Thomas Young • Beaver, PA
1st Consultants Inc. • Madison Avenue Securities LLC
I primarily develop new client prospects through direct referrals, seminars, and webinars. It is also important to be involved in the community and have a high-visibility profile. I have been an author, have appeared on financial radio programs, and am an active member of my church, charities, and many local business organizations. I believe you have to connect with people continuously throughout the year.
The seminar and webinar program has been very successful, and I have been doing that for years, refining it along the way. I recently hired a new advertising agency to help in the recruitment for seminars that I hold at least once a month. The webinars allow me to reach beyond my immediate area of western Pennsylvania, and I now have clients in 11 states.
In first meetings with prospects, I go through my own version of “10 Questions.” By the end of this discussion, prospects are usually leaning forward, elbows on the table, and highly engaged.
- What do you know about me, what I do, and what my company does for people?
- What are you doing now to prepare for your financial future?
- What do like about what you are doing?
- What do you dislike? What makes you uncomfortable?
- How do you think I can enhance what you are already doing?
- Describe an ideal picture of how you would like me to be. What are your ideal expectations?
- Tell me about experiences you’ve had with other financial advisors, sales people, and planners—what have been the pros and cons?
- What do you hope to accomplish over your lifetime? What are your dreams?
- What is your decision-making process when it comes to finances? (If a couple, what is that interaction?)
- What keeps you up at night, both generally and specific to your finances?
My philosophy has always been that it is all about educating people on how to improve their financial picture moving forward. Rather than sell products, I sell education and ideas. This process works well to get a new relationship moving in the right direction.
Disclosure: Thomas Young is a registered representative of and offers securities and advisory services through Madison Avenue Securities LLC (“MAS”), member FINRA & SIPC, a registered investment advisor.
Photography by Martha Rial
