Top Advisor Podcast #98 – The Crisis of Differentiation: Michael Kitces on What Actually Works for Advisors
Financial advisors face the real challenge of proving their worth to clients who have more options and skepticism than ever before.
How do today’s top advisors cut through the noise, establish credibility, and attract clients in a way that actually works?
In this episode, Referral Coach Bill Cates interviews Michael Kitces, Chief Financial Planning Nerd at Kitces.com and a leading voice in the advisory profession, about what truly moves the needle for financial advisors.
They tackle the foundational role of trust, the evolving meaning of holistic advice, effective tactics for client acquisition, and what separates advice-focused advisors from product-driven ones. The conversation also looks ahead at the future of financial planning and practical strategies advisors can use to grow their firms.
Michael discusses:
- The essential role of trust in both building relationships and driving client acquisition
- How advisors can leverage “borrowed trust” through referrals and other trusted sources
- His mission to make advisors “better and more successful”
- The changing definition of a holistic advisor and the increasing importance of delivering real, advice-first value to clients versus just selling products
- Research-backed insights into which marketing activities effectively generate new clients and revenue for advisory firms
- …And more!
Sponsors:
- SHOW SPONSOR: ProudMouth
- EPISODE SPONSOR: IronClad Family | Holistic Advisor Guide
Resources:
- RapidFire Referrals
- Get a copy of “The Language of Referrals”
- Get a copy of “Radical Relevance”
- Grab your copy of The Hidden Heist today!
Connect With Bill Cates:
- BillCates@referralcoach.com
- Referral Coach Homepage
- Hire Bill for Coaching
- Enroll in The Cates Academy
Connect With Michael Kitces:
About Michael Kitces:
Michael E. Kitces, MSFS, MTAX, CFP®, CLU, ChFC, RHU, REBC, CASL, is the Head of Planning Strategy for Focus Partners Wealth, a private wealth management firm located in St Louis, Missouri, that oversees more than $50 billion of client assets. In addition, he is the co-founder of the XY Planning Network, AdvicePay, fpPathfinder, and New Planner Recruiting, former practitioner editor of the Journal of Financial Planning, and the publisher of the e-newsletter The Kitces Report and the popular financial planning industry blog Nerd’s Eye View through his website www.Kitces.com, dedicated to advancing knowledge in financial planning.
Michael is also a popular speaker on financial planning and practice management topics, and can be seen presenting at 50-70 regional and national conferences for financial advisors every year.
Michael is one of the 2010 recipients of the Financial Planning Association’s “Heart of Financial Planning” awards for his dedication to advancing the financial planning profession. In addition, he has variously been recognized as financial planning’s “Deep Thinker,” a “Legacy Builder,” an “Influencer,” a “Mover & Shaker,” part of the “Power 20,” and a “Rising Star in Wealth Management” by industry publications. These awards were presented to honor Michael’s active work in the financial planning community. Michael is also a co-founder of NexGen, a community of the next generation of financial planners that aims to ensure the transference of wisdom, tradition, and integrity from the pioneers of financial planning to the next generation of the profession.