The greatest transfer of wealth in history is old news – but now that baby Boomer recipients are beginning to retire, on the heels of the meltdown, how will this affect the industry?

Changing client investment parameters are leaving some firms scrambling to adapt. The aftershocks of the Financial crisis are reverberating in portfolio allocation, and sweeping changes may result for the industry, from a service provider perspective (and then of course there will be regulatory reform, but that’s another horse entirely) . With more than a trillion dollars lost by those about to retire, many would be retirees are reportedly allocating an increasing portion of assets out of growth oriented products like equities, an into income producing products and managed accounts, according to a recent report released by consulting firm Deloitte LLP. (more…)

How to evaluate a recruiter

by Chris Herbst  www.JupiterConsultantsLLC.com

In these tough times, Advisors are increasingly turning toward professional help in job seeking. In this market, some are just happy to locate a firm that doesn’t have a hiring freeze. But there is light at the end of the tunnel, as firms seem to have begun hiring again – and some of thelarger firms are reputed to be offering signing bonused, although these are most often structured as retention bonuses. Be that as it may, the market is shedding the summer doldrums and jobs are being offered. And good recruiters can be a great help. But therein lies the problem; recruiters can be very expensive to hire, and costlier still if they don’t know what they are doing or are out of touch with the latest trends.

Evaluating recruiters is a difficult task in and of itself. One may find recruiters promising pay jumps of 250%, maybe even 300%. Others promise little. Some recruiters enjoy near celebrity status from prolific writings, while others maintain a stealth approach. So how does one evaluate a recruiter? (more…)

Problems, problems, problems. Everybody has ‘em. Most people try to deal with them as quickly as possible and just get rid of ‘em — often by shoving them under the carpet. The “problem” with dealing with problems is that the first available, seemingly simplest solution often causes even bigger, more difficult problems to solve.Certain types of problems never seem to go away and tend to compound. Why? The methods employed to resolve them are usually faulty. (more…)

Want to make yourself valuable at work? Learn to sell, sell, sell. Want to make yourself indispensable? Teach and coach others to sell, sell, sell–and sell some more. That´s right. Nothing is more important to a company than bringing in revenue, and no one brings in the revenue like a good sales coach. Become the best one you can possibly be and you´ll always have a place in 21st century Corporate America. (more…)

In keeping with the theme of the current issue of Broker Dealer Journal, this article offers insights into some of the industry’s superstars and overviews how they transitioned their businesses from typical sized practices to “mega businesses” within just a few years. As you’ll see, I believe that anyone can dramatically improve their productivity if they are willing to pay the price and follow certain success templates. (more…)

1. Are you unconsciously de-motivating yourself and others? If you’ve ever been unenthusiastic about doing something you should be doing, you’ve probably created an unconscious conflict within yourself. If you’ve ever gotten an unenthusiastic or negative response from someone, you may have inadvertently caused it yourself. (more…)

By Steven Drozdeck and Jerry Rosenstrach

The P.R.O.G.R.E.S.S. model is a practical, systematic process that maximizes the potential for accomplishing predetermined, realistic objectives in a prescribed amount of time and within budget. It can be applied to clearly determine if stated goals are in fact realizable and, if so, at what cost and at what impact to the “normal” course of business. It is a framework for change and, therefore, can incorporate numerous other approaches to professional and organizational development. (more…)

by Steven Drozdeck

Managers are constantly challenged to grow their offices in the most effective manner. As a manager, you are faced with corporate demands to embark on certain initiatives, sell more products, and develop the office. However, you cannot do it alone. You must rely on your registered representatives and staff members to develop their business in a way that supports your efforts. (more…)

Increased productivity in your Registered Represent-atives, that is, getting them to perform from 20 percent to 30 percent of capacity to performing nearer 80 percent to 90 percent of capacity is the goal of most managers.

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The ability to communicate effectively involves knowing how your words and actions will affect other people. Knowing what to say and do is as important as knowing what not to say and do, and it’s a complicated process. It has been said that you will make it in this world partly based upon your ability to communicate with others.
You can further enhance the abilities of your brokers by introducing concepts and techniques that they can immediately use to become more effective with other people, not just in business, but in personal relationships as well. (more…)