Stockbroker/Investment
Advisor Types |
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There are three stockbroker/investment advisor types:
The Thinker: Knows everything, reluctantly talks to people about our business Members of this group are easy to spot. This fraternity of failures meet daily next to the coffee machine, next to a wholesaler with donuts, in another loser's office, or at a bar from late morning to the early afternoon hours to discuss their fantasia agendas for tomorrow and their reasons for doing no business today, next week, next month, or next to never. Unlike mere mortals, Thinkers truly have a special insight about our business. They know everything. They will not listen to anybody. They can tell you what is wrong with everything. Their employer does not understand them. Products are not quite right. Peers do not understand them. The client will not listen. Thinkers just "know" that the only way top producers make money is to cut corners. Under no circumstances are Thinkers to be interrupted from their routines by contacting people about our business. They, and they alone, think they know the real reasons why people will not buy. So why ask! Thinkers will typically have a very neat office, neat because nothing productive is going on. Most thinkers have a computer as the bullpen centerpiece loaded with the latest activity management programs, research information, and financial planning tools. Unfortunately, Thinkers use their computers more to play pre-installed games, send E-mail to another Thinker, and to surf the Internet. Thinkers need read no further. When you know everything, you know everything. Keep on studying. Be the first to attend all meetings. Use your turf as the center for the Thinkers’ fan club to bring new Thinkers into the fold. Thinkers must continue to nurture their Ponzi scheme by finding new converts to carry on the grand tradition of the "Thinker’s" way of life as old thinkers move on to other thinking endeavors. Nothing like finding new, innocent, unsuspecting faces to listen to a thinker talk about what is wrong with the business, the firm, and the successful people around you. By the way, if you survive your performance appraisals with your managers, keep the newspapers close to your desk. The employment section will require your focus and study in no more than six months. Just ask the previous thinkers who sat at your study desk in your bullpen office before you. The Settler: Knows something and talks to some people about our business on occasion A Settler just settles. Every office has them. A mañana kind of guy, on the fence and uncommitted. A reactive kind of person. Settlers are not as "smart" as Thinkers, but they know just enough to avoid doing what they know they should do. After all, our business is better than working for a living. Some survive. Most do not. The days, long meandering, day dreaming days, just seem to float by. Week days become run-on sentences. Weekends are for dreams to reminisce about what might have been. The Doer: Knows a lot and talks to a lot of people about our business all the time You probably have unknowingly seen a Doer, the one who has a private office, who is always talking on the phone, who is always meeting with clients, who is always asking for referrals, who is always planning seminars, who is always active in the community, and who is always learning more about investing. The Doer does what he wants. The Doer has what he wants. Doers usually have a computer and supporting programs that help the Doer to leverage his of her skills. Oftentimes, the Doer knows little about the computer, can’t even find a game let alone play it, but has supporting staff very familiar with the computer’s capabilities. The Doer can leverage himself and get things, the important, income producing things, done quickly and efficiently so he or she can also enjoy the other pleasures of life like golf, tennis, and travel by driving his Porsche to his private plane. The Doer brings the "needers" to the "knowers." When the Doer is at work, he is working! Can you imagine a person who does not know as much as a Thinker or a Settler talking to people about the business, a very complex business? To make matters even worse, this poor guy often makes a complete fool of himself when he is asked a question by a client or prospect. Can you imagine this? If he does not know the answer to a question, he tells the prospect he does not know the answer and that he will speak to an expert in the office who does. To make things even worse, he then commits to calling the client or prospect back with the client's economic best interests investment answer! How embarrassing! Why, with the repetition of questions from talking to people about work all the time, and by letting prospects and clients be his best teachers through their questions and their questions giving rise for him to learn more, it could take as long as six months before this poor dummy is his own expert! Besides, talking to a lot of people means opening accounts and doing business. Just think! Getting paid to learn! What a concept! Understandably this approach, is without merit for the Thinkers and the Settlers. This will interfere with the real purpose of this twosome; thinking and letting the days go by. Of course, Thinkers and Settlers discuss this by the hour and by the day as they fraternize in their bullpen perches watching the sunrise and the sunset! The worst scenario is that these two creatures choose to do the wrong things, at the wrong level, and at the wrong time, and fail. How can you say you do not like our business if you have not ever really been in it? |