Over the years we have seen a host of great advice from leading wealth management companies and advisors with regards to what makes a good financial advisor a great financial advisor.
Below is a list of the top 12 attributes we’ve collated that go a long way into developing a individual into becoming a great advisor.
Top 12 Key Attributes for Financial Advisors.
1. Client Focused: They have a clear mission which is to serve clients and help them reach their financialgoals. Great advisors want to do great work for their clients. They build their business on doing the right thingand know that business success will follow.
2. Empathetic: Financial Advisors know they cannot effectively assist their clients without genuinely relating to them. An advisor must assume a client’s perspective. Empathetic advisors put themselves in their clients’ shoes and work to understand what matters most to them.
3. Authentic: Effective advisors elevate the connection with clients by revealing their own personal stories. A willingness to be transparent and vulnerable helps build client trust and encourages real communication.
4. Personalized Planning: Good financial advisors continue to search for the most robust solutions for clientsand tailor each clients’ portfolio to work towards achieving their financial goals whilst matching their clients’ attitude towards risk.
5. Continuous Self-Development: Great advisors are on a constant path of professional development. They are lifelong learners, open to new ideas and committed to building their technical knowledge and skills.
6. Ask Questions: A good advisor will work hard to uncover what’s truly meaningful to their clients. They ask probing questions to better understand their client’s views on money and life before creating a plan.
7. Active Listening: Active listening encourages clients to reveal their genuine goals and aims and often, an advisor’s best answer is to ask a question that sparks creative analysis and self-discovery.
8. Passionate: A genuine desire to do well for others drives constant improvement.
A strong sense of conviction to do right by clients compels great advisors to continue improving their craft and ultimately enhance the value clients receive.
9. Professional: They run their practice/client book as a business and plan strategically for the future. Advisors can better help their clients when they run successful firms/client books. Just as they encourage financial responsibility in their clients, top tier advisors apply the highest standard to managing their own enterprise.
10. Honest: Honesty entails setting realistic expectations about controllable actions and probable outcomes. While the best advice may not be easy to hear, great advisors communicate essential truths about money and investing so that clients have realistic expectations about their wealth.
11. Disciplined: A disciplined advisor doesn’t allow market swings or media messages to drive impulsive actions. Effective advisors know the importance of preparing clients to navigate changing markets and apply discipline at crucial times, which can lead to a more enjoyable and promising financial journey.
12. Contactable: Good advisors make it easy for their clients to contact them within a pre agreed response time. Being able to respond within a reasonable time frame builds trust and rapport as clients like to know that their advisor is there to help them manage their investments in both favourable and unfavourable market conditions.