Each week, members will receive an email coaching vignette that contains actionable ideas, which are tested in the trenches and have helped many of the country’s top wealth managers get to the top. Arranged sequentially, this coaching service will systematically lead you through a process that can help you increase your income and enhance your quality of life.

Here is a sample coaching vignette.

Three Keys to Million-Dollar Production
By Steve Sanduski, CFP™

I always ask my coaching clients what their goals are and frequently they will say, “I want to be a million-dollar producer.” Here are three key ways to get there.

First, you must have a compelling enough reason to become a million-dollar producer that outweighs the costs of you trying to get there. Generating one million dollars in commission and fee income requires a tremendous amount of work and sacrifice. Having a heartfelt, compelling reason that will help you stay on task and persevere during the tough times is a major key to helping you get there.

Second, gain a conceptual understanding of how to be successful by learning how other people did it. You can hunt and peck your way to the top but it will take many years of trial and error and reinventing the wheel. However, reading books, articles and listening and talking to other successful producers and experts can shorten your learning curve. You benefit from other people’s experience instead of wasting time trying to figure it all out on your own.

These first two keys—finding a compelling reason that pulls you toward your million-dollar goal and gaining the conceptual knowledge you need to get there—will only take you so far. There’s still something missing. Without this final piece, it would be like me trying to be a successful brain surgeon. I could have a compelling reason to do it (I want to save people’s lives) and I could have the knowledge (from reading medical textbooks) but I don’t think any of you reading this would trust me with a scalpel in my hand!

	My enjoyment and personal fulfillment in this business have increased exponentially since I joined PEAK, not to mention my revenues doubling." – Dan Pinkerton

The third key pulls it all together by requiring you to take massive action and implement what you know. In the case of a financial advisor, you have to put your new knowledge to work by doing the following:

• Igniting your burning desire by developing a vision, mission, and setting goals
• Improving your staffing situation
• Systematizing everything
• Increasing your productivity
• Building your brand
• Deepening your top client relationships through Love Affair Marketing™
• Focusing your marketing efforts on your top prospects and clients
• Generating more A+ referrals
• Developing a consistent lead generation program

Building a million-dollar financial services practice is not easy. In fact, because of the headaches and sacrifices necessary to get to that level, many advisors are perfectly happy performing at a level well below the seven-figure mark. If that is you—great. If not, follow these three keys and you will achieve your goal much quicker and with much less fuss.

Here is a second sample of a coaching vignette.

Tools to Use When Hiring Staff

	I’ve been involved in many coaching programs/events and PEAK has dwarfed all those others in terms of effectiveness. It has and continues to revolutionize my practice and life." – Kelly Campbell

Staff turnover is a big headache and a major expense for advisors. How can you ensure that your next hire is a top performer who will stay for a long time? While no hiring system is 100% effective, you can certainly increase your odds by following a couple Tested in the Trenches™ steps

First, test your candidates. PEAK has its candidates complete two test—the Kolbe A™ and the Wonderlic Personnel Test™. The Kolbe test is useful in helping create a fuller picture of each candidate and in identifying a candidate’s "instinct-based talents." The test measures four dimensions: Fact finder, Follow Thru, Quick Start, and Implementor. We track the profiles of our successful employees so we will know what a successful profile looks like for the different positions we offer at PEAK. The test is inexpensive, can be completed online, and provides us with additional information that is helpful in the hiring process. (www.kolbe.com)

The Wonderlic test helps us assess a candidate's intellectual capacity. For example, PEAK interviewed a candidate for a key position and they interviewed well but their score on the Wonderlic was 20. The minimum recommended score for this type of key position is 27, according to Wonderlic's historical statistics. This low score combined with this candidate’s weak writing skills helped bounce them from further consideration. (www.wonderlic.com)

	Best coaching program for financial advisors out there. – Scott Ford

Second, have your candidates perform a skill. For example, if you are hiring an associate wealth advisor, have them role-play a call with a prospect. Pretend you are a prospect who just attended one of the candidate’s workshops. Now have your candidate call you and role-play how he would handle this type of follow-up call. You could also role-play your candidate asking you for a referral or role-play how he would handle the first 10 minutes of the first meeting with a prospect. Be creative.

By testing your candidates and placing them into simulated "live" business scenarios, you can dramatically increase the odds of making a good hire.

(Kolbe A™ is trademark of Kolbe Corp., Wonderlic Personnel Test™ is a trademark of Wonderlic Inc.)