#86 Become a Million-Dollar-Advisor with Dave Mullen

Apr 2, 2025

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Are you ready to become a million-dollar advisor, or are you already there wanting to push your success further? Discover the core strategies that separate high-performing financial advisors from the rest in our latest episode.

In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates interviews Dave Mullen, a veteran in developing top financial advisors, for an engaging discussion. With over 44 years of experience, Dave unravels insights backed by his bestselling books, such as “The Million Dollar Financial Advisor Team.”

Dave discusses:

(05:40) Seven traits of successful advisors, from optimism to time management.
(09:31) The importance of client segmentation and how it increases productivity.
(15:42) Transitioning from client service to creating a client experience that builds trust.
(19:32) Crafting an unforgettable onboarding process for new clients.
(24:30) Mastering the art of gaining referrals through a structured, strategic approach.
…And more!

With practical advice and proven strategies, this episode is a must-listen for financial advisors aiming for excellence. For more insights and processes, visit Altius Learning and unleash the full potential of your practice.

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About Dave Mullen:

Dave Mullen is Founding Partner & Principal of Altius Learning. Dave retired as a managing director at Merrill Lynch in 2007, where he personally hired, trained, and managed over 500 financial advisors over 27 years. He has worked with over 100 individual million-dollar and multimillion-dollar advisors, including five of Merrill Lynch’s top 30. His responsibilities included, Financial Advisor, Complex Manager, National Sales Manager and Managing Director.

During his management career, Dave was recognized numerous times for being one of Merrill Lynch’s top national managers. While at Merrill Lynch, his advisor training programs had a consistent success rate significantly higher than the industry average.

Dave founded LearnTactix, now called Altius Learning, in 2007 with the objective of creating training and coaching programs that would be career-changing experiences for participating advisors and managers. He is the author of three bestselling books: The Million Dollar Financial Services Practice (one of On Wall Street magazine’s top picks and a Top Five choice by AdvisorOne); The Million Dollar Advisor—Powerful Lessons and Proven Strategies from Top Producers (one of On Wall Street magazine’s top picks); and his new book The Million-Dollar Financial Advisor Team. He has been featured in Investment News and Smart Money magazines.

Dave holds a BA and MBA from the University of Georgia, and has attended the Executive Leadership Program at The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania. Dave is an avid mountain bike rider and skier. He and his wife Cynthia have 4 children and reside in Denver, CO.