Deborah Fox says financial advisors must systemize their practices now

At the FPA National Conference in San Diego, on September 16, 2011, Deborah Fox, CFP, founder of Fox Financial Planning Network, a training and empowerment company that helps planners build more efficient and profitable businesses, said that financial advisors run the risk of going out of business if they continue to do business they way they always have. Clients are fearful. We are only part way through the recession. Workflows and systems are key.

Hear what Deborah says in this 2 minute video about surviving and thriving in uncertain times.

Thought Leader Round Table transcript - FPA Anaheim 2009

Marie Swift interviews nine Industry Thought Leaders at FPA Anaheim 2009. She poses Three Big Questions to the Thought Leader panel and gets some insightful - and sometimes surprising - answers. Download and read the Thought Leader Round Table transcript now.

Thought Leader panelists joining Marie Swift:

Mary Zimmerman - Kinder Institute of Life Planning
Justin Nichols - Garrett Planning Network
Deborah Fox - Fox Financial Planning Network
Robert J. Lindner - Lindner Capital Advisors
Brett S. Ellen - American Financial Network / CSP Training
Scott Hanson - Hanson McClain Retirement Network
Dick Weber - ObjectivEdge
Mark Pace - ObjectivEdge
Geoff Davey - FinaMetrica

Deborah Fox, Fox College Funding, Fox Financial Planning Network

Hello. My name is Deborah Fox. I have been a practicing financial planner for 25 years and have personally coached many financial advisors all over the country. I am best known in our industry as the founder of Fox College Funding, a specialty planning company. Just this year, I have introduced a new training program for financial advisors called Fox Financial Planning Network, a complete financial planning delivery system. If you want to learn more about me or my programs, just put “Deborah Fox financial planning” in a Google search or stop by booth #651 – “The Industry Thought Leaders’ booth”.

My message today is “Systematize, Document and Delegate.” Over the years, I have come to realize advisors who master and implement these three things are likely to not only have built a best-in-class practice, but also be in a position where they truly enjoy their work and can live a balanced life. Do you feel like you work too many hours and your practice is in disarray? Michael Gerber, author of The E-Myth points out that when most people go into business for themselves, they don’t run a business, they merely create a 12 hour-a-day, 6 or 7 day-a-week job for themselves.

What’s the solution? Every client service you deliver should be systematized, documented and then assigned to a person who is responsible for delivering that service. Whether it’s a back office task or something that is done in front of the client, there should be an order and a system for everything you do. By designing a workflow for your practice and then delegating tasks that you personally shouldn’t be spending time on, you can stop working a job and start living the life of a true entrepreneur by having time for the things that are important to you in your life.

Systematizing and documenting your practice can also make possible for you to offer a higher level of service to your clients and can prevent you from being left in a debilitating position if you lose a key member of your team. Ever since I documented my entire practice, I have been able to focus on the higher level activities of my practice that I am both good at and enjoy doing. This is just part of what I teach through the Fox Financial Planning Network where I literally hand over to you all the documented mechanics of my complete financial planning process.

If you'd like to learn more, visit my website, www.advisortrainingcenter.com.