Mindy Diamond on Independence: A Coach’s Advice for Advisors and Teams

Ray Sclafani of ClientWise discusses the key areas that employee advisors and independent business owners can impact to influence sustainable growth, enhance client relationships and ultimately build 'exit' value.

Growth is one topic that’s top of mind for most every advisor—regardless of where or how they practice.

Yet growth for growth’s sake isn’t a sound strategy, particularly when looking at the long term.

The real focus should be upon building an enduring business designed for maximum enterprise value—or “exit value” as Ray Sclafani calls it.

And as the CEO and founder of ClientWise, Ray built a business around helping advisors do just that.

It’s a unique vantage point that Ray first developed in his 20-year tenure at AllianceBernstein. As one of the company’s top sales professionals and executive leaders, his knowledge of how to create and execute on highly successful sales plans and build long-lasting client connections was later utilized as the founder and managing director of the Advisor Institute at AllianceBernstein.

In that role, Ray developed and directed an extensive series of programs that proved invaluable to advisors in creating improved and sustainable motivation, sales and client relationships.

It was in 2006 that Ray left AllianceBernstein to launch ClientWise to take that experience and help financial advisors and their teams drive sustainable, intentional growth; maximize the value of their enterprises; enhance team performance; and develop next-gen advisors to lead the firm into the future.

It’s a roster of services that’s catapulted ClientWise to become one of the top coaching firms to financial advisors in the industry.

Ray joins Mindy Diamond on this episode to share some of his best advice on growth, maximizing value, team building, succession and much more, with advice for independent and employee advisors alike, including:

  • The differences between independent and employee advisors—and why Ray considers the latter “intrapreneurs”;
  • The real value of building an enterprise—and what he refers to as “exit value”;
  • The secret to successful teams—and how to build real “interdependency”;
  • The reality about productivity—and what obstacles he feels should be removed at the wirehouses;
  • The key focus areas of the best teams—and what they are doing differently than their less successful peers;
  • Best practices for developing next gens—and why they’re not going to replicate the approach of the generation before them;
  • Asking for referrals vs. building client advocates—and which approach works best; 
  • And much more.

It’s an episode with tangible information and actionable advice for employee advisors and independent business owners alike from one of the most sought-after coaches in the industry.

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