being a financial planner

a 30 year journey...

When I should have been listening

I talked a lot...

Because “they need to be sold”

I was trained to sell products...

Knowing they didn’t understand

I closed the sale...

But was influenced by others who weren’t

I told them I was “Independent”...

But was incentivised to do something else

I told them I had their best interests...

And “Master of none”

I was “Jack of all trades”...

When simpler was better

I used complex language...

When it was not to be dumb

I thought my job was to be clever...

And it usually escaped

I chased the money...

And then I discoveredfinancial planning...

And that’s when......All the problems started!

People weren’t interested

I told them about the software...

They didn’t like paying

I told them I was fee-based...

They didn’t want a report

I sold them a financial plan...

Which should have been standard

I sold them my values...(You know, trust, honesty, integrity)

That wasn’t different

I told them I was fully qualified...

They didn’t know what it was

I sold them financial planning...

And they stared at me blankly

I told them we could achieve their lifetime goals...

how to get the life they really wanted... without ever running out of money... or dying with too much...

So, I asked if I could SHOW them...

They wanted to know...They were happy to talk...They were happy to pay me!

And all of a sudden...

And I realised...It isn’t about financial products...

It isn’t about ‘clever’ investments...

It isn’t about financial planning...It isn’t even really about the

money...

What are the conversations that you have with clients?

www.brianfoster.co.za