The Model FA: Dan Solin on The Art & Science of Creating Meaningful Business Relationships

Dan Solin on The Art & Science of Creating Meaningful Business Relationships

Mar 16, 2021

Dan Solin is the President of Evidence Based Advisor Marketing and Solin Strategic, LLC. He helps advisors around the world connect with their ideal clients through evidence-based marketing solutions, website development, content strategy, and sales coaching services. He is the New York Times bestselling author of the Smartest series of books, a collection of investment, financial planning, and wealth-building books that have been endorsed by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Vanguard’s founder, John Bogle. His latest book, Ask: How To Relate To Anyone, helps readers understand the psychology and neuroscience behind creating deep, meaningful connections with anyone. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Dan regularly conducts workshops and presentations to advisors and advisory firms throughout North America.

Dan joins me today to discuss the lessons he’s learned while researching the psychology and neuroscience behind building relationships and meaningful connections with others. We discuss how creating meaningful business relationships is more about being authentic and building the ‘know, like, and trust’ factor and less about sharing analytical data and processes. Dan shares tips and strategies you can use to truly connect with your prospective clients. We discuss some of the common misconceptions advisors often have about why someone might hire them and why it’s crucial to emphasise your likability over your expertise in your branding and marketing. We highlight the differences between cognitive trust and effective trust. We also discuss why your response time is critical to converting leads into clients, why most decisions are rooted in our emotions, and the importance of letting go of trying to control the flow and agenda of your sales meetings and, instead, leading them with the intention of getting to know your client better.

“We do business with people we like. If we like people, we trust them. If we trust them, we hire them.” - Dan Solin

This week on The Model FA Podcast:

Dan’s definition of evidence-based advisors
Strategies for deeply connecting with your ideal clients
Common misconceptions around the hiring process and the decisions a potential client makes
Putting emphasis on likability over expertise in your brand messaging and marketing strategies
How conversations over personal passions, interests, and hobbies create unique bonds
Why Dan believes many advisors hesitate to ‘put themselves out there’ to be relatable
Leaning into being vulnerable, authentic, and showing genuine interest in your client’s passions and hobbies
Understanding the difference between ‘cognitive trust’ and ‘effective trust’
The ‘Moment of Seduction’ principle of sales and how your response time impacts your ability to convert a client
The value of leading your initial sales calls with personal interest questions and letting go of trying to control the meeting flow and agenda

Resources Mentioned:

The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter

Our Favorite Quotes:

“The orientation of every touch-point, including websites, should be: ‘How do I present myself as more likable?’ That should be the goal.” - Dan Solin
“The whole point is not as much being vulnerable as just having no agenda.” - Dan Solin
“A very dangerous thing in life is to make assumptions.” - Dan Solin

Connect with Dan Solin:

About the Model FA Podcast

The Model FA podcast is a show for fiduciary financial advisors. In each episode, our host David DeCelle sits down with industry experts, strategic thinkers, and advisors to explore what it takes to build a successful practice — and have an abundant life in the process. We believe in continuous learning, tactical advice, and strategies that work — no “gotchas” or BS. Join us to hear stories from successful financial advisors, get actionable ideas from experts, and re-discover your drive to build the practice of your dreams.

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Our Team:

President of Model FA, David DeCelle

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