spent productively and with purpose, instead of aimlessly. (4) Lastly, train your employees and clients that you are not available at all times of the day, but only in designated slots. And a bonus thing to consider is to have a clean desk policy to minimize all paperwork that accumulates and to clear your headspace.

Key links Episode 2 (featuring Gina Cotner) of The Perfect RIA Gina Cotner’s website for virtual assistants: Athena Executive Services The financial advising program that Matt was enrolled in: Academy of Preferred Advisors The two books referenced in this episode: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell & The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss Matthew Jarvis’s prospecting process -------------------- If you are currently successful, so-so, struggling, in a down quarter, thinking about quitting or unsure of where to turn regarding your practice, Matthew Jarvis has some valuable advice to give. In this episode, he explains to fellow advisor Adam Hersh that there are a few important concepts necessary for elevating your practice to its optimal level. This is done by centering your focus on time blocking, prospecting, defining a clear client-service model, and staffing. Because of his six years spent with Tom Gau and Ken Unger’s coaching program, The Academy of Preferred Financial Advisors (APFA), Matthew learned a lot and transposed those ideas to fit his own practice. He explains that the concepts he learned while in that program helped him work with retirees, gave him ideas for how to naturally increase his network, which in turn led to robust opportunities for prospecting new clients. Also, Matthew gives Adam some good advice on prospecting potential clients and expanding his network when he suggests that he teach free college classes at the community college. The reason for this being that those who attend a three hour lecture (one with an overabundance of information) are bound to come up and ask questions after the lecture--which is a perfect icebreaker for generating a new client. Matthew also explains the importance of being a young financial advisor and being able to assure clients that you are there for the long haul, that you won’t be retiring before them. He also talks a little about delegation, and how Adam should hire a virtual assistant to do some of the non-value tasks (like paperwork) that he spends so much time on. Referring back to the second episode of The Perfect RIA, he recommends Gina Cotner’s platform: Athena Executive Services as an invaluable resource for this. Finishing up his talk, he has five key takeaways that one can utilize for generating a more valuable practice: These are as follows: Ideally, designate a day of the week which is proactively spent on just working on your business. For example, you could make this a Monday, where the phones are off the hook, and you are proactively working to generate more value for your practice. Pick five non-value tasks to delegate or eliminate. Read Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point Read or reread Tim Ferriss’s book The 4-Hour Workweek Remind yourself that doing is the key to all success, and just knowing is not enough.

Key Links Math Diagram -------------------------------------- As the title states, this episode is all about determining a fee schedule for clients—that is, what a fair rate to charge clients for services rendered should be. Instead of making it complicated, both Matt and Micah stress over and over again that simplicity is key when it comes to your fee. Also, just as important as simplicity, is the cost-value structure that you set up. This isn’t as complicated as it seems. What is meant by cost-value structure is determined by what your goals are. If you have ambitions to keep growing your firm’s revenue or assets, then keeping your prices high enough to meet that goal means that your cost-value structure has been correctly formulated. Lastly, Matt and Micah talk about raising rates and how much the process varies over time. But one should never negotiate prices. Staying fixed, usually only rising and never falling in price, conveys that you will only keep growing. Not having a business plan and negotiating too much means that people will not take you as seriously. And that hurts your reputation and potential revenue. Do not let this happen.

Key Links Book Referenced by Matt and Micah: Selling the Invisible ---------- “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.” This quote from Warren Buffet frames the whole episode. And by using this as a tool for showing just how important reputation can be, hosts Matthew Jarvis and Micah Shilanski chronicle the instances in their lives where reputation has generated large ripples in one way or another. Be it, a firm tarnishes their own reputation because of charging money for “services rendered,” even though the “services” they rendered were certainly of a negative quality. Or, a treasurer for a church suffers the embarrassment of a check bouncing because of a mistake from Matt’s firm. Whatever the circumstances, both Micah and Matt cut through the noise and simplify everything with four words:  “Take the high road.”  And it is through these four words that almost everything is made simple. By taking accountability and offering to pay penalties, or giving a client their money back because they were unsatisfied with the services provided, you keep your reputation intact. And because word of mouth travels fast, you may lose some money in the short term, but the positive reputation you gain is much more valuable.

Key Links John Barron’s LinkedIn profile --------------------------------------- In this episode, John Barron shares the importance of replacing old systems with new ones. Most business owners take a plateau personally or as a sign of having mismanaged their business, but Barron says this is not true. The culprit is often that there are systems in place that are not consistent—somewhere along the way, X stopped being X and became Y instead, even though what was really needed all along was Z. Or as Barron says, “a Toyota factory can’t produce a giraffe.” Perspectives are just as important as systems because if you are an entrepreneur who has been “down in the weeds,” and you are suffering from tunnel vision because of it, often you need an outside agent to provide a more balanced viewpoint; a coach can help one obtain this crucial vantage point. Procrastination can also be just as powerful a tool as well. As Matthew, the host of the podcast shares in this episode, he works more efficiently when a deadline looms near. Putting things off to the last minute actually helps him get work done at a faster rate.

Key Links Carl Richard’s Website Malcolm Gladwell book which profiles Tom Gau: The Tipping Point --------------------------------------- During the episode, host Matthew Jarvis supplies us with nine crucial rules to follow regardless of if you are an advisor, CPA, actuary, or if you are just concerned with imparting understanding and reassurance in the minds of clients. These nine rules range from the necessity of practice to the headache-inducing method of trying to shrink a whole financial plan onto a single page. Using the metaphor of speaking a foreign language to someone who doesn’t know the tongue, Matt communicates just how difficult it is for common people to understand the financial and legal nomenclature so easily referenced during consultations and financial-advising meetings with clients. He gives the advice to simplify speech, not as a tool for talking down or belittling the client, but to cover all bases during the consultation. One wouldn’t talk down to an English-speaking tourist vacationing in China for not knowing a wide range of Mandarin. Matt also draws from a lot of biographical experiences where he was forced to act as a translator because the financial experts who were involved had a hard time self-censoring the depth of the language they used. In other words, it is very easy for smart, technically-gifted people to have a hard time not using their specialized jargon—terms that would confuse the average person (of any levels of education). Matt says this confusion should not be there, and he teaches listeners of this episode how to prevent most language barriers from forming.