Top dogs' top traits

Positive self-image

For many, the picture of a salesperson is tainted by the image conjured up by the used-car-salesman stereotype. Even sales professionals can be swayed by that negative connotation tied to their chosen profession, despite their knowledge that what they do is important, that it makes a difference in people's lives. The best advisors, according to Olson, ask, "How do I see myself?" They ask, "Am I a seller of products, or am I a life changer?" "Am I an educator?"

"As people see themselves, that's how they act in life and in their career," Olson says. "The top people define themselves as life changers. They don't see themselves as product pushers."

The stronger one's image of himself as a life changer, the more likely he is to project that image and the more likely people are to see him in that light.

Great talker, great listener

Johnson said great advisors have the gift of gab – "In any sales arena, this is very important" – but he was quick to clarify that part of that gift is knowing when to shut up and listen. Even middle-of-the-road advisors will be able to talk a good game, but will they know when to listen, and listen with a purpose?

"Part of the gift," Johnson points out, "is being able to use what you hear."

Kopitz agrees. He says top producers have trained their ears to hear what clients say, and they understand how that translates into hopes, fears, dreams and reservations. A professional who twists a client's words to fit a particular product or a preconceived plan isn't listening for the cues he needs. He is only using one aspect of the gift of gab – the one that should be used sparingly. To advisors who have grown in their career and become great, "client concerns should stand out like a sore thumb," Kopitz says.

Only when those concerns are clear can an advisor's ability to talk about solutions be utilized fully. No matter how great the plan and an advisor's explanation of it, if a person isn't fully engaged he isn't going to do business, Johnson says. Full engagement can take some time.

When working with seniors, the ability to listen – and talk – must be accompanied by patience because, according to Olson, "seniors don't move as quickly as some others," and that can test advisors.

"You have to be willing to educate in a shepherding way," he says. "The bottom line is an emotional connection." Olson's thoughts echo Johnson's assertion that people must be fully engaged before they will do business with an advisor.

So the gift of gab, despite its seeming commitment to talking, is a delicate balance between speaking, listening and patience. The advisors who reach that elite plateau have figured it out: Sometimes the best gab session doesn't require much talking at all.

Teammate/cheerleader

Johnson says he works with and talks to many senior advisors in his capacity at FIG, and the great ones have something not many people think about. Top-level advisors, he emphasizes, have someone as a cheerleader, whether that person is a wife, husband, assistant, life coach or business coach.

"That teammate," he says, "no matter who it is, is the reason they get out of bed every day."

Johnson's reason for wanting to be the best he can be is his daughter.

This list of attributes is by necessity limited (see sidebar for more). Twenty different advisors, sales coaches, industry executives and consumers would have 20 different lists, many of which would contain some of the same traits. What are presented here are traits some advisors may not have considered, twists on some commonly thought-of traits and a requisite discussion of ethics. Without any of these, advisors risk missing the upper echelon. With only these, advisors likely won't reach the top either, but this list gives readers the push they may need to examine their strengths, their weaknesses and their areas for improvement.

There are more than 1 million financial professionals out there. Some of them were born with the characteristics to be great, but most weren't. Most of the greats in any profession were made, not born. Being a great advisor is no different.

"All of these traits are attainable," Olson says. "It just depends on how far you have to go. Some people come by them naturally; some have to work harder. If advisors know what they are shooting for, it is easier for them to target their energy and attain results."

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