THE RESULTS ARE IN!
The Harmonizer
Dive in to learn more about your Decision Persona, how to recognize other personas, and how to effectively adapt your approach to different clients.
While we all inherently blend aspects of all personas, The Emoter is your most dominant.
Overview of Your Persona:
As a Harmonizer, you’re all about smooth interactions, keeping the peace, and valuing everyone’s opinions. Generally content and happy, you’re quick to say “yes” when help is needed, often prioritizing others’ needs over your own to avoid conflict. You excel at creating a secure environment, building trust, and being a loyal team player, sometimes to a fault. Always aiming to make everyone happy,, you do have a breaking point when over pushed.
While your accommodating nature is fantastic, don’t shy away from making tough decisions, even if it challenges you. Remember, your calm and considerate approach makes a world of difference; just make sure to value your own needs, too!
The number one thought
you likely have on repeat:
How does this make others feel?
"Is everyone happy with this choice?"
“Is everyone comfortable with this?”
You struggle most with:
Over-accommodating others at your own expense.
Rapid change
Your Biggest Fear:
Conflict or disapproval from others.
Your Biggest Need:
Security
Because at the end of the day, let’s face it …
The Harmonizer & Decision Making
When it comes to Decisions...
When it comes to decisions, you often prioritize others’ needs and desires to keep the peace. While striving for consensus is commendable, remember that expressing your own needs and opinions is just as crucial.
Your decision making cadence is slow and cautious. This may be due to the fact that you despise firing or letting people go. Your slower process often helps you build trust and prevent future conflicts.
Making decisions can be challenging because you worry about causing conflict or losing favor, but remember, avoiding decisions can lead to mental clutter and stress.
You also have little patience for pushy salespeople, preferring to engage with those who are patient and guiding.
Your accommodating nature is an asset, but don’t forget your own needs as well.
The problem is not everyone makes decisions like you … read on to find out more …
Why Understanding Your Decision Persona Will Improve Your Business Results
Kudos to you for discovering your Decision Persona. At first glance, this may seem like a futile exercise. But don’t be fooled.
Knowing your Decision Persona is only the beginning. This report does not stop there.
In the coming pages, you will learn how to identify your Persona and your client’s Decision Personas. The ultimate secret weapon is the ability to recognize other’s personas and flex your Persona to theirs.
This soft skill can increase your closing ratio by 75% and is the way top advisors put intangible skills like behavioral finance to work for them.
The Golden Rule
We’ve been taught to operate under the Golden Rule:
Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you.
It is an excellent rule tool for ” morally ” treating others.
The Platinum Rule
However, when it comes to sales, the Golden Rule doesn’t cut it; we must use the Platinum Rule.
Do unto others as THEY’D have done unto THEMSELVES.
Here’s the “good” news & “not so good news” of it…
WE ARE NOT ALL CREATED ALIKE!
The Golden News
About 25% of the population identify as a Commander, and you will likely work well with this group It is not uncommon for your book of business to look and act like you. This is no accident.
But what if you could just as easily work with the rest of the population and increase your client conversion rate by 3 – 4x?
The Not-So-Good News
Approximately 75% of people do not identify as a Commander. These are the clients that can feel a bit harder for you to work with and, in some cases, can be downright brutal to work with.
Read on to discover:
1. How to identify the “3” other Personas
2. How to adapt your approach to each “Persona”
3. How utilizing Decision Personas will help grow your practice
Meet the other Decision Personas
In addition to your Persona, there are 3 others:
The Mathematician
The Commander
The Emoter
Here is how to identify each Persona:
Observation & Active Listening
Decision Persona
Specific to their Persona
The Mathematician
Biggest Fear: to make mistakes
Values tasks over relationships
Concerned with:
• Avoiding risk
• Past performance
• Being Right
Listen for phrases like: Am I looking at this or thinking about this correctly?
If this doesn’t work, what happens?
What is the ROI?
Biggest Struggle: Analysis Paralysis or coming to a decision
The Emoter
Biggest Fear: Being left out or not liked
Values relationships over tasks
Concerned with:
• Legacy
• What people think of their decisions
• Approval
• Future
• Being on the leading edge
Listen for personal stories or anecdotes, enthusiasm
Biggest struggle: Impulsive
The Harmonizer
Biggest Fear: Conflict
Values relationships over tasks
Concerned with:
• Security
• Trust
• Loyalty
• Making everyone happy
Biggest struggle: Cautious nature can appear indecisive
The Commander
Biggest Fear:
• Not being in control
• Being taken advantage of
Values relationships over tasks
Concerned with:
• Getting Results
Biggest struggle: Active
Listening
Identification Trick:
If you cannot identify from observation or listening alone, try asking yourself these (2) questions.
Are they more task & results-oriented or more people & relationships oriented?
Tasks & Results:
The Mathematican or The Commander
People & Relationships:
The Emoter or The Harmonizer
Are they more outspoken & forceful or cautious & reflective?
Outspoken & Forceful:
The Commander & The Emoter
Cautious & Reflective:
The Mathematician & The Harmonizer
**In the beginning, this is a game of horseshoes and hand grenades – getting close or
narrowing down to 2 Personas is a good place to start.**
Additional Identification Questions:
What Each Decision Persona Needs to Take Action
We’re not all wired the same—it’s what makes connecting with people an art. Different personas prioritize different factors, like data for Mathematicians or efficiency for Commanders. Some folks might value speed or hard facts over the relational comfort you excel at. By incorporating more direct or analytical elements, you can bridge those gaps and connect more effectively.
You might find it especially tough dealing with Commanders because their direct and fast-paced style can be overwhelming. To bridge that gap, articulate your need for clarity and consensus while gradually adapting to their quicker pace.
Check out the chart below to learn how to speak each Decision Persona’s language and boost your chances of them wanting to work with you.
Decision Persona
Language / Needs
The Mathematician
• One option
• Help them clarify the info they need to come to a decision (providing more will be a mistake)
• Give them time to decide with a deadline
• Use mistake-free proposals
• Focus on facts over relationships
• Show how your solution has performed in the past
• Slower pace (Avoid being pushy)
Why they buy: It has to make “logical” sense to them to move forward
The Emoter
• Options (no more than three)
• Stories: Make the process to be fun
• Relationships over facts (Ditch the facts)
• Post-sell: have them reiterate their commitment
Why they buy: to make themselves look good, for fun, to bring family or friends together, because they like you, or because someone they admire referred them to you.
The Harmonizer
• One option (best foot forward)
• Trust & loyalty
• Give them time to decide with a deadline
• Be a leader: don’t educate unless they ask to be; instead, tell them what to do once trust is gained
• Slower pace & patience (Avoid being pushy)
Why they buy: Make everyone happy, and they trust you
The Commander
• Options (no more than three)
• Confidence: they need to feel your conviction
• Tasks over relationships
• Fast-pace: Keep meetings moving, end on time, & implement quickly
• A Partner: they will want the final say. (Remember: Don’t tell a teller.)
• Always give them the credit
Why they buy: to get results
Here is how to use this in your practice
Increase product implementation
Speed the sales process
Client Retention, Renewal or Referral
Bonus: Team Harmony
The cool part is when you can adjust your Decision Persona, you will naturally:
When you can identify a client’s Decision Persona, getting to a “yes” faster is easier, which
speeds the sales process, increases product implementation, and gets you paid faster.
Client Retention/Renewal/Referral
You are in touch with the client’s needs, allowing you to provide a great client experience that syncs with their buying rhythms. They become “lifers” to your business and refer others because they are happy.
Bonus: Team Harmony
When you understand your “Decision Persona” and those of others, all interactions are more harmonious.
You can now appreciate others’ differences and what they bring to the table when, before, it seemed like they were acting just to annoy you. Everything becomes easier with Decision Personas.
Mindshift Financial Coaching supports financial advisors to modernize their advising and selling methods. We show our clients how to leave behind an increasingly outdated commission & asset-fee-only advising model and start using a less transactional & less salesy approach that prioritizes the best interests of advisors and their clients.
Most importantly, at Mindshift Financial Coaching, we are advisors like you.
Ten years ago, we made the shift to charge our clients annually for financial planning
— or what we have named Financial Management Oversight.
Since then we have collected over $1,500,000 in planning fees and delivered nearly 500 financial plans!
Today, planning fees account for 20% of our annual revenue, with product sales accounting for 80%.
AND while we have organically increased our investment and insurance implementation,
deepened our client relationships, and increased our overall and recurring revenue…
… the coolest part is we virtually eliminated the need to market and gained back 50% of our
time (which we now use to coach other advisors on how to adopt our business model).
Today, in addition to running our practice, our greatest fulfillment comes from helping other
advisors duplicate and often exceed our success, hopefully saving them at least a few years of the
stress & anxiety that we endured before cracking the code.
We Believe
Financial advisors make a significant impact by taking the stress out of people’s interactions with their money.
MORE financial advisors need to claim their value, charge for it, and treat their time as a precious commodity.
Great financial advisors deserve to be paid well for the valuable work they do, without working 24/7 and without bringing their business everywhere, even on vacation.
For financial advisors to stay relevant, we need to modernize our approach.
The new way of financial advising is about helping clients make the best life decisions for themselves -- NOT delivering 500-page financial plans that never get read…
And last but not least, we believe you can make your own rules … and grow your business exponentially along the way.
YOUR NEXT STEPS Game Plan
Now that you are on our email list, we will be sure to send you our special series, which is all about putting Decision Personas to work in your business.
And … now that you know your Decision Persona, mastery of the framework comes down to 3 main things: becoming a ninja at identifying others’ personas, changing your perspective on where your value
lies, and what this business has to look like.
Here’s exactly what to focus on moving forward…
ACTION STEP 1: Practice Identifying Personas
Print a blank copy of this matrix
Bring to every prospect & client meeting
During or after the meeting
- Add a ticker mark for each observed clue
- Narrow the DP down to 2 personas
- Review the DPs language/needs as you case prep
Prospect/Client Name: _____________________
Decision Persona
Are they more task & results-oriented or more people & relationships oriented?
Tasks & Results The Mathematican or The Commander
People & Relationships The Emoter or The Harmonizer
Are they more outspoken & forceful or cautious & reflective?
Outspoken & Forceful The Commander & The Emoter
Cautious & Reflective The Mathematician & The Harmonize
ACTION STEP 2: Stop Making It All About You
Here’s the truth: too many financial advisors lead their client presentations with a value prop about THEM. Why
Because it seems like the most effective way to convince potential clients to work with them
Listen, if you’re doing this, we get it.
When you’re trying to earn someone’s business, surely it makes sense to tell them about you?(Plus, this is how many financial services companies teach new advisors to sell…)
But, if you ACTUALLY want to be different from everyone else out there…
… You need to stop focusing on YOURSELF and make your meetings more about the client.
Here at Mindshift, we teach that client meetings should have the client speaking 80-85% of the time.
Because all the most current research shows that the best way to win over new prospects is to LISTEN to them in a meaningful way
That means: asking the right questions, shifting from “how can I sell to this person?” to “how can I help this person?” and possibly even turning away people who aren’t the right fit.
It’s an approach which leads to people naturally wanting to do business with you.
And more good news?
It’s less work.
No more time wasted on creating 25-page report presentations that may or may not be looked at.
Lots more connection with your potential customer
Want more info and to dive deeper into this?
ACTION STEP 3: Being Open to Other Ways to Simplify the Business
Many financial planners are hesitant to move away from the approach they’ve always used in this industry.
But think for a moment about how this industry has transformed in the past few decades.
In the seventies, financial planners were typically stockbrokers.
Now, people buy and trade their own portfolios,
Then, not so long ago, our role was more like that of asset managers.
Now, we have Vanguard and Fidelity attempting to drive commissions to zero.
So much has changed in our industry. (And continues to!)
Why should it be the case that you can’t change the way you run your business and charge for your financial planning services?
If you think about it logically, the only people who really want to work with a financial advisor are the
people who genuinely want advice from them. (Because they could do all the rest themselves…)
This means there is tremendous scope for you to charge for your advice.
Right now, you are most likely charging for the commodities you offer while giving away your intellectual
capital for free.
But it does NOT have to be that way.
(Since when has “but this is the way it’s always been done” been the argument that wins out?)
Ultimately, the most important person who needs to get on board with doing things differently right now
is YOU.
Because if you decide to work with us, we can walk you through our proven roadmap to get everyone else
(your clients, your prospects, your team) on board with these changes in the most efficient and effective
way possible
We can help your business make the transition to multiple and more predictable practice revenue streams without missing a beat.
Take a look at our case studies to hear from more advisors like you about how it’s done.
Big Favor
… If this exercise taught you something about yourself,
share it with a friend in your industry