Top 10 Best Books for Financial Advisors
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If you’re a financial advisor who wants more clients, make sure you join my monthly print-and-ink newsletter, The James Pollard Inner Circle. I’ll even send your first issue ($99 value) for only $5.83. Claim your steeply discounted first issue here. If you know anything about me, you know that I read… a lot. I try to read at least one book every two or three days, and the majority of my reading revolves around business, self-improvement, sales, and marketing.
Financial advisors always ask me what I think are the best books for them, and sometimes I can’t seem to list enough books for them. There are just so many good reads out there. I’ve tried my best to put my favorites in this list. These are, in no particular order, the best books for financial advisors. |
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1. Storyselling for Financial Advisors by Scott West and Mitch Anthony
I remember reading this book one afternoon and not being able to put it down. I always knew that stories are some of the most powerful marketing tools we have, but I always struggled using them to relate to financial services. This book has a ton of helpful tips and metaphors to help you break down complex topics for your clients. It's easily one of the best books for financial advisors. |
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2. The Million-Dollar Financial Advisor by David J. Mullen Jr.
David J. Mullen actually has two books that I like – The Million-Dollar Financial Advisor and The Million-Dollar Financial Services Practice. I have both of them on Audible and listen to them about once a year. I learn something new every time I listen to them. One of the biggest breakthrough ideas I got from Mullen was the idea that, once you get to around 100 clients, you should consistently add to the top of your business and drop from the bottom. I recommend Mullen’s books to my private consulting clients more often than not because they both give a big-picture view of what success in this business really takes. |
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3. Questions Great Financial Advisors Ask by Alan Parisse and David Richman
When I am coaching advisors on sales techniques, I stress the importance of asking great questions. When combined with excellent listening skills, great questions allow you to probe and find out your prospect/client’s true needs. This book will show you how to develop deep relationships with your clients. It contains several thought-provoking and revealing questions that are sure to help both new and veteran advisors alike. |
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4. Ineffective Habits of Financial Advisors by Steve Moore and Gary Brooks
Similar to Mullen’s books, this book stresses the importance of quality over quantity. I enjoyed it because it contains thoughts on business analysis, strategic vision, exceptional client service, and client acquisition. Yet, the book is written in an easy-to-read style that lays out ineffective habits and the disciplines required to get better results. |
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5. The 2016 LinkedIn Guide for Financial Advisors by Claire Akin
This book is fairly new, so I read it recently and really enjoyed it. LinkedIn (and the internet as a whole) has fundamentally transformed the way that financial advisors do business. I tell financial advisors that LinkedIn is an incredible tool because it allows you to truly scale your message. I have read several books on LinkedIn, but they all seemed outdated or tried to over-complicate things. This is a very short book, but that’s what I like about it. It doesn’t have any filler – it spells out exactly why you need LinkedIn and how to use it to your advantage. |
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6. Gratitude Marketing by Michael F. Sciortino
When I first got this book, I expected it to contain a lot of fluff with a few nuggets of insight scattered amongst the pages. Instead, it was pretty straightforward and had some actionable ideas that made me go, “Wow! I wish I thought of those years ago”. This book really gave me a new appreciation for… well… appreciation. If you read this book, you will put it down a better networker and relationship builder. When you express appreciation to your clients and reinforce that you care about them, you will create clients for life. That’s the message of this book, and it’s a message every financial advisor needs to hear. |
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7. The Pocket Guide to Sales for Financial Advisors by Beverly D. Flaxington
This is the type of book that you keep on your desk and skim through it every once in awhile. It’s also the type of book that you go through with a highlighter, because you’re sure to pick up bits and pieces that apply to your situation. It has everything from behavioral selling to using a CRM to generational selling. My biggest take-away from the book was that a lot of financial advisors never think about the sales aspect of their profession, but they have to let people know who they are and what they do well. The Pocket Guide has a lot of sales tips to help financial advisors get more business. |
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8. The Supernova Advisor by Rob Knapp
I read this book again a few weeks ago and it was just as good as the first time. Rob Knapp shares his Supernova process to financial advisors and it truly is a gift to the industry. This book will help you get more business by showing you how to outline what clients should expect from your service model. It will also expand your thinking, because it leans towards creating your own service model that will help you make your business bigger and better. If you do get this book, pay extra close attention to Chapter 6. It’s called “Acquisition: Explosive Growth Under Control” and it’s my favorite part. |
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9. Endless Referrals by Bob Burg
I first got introduced to Bob Burg when I read his book The Go-Giver (which is awesome too) but when it comes to financial services, advisors stand to benefit from Endless Referrals. He is the authority on connecting with clients and building win-win relationships. Professional service providers (like financial advisors) often struggle with getting referrals, so having a book that gives you simple, easy to understand advice is a lifesaver. Even if you are already generating a large portion of your revenue from referrals, give this book a read. |
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10. The Art of Selling to the Affluent by Matt Oechsli
Have you ever wondered how to connect with affluent investors? How they feel, what they think, what they’re experiencing on a day-to-day basis? Oechsli spells it all out for you in this book. There are a few statistics that actually shocked me – for example, I didn’t know the affluent were as stressed as they are! This book will help you tighten up your game to help you successfully attract, service, and retain lifelong affluent customers and clients. I have an old, beat-up version of this book. I might have to upgrade to the Audible version soon. |
So there you have it - my personal top ten best books for financial advisors (besides my own, of course....). Do you have any good books that you would like to recommend? Let me know what they are so I can add them to my reading list!
ALSO READ: Top 10 Best Books for Insurance Agents
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