Speaker 1  00:09

This is the Ultimate Advisor Podcast, the podcast for financial advisors who want to create a thriving, successful and scalable practice. Each week we'll uncover the ways that you can improve your referrals, your team, your marketing, and your business operations, helping you to level up your advising practice, bring in more assets, and create the advising practice that you've dreamed up, you'll be joined by your hosts, Bryan Sweet, who has more than half a billion dollars in assets under management, Brittany Anderson, the driving force for advisors looking to hire improve their operations and company culture, and Draye Redfern who can help you systematize and automate your practices marketing to effortlessly attract new clients. So what do you say? Let's jump into another amazing episode of the ultimate advisor podcast.

Brittany Anderson  01:00

Welcome back to your Ultimate Advisor Podcast, Brittany Anderson here and today I'm going to be chatting with the one and only Bryan Sweet, you actually get us for the next four weeks, or we're going to share with you some really cool really practical, easy simple business tips. And some of the top ones that you might think would be complicated or would be tough to implement. But when it boils down to creating a great experience in your company, it really goes to some simple tactics. So today's topic is going to be on creating an immediate, unique experience. First impressions are a big thing. This can apply to basically every aspect of your life. But think about when you walk into a business, what is the experience you want to have? When you start in a new relationship? What do you want to see, you know, you go on a first date with somebody and you're hoping that the first impression is going to be good, or you're probably not going to go back on another date. The same thing applies to an experience at a business. So from the time they enter your building, if you have your own building, or if you don't, and you're in more of kind of the high rise concept, it should be from the time they enter your door, you want to have a wow experience, you want something that's going to leave an impression that is a positive one. So if you've got your own building, you've got your own yard, little things like don't let the weeds grow through the cracks. It sounds so simple. But it's so true. And so relevant. Those are things people notice, you know, keeping your exterior space weldment maintained, there's something to be said about nicely kept landscaping, about a nicely kept yard, taking care of your building and holding it to the highest standard. It makes a difference. And the reason that this is, is because not everybody takes hold of this concept and actually applies it. So those little things that creating that visual appeal when you walk in is so darn important because it helps you stand out. So Bryan, I know you've got some stuff to say, and we can talk about this in conversation today. I'd love for you to share some things because I think you've really laid the ground for this in the business. And it's part of why all of us here at Sweet Financial pay attention to the little things that maybe we wouldn't have before.

Bryan Sweet  03:29

I probably take the subject, a little excess, you'll probably get a chuckle out of you. And I just say that. But anyway, no, I think this is a really important topic because little things lead to big things. But before I start chatting on that, I'd love to wish somebody a happy birthday. And I think it might be my podcast partner here.

Brittany Anderson  03:51

Thank you.

Bryan Sweet  03:53

You're so welcome. And by the time you hear this, it will actually be gone. But I just wanted to reach out and wish you a very special day tomorrow.

Brittany Anderson  04:01

Thank you. I appreciate it.

Bryan Sweet  04:03

You're very welcome.

Brittany Anderson  04:04

We have a joke. Actually, I'll share this Bryan with our audience. So we've joked about this as one of the partners in the firm, he tends to be a very black and white kind of brain guy. And when he hit the age, I'll just say it out there. I'm 35. He hit that age A few years ago, he said you know what that means? I'm halfway to RMD status. And now with the rulings I have another year before that applies. So, before we get into the unique experiences, I just had to share that I'm not quite halfway to RMD status.

Bryan Sweet  04:34

You are truly a lucky girl. So, as you've probably have gotten, you know the we have a director of first impressions and when she started that was kind of a unique title. And I think a lot of people have gravitated to that. But I think that's a really great representation of who you want to have up front is somebody that's going to create this amazing first impression when people walk in, they get this Wow effect and maybe another title. And we've been looking at maybe changing the title a little bit. And I would tell you that in addition to making first impressions, if you're really, truly trying to create unique experiences, we're probably in the hospitality industry to a great extent. And so if you keep that mindset, how you do things in the office might change. So let me just give you a couple little things. And they truly are, as Brittany alluded to earlier, little things, but they do stand out. And if you've heard us talk before, one of the things that our Director of First Impressions does, is she makes, except maybe during COVID, what we call Connie's cookies, and they are, first of all awesome cookies. And that might be the thing that we're best known for now is actually cookies. But it's such an amazing little treat, when they come in, we've got a fresh baked platter of coffee and cookies there. And we actually have an oven in the office. And so sometimes that fuses from the back upfront and, and gets everybody hungry for more than one cookie. But it's the little things, seems like everybody loves chocolate chip cookies. And then the other thing we do with them is we'll bundle them up for people that really comment and say, Oh, God, those are amazing when they leave their meetings, we'll have a little package of them with a little bow and a little card that Connie writes out. And those little things people remember forever. And so that's important. One of the things that I think is one of the most underutilized things that if I were to give you one piece of advice, and one change to make immediately, and it doesn't cost you a dime, is when somebody comes into the office, have your director of first impressions or whomever actually get up, go out from around the desk, and actually physically greet the person. That doesn't happen. They become this statue, this force behind a desk that's got authority. And it really cuts the defensiveness of any new person, especially that's not met you before you get them very comfortable and feeling like this is the right place, especially before they go into a meeting where you're going to be trying to talk them into becoming a new client. So give that a whirl. And I'd love to hear if you use it, what your results are. So let us know that. The other thing that we do is that every week on Monday, we have fresh flowers brought in. So we have fresh flowers up front. And then we have fresh flowers put into the ladies room specifically. So you have this very nice aroma. For one thing, flowers are very beautiful. And women especially love flowers. So every time they go into the ladies room, they have this beautiful bouquet there and also in the office. And I think most people do this, but maybe not to the extent but it's really good to have a variety of beverage assortments. So it'll keep a refrigerator with like literally every kind of soda, seltzer, waters, coffees, all of those things. And then, as we talked about in a previous podcast, when you know what somebody loves, make sure you're recording it somewhere so that the next time they come back, instead of having to ask them what they want. You just simply go, Hey, would you like that coffee with two sugars that you had last time? They'll go, Well, how do you remember that? And so it's just kind of a nice little extra effect. And I think the other thing that's really important, is be very conscious of your seating, and how comfortable is it and what's the effect that you want to have. So, we like to have a big kind of like a big family where you're very comfortable. It's like you're sitting in your living room where you immediately feel very relaxed. So we have some nice chairs and a nice couch. And we're very conscious of what's out there. We don't have you know, monitors that show the markets. We don't have any awards. There's nothing like that. It's just a big, friendly, warm environment. We have some great spa type music, but we just have some very relaxing music that plays in the in the background. And all of it is just consciously trying to set the stage for when the client goes from sitting up front to going in the back to have your meeting with you that they're in the mindset that's very positive and ready to move forward even before you, you know, say one word to the particular people. And I think the other thing and Brittany, maybe you want to comment on this also, is I think there's a little bit of a difference between what the experience is for somebody that's never been to your office before. And then how do you handle clients or people that return after that. And so the one thing you really want to do is do something extra the first time that they've met you. And so one little thing that we've done is we have a little, it's like a frame that we display. The clients name simply says, Welcome, you know, Mr. And Mrs. Ron Jones, or whatever. And in the background of that, we'll have a picture of their house on it. And so it just shows one, we've taken some time to learn a little bit about them. We've got a prominently displayed when they walk in, they hopefully see it, they may not see it, we don't necessarily point it out, but we want them to feel like you know, they're the only person we care about at this particular moment. And that's been very, very helpful. So any other thoughts, Brittany, on the differences that either we do or that we should do, maybe prospects versus client meetings?

Brittany Anderson  11:20

Hey, Brittany here, stopping and pausing for a moment to talk about something that we've had so many of you inquire about, and that is our Ultimate Advisor Mastermind. Now, I'm going to start by saying if you are not a growth minded individual, if you are not somebody who is focused on taking your business to the next level, if you're not focused on engaging your team, and helping them to help you in turn, level up the business, the service model, how you provide that wow experience to clients. If those things are not your focus, just fast forward right now, because the Ultimate Advisor Mastermind would not then be for you. However, if you are looking to take your business to the next level, if you want to experience exponential growth and feel supported along the way, if you want to start working smarter and not harder, if you want to help your team members to work within the God given talents that they were provided, and use those skill sets in a way they haven't yet to help support you in your business, to help them realize their biggest goals, their biggest dreams. If you want creative approaches to marketing, I know that can be an intimidating word. But we're not talking here about the fancy Facebook stuff, or you know, the latest and greatest, but rather looking at how you can market what you do, how you can express how you're different, and how you can truly differentiate yourself in a crowded market space. If those are problems you're looking to solve, then you absolutely want to go check out ultimateadvisormastermind.com to learn more about how we can help you on your path and journey to growth.  Yeah, you know, I think that brings up such a great point that, again, it goes back to that first impression. So when you have a prospective client, somebody who, you know, you really want to do business with somebody who's never really met you maybe in person, or maybe you've met off site for whatever reason. And that's the first time coming into your space. You want to treat that with such tender loving care. You want them to come in and be so wowed that there's nothing to compare it to outside of what they've ever experienced before. So and we'll talk about this in the next couple of weeks as well. But we have a welcome sign that we put up. It sounds so trivial. It sounds so minor, but it makes a huge difference. So it's this sign on this nice little framed, you know, little thing that we have that we set on the front desk, it has their name on it, it says Welcome, Mr. & Mrs. Jones. And that's a really unique experience. It's showing you attention to detail. It's showing that we're expecting them. It's like you have company over. If you invited company over and they showed up and you're, you know, you act like you're surprised that they're there. How awkward would that be? So you want your people to be prepared for them. You want them to create an intentional experience, versus just when you walk into a business, the receptionist maybe does or does not look up. Maybe they keep working on whatever it was they're doing. You stand there for that awkward you know, 10, 20, 15 however long seconds of time, and then finally you're like, oh, okay, yep, now you're acknowledging that I'm here. We're instead you walk into an office and there's a welcome sign for you. It feels like you just walked into some sort of surprise party. Almost where people are excited to see you, they're excited, they're looking forward, they maybe know a little bit of your story. You know, that's up to you as the advisor as the primary that has this relationship that's fostering this relationship, to set the tone with your team to create a welcoming experience. And again, for some, this might be obvious for others not so much, Bryan, I'd love for you to, to kind of interject here because I know you've I'm sure you've got more to add there.

Bryan Sweet  15:26

I think there's one really important thing, you alluded to the sign and so did I. But one key thing that you want to do, especially with somebody that's never been in your office before, as I mentioned, you have your Director of First Impressions, get up and come out from the desk, but actually say their names. Hi, Ron, and Sue. So nice to meet you. My name is Connie and we're so glad that you could come here today. So not only are you having their name and their picture, but you're also using their name. And as we all know, there's nothing more important than hearing our own name. So that was just the only other thing I wanted to add, Brittany,

Brittany Anderson  16:05

You know, it's so true. And I think just to give context to that, again, it goes back to and we'll talk about this in the next couple of weeks. But this is all a process, right? This isn't just haphazard. When you come into the office that we're like, Okay, we got to make sure we get this together. This is all a streamlined process. So the team knows what to expect. So again, we've pushed on this little sign talked about the importance, Bryan's sharing about, you know, hearing some of these name, you know, one of the biggest impacts you can have, and there's so many different studies around this, the psychology of what happens when a person hears their own name. I mean, that's a big deal. And there's positive responses that come from that. So you know, all of these things are so important. And then when it goes to the flip side, your returning client experience, I can't tell you how many times whether it's been through a survey we've administered or just general commentary from our clients, that they will tell us, gosh, when we come there, we actually feel like we're going to visit family. That's a really cool thing to hear. That's a really fun thing to hear. When you're talking about clients returning to your office, and having a certain experience. Again, they feel like they're welcome. They feel like they're part of the team. They're part of the crew that they're meant to be there. So all of these little things that Bryan's talking about even going back, he pushed on the beverages a little bit, when you have it down what somebody drinks you like, Oh, do you want a Diet Coke, like you have last time? People are like, what you paid attention to that? You know, my own spouse doesn't even know what I drink half the time. So it's again, it's that intentionality of understanding what makes them tick, what makes them happy, what are they choosing, and showing that you're actually paying attention. So the other thing that I want to segue to also is we've talked a little bit about the process, we've talked about how the team creates an experience, you can truly differentiate yourself and create an experience with a quality team. I cannot say this enough. And we've actually we've always promoted our team. I mean, Bryan has done an exceptional job, all the advisors here do an exceptional job of being able to give credit and lend credit to the team that makes this experience unique. However, we're taking it actually a level up from there. So we're focusing on an element called tagging. So it's talking about the good. So when we give a tour, all right, so let's flip back to this initial prospect experience. When we give a tour in our office, we are intentionally anybody that they're going to work closely with, we are touting them, we are talking about what's so great about that individual, and how that's going to benefit that prospect. So you might get to somebody on our concierge service team. And we're gonna say, you know, instead of being like, well, this is Jessica on our concierge team, and she'll help with the paperwork or the processing. No, that's all fine and good. And that talks about essentially what she does. But what we're going to do instead is say, you know, this is Jess, if you want attention to detail, and you want somebody who is going to bring you in and make you feel welcome every single time, Jessica is your girl, she is going to make this process so easy for you, you're going to forget that you're even doing anything or making any sort of change. So it's really making it a wow experience and talking about how the team members are going to positively impact that person's life. That's a lot different than being like, Well, here's somebody who's going to help with your paperwork because they do so much more than that. And that's part of who we are and how we differentiate. You know, it's how they're greeted. I think Bryan brought up a great point about saying the names, but it's also smiling. Oh my goodness, you walk into a business and I think if you listen and you pay attention to this now, you're going to notice that a heck of a lot more. It is a rare experience to walk into a business and get somebody smiling on the other side. Crazy. You don't think that that should be a thing, but it is. So making sure that everybody's demeanor, and we've said this from the get go there's times we have to have tough conversations amongst the team, there might be a meeting that's maybe a little bit intense. But when you walk out of that, and you're interacting with a client, I mean, we are on and we are ready, and we are helping them feel welcomed and accepted, not stressed out, because we're stressed out. So that's something that's so important. And again, it's such a differentiator. I mean, I bet you could sit back and think of times where you've walked into a business across the board, and you can feel the tension in there, you know, that somebody is stressed, you know, when somebody is having a bad day, that's not an experience we want to create for our clients. Because if we're having a bad day, that's on us, that's not on them, that's not their thing to deal with. That's our thing. So I think it's really important to make sure, again, you're smiling, you're welcome and you're creating that initial experience. Know, for us, a huge component and differentiator when you walk in is our focus on helping people live their dreams. This does not have to be yours, maybe that is not your target demographic, maybe that's not something that you want to push on. The point in me bringing that up is you need to have something that differentiates you. So in our office, you know, through the tour, you see our dream architect process, which is all trademarked, it's ours, it's unique to us, there's actually a whole wall dedicated to that with imagery of all four steps with, you know, the thought of possibility, a power statement on our wall. So that's part of what makes us different. And what makes a great immediate, unique experience. Maybe you have a completely different focus from that. But like I said, whatever it is, you want that to stand out, and to be part of the culture in your firm, part of what helps make you different, that's going to help you attract and retain those great quality clients and prospects, and potentially repel the ones that may not fit with your bigger vision. So all of that being said, Bryan, before I go into a wrap up, before I go into a few takeaways, what else have you got?

Bryan Sweet  22:00

Just one more thing I thought of one other benefit of tagging is, first of all, it makes your team feel exceptionally good that you're saying good things about them. But the other thing that it does is it really trains the clients of who does what, and when should they contact them. So if you're newer in the business, one of the things you may find is that the client knows you, you're the rep and they call you for every single thing. And if you start doing tagging, what you will find is that they'll learn Jessica does all the client service, Connie does this, Kelly does this. And I can tell you, since we've done this, I literally get zero phone calls. And unless I'm expecting a call, somebody else is taking them because that's their unique abilities, not mine. And so then it gets done on time without me being interrupted. And they have a great relationship with the team member. And I can't tell you the benefits from that is immense. So that would be my little addition to tagging.

Brittany Anderson  23:10

I like it. Alright, so to wrap this up, and to give you a few takeaways that you could implement immediately in your business, because I know we've talked about quite a few different things that can create a really great experience in first impression. So the first takeaway I would say is just choose one to two things that we talked about to implement immediately. And what I mean by that is, you know, making sure that your Director of First Impressions, your, you know, receptionist, whatever your title is around that person, that they come out from behind the desk to greet people that are coming in. Again, it's a little thing, but it makes a world of difference. There is something to be said about having that barrier between you and a client or you and a prospect when you close that, and you actually come in close contact. That's a powerful thing. And again, I know because right now, when we're recording, we're still in this pandemic. But once we're past that, which we will be at some point in the future, having that close proximity matters. The second takeaway is I strongly suggest creating a checklist of experience items. So what that means is taking a bird's eye view back and looking at what is your initial prospect experience when they come in the door and actually bulleting out what are the key things you want your team to do? What is the experience you want to create and turn it into an actual process, an actual checklist for somebody to follow, so that it doesn't feel haphazard, so that it doesn't feel like you're kind of pulling things together drawing straws out of the air when somebody comes in. Again, your whole goal and this is being intentional, but making it feel like that Wow. making it feel like you have the best company coming in the world. And you're expecting them and you can't wait to hang out with them. You can't wait to learn more. about them, you want to create that warm experience. And finally, I think this is a really important thing. And I know we've pressed on this and the topic of differentiation in previous podcasts, but to choose a really big differentiator for your business that you can show and speak to it immediately. So again, context for us. It's the Dream Architect at Sweet Financial, that's our process. It's what we have trademarked. That's what's different about us. Yours doesn't have to be and quite frankly, can't be because of the trademark. But yours doesn't have to be the same. That same, you know, the thought process or think same dream focus, it just has to be something. And be sure to include that in the experience when somebody comes in. And as they continue to work with you. It's not just a prospect experience, it's also your clients. So make sure that you're creating that. So that wraps up this episode of your Ultimate Advisor Podcast. We're gonna catch you right back here next week, as we continue talking about some of the best and simplest business tips for you to implement. 

Brittany Anderson  26:06

Hey there, Brittany Anderson here. If you are loving what you're hearing on our Ultimate Advisor Podcast, don't keep us a secret. Share us with other advisors that you think would benefit from the messages that you are hearing. The easiest way to do that is to simply send them to ultimateadvisorpodcast.com. And if you want to learn a few other ways that we could potentially serve you as an advisor, go check out ultimateadvisormastermind.com. As always, we are so happy to have you here with us as part of the Ultimate Advisor community and we look forward to a continued relationship!