Mirror Mirror On The Wall Am I The Most Valued Of Them All

Learn how to stand out from other CPAs by showing clients that YOU are the value of your CPA firm. You Are the Value: Define Your Worth, Differentiate Your CPA Firm, Own Your Market provides you with practical strategies to build meaningful and lasting relationships with clients. Written specifically for CPAs, this new book guides you to discover what makes you valuable and different from other CPAs. While exploring the meaning of the word value and how it applies to you and your firm, you will examine the following seven questions about yourself to tap in to your personal value: Who Are You? What Do You Do? Why Do You Do What You Do? How Do You Do What You Do? Who Have You Done It For? What Makes You Different? Why Should I Do Business With You? (Real Value) Exploring these important questions prepares you to no longer “wing” client meetings, but knowledgably and confidently present yourself to clients in a unique way.

Praise for STARTING YOUR OWN PRACTICE "This book will become your blueprint for success if you decide to go down the path of going into business for yourself." --Dr. Bob Froehlich, Chairman Investor Strategy Committee, Scudder Investments If you're tired of working for someone else and have contemplated striking out on your own, Starting Your Own Practice: The Independence Guide for Professional Service Providers can turn your dream of owning an independent business into a reality. Written from the perspective of successful entrepreneur and investment advisor, Robert Fragasso, this book is designed to help professionals who provide skilled personal service--from investment advisors, brokers, consultants, attorneys, and accountants to computer programmers, healthcare professionals, and architects--make the right choices as they pursue their independent business endeavors. Filled with in-depth insight and practical advice, Starting Your Own Practice lays out a complete blueprint to business independence that includes:Deciding whether self-employment is right for youHow to leave your current employerStructuring the marketing, management, staffing, and general operation of your businessConverting existing clients or customers to your new business as well as gaining new clients and customersThe best ways to finance your businessProtecting yourself and your business from liability and loss

Expert advice on building an unshakable foundation as a financial advisor to the elite The revised and updated edition of the definitive guide to growing and maintaining a financial advice firm, The New Advisor for Life explores the fallout of the market crash on up-and-coming advisors. With a particular focus on the generation X and Y concern with debt management and long-term investment, this new edition examines what young investors look for in an advisor. Today, more than ever, insight, analysis, and validation are valued, but to be truly successful, an advisor needs to walk the line between being well-informed but not appearing condescending. What today's investors want in a financial advisor is someone who can cut through the noise and clutter of the financial services industry and the mainstream media Covers the basics, from setting a client's investment goals, selecting complementary investments, and monitoring portfolio balance, to the advanced—developing a personal finance plan for your clients based on their specific needs Steve Gresham presents a 19-point checklist for financial advisors to offer their clients "life advice" Keeping clients engaged is more important than ever, and The New Advisor for Life gives the aspiring financial advisor the secrets to success normally reserved for the country's top firms.

Industry experts share their insight and tell you why: Unified managed accounts represent the future of the managed money industry. "No other platform offers so many options and can be customized to meet the needs of so many different types of investors," says one of the nation's most prominent money managers. "We are able to address a wide variety of investment needs with a single product." (Chapter Mutual fund wrap accounts are enjoying a resurgence in popularity. "With mutual fund advisory accounts, advisors can develop a consolidated strategy for their clients utilizing mutual funds," explains one top executive at a leading investment bank. "Investors know that proper asset allocation produces better results." (Chapter 3) Exchange-traded funds have exploded in popularity with clients and advisors. "ETFs have changed the landscape by offering financial advisors a new way to diversify their clients' portfolios," says the national sales manager of one of the world's largest ETF providers. "Advisors can fully diversify across all asset classes." (Chapter 4) Client demand is fueling the growth of alternative investments. "Larger clients are asking for these types of investments," says one director of investment consulting solutions at one of America's largest banks. "Diversification to minimize risk is the key incentive for adding alternative investments to a portfolio." (Chapter 4) They'll also teach you how to: * Determine if managed account solutions are right for you, your practice, and your clients * Transform your financial advisory practice into a wealth management business * Differentiate yourself from other advisors * Develop a recurring revenue stream that will enable you to grow your business * Attract new clients and capture additional assets from existing clients * Conduct successful client meetings and host seminars that get results * Position yourself as a provider of managed account solutions and partner effectively with other advisors, allied professionals, and the media

Do you want to become a million-dollar financial advisor, boost client satisfaction, and dramatically expand your business? This book provides all the answers and strategies you need to do just that. Complete with proven techniques, expert insights, and practical tips to maximize your profitability, The Financial Advisor’s Success Manual will show you how to break the cycle of moderate growth by teaching you how to: Develop a differentiation strategy Define and implement your six core client-facing processes Balance the cost of services with the value delivered Enhance client loyalty Perfect your personal marketing and sales approach You didn’t start your financial services firm with a goal of modest gains. So don’t settle for that! By implementing the methodologies and strategies in this manual, you can grow your business beyond your wildest expectations--all while serving your clients better.

"The Age Wave of retiring baby boomers is creating a seismic bonanza for financial advisors--if they can provide the kinds of creative and flexible strategies their clients will be wanting and needing. Steve Gresham provides the solid, imaginative, yet practical guidance needed to build winning strategies to meet the needs of a new generation of investors. I have long respected his work and heartily recommend this book." --Ken Dychtwald, PhD, founder and CEO, Age Wave, and author of Age Wave, Age Power,The Power Years, and Workforce Crisis "Steve Gresham showed us in The Managed Account Handbook that the basics to asuccessful advisor do not differ from one country to another. In this book, he is expanding his horizon with his extensive experiences to further help you to develop the skills for building a devoted client base. This is the must-read book for all who want to succeed in the financial advisory industry." --Toshiya ShimizuPresident and CEO, Nikko Cordial Advisors Ltd. "For thirty years, advisors have been using wealth accumulation as their main sales weapon. With the boomers entering retirement, all that's out the window. Now the imperatives are income distribution, planning--making sure the investor does not run out of money. In Steve's newest book, he does an excellent job of walking advisors through this change and showing them how to alter their practices to not only survive but thrive. This is a must-read for any advisor who still wants to be in the business in ten years." --Len Reinhartfounder and President, Lockwood Advisors? "For over thirty years, I have sought advice from industry experts who can help me grow and optimize my practice. Steve Gresham's advice is always of interest to me--he is always right there on the cutting edge." --John Rafal, President, Essex Financial ServicesRegistered Rep.'s Top 50 Financial Advisor for 2006 and Barron's Top 100 Financial Advisor "A good coach can help even the best players reach their potential. As a financial advisor, you coach successful families to tackle life's challenges and achieve their goals. Steve Gresham can help--he has the tactics to help you build a winning team." --Mike KrzyzewskiHead Coach, Duke University Basketball and the 2006 U.S. National Team

Luxury isn't just for the rich, says James B. Twitchell. Today you don't need a six-figure income to wear pashmina, drink a limited-edition coffee at Starbucks, or drive a Mercedes home to collapse on the couch in front of a flat-screen plasma TV. In Living It Up, sharp-eyed consumer anthropologist Twitchell takes a witty and insightful look at luxury -- what it is, who defines it, and why we can't seem to get enough of it. In recent years, says Twitchell, luxury spending has grown much faster than overall spending -- and it continues to grow despite the economic recession. Luxury has become such a powerful marketing force that it cuts across every layer of society, spawning a magazine devoted to spas, cashmere bedspreads on sale at Kmart, and a dazzling array of bottled waters. Twitchell says that the democratization of luxury has had a unifying effect on culture. Luxury items tell a story that we want to identify with, and more people than ever aspire to the story of Ralph Lauren's Polo or Patek Philippe. Shopping itself is no longer a chore but a transcendent experience in which we shop not so much for goods as for an identity. Sharply observed and wickedly funny, Living It Up is a revealing and entertaining examination of why we are all part of the cult of luxury.