WealthTech on Deck The Narrative of Trust in Advisory Services with John Connors
Trust is the cornerstone of a successful advisor-client relationship. And earning that trust starts with empathy – the ability to have a complete understanding of clients' situations and concerns. Having a clear understanding of what drives clients' decisions allows advisors to develop and recommend solutions that align with their goals and preferences, laying the foundation for successful advisory platforms.
In today’s episode, Jack talks with John Connors, Founder and CEO of Boathouse. Prior to founding his own marketing agency in 2001, John held positions at companies such as Hill Holliday and Merrill Lynch, served as CEO of Zentropy Partners, and became part of the McCann World Group Management team. With the aim of bringing a new level of performance-mindedness to the agency business, John created Boathouse.
John talks with Jack about why narratives matter, why advisors deserve more attention and value, and how empathy can be key to building trust with clients.
Key Takeaways
- [02:00] - A brief overview of John's professional career.
- [03:56] - The story behind the creation of "Total Merrill".
- [09:54] - Why John thinks that advisors are undervalued.
- [13:55] - How technology and narrative go together in the advisory business.
- [17:43] - How empathy is critical in developing a comprehensive advice platform.
- [21:00] - How empathy plays a role in the narrative of trust.
- [23:33] - John's three key takeaways.
- [26:30] - Interesting activities John engages in outside of work.
Quotes
[10:22] - "There's so much emphasis on product platform and tech, and it's striking to me how little emphasis is on the advisor and how management tends to commoditize the advisor rather than actually leverage the advisor." - John Connors
[19:14] - "If you can't walk in and build that empathy based on understanding those issues and those audiences, you can't build that trust" - John Connors
Links
- John Connors on LinkedIn
- Boathouse Group
- Merrill Lynch
- Hill Holliday
- McCann
- General Motors
- The Coca-Cola Company
- James Gorman
- Morgan Stanley
- Paula Polito
- UBS
- John Thiel
- Goldman Sachs
- NextCapital
- Folio Investing
- Empower Retirement
- Fidelity Investments
- Vestwell
- E*Trade
- Eaton Vance
- JP Morgan
- Orion Advisor Solutions
- Tesla
- Elon Musk
- Frank McAleer
- Raymond James
- Ben Huneke
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