Attendees of the 2014 Advisor Network Summit in LasVegas were presented with a deluge of sales tips, sound bites andstatistics. From inspirational quotes to regulatory predictions tonuts-and-bolts discussions about the products themselves, there wassomething for everyone. On the following pages, you'll find asampling of what was shared during the three info-packed days.We're sure you'll find ideas that you can immediately incorporateinto your daily practice — and plenty of reasons to celebrate thework you do every day, too.

You have the ability to control your own practice andschedule.

On quality of life: “I didn't want to beworking 90 hours a week for 52 weeks. It's not about the money forme. I enjoy the quality of life. No matter how rich you are, youcan't buy time. – Philip Rousseaux

On specialization: “If one of my partners isout I can walk into that meeting, take a look at the scenario andbe able to have an intelligent conversation with that client — noproblem. It's a very niche practice, what we're doing. I used to know alittle bit about a lot of things; now I know a tremendous amountabout a narrow very area.” – Jay LaMalfa

You have the opportunity to engage and help prospectsevery single day.

On today's buyer: “The rules of engagement have changed between buyerand seller. Today's buyer has much more information and is moreeducated.” – Patrick Leary

On empowering your clients: “This is aboutshowing people they can take control of their lives.” – VanMueller

On timing: “You've spent a lot of money to findand meet prospects though the year, but you've gotten no businessfrom them because the timing wasn't right.” – Steve DeJohn

You sell products that are trulyneeded.

On product pride: “We sell amazing products andthe only people who don't know it are you guys!” – VanMueller

On retirement planning: “I try to get theclient to identify and understand all the potential risks theycould have in retirement — the health care issue, LTC issue,investment risk, interest rate, inflation, tax risk, etc. — and howit applies in their plans so we can build the plan to address thoseobstacles.” – Bill Danner

On what selling really means: “The role of thesales professional is no longer just about providing information,but about helping consumers weed through information, to helpidentify needs and provide solutions.” – Patrick Leary

On risk management: “I would encourage alladvisors to really concentrate on how much are you willing to lose?Often in our industry, we talk about returns on the securitiesside. But how often are you able to connect what your client shouldbe doing and what they're going to do? Our job is to guard theclient against themselves, and it's the emotions that cause theproblems.” – Jason Jenkins

On addressing fear: “Tell your prospects, 'Whatif every time something bad happens, I could put you in theposition to do something about it?'” – Van Mueller

On turning lemons into lemonade: “Most thingswe view as negatives in the sale process can be turned intopositives if we openly communicate with clients.” – Jim Brogran

On guiding the sale: “There are two ways peoplemake buying decisions: External decisions: Whenpeople sell them or convince them. Consumers are afraid to be sold.They don't like feeling pressured. Internaldecisions: When people convince themselves. People love tocome to their own conclusions.” – Brandon Stuerke

Practice leads to peak performance.

On the importance of choice: “It's importantthat you understand the word 'choice,' because we all have choicesabout how we think and interpret a situation.” – Dr. JackSinger

On failure: “90 percent of agents fail. I don'tthink they have the right plan. When I started, I was the same way.I failed, but I never quit. I failed until I got it right.” – James Veal

On self-doubt: “An Olympic athlete is competingagainst seven other athletes, where the difference between firstand last place is 1/110^th of a second. If that athletesays to himself, 'what if I slip?' or 'what if I jump before thegun goes off?' or 'what if the guy next to me has his best day?' heimmediately sabotages his performance.” – Dr. Jack Singer

On handling rejection: “You need to be rejectedevery day in order to be successful. If you're not rejected everyday, you're not doing enough business.” – James Veal

On the performance equation: “Your performanceat any time always equals your talent plus your experience minusyour distractions.” – Dr. Jack Singer

There's more power than ever in the properbranding.

On strategic messaging: “Advisors have so muchknowledge to offer, but if you can't get your message out to peoplewho need to hear it, it does them no good and it does you no good.”– Brandon Stuerke

On integrity: “My goal with prospects is thatthey have mentally already hired me before we've met because of theway I present myself in the community. You can't market truth, butyou can display it.” – Jim Brogran

On community buzz: “People are going to talkabout you either way. What are they going to say?” – MarkPruitt

On honesty: “Brandyourself by getting info out. Don't hold back. Peopleresent half-truths. If you hear a presentation and people areholding back to get you to come by their booth, don't you resentit? I resent the mess out of it. Don't do it to your prospects andcustomers.” – Jim Brogan

Integrity pays off.

On building trust: “If you're proactive in disclosure, itcreates trust. If I'm truly an advisor and not a salesman, I'mgoing to tell them everything they need to know about the productand the fact that I'm being compensated. – Jim Brogran

On meeting people where they're at: “Stoptelling people you know everything — and start showing them you'reinterested in their opinions.” – Van Mueller

On competition: “Money's a tool, not an object.Don't let another advisor's success become your goal.” – JimBrogran

On the importance of planning: “The biggesttransition in my career was when it became more about the plan andnot the profit. I view it as coordinating all the major concerns inyour retirement path. Creating that comfort level and having arelationship with other professionals, coordinating allows them tofeel better.” – Greg Hammer

You're in a position of leadership.

On leading well: “'Coach' is a very powerfulseat. When you have a whistle around your neck, your responsibilityis to give answers. They also want trust. In football, if playersdon't trust the head coach, you've got issues.” – Herm Edwards

On building a team: “Your job is to not allowyour players to fail. You're either coaching it or allowing it tohappen.” – Herm Edwards

There are many niche markets that areunderserved.

On the African-American market: “African American people willwork with anyone if they like them. They just want somebody whocares. It has nothing to do with race.” – James Veal

• 90 percent of African Americans with at least $50,000 in theU.S. never have any relationship with a financial advisor.
• 93 percent think advisors are too expensive and that they can'tafford them. They've never been educated. That means guaranteedpoverty.
• 69 percent believe they don't need a financial advisor ever.That's one of the saddest things I've heard in my life. But it'sfun once you change their mindset. After we speak with them, wechange their lives. – James Veal

Income protection is a powerful promise.

On variable annuities: “We use variableannuities because we feel they give people thatinflation edge. That's one of the key positive elements. We havethe ability to be more aggressive in areas we probably wouldn't orshouldn't do without those benefits.” – Jay LaMalfa

On suitability: “I think the biggest changewe've had in this industry is suitability. That's really affectedyour businesses in a big way. It has affected not only the productsthat are in your toolbox, but the solutions that you can provide toyour clients, as well.” – Sheryl Moore

On protection: “The biggest challenge iseducating the client, explaining to consumers that annuities arethe only investment in the world that can protect them inretirement. We've come a long way, but still we're trying still theget the word 'annuity' to not be associated with negativeconnotations.” – Philip Rousseaux

You are able to meet a variety of clientneeds.

On meeting clients' needs: “If you're dually licensed, you have everything availableto the client. You are able to present both sides; you've educateda client and then you can make a recommendation that's in theirbest interest. More choices help them make the right decision.” –Greg Hammer

The female market is both profitable andloyal.

On the female market: “Women are not a nichemarket. So, what is the niche? Here are a few examples:

• Women business owners
• Corporate executive women in a specific industry
• Women in transition — divorcees, widows, sudden inheritors” –Rebecca True

KEY STATS

• The female economy is now one of the largest on Earth and isexpanding every day.
• Women business owners are contributing to the fastest growingsegment of the economy.
• 92 percent of women become the primary decision maker at somepoint in their lives.
• By age 65, the majority of women are single.
• 70 percent of inheritance will go to women and this willcontinue to be true for the next 40 years.
• Women comprise 35 percent of all management positions and 23percent of senior management positions.
• Women are very philanthropic. – Rebecca True

What is common among women?

• Longer life expectancies
• Competing interests for time
• Love and prioritize families above everything
• Like to be well-informed about available choices beforecommitting to a solution
• Want an advisor to relate well and really listen to theirconcerns
• Tend to take less risk with investments
• More focused on the reason for a solution, not necessarilyperformance
• Masters at networking with one another and they refer moreoften
• They are more loyal to professional advisors — and moreprofitable – Rebecca True

“I don't market my business using social media — I use it tolearn what my clients are doing and what their families are doing.To create conversation points. I also share things about my life,what my kids are up to, the articles I read. People get to know meeven when I'm not right in front of them.” – Rebecca True

Next steps

• Define what type of women you and your practice are interestedin and capable of serving.
• Determine how that type of woman wants to be educated about thefinancial matters that matter most to them.
• Identify where you can find groups of them and be there!
• Provide specific solutions for each life stage that addressedtheir needs so they tell their friends. – Rebecca True

Succession planning is a massive opportunity that willonly continue to grow.

On building the right plan: “Successionplanning takes 3 to 5 years because the first attemptsusually don't work. If you specialize in this, you're going to havea line out the door.” – RJ Kelly

There is support for regulatoryissues, if you know where to look.

On finding the right support: “You've got greatresources out there; use them. Your marketing organizations andcarriers are very attuned to what is compliant, so use theresources that are there for you. Don't go it alone.” – KimO'Brien

On collaboration: “One of the things we do herein Nevada that I would love to see other states do is we have anadvisory committee made up of industry reps, brokers, advisors aswell as some consumers, and we sit down quarterly and talk aboutissues.” – Scott Kipper

Online marketing opens up a wealth ofopportunity.

On free information: There are sixpsychological reasons that offering free information on yourwebsite is a successful marketing technique:

1. Reciprocity: If you give something away first, people are moreinclined to want to take action back in your direction. Give theprospects free knowledge, and they'll be more likely to want tomeet you.
2. Community: You're reaching a large audience. And when they'refiltering into your office, they see they're not the only ones whoneed guidance. There is safety in community.
3. Stories and social proof: By sharing stories and personalanecdotes, you are putting things in context and increasing thelikelihood that you will strike a chord with prospects and thatthey will relate to you.
4. Confidence and momentum: Prospects want confidence in you,confidence in the plan, and – most of all – confidence inthemselves. They want to see the path and the progress theyare making.
5. Simplicity: In the insurance and financial world, we tend toovercomplicate. Consumers are looking for simple answers, and anonline course can build value without confusion.
6. Relationship, interaction and engagement: Your course displayswho you are and where your values lie. Numerous prospects get toknow you first, without fear of being sold.” — Brandon Stuerke

You get to exercise empathy every day.

On messaging: “If there's one word I can use toclearly demonstrate why I've been able to explode my practice, thisis it: I'm very good at putting myself in the shoes of the clientand knowing how to message it so they can realize the solutions totheir problems.” – JimBrogan

On being detail-oriented: “Think through everydetail from your prospect or client's perspective. Think, 'Howwould I want this to be done if I was the client?'” – JimBrogan

Selling insurance is a true servicebusiness.

On serving well: “If we give them knowledge without service, it doesn't mean alot.” – Mark Pruitt

On offering well-rounded advice: “We are aresource company for clients. Many of the services I provide havenothing to do with insurance or investments, but everything to dowith providing value.” – Mark Pruitt

On standing out from the crowd: “Make yourselfdifferent. Make it clear you're on their agenda from the first day.The first words I say are, 'How may I serve you today?'” – JimBrogan