The Wright Company

For a long time the widely held belief has been, “Knowledge is power.” Those who have achieved high levels of success have added, “knowledge combined with action is power.” However, because of rapidly developing technology and the high speed, persistent change of our day, these statements must be expanded even further. Knowledge without imagination cannot evolve. Imagination is the lifeblood of creativity, the mother of innovation and knowledge. Those who choose to succeed must embrace and live by this new paradigm and credo, “Constantly evolving knowledge combined with innovative action is power.”

The financial services industry is changing. The information age and wave of new technology have combined, resulting in a rate of change unprecedented throughout history. Our world is quickly becoming more competitive. Consumers are becoming more sophisticated and demanding more service for less money. There are fewer lines of distinction between the services offered by attorneys, accountants, stockbrokers, financial planners, insurance agents, bankers, real estate agents, and trust companies. Many professionals feel overwhelmed by the intrusion of new competitors. More competitors combined with new technology are driving fees and commissions down to record lows. If you feel as though you are about to be swallowed up in this tidal wave of change, you are not alone. But there is hope and opportunity for innovative people of action.

Working with professionals in all of the aforementioned categories has provided me with both a detailed as well as a broad view of the financial services arena. In this publication, we'll explore a revolutionary approach to establishing market dominance. I shall suggest creative, effective methods of professional enhancement and client service. I am confident that you will see how making these changes can be in your best interest. Perhaps you will even embrace them. My system may be unique, but it is well proven. This system has helped many professionals improve their performance and achieve greater prominence in their desired markets and fields of expertise.

While you are reading, I encourage you to consider whether or not your competition is addressing these same issues. How can you use these techniques to achieve market separation? What if you had been using these techniques during the past two years? If you take the initiative to complete the Rate Your Knowledge exercise in this booklet, you will get more out of this information than those people who do not. The more proactive you are, the more benefit you will enjoy.

One of my favorite metaphors describes the perceptions of both the people in the trenches of the financial arena and also the management of financial companies; both large corporations, small firms and everything in between. I hope you enjoy it and appreciate its relevance.

There is an old tale from India which tells of a wise Rajah who wanted to study an important part of human nature. The Rajah gathered six blind men together and asked them to define an elephant by touch. Since each of the men had been blind since birth, they had never seen an elephant. To make certain the men would not be prejudiced by previous descriptions they may have heard, they were not told what kind of animal it was.

Each blind man was assigned to a different part of the elephant and allowed to touch only that portion of the animal to which he was assigned. The first man touched the tusk and said, "This animal is like a spear." The second man felt the trunk and declared, "This animal is like a snake." Feeling the ear, the third man exclaimed, "This animal is like a fan." The fourth man stroked the elephant's front leg and announced, "This animal is like a tree." The fifth man after patting the elephant's side decided, "This animal is like a wall." Finally, the sixth man grasped the tail and proclaimed, "This animal is like a rope."

The six blind men began arguing over who was right and who was wrong. Because each of these men had an ego and pride, as all of us do, the argument became quite heated. At this point, the wise Rajah who had set up the exercise stepped in and said, "The elephant is a large animal, made up of different parts. Each of you has knowledge of only one part. To find out the whole truth, you must gain knowledge of all the parts and put them all together. In order to do this, you must set aside your ego and pride to realize you may not have all the knowledge necessary to comprehend the whole elephant."

The blind men in this story are just like the people you and I work with or work for each day. Most people do not see the big picture. We are all limited in our view, at least some of the time. If we see the world or the market from a paradigm where we, our company or its products and services, are the center of the universe we will miss out on many opportunities. What is worse, a self-interest centered, and independent paradigm often results in the misdirection, misuse or even underutilization of products or services. In order to reach maximum effectiveness, we must first seek to truly understand the goals, needs and desires of those who occupy the markets in which we wish to participate. The metaphor of the elephant is relevant whether we define the whole market as the elephant or the desired client as the elephant. Doesn't it make sense to understand as much as we possibly can about our market and our clients if we are going to be true professionals and fully address their needs?

Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, encourages us to "begin with the end in mind." Those who will dominate the markets of the future will have the focus of a client-centered paradigm. They will understand that an interdependent, client-centered culture is what separates them from the masses of product-centered or self-interested, "I am the center of the universe", cultures which are so common today. Those whose "end in mind" is to sell a living trust, insurance policy or investment, etc., will encounter greater difficulty as clients become more sophisticated and discerning. The clients who meet ‘A’ level parameters will be looking for advisors and specialists whose "end in mind" is to identify and fulfill the clients' greatest vision and goals. The ‘A’ level market will be hungry for ‘A’ level advisors and specialists. The sales people who fit the, "To a man with a hammer, the whole world is a nail," profile will find themselves unattractive to sophisticated consumers.

This publication is dedicated to those who want to understand the whole elephant. A limited perspective is one of the most common causes of failure. Understanding the macro picture is one of the most powerful tools you can use to build your future. Those who wish to dominate the financial services market will find a macro perspective crucial to success or perhaps even to their very survival.

Some would say the revolution in the financial services industries started years ago. What matters most for you is that you grab hold of this revolution right now, today. In the few minutes you've spent reading this publication, the world has changed. In the last five years, our technological increases have enhanced the information and service age at warp speed.

Technology can be our best friend or our biggest enemy. The good news is that we get to choose. The better informed we are, the more opportunity we have. Opportunity that goes unexercised is pretty much useless. Here are a few examples of what I mean.

· A few years ago one of the top managers of a very large financial services company was quoted as saying that within the next few years the firm would no longer have any “stockbrokers”. Another representative of that firm recently said that a stockbroker's biggest competition is: A) discounters, and B) technology.

· In 1996, while listening to the radio, I heard a commercial for subscriptions to a financial magazine. The offer went something like this: If you subscribed for one year at $19.95, you'd receive a bonus computer diskette so that you could do your own taxes. If you subscribed for two years at $29.95, you would also receive a bonus diskette on how to draft your own wills and living trust.

· In 1996 I heard a woman in real estate interviewed. She had just published a book which explained how to sell your property for 1% commission instead of the "outrageous," as she called it, 6% commission which is so common.

The trend, for those who haven't yet noticed, is this: You are about to become a commodity. That's right folks, step right up. For only $12.95 a year, you get all the information you'll need to do it on your own. Just think of what that means. No more pesky attorneys, accountants, stockbrokers, realtors or insurance agents. What's more, if you have your own computer and modem, you will never have to stand in line at the bank again. It is technology that has brought us these great "savings." As long as there are people naive enough to think they can out perform the experts all by themselves, this trend will continue. This situation exists because many people let greed win out over what ought to be common sense. Professionals who ignore this part of the elephant are those who are the most likely to become order takers for a salary of $30,000 per year at a discount firm. They are about to become commodities, and thus technology is not their friend.

Another option exists. It is reserved for the relatively few who begin taking action right away. The first step involves a change in your mindset or paradigm, and it is this:

In essence, play the game at a level which the competition cannot understand or at which it will not participate. Offer something truly valuable to the segment(s) of the market that will appreciate what you do. This leads us to the second step.

You can begin by assessing your current strengths and weaknesses. The following exercise has been designed to help any person or any company in the financial services arena assess where they are now in regard to their current technical ability in a myriad of relevant and connected topics. This tool will help you identify your core competency. Plus it will help you identify areas where you can add Strategic Alliances to enhance your client service capability. This is a key step towards achieving a more dominant and profitable position in your desired market. Please do not underestimate the importance and power of this exercise. If you want to see the elephant, you must truthfully answer all of the following questions.

On a scale of 0-10 please rate your level of expertise. A rating of zero would indicate that you have never heard of the subject before. A rating of 10 would indicate that you are one of the top 5% of people in the country on that respective subject.

_____ Specific advanced strategies that provide ‘Living Benefits’ vs. ‘Inheritance Benefits’

_____ The formation and administration of Asset Protection Trusts and various offshore strategies

_____ Current Income, Capital Gains and Estate Tax rates, deductions and exclusions

_____ The use of Tax-Exempt Trusts to sell highly appreciated assets without capital gains taxes

When I first introduced Rate Your Knowledge© it only contained Phase One. Right away I learned that we would have to introduce a more "structured" rating system. Many who completed the exercise had a tendency to at least slightly over rate their level of knowledge. Some people actually rated themselves at levels exceeding ten. One person went so far as to rate himself as a level 15 on a couple of topics.

One of the key problem areas for the entire financial services industry is that there is no quantifiable rating system to clarify one's level of competency. Most of the industry and the people in it look to production of revenue or amount of products sold to gauge effectiveness or competency. This is a major detriment to any organization or individual who falls into such a trap. While the ability to generate revenue can offer some indication of ability, other factors must also be included in the evaluation of capability. Most of us can think of at least one person in each category (attorney, investment advisor/broker, accountant, banker, insurance agent, financial planner, or real estate agent) who thinks they are brilliant in their field and base this perception upon their personal level of income or amount of products which they have sold. Organizations or industries which support the "Production = Brilliance" attitude are ultimately hurting everyone involved including themselves.

The ability to sell products or generate billable hours must not be the most important factor in determining competency. Yet as a general rule, the majority of recognition throughout the financial services industry is based upon sales or revenue. As the public becomes more sophisticated (wary), they become more interested in substance and less interested in hype. Many consumers have already had personal experiences with the super salesman types who have sold them on ineffective, piecemeal solutions such as living trusts, qualified plans, asset allocation modeling or life insurance which do not fully address or solve their macro needs or the total issues at hand. Just how many people do you suppose have lost money on limited partnerships or other investments which didn't perform as promoted? Such consumer experiences combined with today's flood of information will have a detrimental effect upon those salespeople who would rely upon their own charm and "salesmanship" to gain business.

Many of the industry's "Top Performers" are in fact so technically deficient that the only thing which makes them "Top Performers" is their ability to sell stuff to the overly trusting, naive or unsophisticated consumer.

As people become more sophisticated they will demand higher levels of competency from their advisors. Professionals who desire participation in the business, finances and activities of ‘A’ level clients must hold themselves to a higher standard. Phase Two of Rate Your Knowledge© has been designed with all this in mind. The difference between phases one and two is of enormous consequence. Phase Two incorporates what many believe to be a reasonable set of evaluation or competency standards contained in a complete rating system from 0-10. Those who might be tempted to exaggerate their abilities or expertise must be careful now, because someone could ask for quantifiable proof of that competency. With a rating of 4 or above, it becomes very easy for professionals and/or consumers to verify one's expertise. Another important note, no credit is given for salesmanship or Chairman's Club awards, etc. The rating system for performance standards is based upon what it should be: A) your level of knowledge on a subject, and B) your ability to perform in the client's best interest. You cannot become a level 7 or better without your clients, peers and competitors recognizing you as an authority on the subject. Just as importantly, if you are not client-centered, your peers will know. Therefore, self-centered or profit-centered individuals would not likely gain positive peer recognition, thus preventing them from attaining level 7 or higher.

Once we know where we truly are we can make enormous progress, if we choose to. One investment advisor/branch manager client of ours went to a meeting for all of his firm's branch managers. His peers voted him the "most technically knowledgeable" branch manager in that firm. When I met him, he rated level 6 in a few topics and mostly zero, 1 or 2 on everything else. I asked him how much time he had invested to become the "most technically knowledgeable" manager in the firm. He answered by saying that he had invested approximately 20 hours of reading/studying to pull himself up to level 3 or 4 on many topics. He figured that in another 40 to 50 hours he would reach level 3 or 4 on everything. He now felt confident that level 7 or better was achievable in his desired core competencies. Knowledge in the peripheral topics would enhance his macro perspective and ability to recognize and fulfill client needs.

Ask yourself, if you or a family member were about to have surgery, what minimum level of competency would you want the surgeon and his support team to possess? Now I ask you, if you were going to select an advisor or team of advisors, what minimum level of competency would you insist that they possess? Try putting yourself in the client's position. In fact, in many ways, you are in the client's position. What kind of advisors do you want looking out for you?

By completing Phase Two of this exercise, you will have a better understanding of your strengths, weaknesses, and your core competencies. The more involved in ‘A’ level activities you become, the more application you will see for all of these topics. The more problems and opportunities you recognize for clients, the more opportunities you will enjoy for increased revenue. This is where the connection between knowledge and power begins to become apparent. Relax and enjoy the exercise!

Please rate your knowledge of the following subject areas using the scale below.

4 = You could provide a reasonably accurate verbal or written summary of the subject.

6 = You have firsthand personal and/or professional experience with the subject.

7 = You are considered by many of your peers to be the best local authority on the subject.

8 = You are highly compensated for your work in the area. Peers, friends and even competitors recognize you as being a national expert.

9 = You are highly compensated for your work in the area. Peers, friends and even competitors recognize you as being a national expert, and not only do you have technical ability, but your total breadth of knowledge and creative ability empower you to apply your skills in a macro sense.

10 = You are considered to be an international authority and/or you are one of the top 5% of people in your field or niche.

_____ Specific advanced strategies that provide ‘Living Benefits’ vs. ‘Inheritance Benefits’

_____ The formation and administration of Asset Protection Trusts and various offshore
strategies

_____ Current Income, Capital Gains and Estate Tax rates, deductions and exclusions

_____ The use of Tax-Exempt Trusts to sell highly appreciated assets without capital gains
taxes

Those who complete this exercise are the ones most likely to make dramatic improvements in their level of involvement in ‘A’ level activities. Please do not cheat yourself or your clients by shortcutting the exercise. I strongly urge you complete both phases of the exercise before continuing. Once you have completed both phases, please continue with the rest of this material.

Defining Your ‘A’ Level Clients

In order to truly evolve into the ‘A’ level game, you must also define the game and role you wish to play. In order to further this process, you will need to define what your perfect ‘A’ level client looks like in at least general if not specific parameters. The next six questions have been extracted from The Wright System™ for Ultimate Referrals and Strategic Alliance Development CD-ROM and will prove helpful in your efforts even in this significantly condensed format. I would encourage you to use a separate piece of paper so that you may get as specific as possible.

1. Describe your perfect or ‘A’ level client in terms of net worth, lifestyle, position in life, age and occupation. _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

month?_______ quarter?_______ year?_______ five years?_______ ten years?________

3. How well would this ‘A’ level client score on the Rate Your Knowledge© exercise?

4. How likely would it be for this client to look to a newsletter, the Web, magazines, etc., rather than to professional human beings for help in most of the Rate Your Knowledge© topics?

5. Are you the type of professional who would currently be attractive to prospective clients which meet your ‘A’ level parameters? yes no

6. If you were to improve yourself up to level 7 or higher on at least two additional relevant topics, would you be more attractive to your desired clientele? yes no

It is very important that you determine what role you want to play in the marketplace. Who are your desired clientele? Are you competent enough to be attractive to the clients you want? You can out perform most of your "competition" just by implementing the following:

2. Make certain that other advisors who service your desired market know and appreciate you.

4. Have a dynamic message. Tell your story in a manner which is different from and more attractive than anyone else. Remember, the more meaning and resonance your message has to your targeted consumer, the greater effect it will have. The more “Client-Centered” your message and behavior is, the greater your success will be!

Independence vs. Interdependence

Earlier we discussed the blind men who got into a big argument over the elephant, much like the independently working advisor who kills the independently working salesman's proposal. Neither of them understands the other's perspective, yet they are certain that their perception is best. My experience has been that when all of the advisors work together, the client (elephant) achieves the greatest level of satisfaction and performance. The advisors also mutually benefit. For just a few moments please imagine that you are the ‘A’ level, perfect client you described earlier. Please answer all of these questions to the best of your ability, remembering you are answering as your client.

1. If you could wave a magic wand and create the perfect lifestyle or existence for yourself and your family, what would it be like? _______________________________________

2. If you could throw away your existing calendar and replace it with one which happily took full advantage of your time, talent and resources, what would it look like? ________

3. If you could change any list of things in the world, your community and your country, what would they be? ______________________________________________________

4. How do you feel about your religion?_________________________________________

5. How do you feel about your heirs? ___________________________________________

6. What would you like to provide for your heirs while you are alive?__________________

7. What would you like to provide for your heirs after your death?_____________________

8. How do you feel about your spouse? __________________________________________

9. What is preventing or delaying you from doing those things which are the best use of your time, talent and resources? ______________________________________________

10. Of your existing advisors, please list all of those whose counsel you respect? (friends, spouse, professionals, etc.) __________________________________________________

11. Of your existing advisors, who should be included in the decision making process? _____

12. What is the purpose of money? ______________________________________________

The Trees are Falling

If a tree falls in the forest and nobody hears it, does it make a sound? This is an age old question that is directly relevant to your level of participation in the financial revolution. Let's look at it another way. If there is an opportunity in your life, but you don't act upon it, is it likely to benefit you? If there is a problem in your life, but you don't recognize it, misdiagnose it, or fail to take appropriate action, can it hurt you?

Right now while you are reading this, your existing ‘A’ level clients have trees falling in their forests. The problem is they are so distracted by life that they are relatively unaware of the danger around them. What's even worse is that their existing advisors don't recognize the trees that are about to fall either. The reason or excuse is pretty simple. The advisors cannot answer the twelve questions about their client asked in the last section. They don't know what trees to look for. If you think that sounds far fetched, test it yourself. Go pull the files of all of your existing ‘A’ level clients and see if you have that data. You may rest assured that none of your competitors have that data on their ‘A’ level clients either. In fact, almost nobody has that data, including or especially the clients themselves. Chances are, no one has ever asked them those questions. Perhaps they have never discussed such questions with anyone before. If you were someone's ‘A’ level perfect client, wouldn't you want your advisors to really know you before they told you what to do with your money? Here is another part of the elephant that almost nobody sees. One of the primary goals of all human beings is to be understood. Until there is understanding, trust will be very limited. Traditionally, discounters and the transaction oriented will have not had the time nor inclination to seek the answers to those twelve questions.

Thinking back on the Rate Your Knowledge© exercise, realize that many professionals feel they do not need to be informed on "all that stuff." They rationalize most of it away by saying, "We don't do that here," or, "That's not my department," or, "That's someone else's responsibility." Most professionals and even companies that profess to be "full service" really do not know their clients. The newest trend with "full service" firms is the touting of "relationships." Don't worry about that though, it's just advertising fluff. Although, some of the ads are terrific. The truth is, the representatives don't know what questions to ask their clients or prospects. Even if they read this booklet and wanted to ask all of the questions, they would need considerable training to learn how to effectively ask the questions. Then they would be faced with a serious obstacle, they would have to deal with the answers. The clients would now be expecting or demanding a higher level of service.

Imagine what a difficult position most advisors would be in if a client actually gave them all of that data. What would they do about it? Where would they even begin? The traditional independently acting advisor would want to create a proposal and submit it to the client. Of course this almost never works with wealthy, sophisticated clients. This is because they understand that no individual or company can advise them on everything and resolve all of their needs. As people become better informed or more sophisticated, they recognize the advantages of interdependence. They are very unlikely to respond favorably to proposals which do not incorporate input from their existing advisors or at least a team of highly competent specialists. This is why so many proposals die. The presenter is too often acting independently rather than interdependently.

In the future clients will be even better informed, wiser, more discerning and sophisticated. The independently acting advisors will find themselves competing with teams of extremely competent specialists, those with a level 7 rating and above on the Rate Your Knowledge© exercise. The independent person will lose almost every time. Not only will they lose out on new client opportunities, but they will also lose many of their existing ‘A’ level clients to those better equipped, more competent teams of professionals. Discriminating consumers want to be treated as the elephants they are, rather than the status quo which treats them as financial statements.

The SWAT Team

To be competitive, advisors will have to be interdependent thinkers and team players. If you are a short-term thinking, transactional person, you are destined to become a commodity. The ‘A’ level market of the future will require greater individual, team and company expertise. Those who will dominate their niche, at least in ‘A’ level markets, will have to surround themselves and/or their company with exceptional outside third-party specialists. If you are with a large firm, you may use in-house specialists for some cases. But as you evolve, you will understand the dynamic impact and value of the third-party, outside specialist. In short, you will need a SWAT Team.

A SWAT Team is composed of people whose core competency rates at least level 7 on the Rate Your Knowledge© exercise in their respective subjects. Plus there must be at least one player who rates at least level 4, preferably level 5 on every topic on the list. This is the person who identifies the problems and opportunities then coordinates the drafting and implementation of the "Macro Strategic Plan™." Generally speaking, the one topic on which each SWAT Team member must rate at least a level 5 is the last topic of “paradigm recognition and shifting techniques”. Please go back and look at Rate Your Knowledge© to see how you rated on this subject. This is the most crucial topic in relation to attracting, enhancing and keeping client relationships. This subject area must become a significant part of your enhanced core competency.

Those who desire true market domination will become involved with SWAT Teams and Strategic Alliances for the purpose of marketing and client service. Since I have written and lectured a great deal on this subject, I will not take up that issue here as it can become lengthy. But please be advised of this – networking and Strategic Alliances are vastly different animals. They are light years apart in both structure and application. If you would like more information on Strategic Alliances, SWAT Teams and technical educational materials, please consult the list of resources provided at the end of the booklet.

The Future is Yours

What do you want out of your career? If you could create the perfect clientele, what would the parameters be? How many clients would you service, if any? How could you enhance your relationships with your existing ‘A’ level clients? How will you attract new ‘A’ level clients? How will you position yourself to receive quality referrals to ‘A’ level clients from other professionals? Are you willing to become more of an expert on the topics listed in Rate Your Knowledge©? Where will you be five years from now?

Technology and Your Business

In 1997, I took the opportunity to attend the "Executive Americas Tour" put on by one of the world's top software and technology companies. They are probably accurate in their view of what the future of computing will be like. They are banking on the World Wide Web or Internet becoming the dominant element in computing. Their position is that computing will be available via enhanced television. The infrastructure for this is developing at a rapid pace. Such simplicity and increased availability will put many more people on-line. Thus, more people will become more educated and more selective in their choice of advisors. This will further drive the need for enhanced customer service and better trained advisors.

High technology plus an interdependent, “client-centered” attitude or business culture will dominate all markets eventually. The transactional systems and cultures which have been so prevalent are becoming more archaic every day. The clients, markets and professionals are becoming increasingly sophisticated. The demand for ‘A’ level professionals with high levels of core competency and the ability to behave proactively as part of an all-star team is the game of the future. Technology will enhance the communication and data management capabilities and thus fuel the fires of transition into the next generation of client service.

Product and Service Development

When you compare how much money companies or industries put into product development versus the technical training of personnel versus client service development, it is hard to argue that the financial services industry isn't product or transaction centered. The major investment brokerage companies collectively spent nearly one billion dollars on investment products called derivatives. Most of the representatives of those firms wouldn't score at even level 3 in Rate Your Knowledge© on derivatives. Most companies that market derivatives are hard pressed to find more than a very small percentage of their representatives who would rate level 5. Naturally, very few consumers could understand such complexities. Imagine how dominant a firm would be if they had also invested a portion of their derivative development budget into “client-centered” service personnel training. What if your firm got really serious about “client-centered” service and "Macro Strategic Planning™"?

Many companies and individuals are jumping on the "relationship" band wagon. There are some great advertising campaigns and marketing materials that focus on this increasingly important topic. Now imagine what would happen if these companies spent even 25 percent of their product budgets on training their representatives in “client-centered” relationship development. It is not my intention to single out the investment industry. Improvement is needed in the areas of accounting, law, insurance, real estate, and banking as well. It's important to remember that I'm talking about real relationship training, not the sales and manipulation tactics which are so commonly taught and implemented today. Just because you advertise that you focus on relationships doesn't mean that you can deliver on the expectations created by the ad campaign. Advertising fluff and impurity of heart will burn the poorly trained or disingenuous when client expectations go unmet. Sophisticated clients and their sophisticated advisors will not work with the dishonest or incompetent. Those who want to promote the relationship concept had better master human and client relationship/service capabilities and techniques.

Good is the Enemy of Great

One of our clients is a classic example of an already successful financial advisor. He has several hundred clients, works as a team with four other people and produces gross revenue exceeding $1 million annually. His obstacles to success look like this:

1. His ratio of clients is approximately 70% ‘C’ level and 30% ‘A’ and ‘B’ level.

2. Although approximately 60% of his gross comes from the 30% ‘A’ and ‘B’ level clients, he spends 75% to 80% of his client interaction time with ‘C’ level clients.

3. His long-standing system is dysfunctional because the only way to double his gross is to double his clientele from 700 to 1400. It is a transactional system.

4. His marketing system, business process and daily activities focus on too broad of a cross section of the market. So, in over 10 years of marketing, he has less than 50 true ‘A’ level clients.

This Wright Company client had previously invested a lot of time and money in a contact management software system which enabled him to drastically increase production. But then he got stuck at that level of production. He is making a lot of money but has little time to enjoy it. His clients (mostly the ‘C’s) have numerous brush fires each and every day. He had long been engaged in the "gather assets and clients" game. That was his "end in mind." Now he is focused on a new paradigm. He has become consultative. He has learned to see the whole elephant. He has entered the "goal identification and fulfillment" business. His "end in mind" is different. Now he is “client-centered”. His new system has enabled him to separate himself from 99% of the ‘C’ level activity. His primary marketing focus was to double his gross with only 150 new clients, all of them ‘A’ level. He accomplished that goal in approximately 24 months! He has learned that by seeing the whole elephant, one comes to see many opportunities which were unrecognizable before. By becoming focused on his core competency, and with proper positioning, the vast majority of those new ‘A’ level clients have come from referrals. Most of those referrals have come from other ‘A’ level advisors whom he has helped to see the elephant! He is capitalizing upon the power of Strategic Alliances and SWAT Teams. By putting the client in the center of the universe, everyone wins. Everyone is more effective and profitable.

In order to initiate important improvements in how and why we do business, we must ask ourselves some important questions:

3. What can I do to make myself, my company and our services or products attractive to our ideal market?

4. What does our desired market really want and/or need? What niches are left unfilled?

5. In what ways could we demonstrate important value to existing and new clients so that we keep those clients for multiple generations?

6. How can I position myself and my company so that we are attractive to other ‘A’ level professionals in order to earn and receive ‘A’ level client referrals?

I've heard it said that one definition of insanity is to continue in the same process while hoping for a different or "better" result. A colleague of mine teaches a course called "High Performance Training." In his course, Bob Davies uses the following picture.

Although it is possible to move a heavy wooden cart with square wheels, of course it is more efficient to use round wheels. Part of the problem, however, is that when people are enjoying some success, they are often reluctant to look up and explore the possibilities that lie all around them. In the previous illustration, the cart is full of round wheels. Just think how little time it would take to switch the square wheels for round. Sometimes a small interruption in what is working well can result in a quantum change which will make us great. Perhaps it is best viewed as an issue of infrastructure. Where are you today versus where you want to be tomorrow? Do you have all of the people and tools you need to at least be competitive or possibly even dominant? Is your current position of "good" the enemy of what could be "great?"

What do you think would happen if you walked up to these guys and suggested that they consider replacing their square wheels with the round wheels right under their noses in their cart? The most common response from American business culture would be, "Our current system works just fine. Last quarter we led our industry. We're projecting a 10% increase next quarter as well." Or how about this one, "Obviously you don't understand who we are. We are the dominant player in our field. We are the leaders in our industry. Our motto is, 'If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It.' Everyone else looks to us for leadership." To make matters worse, the securities and insurance industries sometimes put too much control in the hands of the legal and/or compliance departments. The leadership for market dominance is unlikely to flow from these departments. Legal compliance is important, but real innovation requires one to push the envelope of thought and action. Any firm which allows its compliance department or its legal counsel to block innovations or attempts to re-engineer the nature of its business into a more competitive model is very unlikely to make the necessary transitions, or at least to make those transitions in a timely fashion, to dominate its market. Companies which have proven themselves capable of market dominance have many things in common, at least one of which is that they do not allow the compliance departments and legal departments to strangle the evolution of the company and the pursuit of opportunities into new or better markets.

Perhaps the firms who have taken pride in their "value added service," which they promote over and above what the "discounters" can offer, will find that the entrepreneurial discounters are becoming more “client-centered”. The discounters may be the first pioneers into true, client-related service. After all, it was the discounters who pioneered a whole new segment of the industry and are achieving an increasingly dominant share of the market almost on a daily basis. Perhaps it will be the discounters who will offer truly value added “client-centered” service, and the big, stodgy firms with the restrictive compliance departments who will find themselves on the fast track to irrelevancy.

Institutionally-centered, protectionist, and self-centered attitudes permeate American business. Individuals or companies suffering from apathy, arrogance, ignorance and mediocrity are dying and usually don't even know it until it is too late. The trees are falling all around them, but they will not admit that they must evolve or die. I like Stephen R. Covey's quote on leadership, "The leader is the one who climbs the tallest tree, surveys the entire situation, and yells, 'WRONG JUNGLE!' But how do the busy, efficient producers and managers often respond? 'SHUT UP! WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS!'"

The game is always evolving. Today it's square wheels on a wooden cart. Tomorrow lots of people will be using round wheels on that cart. Six months from now someone will come out with a light weight, titanium cart with an aerodynamic shape. Eventually the cart will have a motor and maybe even the capability to fly or hover. The guys with the wooden cart and square wheels will either evolve or die. Perhaps they will just go to work as order takers at some discount firm. It could be worse; they could be replaced altogether by a home computer, telephone, free software, and a few financial providers on the World Wide Web.

Joining the Revolution to Market Dominance

Change is a difficult thing. It always requires at least one of these three elements: physical, mental, or emotional personal effort. If it also requires the expenditure of money, you're getting into that territory where only the most courageous and daring will go. For a long time, the widely held belief has been, "Knowledge is power." Those who have achieved high levels of success have added, "Knowledge combined with action is power." However, because of rapidly developing technology and the high speed, persistent change of our day, these statements must be expanded even further. Knowledge without imagination cannot evolve. Imagination is the lifeblood of creativity, the mother of innovation and knowledge. Those who choose to succeed must accept and live by this new paradigm and credo, "CONSTANTLY EVOLVING KNOWLEDGE COMBINED WITH INNOVATIVE ACTION IS POWER." It will be a combination of things which makes market dominance achievable by those who are now or are willing to become among the best at what they do. It is time for you to take command of your future!

Imagine how great it would be if you could offer a level of “Client-Centered Service and Leadership™” that would accomplish the following results:

§ Put you on a playing field beyond the comprehension or abilities of your current competitors.

§ Magnetically attract ‘A’ level clients and business away from competitors without having to say anything negative about anyone.

§ Help clients, prospects and other professionals view you as their primary resource for accomplishing their most important vision and goals in life, business and finance.

§ Position you and your team of specialists as the source of dynamic execution unparalleled in your market.

All of this and more are possible with The Wright System™. Now you can have access to the training and tools that will make the difference you have been searching for. This dynamic system is well proven and references are available upon request. This is all based upon principles which allow all participants to win. It is the ultimate “Client-Centered” win/win methodology. Isn’t it time to take your business, your clients and the quality of your life to a whole new level? We are here to help you get the life and business you truly desire!

The Wright Exit Strategy - Wealth How To Create It, Keep It and Use It, by Bruce R. Wright

Written specifically to make life easier and more productive by helping the reader identify and shift incorrect or incomplete paradigms involving life management and financial issues. It is an ideal tool for creating or enhancing client relationships. This is a tool no professional should be without. It is a tool every wealthy person should read. It is an ideal way to differentiate yourself from the competition.

When it comes to building professional and client relationships that produce results, Bruce Wright's techniques are without equal. This book was written specifically to make your business process easier and more productive by identifying and shifting incorrect or incomplete paradigms involving financial issues. Imagine a third party tool that can help you overcome obstacles such as:

§ Resistance To Your Fees

Once you read it, you will want copies for every ‘A’ level client, prospective client and referral source. This book is the backbone of The Wright System™, used to attract and enhance relationships with sophisticated clients of wealth and their advisors. Read it then let it help you attract the kind of clients, and build the business and the life you have always wanted! 218 pages

Price: $19.95

The Wright System™ for Ultimate Referrals and Strategic Alliance Development CD-ROM

The premier education and empowerment tool for building your ‘A’ level business – this comprehensive CD-ROM provides a wealth of knowledge for becoming a magnet to receive ultimate ‘A’ level referrals and for developing, expanding and managing your Strategic Alliances and SWAT Teams. (Includes a copy of The Wright Exit Strategy)

Price: $295.00

"Get to the Future First Conference"

"Create Your Future Now: Managing Your Practice & Serving Your Clients
in the 21st Century"

"The Ultimate Referral System"

This conference is designed to help consumers gain greater insight and perspective on the purpose and effective use of their wealth. This conference is a fabulous tool for professionals and organizations to introduce their clients, prospective clients and/or members to advanced wealth management philosophy and techniques. This program is so popular that many who host the conference actually repeat it as many as three or four times per year. Clients or consumers often repeat their attendance as well. Based upon Mr. Wright's book of the same title, the presentation can be performed in varying durations of 90 minutes, two hours or four hours.

Nationally known and respected for his revolutionary insight on macro thinking, Mr. Wright's presentation is specially designed for business owners/executives and their spouses. This program is offered in varying durations of 90 minutes, two hours or four hours. Topics included are:

§ Your Financial Evolution: Mastering the Art and Science of Effective Wealth Management

Customized training on “Client-Centered Service and Leadership™” as well as technical skills and marketing along with a host of customized programs are also available through The Wright Company.

For more information on any of the above mentioned materials or conferences, please contact: