Chapter 3: How I Went From “Joe Average” Agent To Million Dollar Round Table Qualifier:

Chapter 3: How I Went From “Joe Average“ Agent

To Million Dollar Round Table Qualifier:

I’ve learned a lot in my 15 or so years in the financial services industry. My experience covers near all ends of the spectrum in as far as this business is concerned including the small business niche, senior niche, agency owner, seminar promoter, direct marketing lead generation and so on.

Lately my views have changed quite a bit, but never more so than they have in the last several years.

Over the years I built a decent client file doing what every “in the trenches producer” spends a good bit of their time doing, and that is generating leads in one form or another and building clientele.

Around 1995 I was introduced to the new concept of the Equity Indexed Annuity by a product wholesaler. I sold a few of those first ones, and my clients did exceptionally well in them during the mid to late nineties and through the 2000-2003 bear market – all with no risk to their money, never losing any of their earnings or a single penny!

Round about 1997 I entered into what was to become a very successful joint venture agency deal with another Joint Venture partner corporation. By age 35 and 18 months after the launch of this joint venture agency — I made my first million!

12 months later I was flat broke.

My part of the JV deal was marketing and recruiting – and that I did exceptionally well. My company’s marketing efforts led to approximately 80% of the JV’s revenue. However, and unfortunately for me, my JV partner controlled the cash flow… and it was at this point that my partner initiated what was my first experience of what I came to know as a violent corporate take over.

Imagine my surprise when I found the notice of “terminated contract” in my fax machine one morning after opening up the office!

Basically …my partner cut me out of the deal, took over my agency lock, stock and barrel.

Without dragging you through all the exciting details of what life was like after that happened, I’ll just say that after some months I wound up back doing what I knew – Annuities!

That was over ten years ago.

Its during this time that I began working on my what was to eventually become the Asset Transformation system. Originally, it was a quest to assist my clients in organizing the financial assets I set up for them through an efficient but simple software based asset tracking and client records keeping system, that was “client” friendly and not industry or advisor focused.

            What I mean by that, is a software program that would produce a client friendly records keeping system with reports and charts that was sophisticatedly simple, commonsense in approach and display, and not something jammed up with all kinds of complicated financial jargon and sophistication that we in this industry like to produce. (all that complication tends to only confuse the client anyway and make whatever it is useless to the client.)

            So, the objective was to create a client records keeping system that say a “client” would create. In other words – simple and understandable. And the theory was that in doing such the records keeping system would become more usable and valuable because it is understandable.

            However, the first realization I ran into was that software to do what I wanted to accomplish, did not exist anywhere.

            The second realization was that if I wanted such, I would have to create it.

            And so I did!

            Over the course of four years! And many, many hours of development and testing, and then more development and more testing.

            And then after that, even more development and more testing.

            You get the picture.

            So with all that being said, it is important for you to understand the goals I established early on for both the client records keeping system and the client asset tracking software:

1. To solve the problem of client asset disorganization.

1. Simple for the client to use.

1. Easy for the client to understand.

1. Develop and implement a “service” based review appointment routine in my practice and to give of my time without expecting anything in return.

1. Doing what was in the best interest of my client through this “service” based business model and system.

And then this is where I had what was a major epiphany.

            As I began to deliver these early versions of the client records keeping system and the other goodies I will share with you shortly, my clients would more often than not throw money into additional products.

What happened was as I brought into the review the client records keeping system, the freshly baked favorite pie, the review of the records keeping system, the organization of their assets within the client records keeping system – all of this “over delivery”, positioned me as going way above anything that any other advisor EVER did.

The act of this GIVING, automatically positioned me as their “trusted” advisor (actions speak louder than words) without even trying to be such. And because of such, they would request additional advice and recommendations, and even practically demand more of the products I had.

Its kind of funny when I think about this and the “life-of-its-own” that this has taken on. Whenever it is that I visit a client, the first thing I generally see at the kitchen table is guess what?

…Their My Asset Journal client records keeping system!

My clients are very appreciative of what this has done for them. Because everything is highly organized and literally right at their finger tips, and I mean everything.

I guess for my clients it gives them a sense of EMPOWERMENT, a sense of feeling like they’re in total control of what I set up for them and that everything is transparent and fully disclosed.

After all isn’t that what we’re all after in life? That is the sense of being in total CONTROL.

So I guess what I am saying here is that the client records keeping system has a deeper sense of meaning for my clients than just a set of documents. As I have reflected on this, I recall so often how many of them would almost act kind of “kidish” when presented with the records keeping system. Almost like a kid with a new toy!

I love to see that reaction! It is quite rewarding!

And rightly so, after all their LIFE is in it, and for someone to have taken the time to “doll” all of that up and organize it, and review it over their favorite pie – that’s a pretty important and admirable thing to do!

And so, it wasn’t long before I KNEW I was on to something.

Especially when it was that 80-90% of these reviews were turning into additional new business revenue!

That’s when I had what you could call the epiphany!

            It was a peaceful and calming epiphany to have because the emotional roller coaster that comes from the font-end of this business, the constantly chasing the next new client mentality ended. And I was left with a clarity and focus that finally let me understand that the ticket to success was in much more than the next seminar, or direct mail campaign, or the latest approved product or IMO lead gimmick.

            In fact I came to realize that all of those things were just the tip of the client file “annual review” ice berg!

            As for the MDRT, I think it is an excellent organization, and I did qualify a number of times but never sent my money in. I don’t know I’ve just never been big on putting money into something that I didn’t see as having significant financial $$$ ROI.

Its been said that I’m a maverick… maybe so, maybe I’m a bit too much an entrepreneur… maybe so. Maybe, just maybe that’s exactly who was needed to pull off such a project as Asset Transformation?

            So with that said, I have one goal with Asset Transformation, and that is to educate you and empower you in the use of a REAL system of “service” — one of the few REAL systems that actually exist in this industry. And to do this by developing a new source of “service based” revenue that can make a HUGE financial difference in your business and your life, so that you too can serve, benefit, and touch as many lives as you can in a more positive way.

            With that said, know that the responsibility to learn and master this system and these new skills is all firmly in your hands … I’m reminded of and am extremely fond of this quote from Dan Kennedy because of its brutal honesty:

            “You will continue to be un-_______________ as long as you depend on others to make you _______________.”

            I’ve found that to be 100% true, which is why I’ve created this system.

And do please understand that I’m not here to give you a fish, which of course is what YOU catch at the end of your line. What I am here to give you is both very unique in as far as tools to fish with are concerned and to teach you how to operate these tools – so you CAN fish!

            So, I would like to congratulate you on taking the position of a decisive leader, and making the decision to take control of your destiny and wanting to improve your business and the relationships you have with your clients. And increasing your value to those you too will soon be serving in this most unique way.

            And as a reminder, here is what you can expect of “Asset Transformation”:

It is a “system” that by default and through the use of it, positions you to “Give” into the lives of others that which is of value. And by default, and through the use of it, positions you to “Be Given Unto”. Only because you first “Give”!