147: How To Win Clients and Build Plans Using A Human-First Approach with Tim Maurer

Winning more clients and creating a more client-centric planning experience requires a shift. A shift away from the numbers. A shift towards the human. In this episode, Tim Maurer, Chief Advisory Officer at Signature FD shares his insights on building a human-first approach to transform both your prospecting and your planning. Instead of relying on advisor-driven presentations, Tim focuses on connecting with what truly drives people – values, stories, and emotions – so that clients feel ownership of their plan. And they trust that you’re the person to guide them along the way. You’ll Learn: Tim’s 4 steps for human-first prospecting that converts Ideas for building plans that clients embrace and act on How to shift from advisor-driven to client-inspired advice Why removing emotions from money is actually a mistake A philosophy for using money to create memorable experiences  *To sign up for Brendan’s newsletter packed with resources to master the human side of advice → Click Here Resources: 55: Infusing Life Into The Financial Planning Process with Tim Maurer 141: The Power of Storytelling: How To Craft Stories That Convert Prospects Into Clients with Stacy Havener Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman  Blink by Malcolm Gladwell Die With Zero by Bill Perkins Nudge by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein  Give to Grow by Mo Bunnell The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga  The Wim Hof Method by Wim Hof Connect with Brendan Frazier:  RFG Advisory LinkedIn: Brendan Frazier Connect with Tim Maurer:  SignatureFD LinkedIn: Tim Maurer About Our Guest:  As the Chief Advisory Officer at SignatureFD, Tim acts as the coach and advocate of their experienced corps of advisors in pursuit of the optimal delivery of their unique client experience. They partner with clients to “activate” their wealth in four key areas: Grow, Protect, Give, and Live. Anchoring in these core pillars offers a level of transparency to wealth management, enabling clients to better understand how they can use their wealth to achieve their goals and impact the things that matter most to them – what SignatureFD calls Net Worthwhile™. A graduate of Towson University, Tim taught financial planning at his alma mater for seven years. His third book, Simple Money, is an exploration of prescriptive personal finance through the lens of behavioral science. He is a regular CNBC contributor and writes for Forbes.com. A central theme drives his writing and speaking: Personal finance is more personal than it is finance. Regardless of income or net worth, Tim believes it is our underlying values and goals that drive our behavior with money, which ultimately determines our satisfaction in work and life. Couching timely application in timeless wisdom, he educates at private events as well as in television, radio, print, and online media. With a passion for relational communication, he has been featured on NBC’s TODAY Show, CNBC, and ABC’s Nightline; on NPR programs The Diane Rehm Show and Marketplace; as well as in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Baltimore Sun, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, U.S. News & World Report, and Money magazine, among others. Tim is a husband and father first and lives in Charleston, South Carolina, where his wife Mika and two boys, Kieran and Connor, are active members of their community. Outside of personal finance, his favorite pursuit is music, whether consuming or contributing on the drums, keys, or, only occasionally, the upright bass. He is also part of a group dedicated to serving the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere, Nicaragua, through micro-finance and entrepreneurial ventures. – Content here is for illustrative purposes and general information only. It is not legal, tax, or individualized financial advice; nor is it a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any specific security, or engage in any specific trading strategy. Information here may be provided, in part, by third-party sources. These sources are generally deemed to be reliable; however, neither our guest nor RFG Advisory guarantee the accuracy of third-party sources. The views expressed here are those of our guest. They do not necessarily represent those of RFG Advisory, its employees, or its clients. This commentary should not be regarded as a description of advisory services provided by RFG Advisory, or performance returns of any client. The views reflected in the commentary are subject to change at any time without notice. Securities offered by Registered Representatives of Private Client Services. Member FINRA / SIPC. Advisory services offered by Investment Advisory Representatives of RFG Advisory, LLC (“RFG Advisory or “RFG”), a registered investment advisor. Private Client Services and RFG Advisory are unaffiliated entities. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where RFG Advisory and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. No advisory services may be rendered by RFG Advisory unless a client agreement is in place. RFG Advisory is an SEC-registered investment adviser. SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement of RFG by the Commission, nor does it indicate that RFG or any associated investment advisory representative has attained a particular level of skill or ability.