Behaviors. In a day and age when companies allocate large quantities of time and money to codify core beliefs into published value statements, one would think that corporate cultures would be the best working environments in history. Defining the culture is easy–what’s most difficult is to convert cultural beliefs into actual, congruent behaviors. This is where most companies lack efficacy to create transformational environments. Corporate officers who understand this dynamic take the time to cultivate good behaviors first in themselves and then in those under their care.

History proves that the most attractional leaders are those who are humble and understand human nature. They know how to apply proper human incentive systems that create motivated, sacrificial employees who “volunteer” their time and talents rather than simply showing up for a paycheck. They apply a proven process to create awareness, develop conscious competence through repetition and reinforcement, and finally unconscious competence (second-nature reactions) in those they lead. The result-well developed people, a thriving culture, and ultimately, managerial leverage to do great things.

Coaching questions: What steps are you taking to develop congruence in your behavior? How will you then cascade this learning to your staff?
Read more coaching principles from Dean Harbry on the Internal Innovations website.

Employee engagement is critical to retaining top performers. Assessing the level of engagement and executing an improvement plan are helpful. However, surveys are a snapshot measurement. There are signs you can be watching for that may alert you that your improvement plan isn’t working. Just because you have a plan doesn’t mean you need to sit back and relax!

From 2008 to 2010, employee engagement dropped to 56%. This was the largest rate of decline in 15 years, according to Aon Consulting.  So how can you measure employee engagement within your organization?  Generally companies will deploy an employee engagement survey using an external company to administer the survey ensuring anonymity for employees. Others will develop their own internal surveys which  lack question validity and robust reporting features which can be drawbacks to developing an improvement plan.

But what if you don’t have the time or money and want to get a broad sense of overall engagement, what are your options?  My suggestion is to look for the top 10 clues that employees may be disengaging from their work.  And, the 10 clues are:

1. Quality of service and products is dropping-employees are not showing a genuine level of concern for customer needs and the quality of their workmanship
2. Absenteeism is increasing-the amount of time employees are missing from work is affecting overall department or company performance and may be affecting the morale of those having to pick up a greater work load.

Read more on the Executive Velocity website.

Author: Beth Armknecht Miller, President and Executive Coach, Executive Velocity Inc

Internal Justice System - In every place where some form of hierarchy exists a de facto internal justice system will automatically emerge. It will include rules of engagement (stated or unstated), relationships to authority, and sanctions for certain behaviors (fair or unfair). In the business setting the people who will detect this reality the most are those closest to the actual work-the ones who are at the lower levels of the organization chart. This points to why it is so critical to define the culture clearly, and to apply all standards equally across the board. What applies to the line worker should also always apply to the chief executive, who is tasked to serve as the ultimate model. Companies that fail to codify and apply sound cultural principles will experience declining morale and higher turnover rates. Humans, without some form of structure, will usually default to more base behaviors. Sadly, those at highest risk are oftentimes the organization’s leaders. All of these hazards can be effectively addressed through the use of team contracts. Coaching questions: If you were to describe your culture in three adjectives, what would it reveal? Where might your culture need attention, requiring more clarity?

Read more coaching principles from Dean Harbry on the Internal Innovations website.

*Dean Harbry is entertaining creating a second roundtable group with the purpose of helping organizational leaders develop and implement a team contract. Please let me know if you are interested or know of anyone who may benefit from this process.

Equanimity. Among the most critical of all influence skills is an organizational leader’s ability to maintain equanimity (emotional balance) during times of difficulty and uncertainly. Daniel Goleman asserts that a leader’s primary role is to lead emotionally, that is, to communicate important messages by properly framing circumstances. Lieutenant General Chesty Puller was quoted as saying, “They won’t get away this time,” after being surrounded by eight enemy divisions. This is the professional approach, the use of positive framing. Equanimity is rooted in one’s personal insight and fueled by confidence, which translates current challenges into tangible opportunities to succeed. The degree to which we communicate negative messages, though stress emotions and tense gestures, we demean and demoralize the troops, creating fear, insecurity and repulsion. Professional leaders who know the art of leading emotionally are attractive in style and rarely ever use a show of force to command obedience in his people. They do what he asks because they admire and love him. He inspires rather than criticize.

Coaching questions: How are you at demonstrating equanimity when things go wrong? What steps may you need to take to strengthen this influence skill?

Read more coaching principles from Dean Harbry on the Internal Innovations website.

Human Incentive Systems. Professional leaders and managers thrive on large-scale initiatives that are carefully planned and well executed. To achieve anything of scale, we must leverage the thinking and output of others. Some mistakenly believe that if people are paid fairly, they will be motivated to do good work. Research suggests that pay will only guarantee an employee will show up for work. To motivate them to perform at higher levels, we must utilize a battery of human incentive systems that are nonfinancial in nature. Professional managers both understand and embrace this dynamic, and work successfully with diverse people using the human touch. They build strong managerial relationships, support their staff with discovery questioning to develop their thinking and judgment, and, even when correction is necessary, they do it in the employee’s best interest without getting emotionally hooked. While they are hard on principle they are typically soft on people–caring, but not sentimental–firm, but not harsh. Treating people as valued human beings ensures the best possible results.

Coaching questions: What non-financial human incentive systems do you currently have in place that builds staff loyalty and increases productivity? What could be done to go to the next level?

Read more coaching principles from Dean Harbry on the Internal Innovations website.

Law of Holes. We are taught to “keep our shoulder to the flywheel” until we’ve generated enough momentum to sustain forward movement on our goals and initiatives. This is true for many of our strategic plans; however, there are times when our efforts provide little evidence of hoped-for results. Discernment tells us that we need to change course, but we become so blinded by our belief that we continue by just trying harder. Insanity is doing the same things over and over again, and expecting different results. The law of holes states that when we realize we are digging a hole, stop! This principle applies to many contexts but reflect on its impact when managing people. Professional practitioners tell us we can accomplish big things if we leverage people through delegation and by defining clear roles and responsibilities. All true, unless we fail to effectively influence people in a way that is consistent with human nature. Delegating properly involves the use of wise and appropriate human incentive systems.

Coaching questions: When managing others, what methods have worked best in your past? How can you apply these same protocols to your current context?

Read more coaching principles from Dean Harbry on the Internal Innovations website.

Derived Credit. We all like to be acknowledged for our accomplishments, after all, this is why we went to school and continue to study the trade literature. What tempts us most is when someone else takes the credit for our work–we feel violated and angry. Yet, for the true professional who sees and discerns the big picture, he will forfeit all personal claims for the overall good of the organization. Jim Collins calls this person a Level 5 Leader. So how do we employ the principle of derived credit? It starts early in our professional career with a bent toward humility and a commitment to the team’s agenda versus our own. This is not natural behavior but necessary for those who seek sustainable, broad-based impact. It reflects emotional maturity, wholesome independence, and healthy detachment. It will oftentimes result in others giving you the credit. The strange thing is that once a person has mastered the principle of derived credit, receiving credit won’t even matter.

Coaching questions: How do you handle situations where others receive the credit for what you’ve done? How would you like to respond? What steps can you take? Write your answers in your journal.

Read more coaching principles from Dean Harbry on the Internal Innovations website.

We all have had to deal with conflict in the workplace.  It can be a real energy drain as people within and around the conflict focus on the negative and not the positive.  The result is decreased productivity and even worse, potential danger for other employees.  As a leader, dealing with conflict is a key skill you must master.  So here are some recommended steps to take to resolve conflicts in a timely and efficient manner.

First, you must be able to recognize the conflict.  Some forms of conflict are subtle and not so blatant.  These subtle forms can include repeated negative attitudes or behaviors such as inappropriate use of humor-sarcasm or cynicism,  lack of care, empathy, and support of team members, interrupting others, appearing arrogant or a know it all, withholding of resources or information, etc. These are all subtle because they are interpreted by individuals who will interpret the behaviors based on their biases and experiences. Their interpretation will affect their relationship with the other person.  As a leader, you need to understand each of your team members’ behavior preferences so you can be alert to potential subtle conflicts which can ultimately escalate into much larger ones.  Then there are the more blatant behaviors such as yelling, intimidation, and continually not keeping commitments to others.

Read more on the Executive Velocity website.

Author: Beth Armknecht Miller, President and Executive Coach, Executive Velocity Inc

Vicious Compliance. Collaboration is one of the most important aspects of teamwork-it’s where you get the best mix of ideas, the strongest buy-in, and a true commitment to results. It requires that each person participate in the thinking and decision-making process, using each other as sounding boards. Yet when top-down managers decide to do all the thinking themselves, and, as a result, curb the creativity of others, he will almost certainly put himself at risk for vicious compliance. So what is vicious compliance? It’s when staff members turn off their judgment, and do exactly what they are told, irrespective of known consequences, which, by the way, are crystal clear in their minds. You know you are a victim of vicious compliance when a staff member does something really crazy and then responds to your inquiry with, “I did exactly as you told me to do.” The cure is found in the professional activity of pushing the thinking down, through the age-old tool of questioning and true accountability. This process guarantees managerial leverage. Coaching questions: In what managerial relationships are you vulnerable to vicious compliance? What can you do to minimize the risk? Write your answers in your journal.

Read more coaching principles from Dean Harbry on the Internal Innovations website.

Compassion. While compassion is not typical business language or thinking, it is an essential quality for those firms who wish to properly steward the human resources under their care. Compassion, by the way, is not sentimentality, soft emotions, or strictly a feminine quality–it’s a way of operating in truth in our relationships. Compassion provides difficult feedback when necessary, encourages people when they lack heart and emotional energy, and it helps those who have needs. Compassion is always packaged with patience, and is the essence of wholesome influence skills. So how does this apply to managerial leaders? Remember that management means getting things done through the active support of others. An engaged team of people are require to achieve corporate goals. Imagine if you were a farmer and failed to feed or manage the health of your farm animals-what would happen to your farm? The same is true with people. If you fail to show compassion, you will limit your ability to achieve noble goals.

Coaching Questions: How would others rate you on your ability to demonstrate compassion? What steps do you need to take to develop this quality? Write your answers in your journal.

Read more coaching principles from Dean Harbry on the Internal Innovations website.

Unity. It is utopian to believe that all team members should or will agree on all issues. Authentic unity is at play when varieties of opinions are drawn from diverse backgrounds of human and corporate experience and then, after intense debate, culminate in a participative decision-making process. Only the amateur leader will rule by decree. So how do we foster and encourage real unity on a team? We begin by mandating that no-one abstain or “hide in the weeds” with respect to their view-this takes courage. When polled, each person must commit to communicate their own thinking based on their learning and judgment, and declare what they believe and why. Next, as a function of the team contract, all team members agree to suspend judgment until all views are heard; we listen hard, show respect, and ask clarifying questions even in light of disagreement. Debate should be robust and focused on issues, not personalities, void of any personal attacks. Whatever the outcome, each member agrees to defer and support the wisdom of the group, both publicly and privately.

Coaching questions: Do your teams have authentic unity? If not, what’s missing and why? Write your answers in your journal.

Read more coaching principles from Dean Harbry on the Internal Innovations website.

In my initial consultation with advisors, I really get to know all aspects of their practice. One of the questions I ask is, “How would you describe the service you are getting from your broker/dealer?”

A recent response peaked my interest: “They are trying.” I could hear the “but” hanging in the air. I remain quiet as the advisor goes on to describe the recent reorganization of the operations service department.

The concept looks good on paper. They have formed service teams so that an advisor is not completely dependent on just one person. Each team has five individuals who are assigned to your office and are knowledgeable about all of your challenges. So, if one person is not available, another person will easily be able to handle your question.

What’s the problem, I ask. It sounds like an efficient operation.

The advisor tells me that his staff can only work with two of the five people on the team. It’s not about knowledge, although one person may be a bit lacking in certain subjects. It’s not even about waiting in a long queue to get a “live” person on the line because the firm doesn’t have an automated voice system.

Where the challenge lies is in the relationship. Most of my staff are detailed information need people. They will always ask the next question. They are confident and experienced in this industry. So, when the service person they talk to sounds irritated that they asked another question, the relationship is damaged. In another case, the service person sounded hesitant in a response and when my staff asked them to verify the answer, the individual was reluctant. Again, the relationship is damaged.

After three months, the advisor finally had to ask the supervisor for help. Now his staff only works with the two service people who built a good relationship by understanding how to create a unique experience for each of his staff.

It’s time to add the missing piece of behavior-based solutions to service teams.

Imagine calling into a service center and the call being directed to the service person that is most like you! The interaction is easy and effortless because the service employee does not have to change or dramatically adapt their style to you. Less energy drain for the service person allows them to concentrate on giving you the information in exactly the style that works for you. And, you will make less repeat calls because you understand the answer the FIRST time you make the call.

The metrics of the service center are improved. More calls are answered correctly the first time. Your clients are happier. You will notice more positive responses on surveys from clients. The service center staff has more energy to make more outbound calls.

The advisors business metrics are improved. The advisor can spend more time with clients. The support staff has to make fewer repeat calls to the service center. So that means more time to interact with your clients. Ultimately, revenues increase as a result of focused engagement with your clients.

Service center wins, advisor wins and broker-dealer gets more business and referrals.

Are you ready for the NEXT level of unique customer service experiences?

Take a discovery session now at the Communication DNA website.

Harmony. It’s inspiring to see a team of people working together in harmony-those laboring for an outcome that is bigger than each of their parts, where alignment is real and relationships are strong. It’s this bigger-than-life image that draws people into companies, only to have their dreams shattered by the reality of corporate politics and the bad behavior of others. The question is: what would it take to build a team that has genuine harmony? It starts when we make a commitment to say the hard things in a soft way-to deal with the “who” of our teammates, versus the “what;” that is, speaking to other’s motivations, creating clarity, versus the cheap and easy approach of dealing with actions alone. Maintaining harmony is an active process, where we commit to being transparent, employing the principle of “finding solutions to problems versus identifying culprits,” recognizing that people don’t intentionally make mistakes. And, when mistakes are made, teams with harmony unpack the processes leading to the failure and learn, learn, learn from the experience. United we stand, divided we fall.

Coaching questions: Has your team achieved harmony? What are the missing ingredients? Write your answers in your journal.

Read more coaching principles from Dean Harbry on the Internal Innovations website.

For further information, please visit the Financial DNA Website.

Engage. Most people don’t like conflict, but there are times when an organizational leader must engage those around him to cultivate desired results. The ones who do it well have sound judgment, pure motives, and a good understanding of human behavior. They will approach others in their self interest, rather than getting emotionally hooked.

So what’s the secret to engage others properly?

If as leaders we receive poor responses from others on a recurring basis, chances are we need to change our approach. After all, method trumps message 100% of the time. True influence is the ability to foster new behaviors in others, in their self interest. But, we must be prepared for resistance, much like the lifeguard attempting to rescue someone who is drowning.

It requires that we maintain composure, clarify our intentions when others accuse us, and keep in mind that this type of work usually requires a degree of sacrifice on our part, that is, making it about them and not about us.

Coaching questions: What circumstances indicate that you need to engage others around you? What is the cost of either not engaging, or, of engaging poorly? Please write your answers in your journal.

Read more coaching principles from Dean Harbry on the Internal Innovations website.

Employee Engagement is a hot topic as the shortage of high performing talent increases.  A May study from McKinsey & Co. found that by 2018, the U.S. will face a shortage of 1.5 million managers who can use data to shape business decisions. And the shortage gets even larger for non management employees, especially knowledge workers in the areas of healthcare, technology, and accounting.

Another study in June 2011 from Mercer, the global HR consulting firm, found that nearly  one third (32 percent) of American workers are considering leaving their organization, which is a 40 percent increase since 2005. So not only is there a shortage but there is also a higher risk of losing the talent you already have on your team.
So what should you be doing to nurture and increase employee engagement on your team? Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Before hiring ask yourself “does the candidate fit culturally with the organization?” In other words, does the potential employee have the same set of values the company lives every day?  More often than not employees fail in the short term because they don’t “fit” the culture of the organization, not because they don’t have the skills.

Read more on the Executive Velocity website.

Author: Beth Armknecht Miller, President and Executive Coach, Executive Velocity Inc

In their recent management principle, Internal Innovations addresses an important aspect of good communication  – managing other’s perceptions. Dean Harbry writes, “it is important to realize that we are responsible for managing other’s perceptions of us. Taken to an extreme, this could be harmful and even manipulative, but utilizing self-awareness and empathy is crucial when others are left to judge. It is unfortunate but true that people will judge others by their actions and themselves by their intentions”.

When you find that there may be a gap between “what was said or done” and “what was heard or perceived”, make the effort to close the gap. Clarify your intentions to make sure that you have been fully understood. This will benefit your relationships in the long run.

How might you need to modify your behavior to manage other’s perceptions?

To read the full article on the Internal Innovations blog, click here.

Want to know how?  Here’s a simple example.  I was strategizing with one of my coaching clients, Greg, a financial advisor at a leading RIA firm, and he mentioned his firm was adding two more product providers to their preferred list.

Greg called eight high-quality firms and left a message for his local wholesaler to call him back.  Out of those eight, only five called him back.  Filter number one applied:  “I only do business with people who return phone calls.”

Greg had conversations with each of those five wholesalers. All seemed to be knowledgeable about their products and eager to earn his business.  To close the conversation, Greg gave each of them very specific common requests with a due date. Each wholesaler promised that his or her internal sales partner would promptly email the information to him.

Out of those five wholesalers, only three actually delivered the right material, if any at all.   Filter number two applied:  “I only do business with people who demonstrate credibility, that is, say what you will do and then do it.”

In the blink of an eye, we are down to three firms.

So, I asked Greg how he selected the two firms.  Was it the unique value proposition of the firm or the product track record, or the knowledge level of the wholesaler?  Greg’s answer will surprise some you.  “All of that stuff is pretty much the same story,” he replied.

“The real difference is that one of the wholesalers actually created a unique experience for me.  She understood exactly how to present her “standard” product to me in my terms.  The entire interaction was “all about me” and I felt a higher level of trust with her and her products.”

Greg added only one new firm to his list.  Will your firm be the ONE next year?

Start engaging your advisors now with an online tool that gives you and your team easy answers to customizing every advisor interaction.

Learn more about client engagement by visiting the Communication DNA Website.

But how would a call center employee know that about me if they haven’t had frequent interactions with me? And furthermore, what difference does it make?

The hard-edged measurable results are that you will get more business.  According to Gallup research, 23% more business to be exact: from me and from my referrals.

A few weeks ago I needed to call customer service at a major bank.  Like many of you, I was dreading having to even make the call.  Why?  Long automated menu selection, not even having the option that I need to select, then having to figure out how to get a “live” person, and then going into another “queue” that informs me I am calling at a high volume time and my anticipated wait time is five plus minutes.

To quote a popular phrase: ”Really?!”

Then, after the wait, I finally talk to a service person, only to get the wrong information.  I had to call back two more times (and yes, go through the queue again) before I received the correct procedure.

I certainly shared my experience on the prompt email survey I received the next day.  I guess it is no surprise that no one has acknowledged the poor service or tried to make me happy again.

How many calls come into the typical customer service center on a daily basis?  1000 plus!  The way I see it, a firm gets 1000 plus opportunities to build and strengthen client relationships.

If you are relying only on customer surveys to gain intelligence on how to create a unique customer experience, you will be left behind by the competition.

To provide unique customer experiences from the very beginning you need the right behavioral information.  And, yes, YOU CAN!!   Find out how to “know, engage and grow” your clients at communicationdna.com

Behavioral Insight 10: Anchored Implementer

Mary Winter is 55 years old and hopes to retire in 5 years. For some years now, Mary has been working with a financial advisor to manage her finances. The advisor has focused Mary on a specific rate of return for her portfolio and some benchmarks to watch. Mary says she is quite comfortable because the process is concrete and she knows her advisor is following a simple and disciplined process. At times when the advisor does suggest a new idea that could be tested out, Mary says it makes her uncomfortable.

Behavioral Insight:

Naturally consistent and experience-driven people will be “Anchored Implementers” who are able to focus on a plan but may overvalue proven strategies.
Communication key: keep it tangible and provide the logical steps.

Mary is a traditional “Anchored Implementer” for who investing in the familiar is very important to her emotional comfort. Anchored Implementers will adopt a logical and sequential “left brained” approach in choosing tried and tested products and solutions. They are interested in being provided with straightforward strategies and a concrete investment plan with clear implementation steps. Further, they need clear benchmarks to measure performance. Generally, they do not want to be exposed to new ideas that they cannot get their head around. For Anchored Implementers, taking on new ideas is quite risky. They do not need to be on the cutting edge of everything and are overwhelmed by advisors who give them non-traditional investments to try out.

A struggle will be that Anchored Implementers become too focused on a strategy and fixed on specific investment benchmarks to monitor performance. The consequence being they do not look out to re-adjust when needed. They can lock themselves into a strategy and a plan without the drive or creativity to get out of the box.

For advisors who are Anchored Implementers their strength will be following a consistent process in how they advise their clients and execute the plan. The clients will know where they stand and have clarity. However, the Anchored Implementer as an advisor may struggle to be flexible when a different path needs to be followed or they have a client who wants to explore more creative ideas.

Learning Point:
The key for advisors in advising Anchored Implementers is to keep them focused on their overall long-term investment goals and maintain a consistent process. However, they should not be provided with artificial or narrowly focused benchmarks that are followed in a way which distracts them from the bigger picture of achieving their goals. Ask the client: Tell me about how you would like your financial plan presented and monitored? Tell me about how would you prefer new products and solutions to be introduced to you?

What are your thoughts? For additional information on discovery through behavioral profiles, click here.

Behavioral Insight 9: Risk-Taking Optimist

Mike Tudor is a 35-year-old entrepreneur who has been taking investment risks since he was 18 years old. He first learned from his father, who was always studying the stock market. For Mike it was natural to start dabbling in investment opportunities. However, Mike explained that he was very calculated in his approach, always ensuring that the perceived upside was more than the downside. He knows that at times he has taken what many would say are very bold risks, but he can live with the consequences when a loss is made. Mike admits he rationalizes losses as part of the game and gets on to the next opportunity.

Behavioral Insight:
Naturally daring and courageous people will be “Risk Taking Optimists” who are prepared to take opportunities but may take unnecessary risks at times.
Communication key: Present the risk and return of each investment.

Mike is a “Risk-Taking Optimist” who sees taking risks as an inherent part of life and investing money. These investors are naturally opportunistic and will be comfortable taking risks. They will also be comfortable living with the dangers of taking those risks. Their mind-set will be that the next opportunity is around the corner and not to worry about the past too much.

However, the struggle for Risk-Taking Optimists is that they can take too many speculative risks that leave them with more losses than wins. Their blind-spot is that they may not see the dangers and gamble too much against the odds.

Without a high level of self-awareness many investors think they are far more risk tolerant than what they really are. Often they are being driven by outside pressures and desires to make money or are simply ignorant about investment returns and how money is made. As soon as the market goes down severely, like in 2008, you soon see who has high risk tolerance. The problem becomes greater if the investor naturally has a significantly greater behavioral propensity to take risks beyond their risk tolerance capacity. Our research shows this is true in 20% of cases in terms of natural behavior. You can imagine the dangers of investors who leap at a profit-making opportunity when it comes up, yet when the loss is later made they are an emotional wreck because they do not have the tolerance.

An Advisor who is naturally a Risk-Taking Optimist will generally be comfortable in guiding their clients through the uncertain gyrations of financial markets, particularly if they know their clients have a higher risk tolerance. The risk is that they do not see the dangers and take the wrong chance without fully informing the client.

Learning Point:
Risk-Taking Optimists need advisors to provide clients with boundaries to manage their propensity to take risks and provide a reality check on their tolerance for living with those risks. Ask the client: What courageous goal have you set? What safety nets do you need in your life?

What are your thoughts? For additional information on discovery through behavioral profiles, click here.

The rules are changing for knowing and engaging your clients. Clients expect to have an experience that mirrors their internal behavioral belief system around how they like to be served. Anything short is missing their expectations. But how do you know their behavioral belief system? You do it by understanding how they are wired for communication.

Explore Client Engagement – Read More

Learn more about Communication DNA

Holcomb was going into the final stage of the Cascade Classic down 74 seconds from the leader.  She had not won any of the first four stages. But she had consistently placed in the Top 10. The only exception was the day before the final stage where she finished #21 in the time trial: one of her two areas of expertise.

At this point, she could have let a “negative talk track” affect her performance by saying the other riders are better than me.  In fact, on paper, many of them are. They are past Olympic gold medal winners and the majority of them started as a professional cyclist at least 10 years earlier than Janel.

But on the morning of the final stage of the Cascade Classic, Janel’s team coach looked at her and said, “Do you want to play it safe, get some decent points to add to your score, or are we going to go for it?”  “It was like she just unleashed some penned up dogs, “ Janel said.  I just looked at her and said, “Let’s GO FOR IT! This is the last race that has significant mountain climbing and elevation, which is our specialty, so let’s just do it.”

The entire team rallied around the mission.  And guess what, not only did Janel make up the 74 seconds from the leader but she went on to win the entire race!

“When I saw Janel, she was like a ballerina on that bike sailing along effortlessly and gracefully, while the others seemed to struggle.”  Despite not winning any of the stage races, she proudly wore the yellow jersey!

So, how can we use the “74 seconds theory” in our business life?

Wherever you are at right now in your business, you have to truly believe in your heart that you will get to your next level.  No looking back at the “stages” and previous results.  Only by managing your behavior can you truly move into the ranks of the champions.  Focusing on knowing what you do best and then executing to those strengths will allow you to soar!

This requires you to manage your “inside game” as well. Refuse to give energy to those negative talk tracks we play in our heads:  Wow, I didn’t do that well yesterday, not many sales for the month, not many callbacks from my prospects.  Where are all the quality clients?  Am I ever going to get to the level of success I am capable of?

You will find yourself winning the BIG races, because you said to yourself and your team, “let’s go for it!”  As the leader of your team, you keep a positive inner dialogue and carry your team, each hired for different talents, with you.

Difficult markets and economies will come and go. Just like there have been many struggles along the path for Janel. Injuries have sidetracked her professional career for months at a time. But she has remained strong in her inner game and every day she puts forth the effort in the seemingly mundane task of training with her coach.  Every task, every day makes a difference; never forget that fact, whether in sports or in business!

How do I know all of these details?  Janel Holcomb is my niece and she continually inspires me to my next level of success.

Visit the DNA Behavior website to learn more about our solutions for improving your personal and business performance.

Behavioral Insight 8: Providing Unique Client Experiences

(Click here to read the previous posts in this series).

Once Chris had an introduction to the communication keys for each Communication Style, his next concern was about providing unique client experiences. He could see that adapting to different communication keys was very important. However, he understood that the real game changer was customizing the client experience. If he could do that then the value proposition of his service would increase, along with the sustainability of revenues. Chris asked, How can I use this knowledge of Communication Styles to customize the service experiences for each client? I have 2 other clients I would like to impress: Helen Jones, who has a Lifestyle Desire, and Joshua Connor, who has an Information Need.

To get Chris started, we provided him with a summary of the DNA Client Experience Guide™, which is below. The guide provides inside tips on how to customize the service experience for each type of client.

The 2 clients Chris wants to customize his service for are complete opposites. Helen by nature is very impressionable and will enjoy a real fun and interactive experience. This will not naturally be Chris’s style. Chris will likely succeed with Helen up-front because she wants to know that her goals will be achieved. However, over time Chris will not provide the social element Helen is looking for, and eventually she will be attracted elsewhere. The key here is that John gets involved and he interacts with Helen, and Chris reverts to providing his wisdom and experience from behind the scenes, meeting with her only at key times.

Review the Client Relationship Performance in the New Behavioral Economy White Paper for additional information and keys to providing unique client experiences.

For additional information on increasing engagement of others, visit our Communication DNA Website.

On August 1st, we released the DNA Quality Life Discovery Process to uncover individual strengths and struggles in overall life and financial settings. This process addresses the challenges that people have by helping to establish exactly what the goals are and understanding how to achieve these goals by managing behaviors.

The Quality Life Discovery Process uncovers Quality Life drivers that, in addition to your financial behaviors, are core to your life purpose and setting your Quality Life Goals. This process is foundational to building Quality Life Performance.

I would encourage everyone to discover who they are and what would provide the greatest meaning in your life. Remember getting there is a building process and will not happen overnight. Putting a plan in place is the key to start with and thereafter you can manifest it step by step over a number of years.

To learn more, please visit our DNA Behavior website and learn how you can get started with building a quality life.

Contact us for additional information.

Knowing your own patterns of behavior will increase the opportunity to build sustainable financial investment plans. As a rule, getting below the surface to understand your real financial motivations and investing comfort levels can take a long time. How are you optimizing the integration of your life and finances for enhancing your life long Quality Life Performance?

Click here to read the Q&A with Sonia Arrison.

To learn more about DNA Behavior Solutions to align life and finances, click here.

Behavioral Insight 7: The Team Adapts to Different Communication Styles

Earlier in this series, Chris mentioned that now that Frank Butler had become a client, he wanted the Coddington client service team to start interacting with him. So Chris asked us for the scripts of how each team member should communicate with Frank. Chris also mentioned that he had recently taken on Craig Moon as a client, and Craig had a Stability Need communication style. Craig would be served by the same team as Frank Butler. So, Chris could see that it was imperative that his team keep focused on the differences. (Click here to read the previous posts in this series).

It was encouraging that Chris could now see the benefit of adopting a behavioral approach to client engagement. We said that the first step to rolling this methodology out across the client base was for each team member to be aware of his or her own natural DNA communication style. Otherwise, how would the team member know how to adapt to each client? So you can see below the scripts for how Chris and each of his team members would communicate with Frank Butler and Craig Moon.

What you can see from these scripts is that because Chris is also a Goal Setter, he should have no problem serving Frank. There will be instant connection and respect. However, the biggest adapting challenge will be for Sarah, who has a Stability Need. Sarah will need to “toughen up” and learn to be more direct when dealing with Frank and accept that he may be cold at times. The relationship would be helped if Frank knows to be calmer with Sarah and respect that she will be providing him with a very reliable service.

Dealing with Craig Moon is the opposite. Chris will have to substantially adapt his communication style to serve Craig successfully over a long period. The challenge for Chris will be when Craig calls up at a pressured moment for Chris. Chris may unconsciously not give Craig enough time and warmth. After a while Craig will think Chris is not approachable, and the risk is that when an intimate discussion is needed, Craig will go elsewhere. The saving grace can be Sarah, who must be regularly interfaced with Craig at the front end of any interaction as she can provide the warmth needed. This is more food for thought that Chris needs to consider in managing his client service approach. Chris is now seeing that his whole business is being driven by behavior.

What are your thoughts? For additional information on increasing engagement of others, visit our Communication DNA Website.

To Learn More, read the full Client Relationship Performance in the New Behavioral Economy White Paper.

Let’s take a look at a typical practice management formula for success (“Planning the Next Step”, Investment News, June 20, 2011) and see how we can “turbo-charge” it by adding behavior to know, engage, and grow your clients and employees.  The added benefit,

according to Gallup Research, is that over time you will see a 240% increase in profits when both employees and clients are fully engaged!

Step #1:  Update Your Business Plan
Left Brain:  Be sure to focus on the exact client you want to attract.  Include assets, career type, age, etc.

Add Right Brain: Be sure you know the “inner world” of the client you want to attract.

• Are they fun, outgoing, and practical like you?  If they are, it will be much easier for you and you will be more energized throughout your day.
• Just because they have $2 million to invest doesn’t make them an “A” client.  It’s more than just numbers.
• If you have more than one “type” of client, maybe you want to limit the number of clients in each “type”.

Step #2:  Ask for More Referrals:  Satisfied customers and professional contacts are your best source of finding new business
Left Brain: Have a plan for encouraging referrals.  Be sure to ask for them on a consistent basis.  Establish strategic relationships.  Communicate (conference call, newsletter, webinar) on a monthly basis using a focused approach.

Add Right Brain: How you ask for a referral depends on both the type of person you are and the type of person you are asking.

• If your client is naturally more trusting, they may automatically give you a referral with just a gentle reminder that you are adding to your client base.
• How you ask for a referral will depend on your type of personality as well as your client.  How do you adjust your tone of voice, the words you say, etc. to the type of client?
• Focused communication requires personalizing the experience for a client.  A newsletter with lots of market details will not be suited for every type of client.  Graphics with short bullet points would be better in many cases.

Step #3:  Hiring the right staff is critical for success.
Left Brain:  Hire when growth is projected rather than when it occurs.  Determine how much time an advisor spends with each client to analyze your staffing needs.  It takes 18 months for an advisor to become productive.

Add Right Brain: How do you define the “right” staff?

• Think about adding a type of person that is a complimentary style to your own to attract different types of clients.
• Or, a style that can “tag-team” with you in client meetings.  You will each hear different things and be able to give the client a better perspective.
• Behavior can block performance.  Hire a person with a style that fits the job and your team.

Step #4:  Make sure your technology is up to date.
Left Brain: Review your three-year technology plan for disk space, bandwidth.  Do you need a new laptop, an iPad, an iPhone? How about software needs?

Add Right Brain: Add communication styles into your CRM.

• Every phone call, every meeting, every communication is tailored to create a unique experience for each client.
• Engage your clients and staff in exactly the way they need to create lifetime relationships.

How do you get started with a “whole brain” business approach? Take two minutes and check out your communication style, click here.

Behavioral Insight 8: Pioneering Goal Driver

Anna Summer is a 45-year-old executive who leads the sales team for a large international foods company. To Anna, being wealthy and seen as professionally and financially successful is important. In the early meetings with the financial advisor, Anna communicated her goals and asked that the advisor keep her on track to meet them. Coming with her driving approach are significant financial goals and a lifestyle that has to be maintained. Anna did say that now that she has found her passions in business and life, her competitive drive has become relentless.

Behavioral Insight
Naturally ambitious and driven people will be “Pioneering Goal Drivers” who are focused on growing their wealth but may be overly focused on success.
Communication key: Address their goals and remember their need for quick action.

Anna is the typical Pioneering Goal Driver who has big goals that need to be achieved in a hurry. She is naturally ambitious and determined to reach higher levels of success. So long as a Pioneering Goal Driver can see the goal is viable and there are signs of success, they will keep on going and may even increase their intensity toward the goal. From an investment perspective they can set long-term goals, and they will keep with the strategy so long as progress is being made. They usually will not make emotional decisions that ruin any progress that has been made.

The struggle for a Pioneering Goal Driver is that they are not going to be a content person satisfied to take the more lifestyle “balanced life” option. They will always be striving to make their life better. Therefore, they could sacrifice too much for success.

The reality is that most people have goals of some sort that they want to pursue. The question becomes, Can a person who expresses a desire to achieve big goals do what is needed over the long term to achieve those goals when the going gets tough? Not all people can, although they may think they can. Will they be persistent enough to follow through and make the necessary life change and accept the bumps on the road? Again, this can be difficult as there will always be many factors competing for attention and self-doubt that can creep in.

Advisors who are Pioneering Goal Drivers will naturally be focused on helping their clients set and achieve goals. However, they will need to realize that not all clients will be goal focused in the same way. Some clients will be very driven and results focused and others only want enough for their lifestyle needs.

Learning Point: The Pioneering Goal Driver needs to be questioned by the advisor in depth on the realism of their goals and deep-down desire to diligently achieve them. Then they need to be guided to set a concrete plan of action. Ask the client: Tell me about how you are progressing towards achieving your goals? How important for you is it to be seen as financially successful?

What are your thoughts? For additional information on discovery through behavioral profiles, click here.

So, why not guided discovery process and let them talk about themselves. So, if there is any barrier in an advisors mind about their client participating it is in their own mind. The important point in getting the client to participate in the Financial DNA Discovery Process is to ensure it is introduced as a normal part of your service. Taking that further, connect it to your desire to provide them with a customized life long service experience, set their goals and help them not make emotional decisions in reaction to events and markets. The process can start with Communication DNA discovery which only takes 2 minutes and the rest of the steps can be progressively introduced over time.

We have many delighted clients. Click on this link to read about a recent successful client story.

If you are feeling any resistance, there is no harm in completing the process to find out. You will feel liberated and wanting to talk!!

Learn more about DNA Discovery for increasing client engagement and customizing experiences .

What are your thoughts? For additional information please contact us.

Behavioral Insight 6: Re-Framing Information Based on Learning Styles

Earlier in this series, we learned about Chris Coddington and his meetings with a client named Frank Butler. Chris was given information about the 4 Communication DNA Styles, processes for discovering which communication style a client has and specific communication keys for each communication style. (Click here to read the previous posts in this series).

Chris mentioned that he had invited 20 clients with similar levels of wealth and age to his office for a “lunch and learn” presentation by Paul Southwick on a new investment strategy. The new strategy will provide a mix of dividends and capital growth with some downside protection. Chris has vetted the investment and believes it will fit his clients well. Paul uses a PowerPoint presentation with great content in it about the bottom line of the investment and is an articulate presenter. As he goes through the presentation there are clearly some who get it and want to sign up, there are others who are totally confused by the details and switched off, others who want to do more research and some who need to understand how it meets their security needs. After the lunch Chris is very concerned about the mixed reaction and losing client trust. He knows the product is sound, and he will invest personally.

Have you ever attended a presentation like the one Chris arranged and been de-energized, bamboozled and confused by the investment proposal and not responded? Understanding investors’ learning styles and propensities for receiving information, new ideas, strategies, products and solutions is critical to successfully presenting to them. This will increase the chance that they understand the proposal for what it is and how it is relevant to them. The mistake many advisors and fund managers make is that they naturally present to investors through their own lens. Instead, they should be “re-framing” how they present to be much more on the investors’ unique terms.

Insight: Different Learning Styles
The difference between what the advisor said and what the client heard will be attributable to the behavioral lens of each. The communication of products and solutions must be adapted based on different learning styles.

Advisors need to appreciate that with 20 people in the room there could be 20 different reactions, because each person is unique. An important new area of behavioral research relating to communication is a person’s learning style, i.e., whether a person is more Anchored (experiential) or Creative (new idea driven), or whether the person is more left-brained (logic and reasoning) or right-brained (stories and feelings). This difference in behavior (not intellect) has a very significant impact on how people should be presented to.

The best way to get around this is to re-structure the proposal being presented into 4 quadrants so that each broad category of Communication Style and Learning Style is addressed:

1. For Goal-Setting Focus clients – provide the big picture and how it relates to achieving goals and bottom-line returns. Allow for discussions for them to absorb the information.
2. For Lifestyle Desire clients – indicate how their lifestyle needs will be met along with telling them the names of the people involved in managing the product or solution. Provide them with minimal detail, because they will be guided by their intuition and will make an instinctive choice.
3. For Stability Need clients – address their financial security and allow them to sense the opportunity by providing feelings and emotions.
4. For Information Need clients – provide the history and research details, and make the solution tangible.

What are your thoughts? For additional information on increasing engagement of others, visit our Communication DNA Website.

To Learn More, read the full Client Relationship Performance in the New Behavioral Economy White Paper.

I have been a “fan”(before Facebook!) of Roger Federer since I first saw him in his big break-through year at Wimbledon in 2003.  He has had an historic career and I am always fascinated by how he manages both the external and internal game of tennis.

A recent Wall Street Journal article, Federer’s Best Shot, discussed some of his “secrets” to success.  As I read this article, one overall theme stood out: Roger’s ability to know himself.  His personal trainer describes Roger as a rare combination of creative and disciplined.  “Roger is a champ because he’s the boss of his talent.” This is a core strategy for anyone in sports or in business.  You absolutely must know how to focus on your strengths and manage your struggles.  It will require you to surround yourself with a good team, both on the personal and business side of life.

So, how does Roger manage to rarely get hurt, tired or grumpy?  And, what can we learn from his game of tennis?

Think long-term, don’t overplay
RF:  “I tried to look at the long-term.  I didn’t want to chase everything possible in the short term.”  He made a conscious decision early on in his career to plan his attack on “time”:  to not just be great but to do it longer than anyone else has done it.

Business Translation: Your DNA Behavior will show you if you tend to make everything a priority or if you are more patient in your approach.  Valuable information to know!  How many of us try to accomplish everything at once?  Or, get as many clients as possible?  You don’t need it all right now.  Just do what is next to be done in your overall strategy.

No sports superstitions
RF: “I don’t care if I practice at 9 in the morning or 10 p.m.”  Roger has always been flexible.  He knows what he has to accomplish and can fit it in his schedule as needed.

Business Translation:  So, maybe you don’t have any superstitions, but what about the “old tapes” that may be playing in your head about what it takes to be successful? Checking on your DNA Behavior will show you how much structure you need. Is it too little or is it taking over your life?  Be creative and try operating outside of your comfort zone.  You only need to vary your routine a little to get different results.

Pay attention to your body
RF:  “I’m able to say, it doesn’t hurt me today, but it could hurt me tomorrow.” Roger has only retired from a match once in his life.  He knows when he can “play through it” and when he can’t.

Business Translation:  If you are fatigued physically or mentally, let your body be your guide and take some time off.  Not to get out of work, but to come back stronger.  Make sure you allocate time for proactively taking care of you.  Walk, run, exercise at the gym, take a yoga class; there are endless possibilities and it will strengthen both the inner and outer body.

Travel can be fun – enjoy it
RF:  “The tour is not supposed to be brutal and annoying.”  Some players come to see globetrotting as soul crushing but Roger has a love for travel and soaks up the local culture with his wife and children.

Business Translation:  We all have a part of our job that is routine, the “process” to the end result (e.g., getting a new client).  Do we find a way to enjoy it or does it become a necessary evil that drains our energy? Knowing your strengths in your DNA Behavior will allow you to structure your day so that you are operating from that place 80% of the time.  Or, minimally, you will be able to reframe your mindset to gain more energy to do the necessary tasks with more positive energy.

Take two- to four- week training periods for:
RF:

1. Rest and recovery
2. Strength and endurance (not tennis-related)
3. Tennis exercise like court footwork (but with medicine balls, not rackets and balls)
4. Tennis practice

When Roger had lingering back pain, he put extra emphasis on his abdominal muscles.  After two years, the strategy is finally paying off.

Business Translation:  There was a popular phrase, “Work Hard and Play Hard”. But lately, that phrase has gotten lost in the 10 to 12 hour workday and shortened to just “Work Hard”. What rest and relaxation do we allow ourselves?  Is it just the standard vacation time?  Could there be parts of a day where you relax and read?  Or, do you consider that to be non-productive?  Your Business DNA will help you discover whether balance is part of your natural game or if you need to be more aware of your tendency to overwork with no recovery time.  And, keep in mind that your change in strategy can take a few years before it really pays off.

Finally, the attitude with which Roger Federer approaches both practice and the game is the ultimate lesson for us all.  His personal trainer says, “He still trains with the enthusiasm of a junior.  Sometimes I think, damn it, he’s doing these exercises now 2,756 times, but he does it as if it was the first time.  Roger still has the energy of a 23-year-old.  He’s relentlessly optimistic.”

Business Translation:  Are you approaching each day with an open attitude that there is still a lot to learn about you and your “game of business”?  Get your own personal performance index now, click here.

For additional information on increasing engagement of others, visit our DNA Behavior Website.

Contact us for additional information: inquiries@dnabehavior.com

When under pressure clients react based on their natural, hard-wired behavior.  Sufficient personal clarity to reliably know how an individual will react to life and market events starts with understanding their natural behavior.

Click Here to Watch the Video (Financial Planning Magazine, AdvisorTV)

Behavioral Insight 5: Specific Communication Keys for Each Style

Earlier in this series, we learned about Chris Coddington and his meetings with a client named Frank Butler. Chris was given information about the 4 Communication DNA Styles, processes for discovering which communication style a client has and guidelines for matching clients to the right advisor based on communication style. (Click here to read the previous posts in this series).

We told Chris that a future trend will be advisors building client service teams that are a custom fit for the client. This provides the advisor with the opportunity to include team members with different styles to complement the advisor’s behavior. Imagine when a telephone call comes in and the team automatically knows who is to pick it up, then how to communicate with the client, and how to manage the work flow and even product or solution offerings. This really is the “Ideal Advisory Business.” Chris could also see that this strategy would be good for succession planning.

Chris then said, “I want some specific communication keys that I can put into my online contact management system so that whenever a client calls up or I am preparing for a meeting, I will know how to adapt my communication. Also, these communication keys need to be memorable so that the client gets engaged with them. Further, and very importantly, I also want this sustainable and scalable across my client service team. The way we have structured our business is that the one family client is served by different people on the team depending on whether the needs are financial planning, investments or administration.”

Each person does have a very unique way in which he or she likes to be communicated with. This was clear from what Frank Butler said in his first meeting about wanting options and recommendations so that he could make a decision. What this message really said to Chris is that trust in the relationship will not be developed unless Chris and his Coddington team communicate with Frank in this way. If he is not communicated with in this way, then he is likely to become de-energized and lose interest in what is put before him.

As you can see from the graph at left, each style is quite different in terms of communication. This is where ensuring the different communication styles do not become a relationship blockage. Frank’s wife has a “Stabilizer” communication style. This is basically opposite to Frank. She would need a much more relaxed meeting and not so bottom-line. The discussion should start with “dreams” as this is more emotional, whereas “goals” is more rational.

The Lifestyle Desire and Information Need communication styles are also opposite. The Lifestyle person wants a fast-paced, open discussion and fun, while the Information Need person wants to get into the details and reflect. He or she does not like it too conceptual. Of course, here is where the spender and saver difference comes up more acutely. The Information Need person likes to focus on the budget. To the Lifestyle Desire person a budget is a turnoff. The advisor should talk instead about “spending plans.”

From time to time an individual’s score may reflect a Lifestyle Desire as the primary communication style; however, the client may have a second style that also scores highly, such as a Stability Need. In any cases like this, the elements of both factors would be important in communication with the client.

When Chris is dealing with spouses in the same meeting, he must address each of them on his or her own terms, unless one of them chooses to accept one way. Based on social research it tends to be the female who will make 70% or more of the financial choices. So, if you do not have guidance on know how to run the meeting with a couple, start by addressing the female spouse on her unique terms. Remember, women want to be understood and men want to be respected. So, do not leave the male totally in the cold.

What are your thoughts? For additional information on increasing engagement of others, visit our Communication DNA Website.

To Learn More, read the full Client Relationship Performance in the New Behavioral Economy White Paper.

Are You Building Sound Relationships?

The quality of your relationship with any person has a direct impact on the quality of decisions that get made.

When the communication is poor, people start making decisions around each other because the trust has been diminished. Also, poor decisions can be made because the information has not been heard as intended.

How Do You Naturally Communicate?

You naturally communicate based on who you are and how you see the world. Of course, how the other person hears the message depends on who they are. So often there is a gap that needs to be bridged between “what was said and what was heard”. Close the Gap.

One of the keys to success in any relationship is closing this gap by communicating with the other person on their terms and not your own. How the message is communicated becomes as important as the message itself. This is not always easy because when we are under pressure or out of our comfort zone, we will tend to revert back to our natural behavior.

Learn How To Improve Your Relationships

Understanding the communication preferences and life perspectives of yourself and others will help you to:

• Communicate with others on their terms
• Navigate differences more easily
• Build greater trust in all of your relationships
• Connect more quickly with others
• Understand what motivates you and others

Knowing your own Communication Style is the first step in working towards effective communication with others.

Find out your Communication DNA Style by completing our Communication DNA Profile -Click Here.

“Know, Engage and Grow Your Customers” for an annual cost of $10 or less per person. For information on our Enterprise Solutions for improving Relationship Performance – Click Here.

In the past 12 months, the Communication DNA Profile has been completed in 47 countries worldwide – including Germany, Romania, Russia, Mexico, Singapore, Hong Kong, Brazil, India and China.

This global reach shows, regardless of possible differences in culture, that businesses, individuals, couples, families and leaders in multiple industries around the world understand the importance of knowing their own Communication style and adapting to the style of others in building sound relationships.

How do you wish to be communicated with? How do you customize your approach for different clients?

You naturally communicate based on who you are and how you see the world. Of course, how the other person hears the message depends on who they are. So often there is a gap that needs to be bridged between “what was said and what was heard”. Close the Gap. One of the keys to success in any personal or business relationship is closing this gap by communicating with the other person on their terms and not your own.

Complete the Communication DNA Profile

Learn How Businesses are Using Communication DNA to Increase Client Engagement

Our specific Enterprise Solutions help businesses and organizations increase the emotional engagement of employees and clients through tailoring your communication, improving execution and customizing the experiences you create for others each time you interact.

Click Here to Learn More

Recently, we conducted research to discover the bright spot of DNA Behavior International. Through our research, we found that the greatest transformations have consistently come from our customized DNA Ultimate Performance Guide which summarizes Strengths, Struggles and keys for working with individuals based on their unique behavior.

To provide a simple summary that can be used by anyone including teams, employees, families and couples, we created the 2 Page DNA Summary Report. We believe that this simplified Report will provide the participant with more immediate meaning and a memorable experience from the outset.

This Report will be offered under all of the DNA brands including Financial DNA, Business DNA, and our other specialized brands.

Click here to View a Sample Report

Behavioral Insight 4: Advisor Client Matching

Earlier in this series, we learned about Chris Coddington and his meetings with a client named Frank Butler. Chris was given information about the 4 Communication DNA Styles and processes for discovering which communication style a client has. (Click here to read the previous posts in this series).

We asked Chris, Have you ever wondered why clients have suddenly left your business for no apparent reason? Or why some clients have taken a long time to make a commitment to your service? Why do some clients cause your heart rate to increase when they call? Or, what about that one-hour client meeting that has left you feeling exhausted?

The bottom line to all of these questions is that there is a lack of emotional engagement by Chris’s clients. We said to Chris, You may be rationally serving the client very well, and he or she is satisfied with your service. However, the client is not emotionally connected to you, and therefore there is an inherent lack of trust. There could be many reasons for it. Usually the main reason will be that you have a different behavioral style from many of your clients. This will naturally lead to a gap in communication. Differences between people are wonderful, and they can be capitalized on to get great results. However, differences also divide and must be understood, accepted and respected by us in order to get along and build client relationships. This is also true of marital relationships, teams and business partnerships.

We suggested to Chris that in order to be successful in his business he would need to master the behavioral differences by adapting his behavior, and so would his team. As the Compatibility Matrix shows, it may be easier to match up to those clients who are similar to you in behavioral style. This means you have to adapt less and there will be a more connective energy. You can mostly be yourself and not have to worry about adapting as much.

However, the reality is that many clients, or at least their spouses, will be different to you. So you will have to adapt your behavior and communicate and serve clients on their terms. This is what we call the “platinum rule of relationships.”

We told Chris that a future trend will be advisors building client service teams that are a custom fit for the client. This provides the advisor with the opportunity to include team members with different styles to complement the advisor’s behavior. Imagine when a telephone call comes in and the team automatically knows who is to pick it up, then how to communicate with the client, and how to manage the work flow and even product or solution offerings. This really is the “Ideal Advisory Business.” Chris could also see that this strategy would be good for succession planning.

Matching Clients Based on Their Needs

What are your thoughts? For additional information on increasing engagement of others, visit our Communication DNA Website.

To Learn More, read the full Client Relationship Performance in the New Behavioral Economy White Paper.

Behavioral Insight 3: Discovering Communication Styles

In part 1 and 2 of this series, we learned about Chris Coddington and his meetings with a client named Frank Butler. Chris was given information about the 4 Communication DNA Styles (Click here to read the previous post in this series).

Chris commented that being aware of these four Communication Styles would be very insightful and made the mystery of knowing and then adapting to different clients much more concrete. The question is, How do I do this? In some cases there is not a lot of time to get to know a prospective client, or trust may not have yet been developed to have him or her complete a formal assessment.

We explained to Chris the most accurate and reliable way of getting below the surface to understand the client’s natural DNA behavior is to have the client complete a validated online behavioral assessment. People have a natural personal bias based on how they see the world, which will somewhat shape how they see the client. Further, how you see another person is driven by how you see yourself. Our self-perceptions can change from time to time depending on the life and financial events we experience. This then makes what we personally observe not very predictable and often quite inaccurate. The key point we made to Chris was that the assessment process is objective and measurable.

Our advice to Chris was to present the profile request as a way of increasing his ability to serve the client. A simple request such as: “We want to recognize your communication strengths and provide you with the highest service. Can you help us do this by completing this exercise, which will highlight your natural communication strengths and enable us to serve you in a great way?”

Ultimately, no matter how personally evolved you have become, there will always be personal blind spots getting in the way of how you see others. This is normal. So, the ideal scenario is to have the client complete an independently administered profile to gain reliable insights, as natural DNA Behavior is inherently predictable.

However, in the event that this cannot be done, then good personal observation of the client’s type of conversation, speech tone and facial features will help. We suggested to Chris that he use the following table as a guide in observing clients. A caveat was given that the observation views in the table may not always be an accurate reflection of the client’s natural behavior, as some people mask who they are on the surface.

What are your thoughts? For additional information on increasing engagement of others, visit our Communication DNA Website.

Behavioral Insight 2: Four Primary Communication Styles

In part 1 of this series, we learned about Chris Coddington and his first meeting with a man named Frank Butler. At the start of this first meeting Frank took over the agenda and wanted to get straight down to business to address the goals he had for the rest of his life and the way in which he wanted his money to be looked after (Click here to read Part 1 of this series)

Chris went on to say that he had been observing how different people behaved and that there seemed to be clearly different client styles with which he had to interact. He then made the comment that his normal approach of meeting with clients was that both spouses were present. In many cases, the spouses behaved and communicated very differently. Chris said this was always difficult when one was far more talkative than the other. The fact that one spouse may be more talkative did not necessarily mean the other spouse was not playing a strong role in the decision-making. However, Chris knew that an important key to his success and comfort in managing client relationships would be to learn more about the different communication styles. But he did not want to have to become a psychologist or certified behavioral specialist to do it.

We showed Chris that there are actually four primary Communication Styles, based on natural DNA Behavior, that drive client relationships, and they are very easy to learn. These Communication Styles all have specific communication strengths, learning styles, communication keys and client experience needs. The four primary Communication Styles are summarized as follows:

1.    Goal-Setting Focus – a person (like Frank Butler) who is focused on goals is interested in opportunities to expand his or her world.
2.    Lifestyle Desire – a person who is focused on lifestyle desires engagement, fun and making connections.
3.    Stability Need – a person with a need for stability is interested in safety and living in a calm environment.
4.    Information Need – a person with a need for information likes to analyze and focus on the tangible.

Further, we demonstrated to Chris that in order to more consciously adapt his communication to each style of client all he needed to do was use the DNA Communication Guide™ below. Of course, the starting point is for Chris to know that his Communication Style is Goal-Setting Focus.

The wise advisor will be aware that in a competitive New Behavioral Economy, knowing client Communication Styles will be the key to increasing revenues and having less personal frustration from playing mind games in figuring out the client. It will then come down to the tactics that get employed to know the client. One of the biggest issues for advisors is their own personal fear to ask the clients “touchy feely” questions about how they wish to be communicated with, and about their life generally. From experience, clients want to be asked and appreciate it.

What are your thoughts? For additional information on increasing engagement of others, visit our Communication DNA Website.