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As a manager, you’re responsible for a variety of business-building activities, one of which is recruiting advisors or reps to your firm. Unfortunately, in my years of experience as a coach and trainer, I have seen far too many managers who have never been trained or given a process for recruiting.
To better understand how to combat the recruiting challenges managers face within the industry, my firm conducted a study on the effectiveness of training and coaching managers to succeed at recruiting. The results were eye-opening – trained participants increased meetings (virtual and face-to-face) with viable recruits by 314% and the number of interested recruits added to their pipeline increased by 372%.
In this article, I’ll explore the four stages of personal performance study participants went through that improved their ability to recruit. I’m confident you also will benefit when taking a similar journey:
Stage 1. Unaware and underperforming: Don’t know that you need to change the way you are doing things, leading to sub-optimal results.
Stage 2. Aware and underperforming: You know you need to do things differently, but you’re not sure what or how.
Stage 3. Aware and optimal performance: You know what you need to do differently and you’re doing it, but it still isn’t producing the results you were expecting.
Stage 4. Unaware and optimal performance: You’ve practiced the skill enough that it is an integral part of your process and you perform it effortlessly.
To illustrate my points, let’s take a journey with “John” as he progresses through the stages of development. I’ve also included solutions for overcoming each challenge.
Stage 1. Unaware and underperforming
John, like many managers, never had training in recruiting, nor was he given a specific process to follow. Instead, when John would chance upon an advisor he wanted to recruit, he made it up as he went along – an ad hoc approach.
Some days would be good for him, but on bad days he forgot what had worked. Unfortunately, John was unaware he needed a more consistent approach to recruiting, and that led to poor performance.
This was problematic – how do you fix a problem if you don’t know it exists?
The solution: Record yourself!
If you, like John, need to break through the “unaware and underperforming” recruiting level, recognize that you have deficits in your recruiting strategy. To gain a new perspective of your skills and the process you use, videotape yourself engaging in key components of the recruiting process while paying special attention to the:
- Clarity of your message;
- Tone of your voice and the pace it’s delivered; and
- Body language.
As you become aware of the points where you aren’t operating in an optimal fashion, you can repair them. You’re now ready to move to the next level of awareness.
Stage 2. Aware and underperforming
When reviewing his video, John found only a few things he thought needed work. Fortunately, he made the decision to engage a coach to help him improve his recruiting performance.
At first, John felt uncomfortable having the coach and other members of the coaching team review his video. Then he became defensive when they offered suggestions for improvements. “Who do you think you are to tell me what I need to do to be a better?” he thought.
The solution: Get peer feedback!
Getting feedback from others is an excellent way to access the effectiveness of your recruiting process and message.
Eventually, John realized the coach and team members were trying to help and began to find the suggestions they offered to be very useful.
Stage 3. Aware and optimal performance
As John became aware of the defects in his recruiting process and worked to resolve them, he was ready to confront the world of recruiting. He had developed a list of advocates who were willing to introduce him to viable prospects. He scheduled calls with several of them for the following week.
With phone in hand, he started calling. As he introduced himself, he found he was stumbling over his words, and as he read from his script, he knew his message was sounding canned.
John was reminded of the time he took golf lessons. He knew he needed to improve, and after learning how to hold the club, the correct stance and the proper swing, he was confident in his new and improved approach. However, the first time on the green with his business buddies, he found he still lacked consistency.
To become a golf pro, it takes a minimum of 1,728 hours per year. This works out to at least six hours of practice per day for six days per week (48 weeks per year).1 John knew he had a long way to go before he could hold his own on the golf course. Likewise, he needed a lot more practice to refine his recruiting skills.
The solution: Practice, practice, practice!
The number of repetitions will equal the degree of confidence and certainty in how an action is executed. At this level, you know the things you’ve learned make sense. You’re convinced it can make a difference in your performance. However, you’re still feeling uncomfortable, scripted and awkward. The solution is practice. In my coaching program, I assign each participant an accountability partner with whom they practice the skills they learn on a daily basis.
Practice gives you the confidence to deliver a top-notch performance. As you get feedback from other individuals who are engaged in the same activity and the same number of repetitions as you, you’ll be able to identify your weak spots. With practice, you’ll become so comfortable with your recruiting process, you’ll be able easily execute it.
After daily practices using proven scripts and procedures with his accountability partner and with reinforcement from his coach, John put his new-learned skills into action.
Stage 4. Unconscious competence
Arriving at the unconscious competence level, John was in the zone. He now had a proven system. He knew how to identify the recruit’s hot-button motivators, address concerns and overcome any objections in a way that had become second nature. Additionally, he had learned the importance of putting recruiting on his daily “to do” list, and to track his results.
The resolution
No longer should recruiting be a haphazard activity. It needs to be added to your daily priority list. As you formulate a presentation that addresses why someone should want to work for you or your firm, you’ll easily reply to their issues and concerns with confidence and conviction. As you track the results of your efforts, you’ll know you’re on your way to succeeding at the recruiting game.
Sarano Kelley, co-founder of The Kelley Group, is a top-rated coach in the financial services industry and is co-author of the industry’s only book on recruiting: The Recruiting Conundrum: A Consistent, Disciplined Approach to Attracting Top Talent.
1Lawrie Montague and David Milne; How to Practice Golf; Pro Tour Golf College; 08/02/2013; https://www.protourgolfcollege.com/300-articles/how-to-practice-golf-the-amount-of-hours-of-practice-you-need-to-become-a-successful-tour-golfer#:~:text=In%20our%20opinion%20and%20based,for%2048%20weeks%20per%20year.
Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.