

Secrets of Successful Advisors℠ with Ken Haman
AllianceBernstein
Welcome to Secrets of Successful Advisors℠ from the AllianceBernstein Advisor Institute. In this series, Business Consultant and psychotherapist Ken Haman teaches financial advisors how to build, manage and grow their practices. Each episode is highly practical, easily executable and designed to meaningfully improve commercial success.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 4, 2025 • 23min
The Problem with Discounting: It’s Not Them...It’s Us!
Many advisors feel a compelling need to discount their fees in order to seal the deal with a new client. As a result, average fees across the industry have been steadily dropping for years. In this fast paced episode, Scott and Ken look at the psychological dynamics that cause advisors to automatically assume they need to discount their fees, and then explore what they can do differently in the first few meetings that will support charging a premium fee for premium services. Also in this episode, the AllianceBernstein Digital Coach – see practice management solutions for advisor success: abfunds.com/go/digitalcoach DISCLAIMER Note to All Readers: The information contained here reflects the views of AllianceBernstein L.P. or its affiliates and sources it believes are reliable as of the date of this podcast. AllianceBernstein L.P. makes no representations or warranties concerning the accuracy of any data. There is no guarantee that any projection, forecast or opinion in this material will be realized. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The views expressed here may change at any time after the date of this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. AllianceBernstein L.P. does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. It does not take an investor’s personal investment objectives or financial situation into account; investors should discuss their individual circumstances with appropriate professionals before making any decisions. This information should not be construed as sales or marketing material or an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument, product or service sponsored by AllianceBernstein or its affiliates.

Mar 10, 2025 • 24min
Thinking Intentionally About a More Passionate Retirement
Our modern financial services industry is designed to help clients prepare for a financially comfortable retirement. Observations over time have revealed that many people prepare well financially, but launch into retirement without a clear vision of what they will do in the next stage of their life. In this episode Ken talks with Cara Gray about her consultancy Good Morning Freedom that helps successful people create a vision for a more passionate retirement.Also in this episode, the AllianceBernstein Digital Coach – see practice management solutions for advisor success: abfunds.com/go/digitalcoach Note to All Readers: The information contained here reflects the views of AllianceBernstein L.P. or its affiliates and sources it believes are reliable as of the date of this podcast. AllianceBernstein L.P. makes no representations or warranties concerning the accuracy of any data. There is no guarantee that any projection, forecast or opinion in this material will be realized. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The views expressed here may change at any time after the date of this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. AllianceBernstein L.P. does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. It does not take an investor’s personal investment objectives or financial situation into account; investors should discuss their individual circumstances with appropriate professionals before making any decisions. This information should not be construed as sales or marketing material or an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument, product or service sponsored by AllianceBernstein or its affiliates.

Feb 10, 2025 • 20min
Buying Dangers
Thousands of established financial advisors are either actively seeking a buyer for their business or starting to think seriously about their exit strategy. There has never been a time in the history of our industry where so many businesses were available for acquisition. Acquiring another advisor’s business can be one of the best ways to add new clients but observations of many transactions have revealed a significant number of challenges that are built in to the process of navigating a transaction. In this fast paced program Ken and Scott look at how insights from Behavioral Economics can help advisors make better decisions about buying a business. Note to All Readers: The information contained here reflects the views of AllianceBernstein L.P. or its affiliates and sources it believes are reliable as of the date of this podcast. AllianceBernstein L.P. makes no representations or warranties concerning the accuracy of any data. There is no guarantee that any projection, forecast or opinion in this material will be realized. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The views expressed here may change at any time after the date of this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. AllianceBernstein L.P. does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. It does not take an investor’s personal investment objectives or financial situation into account; investors should discuss their individual circumstances with appropriate professionals before making any decisions. This information should not be construed as sales or marketing material or an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument, product or service sponsored by AllianceBernstein or its affiliates.

Jan 13, 2025 • 24min
Advisor’s Guide to Working with Irrational Clients
A big challenge for advisors is recognizing when their clients have shifted from rational decision-making to one of the mental “shortcuts” that are built in to the way humans make decisions. Even advisor’s struggle to maintain their rational process when decisions become complicated or have potential negative consequences. In this program Scott and Ken discuss how to recognize when a client has shifted away from a rational process and how to help a client make more rational decisions. Also in this episode, the AllianceBernstein Digital Coach – see practice management solutions for advisor success: abfunds.com/go/digitalcoach Note to All Readers: The information contained here reflects the views of AllianceBernstein L.P. or its affiliates and sources it believes are reliable as of the date of this podcast. AllianceBernstein L.P. makes no representations or warranties concerning the accuracy of any data. There is no guarantee that any projection, forecast or opinion in this material will be realized. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The views expressed here may change at any time after the date of this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. AllianceBernstein L.P. does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. It does not take an investor’s personal investment objectives or financial situation into account; investors should discuss their individual circumstances with appropriate professionals before making any decisions. This information should not be construed as sales or marketing material or an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument, product or service sponsored by AllianceBernstein or its affiliates.

Dec 9, 2024 • 23min
Hidden Challenges of Hiring New Team Members
One of the most powerful trends in Financial Services in recent years has been the rise of advisory teams. Most firms are encouraging advisors to join or form teams, and many advisors feel that their team gives them a competitive advantage over sole practitioners when they engage more sophisticated clients. Unfortunately, most advisors are not well equipped to define the roles they need on their team and how to hire the right person. In this provocative conversation, Scott and Ken explore the hidden challenges of hiring from the perspective of Behavioral Economics, and offer some guidance on how to avoid common hiring pitfalls. Note to All Readers: The information contained here reflects the views of AllianceBernstein L.P. or its affiliates and sources it believes are reliable as of the date of this podcast. AllianceBernstein L.P. makes no representations or warranties concerning the accuracy of any data. There is no guarantee that any projection, forecast or opinion in this material will be realized. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The views expressed here may change at any time after the date of this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. AllianceBernstein L.P. does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. It does not take an investor’s personal investment objectives or financial situation into account; investors should discuss their individual circumstances with appropriate professionals before making any decisions. This information should not be construed as sales or marketing material or an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument, product or service sponsored by AllianceBernstein or its affiliates.

Nov 4, 2024 • 24min
An Investment Decision-Making Checklist for Advisors
For years advisors have been fascinated by the insights coming out of the discipline of Behavioral Economics about how human beings make decisions. In this provocative conversation, Ken and Scott explore how advisors are uniquely vulnerable to making series decision-making mistakes because of the way the human brain reacts to complexity. Several common, built-in types of mistakes are explored and then they present a 6-step “investment decision-making checklist” to help advisors avoid these challenges. Also in this episode, the AllianceBernstein Digital Coach – see practice management solutions for advisor success: abfunds.com/go/digitalcoach Note to All Readers: The information contained here reflects the views of AllianceBernstein L.P. or its affiliates and sources it believes are reliable as of the date of this podcast. AllianceBernstein L.P. makes no representations or warranties concerning the accuracy of any data. There is no guarantee that any projection, forecast or opinion in this material will be realized. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The views expressed here may change at any time after the date of this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. AllianceBernstein L.P. does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. It does not take an investor’s personal investment objectives or financial situation into account; investors should discuss their individual circumstances with appropriate professionals before making any decisions. This information should not be construed as sales or marketing material or an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument, product or service sponsored by AllianceBernstein or its affiliates.

Oct 7, 2024 • 23min
How to Introduce Yourself in a Social Situation
A socially active financial advisor may have dozens of opportunities every week to meet potential clients. Unfortunately, most advisors don’t know how to manage a first encounter so that the first conversation naturally leads to a deeper conversation. In this podcast, Scott and Ken uncover the psychological principles that advisors can follow to create more compelling social encounters. Also in this episode, the AllianceBernstein Digital Coach – see practice management solutions for advisor success: abfunds.com/go/digitalcoach Note to All Readers: The information contained here reflects the views of AllianceBernstein L.P. or its affiliates and sources it believes are reliable as of the date of this podcast. AllianceBernstein L.P. makes no representations or warranties concerning the accuracy of any data. There is no guarantee that any projection, forecast or opinion in this material will be realized. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The views expressed here may change at any time after the date of this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. AllianceBernstein L.P. does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. It does not take an investor’s personal investment objectives or financial situation into account; investors should discuss their individual circumstances with appropriate professionals before making any decisions. This information should not be construed as sales or marketing material or an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument, product or service sponsored by AllianceBernstein or its affiliates.

Sep 9, 2024 • 23min
Why Do We Add the Word “Target” to Target Marketing?
Everyone has heard the phrase “Target Marketing” but few advisors actually understand what a “target” market actually is. In this episode, Scott and Ken look at what constitutes an actual target market and what is merely another way of talking about “people who have money”. Also in this episode, the AllianceBernstein Digital Coach – see practice management solutions for advisor success: abfunds.com/go/digitalcoach DISCLAIMER Note to All Readers: The information contained here reflects the views of AllianceBernstein L.P. or its affiliates and sources it believes are reliable as of the date of this podcast. AllianceBernstein L.P. makes no representations or warranties concerning the accuracy of any data. There is no guarantee that any projection, forecast or opinion in this material will be realized. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The views expressed here may change at any time after the date of this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. AllianceBernstein L.P. does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. It does not take an investor’s personal investment objectives or financial situation into account; investors should discuss their individual circumstances with appropriate professionals before making any decisions. This information should not be construed as sales or marketing material or an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument, product or service sponsored by AllianceBernstein or its affiliates. The [A/B] logo is a registered service mark of AllianceBernstein, and AllianceBernstein® is a registered service mark, used by permission of the owner, AllianceBernstein L.P. © 2024 AllianceBernstein L.P.

Aug 12, 2024 • 25min
Why Are Hard Decisions so Hard?
Everyone has to make decisions that have consequences from time to time in life. We call these “big” decisions that can impact the quality of life for years. Research in Behavioral Economics over the past several decades has revealed an important insight that goes counter to our usual intuition; that is, the bigger the decision we are facing the MORE likely we will be impacted by built-in vulnerabilities that cause us to be impulsive or to oversimplify the problem we must solve. Also in this episode, the AllianceBernstein Digital Coach – see practice management solutions for advisor success: abfunds.com/go/digitalcoach DISCLAIMER Note to All Readers: The information contained here reflects the views of AllianceBernstein L.P. or its affiliates and sources it believes are reliable as of the date of this podcast. AllianceBernstein L.P. makes no representations or warranties concerning the accuracy of any data. There is no guarantee that any projection, forecast or opinion in this material will be realized. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The views expressed here may change at any time after the date of this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. AllianceBernstein L.P. does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. It does not take an investor’s personal investment objectives or financial situation into account; investors should discuss their individual circumstances with appropriate professionals before making any decisions. This information should not be construed as sales or marketing material or an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument, product or service sponsored by AllianceBernstein or its affiliates. The [A/B] logo is a registered service mark of AllianceBernstein, and AllianceBernstein® is a registered service mark, used by permission of the owner, AllianceBernstein L.P. © 2024 AllianceBernstein L.P.

Apr 29, 2024 • 21min
Recognizing and Recovering from Burnout
Formal research into workplace Burnout has only been expanding for the past 30 years. Insights from this growing body of research reveal that client-facing retail financial advisors are frequently working in conditions that are likely to lead to Burnout. In this fast-paced Podcast Ken and Scott discuss how to recognize the workplace situations that can cause Burnout and how to recognize the early- and middle-stage symptoms of this destructive emotional experience. Note to All Readers: The information contained here reflects the views of AllianceBernstein L.P. or its affiliates and sources it believes are reliable as of the date of this podcast. AllianceBernstein L.P. makes no representations or warranties concerning the accuracy of any data. There is no guarantee that any projection, forecast or opinion in this material will be realized. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The views expressed here may change at any time after the date of this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. AllianceBernstein L.P. does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. It does not take an investor’s personal investment objectives or financial situation into account; investors should discuss their individual circumstances with appropriate professionals before making any decisions. This information should not be construed as sales or marketing material or an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument, product or service sponsored by AllianceBernstein or its affiliates. The [A/B] logo is a registered service mark of AllianceBernstein, and AllianceBernstein® is a registered service mark, used by permission of the owner, AllianceBernstein L.P. © 2024 AllianceBernstein L.P.