The blog
Articles & insights
Dan Solin on investing, advisor marketing and turning prospects into clients. Page 5.
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Apr 23, 2019Surprising
Accuracy isn't important to investors. Investors want to believe that there's someone out there who can protect them. But there isn't. Surprising, isn't it?
Apr 22, 2019Likeability Power
Almost everyone wants to be liked, but few understand how to achieve a higher degree of “likeability.”
Apr 22, 2019The Roadblock to Engaging with Prospects
What could be easier than asking questions and showing a genuine interest in others? That was my thinking when I formulated The Solin Processâ„ .
Apr 17, 2019The Plague of NaĂŻve Realism
Comedian Georg Carlin famously observed, “Anyone driving slower than you is an idiot and anyone going faster than you is a maniac.” This sage comment illustrates a concept known as “naïve realism.”
Apr 16, 2019Bear Market Myth
The belief that bear markets favor active management is a myth. Buying index funds won’t prevent you from losing money in a bear market.
Apr 15, 2019Mind Control
It turns out the expression “mind over matter” makes an important point. The well-known placebo effect illustrates this fact.
Apr 9, 2019An Investing Fable
You can replicate a defined benefit plan, but the securities industry won’t tell you how easy it is. Consider Vanguard’s LifeStrategy Moderate Growth Fund.
Apr 9, 2019The Quickest Way to Lose a Prospect - Part 2
We know that people make decisions emotionally and not necessarily rationally. Ask questions and empower others to talk about themselves. Less is more.
Apr 8, 2019The Enemy Is Us
Financial advisors should create a consistent process – just like you do with investing – and insure that it’s followed by everyone in their firm.
Apr 3, 2019Does Your Website Read Like a Tombstone?
Your website is critical. Researchers found a significant increase in the number of clients researching financial advisors online over the past three years.
Apr 2, 2019A Tasty Way to Predict the Stock Market
The next time you hear Cramer or a glib “analyst”, “strategist” or “technician”, confidently predict where the stock market is headed, ignore them and engage in tyromancy instead.
Apr 1, 2019Will a Trickle Turn into a Flood?
The trend towards passive management shows no sign of lessening. The data in favor of it is robust.
Mar 27, 2019A Simple Way to Convert More Prospects
Some financial advisors ask prospects to bring financial information to the first meeting, without understanding the burden imposed.
Mar 26, 2019Experts are Wolves in Sheep's Clothing
Beware of those designated as “experts”, “strategists” or “technicians” by the financial media. They're wolves in sheep's clothing.
Mar 25, 2019Five Critical Words
Five critical words differentiate candidates we might want to hire from those who never get past the initial meeting. "Tell me more about that."
Mar 20, 2019The Secret Wall Street Doesn’t Want You to Know
Wall Street has a secret. A big one. Here’s what it doesn’t want you to know.
Mar 20, 2019The Surprising Results of My Social Media Experiment
I conducted an experiment to see what kinds of posts generated the most interest on social media.The results surprised me. I want to share them with you.
Mar 18, 2019ASK
I'm writing a new book. It's called ASK: Be liked. Be loved. Be Better.
Mar 18, 2019Persuading You Not to Persuade
The Solin Processâ„ is, to my knowledge, the only evidence-based strategy for converting prospects into clients. Persuading a client is counterproductive.
Mar 13, 2019Should You Buy Gold?
Gold and other commodities should be part of a diversified portfolio. But you should be skeptical of advice telling you to dump stocks and overweight your portfolio in gold.
Mar 13, 2019The Two Keys to Boosting Your Productivity
Success requires health, happiness and emotional stability. I stumbled on two “hacks” and found there was data to support their efficacy.
Mar 11, 2019Your Website Connection
Whether prospects find you through an organic search or are referred to your firm, the first part of their due diligence will be to check out your website.
Mar 6, 2019Get Perspective
If your retirement is 5-30 years in the future, ignore short-term market volatility. Historically, compound annual real return for a diversified portfolio averaged 6.6% a year.
Mar 6, 2019The Science Behind Great Marketing
A critical part of your marketing involves meetings with prospects and clients. At these meetings, you often present data you believe is relevant and persuasive. In his book, Brain Rules, John Medina notes that, in the typical presentation, people have usually “checked out” sometime within the first 15 minutes.