For the past few years, pundits have been predicting that bots, robo-advisors, and other technologies will lead to the demise of living, breathing financial professionals. That hasn’t happened yet, and, in my opinion, it never will. Yes, people can conduct much of their preliminary research online, and a few are willing to purchase basic coverage without ever speaking to a person. But most will want a financial professional to guide them through life’s twists and turns. Even those people who purchase coverage from a robo-advisor will seek the expertise of a financial professional as their needs become more complex. 

Apex is NAIFA’s new professional development signature event focused on providing top leadership, sales, and marketing ideas to financial services professionals. The new brand reflects the concept of a “race to the top” where only the top percent of advisors, and the aspiring top percent of advisors, gather to share and compare success stories. The inaugural Apex event will be August 17-18 at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix.

Apex is a completely redesigned pure-play professional development meeting. It features nationally known and highly regarded keynote speakers and educational sessions by top professionals and respected thought leaders in the insurance and financial services industry. Apex is also a premier networking event providing ample opportunities for top advisors to mingle, compare notes, and make valuable connections.

NAIFA Trustee Christopher Gandy, LACP, was featured presenter at the NAIFA-NC chapter’s February virtual meeting. After presiding over the installation of NAIFA-NC’s 2022 Board of Directors, Gandy gave his presentation, “Your Best Year Ever.”

Drawing on his experiences as a professional basketball player and a highly successful financial professional, Gandy challenged agents and advisors to reach their highest levels of achievement. “You cannot do ordinary things and expect extraordinary results,” he said. “You have to do ‘the extra.’”

Apex is NAIFA’s new signature event focused on providing innovative sales and marketing ideas to financial services professionals who serve individuals, families, and small businesses across the United States. The new brand reflects the concept of a “race to the top” to target those advisors who seek continuous improvement in increasing production and providing financial security to more Americans. The inaugural Apex event will be August 16-18 at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix.

Consider just how much trust someone needs to have in their financial advisor to give them continuous access to, and nearly complete control of, their life’s savings, their retirement income, and their future security and dreams. That degree of trust ranks right up there with entrusting your life to a surgeon, your children’s wellbeing to a nanny, and your heart to your spouse.

Trust like that isn’t simply granted to a financial advisor because of a single phone call.

For financial advisors, referrals are—and will probably always be—the primary method of generating new business. It seems like every business blogger out there has the best, top, greatest, or most unique ideas for generating referrals. Personally, my favorite book title proclaiming its best ways to get referrals is this one: Endless Referrals, Third Edition.

I guess the previous editions didn’t result in endless referrals as promised.

To capitalize on the referral market, there are only two aspects of your business that are worth focusing on: delivering an exceptional client experience and continuously developing relationships with clients and spheres of influence.

When looking at a company you admire, you may question how a top executive attained their position within the organization. Typically, there is a track record of hard work and dedication to supporting the executive’s career trajectory within the industry and their company.

From the 1980s through the early 2000s, many advisors and brokers dreamed of having more help with critical yet time-consuming tasks like proof of insurance and minor claims processing. We mused, “If only I had help with those tasks, I could spend more time focusing on high-touch customer service and sales.”

Today, digital innovations are streamlining much of the way carriers and their representatives conduct and generate business. These innovations are precisely the help we wished for.

So why do many in our industry resist digital advances like customer self-service and apps?

NAIFA member since 1993, Robert B. Wellendorf ll, Business Exit Planning Expert President at Executive Wealth Strategies, will be joining us for 2021 APC Impact Week. Wellendorf will be providing a presentation covering a deep dive case study on life insurance in the business marketplace on October 20^th.

NAIFA Senior Vice President for Government Relations, Diane Boyle will be joining us during the 2021 APC Impact Week. Just added to the agenda, Boyle will provide a legislative and regulatory update on Tuesday, October 19.