From Passionate Neophyte to Established Financial Leader

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Today we're here with Anthony Pizzi.
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He's with Global Atlantic Financial and he's a unique guy.
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He's only a couple years into this business but he's excelling at a very fast pace and there's a reason for that.
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And today, what we're going to do in this Q&A is try to really figure out what is he doing differently than you might be doing, so that you can start listening to what he's doing and putting what he has and implementing them so that you actually start to get similar results.
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He's not any better than you are.
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He's just doing things differently than you are.
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So if you learn to listen and take some of these things and add them to your mix, it can make all the difference.
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So, anthony, thank you so much for being here.
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How did you decide to get into the financial services industry?
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I've always had an interest in it, and in college I feel like I still try to figure out what I want to do or what I want to be, but I'm getting there.
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In college, I always had an interest in finance and I always thought the guys in finance and the suits and on Wall Street was just so appealing.
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I had an idea that they were all making good money, so I always knew I wanted to make money.
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I was trying to figure out how.
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I didn't come from a background of finance.
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My dad did concrete.
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My mom worked at the supermarket.
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So first I wanted to go to college with my family.
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I didn't really have any guidance with school.
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I ended up finishing with a communications degree because I just wanted to graduate.
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I knew I had to communicate well and I didn't really want to pursue a career in communications.
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But I just got my degree from Penn State, ended up having a buddy that worked for Wells Fargo got me a job in Philly through the bank.
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So I was working downtown as a banker for Wells Fargo In the branch, setting up accounts and learning the banking side of the business.
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No-transcript started networking with wholesalers that came through the branch.
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I ended up linking up with the guy from the Hartford.
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Coincidentally, the Hartford was actually going out of business when I started the interview.
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They had a full-on sales desk.
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They were getting rid of their annuity business and they sold it to Forethought.
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So they said we're going out of business but we're actually getting bought out.
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We'll call you in a couple months.
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They actually called me back and said hey, we got bought out by Forethought.
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They're buying the people, the products, none of the legacy assets, because all that stuff that's what made the business go under.
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It's funny how I ended up here.
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It's just from networking.
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I didn't really have any guidance or a mentor.
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My parents are great but they weren't hopeful in a way for my career or school.
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It's not anything against them, they just didn't know anything about it.
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But yeah, my buddy at Wells Fargo hooked me up and just networking.
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I still network, I mean to this day, always, always network.
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I just did a lunch meeting on Friday.
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I sat down with another local wool seller and we just traded names and he's been here for 25 years.
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I've only been here my second year in the field Meeting with me.
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I don't know how much help I was going to give him, but I was, because we pulled up our lists of guys that were doing business and all my guys aren't doing business with him and all his guys aren't doing business.
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He's a fun guy and I'm going to know you guys.
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So we're not selling against each other but just networking.
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Man, you know doing that since day one and my most recent meeting was a networking meeting Still doing it to this day.
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How much business do you think has come from networking?
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A lot, a lot, because I focus on where I win and who's doing the business right.
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That's the easy part.
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It's asking for other people like you or other people like a guy that just did business.
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Is there someone else that they're in an office where I know there's 20 advisors?
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Who else in the office would like to hear the score?
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Who else in the office would benefit from hearing or using this product?
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So I always ask for a referral, the best way to grow the business.
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How else do you network what's worked for you in networking other than asking for a referral?
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Social media, I leverage LinkedIn.
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When I first got out of here, I looked for all the managers of every major branch or firm.
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Or I got a list of the top producers and I throw them a connection Like, hey, listen, I'm new to the area.
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Like you see a call from me heads up on the new local of wholesaling, so try to hit it from the digital side emails, mass emails, linkedin but I think the in-person stuff.
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It's just you can't get anything better than that, right?
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If I do an event, hey, invite a couple guys in the office to come join in.
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I might not know.
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If I'm doing a lunch, feel free to invite one of your colleagues or teammates in the office.
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We have room.
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There's always room, I think, a warm referral.
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Personally, if I can get in front of you, I use all the other stuff to kind of just drip my name because I keep seeing Anthony, Anthony, oh, this guy, anthony, keeps reaching out, and then when I finally get to meet you, that's when I suck you in.
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Let's say, you set up an event and right now you don't have anyone in that event.
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What do you do to get that filled?
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Yeah, so, for example, the most recent event that I just did that was a success was a Raymond James lunch and learn.
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I ended up partnering with three other fun guys, which I like to do that because I can do an expensive country club lunch and go and not have the entire $7,000 bill on myself.
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We chop it four ways.
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So most recently I did a lunch and learn.
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I partnered with three other wholesalers.
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I called the Raymond James manager he actually spearheaded these events and I said hey, listen, get me a list of all your local FPs.
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I'll start off with a call.
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So I'll call.
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If it's 50 guys, all 50 people get a call from me.
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Hey, michael, my name's Anthony, I'm working with your manager, cody, on a fall lunch and learn.
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I'd love for you to be there.
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We're gonna have some great material and kind of give like just a high level what we're gonna talk about.
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To try and grab their attention whether it's a sales idea, year-end help I actually brought in a.
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We have advanced markets at Global Atlantic where they come in and they give sales ideas and value ads.
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They're like our buttoned up presenters.
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I actually brought a presenter in with me to share one of these lunch and learn presentations.
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A keynote speaker Everybody gets a call and just pushing the kind of old school calls, emails and getting buffs in the seats.
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I did use CE.
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Like I have these CE cards which I'll prepay and I use that as a way to kind of use them, say, get cheeks in the seats.
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I told the manager like, listen, it'll help drive attendance, I'll pay for the CE cards, let your FPs know we can put that in the title and CE available, right, and that always gets people out.
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I think it's just old school.
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Keep the dials and emails and drive attendance.
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Between me, my internal, the manager, we ended up getting 50 people out.
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I got in front of 50 people, had an hour presentation slot.
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It was great.
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You successfully get everyone into the room.
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You have the event.
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What do you do at the event?
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To engage them and to plant seeds.
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And then after that, what do you do at the event to engage them and to plant seeds.
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And then after that, what do you do to follow up?
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I always get a list of who's there and always make sure the guys I know obviously say hello and check in and make sure they know I saw them.
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The guys I don't know, I try to get a little bit of a rapport from the manager.
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Hey, what's this guy's deal?
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Does he do annuities?
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Just do some fact findingfinding and figure out what they're about.
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But everybody I know shake their hand, make sure they know I greet them and if I don't know you, that's my opportunity to introduce myself.
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Hey, I'm Anthony, new local wholesaler.
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Thank you for coming out.
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I really appreciate your time.
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Look forward to having future conversations and doing business with you.
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And then I follow up with the managers and get me an attendee list.
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That's where the business comes from is the follow-up.
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So you got to make sure that you're all over the follow-up, everybody pretty close to the event.
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I try to give it a few days.
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We don't want to let it go too long.
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You can't wait like a month later.
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I always try to stay right on top of it while it's still warm and everybody got a lot out of it.
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I'll be in your area on these next three dates.
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Do you mind if I just stop in your office for a quick 15-minute convo and then that's where I try to get the one-on-one and then, part of the process, I move my internal on it as well.
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We both trip.
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Everybody gets a call from me but my internal is going to get that listed as well and we're asking now, after I did this coaching with you, you keep calling till you get the meeting.
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I don't care if it's five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10 calls, you just keep calling in a respectful way.
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I'm not calling 10 times in one day, but I might call 10 times over a three-month period until I get that meeting, because things happen.
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You never know what they're working on in their personal life or education or this or that before the coaching.
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But they might get one or two calls and that guy never takes my call and I'll probably move on.
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But now I keep that list and they keep getting called on until I either get a convo or a meeting.
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How many of those people that you're consistently calling you're calling five, six, seven, eight, nine times eventually will book an appointment?
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Most of them, yeah, they appreciate it.
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Especially, too, I'll make a joke of it.
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If I get a guy that I know I called six times and he finally picks up my call I'll say, hey, listen, I'm young, hungry, I'm here to hustle work.
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I appreciate you taking my call.
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I know you see me call and I'm trying to make a joke of it Again, being respectful about it.
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A lot of times guys would be like you know what I saw.
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You reach out.
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Sorry, don't give me an excuse, but yeah, a lot of guys.
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I see the follow-up and they see the persistence.
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They appreciate it.
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How many people do you think actually persist like that?
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Not a lot.
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It's defeating Before I even remember calling.
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You know that guy can't get through to that guy and they kind of fall to the wayside and focus on other people.
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But you never know, take one call, one meeting, one conversation.
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It doesn't take much.
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Let's get a quick phone call Now you get them to agree to have a one-on-one meeting with you?
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What do you do before you actually have that meeting to prep?
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Always, I look to see if they've done business before.
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If they haven't, I just try to get some type of info about them.
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Whether I'm clicking around on their website, a lot of times guys will put in about me.
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I'm a big Notre Dame football fan.
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I try to connect on sports or family things that connect with me well.
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But that's a great question.
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For every meeting, I always prep a little slide deck or have something prepared and then I always try to find something about the advisor.
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A lot of times they're very impressed.
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I took the time to look on their website or find something out about them or ask around.
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Maybe I have a meeting with a guy that I know that you're friends with, or I know a guy that you got with.
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I might even do a call like hey, listen, I actually got a meeting with John.
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It's Friday, what's he about?
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I put that time in to find out about the advisor and it always goes a long way.
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I love that, because how many people again do that?
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Yeah, just show up and go on the fly.
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I'm more comfortable and more confident when I'm prepared, always.
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So you do the research, you're prep, you're prepping.
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You said I'll potentially have a slide deck.
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Now I know from a lot of people that I speak where they go up to that meeting and they don't really have anything planned.
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They just start talking and that's it.
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So how will you determine what you're actually going to do when you sit down with them?
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So, depending on the firm, what's approved or what business they've done in the past, if I see that you're an income producer, I'll have slides or flyers on my current income prop, the rates and everything.
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Because I'm in so many different firms.
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Every firm has different rules, different products approved.
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So I always have to make sure I develop the habit of the night before on my iPad just saving the slide and say I'll title it Michael Fox launch meetings November 18th.
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So I just pull up my iPad and I pull up the file and I can slide through on the fly.
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I'm not like clicking around or wasting time finding everything.
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I have everything right there, ready to go.
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So I'm super condensed and time efficient.
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I've developed a habit the night before, or even like it's Monday morning, like last night I was on the couch kind of with my calendar out, looking at what meetings I had for the week and preparing all my stuff.
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And the night before I'll doctor the next day stuff.
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So I'm ready to go.
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So you do all your prep work, you show up, you get into the office of the financial advisor.
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What do you do next?
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I always try to connect on a personal level first and then get them to like me, because once they like me, you're more likely to do business.
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I don't go in firing products down your throat.
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That's never the way to go.
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Just ask hey, what's on your mind?
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What did you want out of this meeting?
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That's a line I use out a lot.
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Some guys will be like, hey, I just took this meeting because you kept calling.
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Or some guys will be like, hey, I actually really like annuities, I'm using a competitor, but I want to hear about your product.
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Or the home run meeting is I've got a case, great timing.
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So open the floor to the advisor first, let them talk and then pivot from there and I'll set the stage Like I've always been trained to keep a little bit of formality to the meeting, like hey, listen, you know, I came in here with the idea of sharing these two sales ideas that are working really well with your firm or working really well right now in this time.
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Would you be open to hearing them?
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I go right into.
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Everybody wants to make money.
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They know that I'm there to make money.
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I'm here to make you money.
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So these are what I'm doing with other guys to make money.
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I'm here to share them with you.
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Hopefully I can make you money.
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I go right in with a sales idea and try to resonate and look and identify an area where we can do some more.
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Let's say the guy says to you I just took the call because you've been calling me a lot what we do to extract out of him what's most important to him.
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Just ask questions about his business, the way our products work, whether it's income, you know what are you doing for your clients for protection, what are you doing for clients for income, and just kind of keep asking questions and also just kind of tell stories.
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Right, stories help sell and me and you talk about this all the time.
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I tell the same story pretty much in every meeting about my number one producer who's going to do almost 8 million annuity business this year from a sales idea that I presented to him and I tell that story to resonate with other advisors, because that same story can resonate with everybody.
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They get their wheels spinning, they start thinking of clients.
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They say, hey, listen, I tell you a sales success story.
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I have my number one producer.
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I tell them the book review idea, right.
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And when I tell that story or tell stories that can help get them thinking of clients or how they can use my product or what I'm selling as part of their business, so I tell that story all the time, so you repeat it because it works.
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I repeat it because it works, I have confidence behind it.
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And when I say like, hey, listen.
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To circle back on the way you teed up this question, a guy that maybe wasn't taking my call or that I finally got through to my number one producer was a guy who hasn't done an annuity ticket with our company in 10 years.
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He's 60 years old, kind of on his way out, and he's a guy who kept trying to get to do business because I knew he did it before and he finally took the meeting with me.
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I said, hey, listen, I saw you did a lot of the income business back in 2015.
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And I know you've done business with other companies.
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I'm sitting so competitively on your platform right now.
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As far as a book review, repurposing that old business, take a meeting with me.
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Let me show you this y'all's idea.
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We'll go through a few.
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If it makes sense, we'll continue the conversation If not all good.
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So he took the meeting with me.
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We went through five contracts.
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Four of them worked.
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He's done 55 1035s this year and will do almost 8 million in business.
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And that's a guy that I kept calling.
00:16:03.725 --> 00:16:06.549
I said, hey, listen, you've got to hear this side of me because I know it'll work for you.
00:16:06.549 --> 00:16:07.965
And it finally got through to him.
00:16:07.965 --> 00:16:20.361
This is an amazing thing that you did, but a lot of people would make that call the guy.
00:16:20.361 --> 00:16:21.490
Did he push back at all at first?
00:16:21.490 --> 00:16:22.075
Of course, absolutely.
00:16:22.075 --> 00:16:22.740
And what did you do?
00:16:22.740 --> 00:16:30.436
Overcame the objections, yeah, yeah, always keep pushing.
00:16:44.400 --> 00:16:48.993
Something I learned is don't just fold up and quit on the first objection, especially when I knew this guy had a need or there was an opportunity for business with this guy, because he was doing the business before and the product I sell now is way better than the product he sold 10 years ago.
00:16:48.993 --> 00:16:51.099
So I knew just by looking at his book in my system that there was an opportunity there to upgrade the stuff he had.
00:16:51.099 --> 00:16:54.349
What kind of objection did he throw at you?
00:16:54.349 --> 00:16:59.105
And then, how do you handle that right there, what do you say to them?
00:16:59.105 --> 00:17:04.874
So I painted the picture and made it make sense, because it's a numbers meeting.
00:17:04.874 --> 00:17:06.256
The math is there, the math there?
00:17:06.256 --> 00:17:13.413
So to give you an idea, I've got a fixed index annuity with an income rider where we're just generating income for retirement.
00:17:14.220 --> 00:17:18.329
He had an old variable annuity business that was 3%, 4% in fees.
00:17:18.329 --> 00:17:19.432
It's a VA.
00:17:19.432 --> 00:17:23.245
We're at a market high right now, right, so you know there is a correction.
00:17:23.245 --> 00:17:29.768
Or as far as 1035 business, that's the best possible time to 1035 is the highest that account value has ever been.
00:17:29.768 --> 00:17:34.644
And then, as far as risk, you know, going from a VA to an FIA, there's less risk.
00:17:34.644 --> 00:17:36.406
So there's a lot of ways where we win.
00:17:36.446 --> 00:17:42.260
It was just explaining to us and again he was on his way out and he was like, ah, you know what I got?
00:17:42.260 --> 00:17:43.947
I got that was L-sure business.
00:17:43.947 --> 00:17:45.807
I got 4% upfront, 1% trail.
00:17:45.807 --> 00:17:46.548
I'm not moving it.
00:17:46.548 --> 00:17:47.562
The contract values.
00:17:47.562 --> 00:17:49.849
There's such a difference between the benefit basis.
00:17:49.849 --> 00:17:51.867
I said, wait, listen, let me do the math.
00:17:51.867 --> 00:17:58.269
The products have gotten so much better, the withdrawal basis basis or the withdrawal percentage, are so much higher than what you sold.
00:17:58.269 --> 00:18:01.551
I don't need to beat it, I just got to get close enough where to generate more income.
00:18:01.551 --> 00:18:06.395
I just kept explaining and showing him how it worked and eventually it clicked.
00:18:06.395 --> 00:18:10.686
And once we ran the math and he saw like hey, listen, the client's getting 12 grand, now you can offer 15.
00:18:10.686 --> 00:18:11.730
That's a no brainer.
00:18:11.730 --> 00:18:13.702
Of course the client's going to want to actually $3,000.
00:18:13.702 --> 00:18:14.323
Who wouldn't?
00:18:14.323 --> 00:18:20.734
So it was just persistently staying on top of him and making sure that he understood what I was trying to do and it got through.
00:18:20.734 --> 00:18:31.762
Yeah, a consistent theme here is keep being persistent, keep showing, keep asking, keep staying with it and don't give up Again.
00:18:31.762 --> 00:18:32.686
How many people give up?
00:18:32.686 --> 00:18:39.232
How many people would have had that same conversation as you and it would never have gone anywhere?
00:18:39.232 --> 00:18:42.241
Probably a lot.
00:18:42.241 --> 00:18:44.229
Yeah, probably a lot.
00:18:44.229 --> 00:18:46.307
So do me a favor.
00:18:47.020 --> 00:18:55.547
I know you spend a lot of time looking at your numbers and trying to determine hey, where am I at for the month?
00:18:55.547 --> 00:18:56.925
Where am I at for the year?
00:18:56.925 --> 00:19:04.672
Just take us through that process that you go through, because I know you spend a lot of time on really seeing your numbers and where you're at.
00:19:04.672 --> 00:19:08.730
Yeah, I live in the reporting every day.
00:19:08.730 --> 00:19:17.152
The first thing I do when I wake up every morning is look at the sales run and I have become obsessed with the numbers.
00:19:17.152 --> 00:19:19.021
It's a part of everything I do.
00:19:19.021 --> 00:19:21.149
I look at it multiple times a day.
00:19:21.149 --> 00:19:26.650
Even when I know the number, I still look at it because I visualize where I want it to be right.
00:19:26.650 --> 00:19:28.967
And we talk about setting goals.
00:19:28.967 --> 00:19:37.306
I sit down every year and set a goal and I stick to a plan with a process of the preparation, the meetings I want to do, the numbers I want to hit.
00:19:37.306 --> 00:19:39.498
I become obsessed with the planning and the numbers and the meetings I want to do, the numbers I want to hit.
00:19:39.498 --> 00:19:42.946
I become obsessed with the planning and the numbers and making sure I'm where I want to be.
00:19:42.946 --> 00:19:46.543
Why would it be so important that they look at those numbers?
00:19:46.543 --> 00:19:50.381
Yeah, because there's a process, there's a method to these numbers.
00:19:50.381 --> 00:19:54.380
Right, if you do enough calls and you do enough meetings, you know the business is going to come.
00:19:54.380 --> 00:19:57.166
Just because it's a numbers game, I developed a process.
00:19:57.206 --> 00:20:04.964
I built like a sales plan and a business plan for the year where I focus on my top advisors, on my peak Guys that have done a million plus.
00:20:04.964 --> 00:20:06.465
They're the guys that need the most love.
00:20:06.465 --> 00:20:09.208
They get the most calls and meetings.
00:20:09.208 --> 00:20:16.627
You expand to the guys that have done you know 500K worth of business, but you want to expand and get them to that million dollar producer right.
00:20:16.627 --> 00:20:18.044
Then I had the attains.
00:20:18.044 --> 00:20:29.087
They're a group of guys that I know either do the business based on market metrics reporting, or maybe they're a previous producer and they're kind of a fallen angel and they need to get them back on track.
00:20:29.087 --> 00:20:33.005
So there's the three key areas keeps, expands and attains.
00:20:33.005 --> 00:20:39.965
I've got a business plan with about 368, or actually the exact number I'm staring at right now 368, actually the exact number I'm staring at right now.
00:20:39.965 --> 00:20:43.692
368 advisors are in my business plan and I am laser focused on that plan every single day.
00:20:43.692 --> 00:20:45.134
I love that.
00:20:45.134 --> 00:20:47.500
That's how you get the results.
00:20:47.500 --> 00:21:01.754
If you were going to do this on a percentage basis zero being not responsible at all and 100 being totally responsible you looking at your numbers and knowing all this information how responsible is that for you hitting and exceeding your goals?
00:21:01.754 --> 00:21:08.585
100%, 100%, not even a question.
00:21:08.585 --> 00:21:10.289
Got to know your numbers.
00:21:10.289 --> 00:21:10.830
I love that.
00:21:11.240 --> 00:21:12.567
How do you deal with rejection?
00:21:12.567 --> 00:21:17.192
In this business you can get rejected a whole lot, yeah, every day.
00:21:17.192 --> 00:21:18.566
That comes with experience and time.
00:21:18.566 --> 00:21:25.350
I'm still a newer wholesaler and I can look back at some of the meetings I first did and they were so bad.
00:21:25.350 --> 00:21:30.787
Right, it's just getting out there and not quitting when you're down, learning from your experiences.
00:21:30.787 --> 00:21:34.589
And there are days where I get an objection that I have a really hard time overcoming.
00:21:34.589 --> 00:21:41.530
I call my mentor, I call coaches, I call my manager and say, hey, listen, I got this question in this meeting.
00:21:41.530 --> 00:21:42.093
How would you answer this?
00:21:42.093 --> 00:21:56.644
Or oh, we're trying to improve, always trying to learn, but just not quitting when you're down, cause there's been times where I've had guys like really kind of shove it in my face and shut the door hard and you got to realize that's going to happen and you can't let that kind of drag the rest of the day down.
00:21:56.644 --> 00:21:59.048
You can't drag the next meeting down, you can't drag the next call down.
00:21:59.048 --> 00:22:03.695
You got to pick yourself back up, keep calling, keep knocking down doors, keep knocking and keep going.
00:22:04.759 --> 00:22:27.908
Do you do drop-ins, where you just drop into the office without knowing necessarily someone, or no, I try not to, just to be respectful of people's time, because I've gotten busy with building to where I am now and in the beginning when I was scratching, crawling for meetings I did I didn't get the best.
00:22:27.908 --> 00:22:29.985
It depends cause some people like it.
00:22:29.985 --> 00:22:31.083
If you're there, I like it.
00:22:31.083 --> 00:22:44.048
If I'm in a wire house, if I have a meeting with a corner office guy, or if I'm meeting with a guy and I know there's 20 other people, I'll send the other 19 people or an office head, I'll do it that way.
00:22:44.048 --> 00:23:00.955
As far as a pop-in, if I'm right next to an office or I'm on top of somebody in another meeting, or if I'm in a building and there's three other firms there, I'll do a drop-in that way, whether it's dropping off my rate sheet or just dropping off my business card, like hey, I know I don't have a meeting here, but I'm in the building.
00:23:00.955 --> 00:23:04.851
I'd probably be kind of goofy if I didn't at least pop in and at least try to say hello.
00:23:04.851 --> 00:23:06.796
So I've done that that way.
00:23:07.216 --> 00:23:08.678
But I really try to schedule.
00:23:08.678 --> 00:23:11.633
I do a hard scheduled meeting.
00:23:11.633 --> 00:23:13.564
Probably 75% of the time.
00:23:13.564 --> 00:23:15.552
Maybe 25% of the time are drop-ins.
00:23:15.552 --> 00:23:21.073
I would imagine in doing what you do, there are times when you're feeling stuck.
00:23:21.073 --> 00:23:24.855
What do you do to get out of that Activity?
00:23:24.855 --> 00:23:38.645
Activity brings results and if I don't have meetings or if I get that day where everybody cancels or things just don't line up, I use that time to dial and schedule and get things done.
00:23:38.645 --> 00:23:39.347
Send me an email.
00:23:39.347 --> 00:23:40.390
Send me an email.
00:23:40.390 --> 00:23:55.211
Use that time to be effective and be productive and don't just hang up, because there are those days where I'll look at the calendar Like, oh, I've got a great day today and then all of a sudden, this guy's kid's sick and this guy's got to cancel, and this guy I've heard every excuse out there.
00:23:55.211 --> 00:23:57.312
There are days where you go from four meetings to none.
00:23:57.312 --> 00:24:03.873
But you just got to make sure that you use that time effectively and I'm not just kind of, you know, oh, day in Rowan.
00:24:03.873 --> 00:24:08.819
I use that time to rip a list or get some rescheduled meetings or be productive.
00:24:08.819 --> 00:24:20.814
So you get bad news, they cancel, they make excuses, and then you use that to fuel you to then put more stuff on the calendar.
00:24:20.814 --> 00:24:21.395
Yep, exactly, I love it.
00:24:21.797 --> 00:24:22.798
How do you deal with fear?
00:24:22.798 --> 00:24:29.174
That's a good question, because I actually feel fear a lot.
00:24:29.174 --> 00:24:36.567
I did in the beginning too, and that's a confidence thing If I'm feeling anxious or I have fear around something, I just try to get myself comfortable enough.
00:24:36.567 --> 00:24:44.496
If I know there's a big advisor and I know he's doing the business, but I just can't get in front of him, that's best of the kind of fact-finding or learning about him.
00:24:44.496 --> 00:24:48.873
Or if there's a product that I know I can present on, I'm not super buttoned up on it.
00:24:48.873 --> 00:24:51.498
You put the work in and that's with anything.
00:24:51.498 --> 00:24:56.355
You just got to put the work in, get the confidence, feel good about it and then you'll conquer those fears.
00:24:56.355 --> 00:25:02.607
So I used to have that with meetings in the beginning, when I remember going out and just doing them and do them and see what worked.
00:25:02.607 --> 00:25:12.110
But now I've developed the process and I make sure I have the preparation, the planning.
00:25:12.110 --> 00:25:13.838
I think the preparation and planning can help alleviate all those fears.
00:25:13.838 --> 00:25:15.063
People don't know who you are.
00:25:15.063 --> 00:25:15.184
I do.
00:25:15.184 --> 00:25:15.725
I'm working with you.
00:25:15.725 --> 00:25:27.912
Give them an idea of what you walk into and what you've turned that territory into, because I think people are listening and it'll give them a little bit more credibility to what you're actually saying.
00:25:27.912 --> 00:25:31.858
People are listening and it'll give them a little bit more credibility to what you're actually saying.
00:25:31.878 --> 00:25:32.660
So my first year in the field.
00:25:32.660 --> 00:25:37.873
I took over pretty I forget how low maybe the worst territory in the country, one of the lower ones, but that's what happened.
00:25:37.873 --> 00:25:41.869
You don't have a wholesaler wholesaling it and it's kind of empty Post.
00:25:41.869 --> 00:25:52.203
Covid, I jumped into St Louis and I did 42.2 million in annuity business in our FIA or RILA product.
00:25:52.203 --> 00:25:53.707
I did 86 million in our fix.
00:25:53.707 --> 00:25:56.936
So 128 total Producer count to 118.
00:25:56.936 --> 00:25:59.704
The previous year producer count was 74.
00:25:59.704 --> 00:26:04.654
So I grew the territory from 74 producers to 118 producers.
00:26:04.654 --> 00:26:12.966
Currently in this year to date 118 producers.
00:26:12.966 --> 00:26:15.052
Currently in this year to date, november, I'm at 92,496,000.
00:26:15.052 --> 00:26:16.637
So almost 93 million and 148 producers.
00:26:16.637 --> 00:26:21.550
So I grew from my first year in the field from 118 to 148 and still have seven weeks here to close out the year.
00:26:21.550 --> 00:26:23.736
I'm at 92, knocking on the door of 100 million.
00:26:24.544 --> 00:26:26.451
If you can tell, by the way, I spit these numbers off.
00:26:26.451 --> 00:26:28.557
I live in those numbers every day.
00:26:28.557 --> 00:26:30.227
I stare at these numbers.
00:26:30.227 --> 00:26:33.855
I'm again obsessed with the planning, the numbers.
00:26:33.855 --> 00:26:35.706
So I got some significant growth.
00:26:35.706 --> 00:26:43.155
I'm number four in the country as far as year-over-year growth and there's one basis point separating me from the second place guy.
00:26:43.155 --> 00:26:44.880
So it's neck and neck.
00:26:44.880 --> 00:26:46.646
But I've seen a ton of growth.
00:26:47.169 --> 00:26:53.252
I'm hyper-focused on activity, hyper-focused on seeing the right people, hyper-focused on my plan.
00:26:53.252 --> 00:26:54.817
Have a plan, I stick to it.
00:26:54.817 --> 00:26:56.064
I live in these numbers.
00:26:56.064 --> 00:27:06.288
I live in that business plan where I've labeled the top 400 advisors in my territory and they get peppered absolutely peppered, but again in a respectful way.
00:27:06.288 --> 00:27:07.990
I'm here to hustle Absolutely peppered, but again in a respectful way.
00:27:07.990 --> 00:27:13.354
You know, I'm here to hustle, I'm here to work and everybody's starting to realize that and learn that.
00:27:13.354 --> 00:27:17.617
And also the word around the territory Like I'll meet people, like I've heard great things about you.
00:27:17.617 --> 00:27:22.321
You do a great job and that's again in the process and the follow-up, doing what you say you're going to do.
00:27:22.321 --> 00:27:26.528
If you're always doing the right thing and always saying what you're going to do, that gets around.
00:27:26.528 --> 00:27:27.848
It's a small world.
00:27:27.848 --> 00:27:29.010
Everybody knows everybody.
00:27:29.010 --> 00:27:36.905
I've got 2,000 advisors in my territory but when you really break it down and focus on the people that I'm focusing on, they all know each other and that goes a long way.
00:27:36.905 --> 00:27:43.117
But the numbers I'm at 92.4, 92 and a half million year to date.
00:27:43.117 --> 00:27:48.696
We're going to blow through a hundred million here for the year and that's actually my good business.
00:27:48.696 --> 00:27:58.936
I've done $95 million in fixed, so almost $200 million in total annuity business and I have the sixth smallest by market measures territory in the company.
00:27:59.885 --> 00:28:10.759
Why do you think that it would be so important for an RVP, wholesaler, even a financial advisor, to have a coach to work with?
00:28:10.759 --> 00:28:12.040
You know what?
00:28:12.040 --> 00:28:14.329
The accountability thing you think?
00:28:14.329 --> 00:28:27.934
Ah, you can do it yourself or your resources, and I've got a manager, I've got coaches at work, but there's something about someone outside in your circle that will give you the honest feedback.
00:28:27.934 --> 00:28:32.407
Just the things about myself too, too, like even outside of work.
00:28:33.210 --> 00:28:39.791
You taught me a lot about a lot of the questions yesterday about fear, about confidence, about reprogramming your mind.
00:28:39.791 --> 00:28:42.457
I didn't have this stuff when I first started.
00:28:42.457 --> 00:28:54.951
I'm listen, it's still my second year in the field and I've've just kind of adapted those things you taught me, the things that I've learned through you of just kind of believing in yourself, getting those expectations that I am going to win.
00:28:54.951 --> 00:28:56.635
Keep telling myself I'm going to win.
00:28:56.635 --> 00:28:59.954
I've seen extensive, extensive dividends.
00:28:59.954 --> 00:29:01.158
I mean, you heard the numbers.
00:29:01.158 --> 00:29:04.948
I went for 42 million, 42.2 million in 2023.
00:29:04.948 --> 00:29:09.198
I'm at 92 and a half million here in November and we'll blow through a hundred.
00:29:09.198 --> 00:29:19.115
The goal for my territory was 65 million, so we're going to be close to doubling Michelle's goal, and that's we started six months ago.
00:29:19.115 --> 00:29:22.869
We've seen I've got a run rate of 10 to 12 million every month since we started.
00:29:22.869 --> 00:29:26.845
So we've developed the process and I had a process before we started.
00:29:26.845 --> 00:29:32.717
But I've integrated things that you taught me into my current process and made it better.
00:29:32.717 --> 00:29:35.634
We just improved it and just got dialed it in a little bit more.
00:29:36.685 --> 00:29:40.234
A lot of people will say why would you pay for coaching?
00:29:40.234 --> 00:29:41.597
It's expensive.
00:29:41.597 --> 00:29:43.591
What would you say to someone that says that?
00:29:43.591 --> 00:29:49.697
I mean anything that has value, the return you're investing in yourself.
00:29:49.697 --> 00:30:01.887
I got that money back and some of the sales that were generated from the time we spent, from the things I learned, from the things that I put into my process that we learned, you get that money back.
00:30:01.887 --> 00:30:05.636
So anything of any value or worthwhile is going to have a price to it.
00:30:05.636 --> 00:30:07.828
But that's nothing to me.
00:30:07.868 --> 00:30:08.069
Now.
00:30:08.069 --> 00:30:10.636
What's some of the best advice that you ever got?
00:30:10.636 --> 00:30:18.758
Business planning, have a plan, be persistent, believe in yourself, because in the beginning, too, I didn't have the confidence.
00:30:18.758 --> 00:30:24.544
But figure out how to get yourself there, whether it's being a student of the game, learning the product inside out and that stuff comes with time.
00:30:24.544 --> 00:30:27.697
You build that brick by brick over time.
00:30:27.697 --> 00:30:35.958
I'm seeing some accelerated growth because I put a lot of time in to honing my craft, honing myself, honing my presentation.
00:30:35.958 --> 00:30:38.609
I take an hour a week out with you, my coach.
00:30:38.609 --> 00:30:55.044
I spend countless hours prepping and putting the time in and you can look at some of the greatest athletes, businessmen, whatever they put countless, countless hours in the gym and the office, learning, just constantly improving yourself.
00:30:55.044 --> 00:31:06.612
I'm a student of the game all the time and I've taken what you gave me and what you've been giving me and integrated that into daily habits and I've ingrained it in my brain.
00:31:06.874 --> 00:31:10.679
Steph Curry, michael Jordan amazing players.
00:31:10.679 --> 00:31:12.050
What made them so great?
00:31:12.050 --> 00:31:25.736
I think the gift these guys definitely have, but they took the natural gift they were given and they took it to a whole, nother nuclear level by just being absolutely consistent on their process, their craft.
00:31:25.736 --> 00:31:27.061
I mean you have the stories of Jordan working out for 5 am.
00:31:27.061 --> 00:31:28.144
Absolutely consistent on their process, their craft.
00:31:28.144 --> 00:31:36.895
I mean you have the stories of Jordan working out at 4, 5 am, getting up before everybody else is up and putting in serious, serious time.
00:31:36.895 --> 00:31:46.327
You know he had the physical ability but he turned himself into the greatest ever by putting in some serious, serious effort and serious work Before we leave.
00:31:48.131 --> 00:31:52.366
What advice do you have for anyone that might be listening to this?
00:31:52.366 --> 00:31:57.688
You could have some experienced, very experienced people listening to this to someone who just started.
00:31:57.688 --> 00:32:01.726
What were some of those key items that you think would be important for them to hear?
00:32:01.726 --> 00:32:11.297
If you have an opportunity, take advantage of it, and grateful was one of the lessons that we have part of the sales process.
00:32:11.297 --> 00:32:12.630
Be grateful for your opportunity.
00:32:12.630 --> 00:32:19.396
Make sure, if you have one, you're taking advantage of it, because not everybody there'll be somebody out there wishing they're in your shoes, wishing they had your opportunity.
00:32:19.396 --> 00:32:38.907
And if you have one, make sure you're taking advantage of it and giving all your effort and all your time towards it and don't look back and have regret, thinking, man, if I would have just done a little bit more, maybe there was extra dial, if I did that a little bit, maybe things would have been different.
00:32:38.928 --> 00:32:40.817
This is kind of cliche and you hear a lot of the best guys, but they're not wrong.
00:32:40.817 --> 00:32:41.278
Leave it all out there.
00:32:41.278 --> 00:32:56.076
Make sure you're giving 100% effort into everything you do, whether it's a phone call, whether it's an email, whether it's a meeting, personally, professionally, make sure that you're putting in the adequate amount of time and effort and don't have any regrets.
00:32:56.076 --> 00:32:56.237
Perfect.
00:32:56.237 --> 00:32:57.624
I just want to say thank you, anthony, for taking your time.
00:32:57.624 --> 00:32:58.926
I know how busy you are.
00:32:58.926 --> 00:33:05.405
Thanks for taking your time and really helping other people that are in your shoes Now.
00:33:05.405 --> 00:33:08.733
You just gave them a ton of great information.
00:33:08.733 --> 00:33:12.589
What should they be doing with that information that you just gave them?
00:33:12.589 --> 00:33:17.946
Get motivated, make it, work on your process, work on your preparation.
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See where you can prove what you're doing now and make it better and get better.