“ENGAGING THE DECISION-MAKER IS KEY.” -AFE member Misty Petrosino

After five years as a member of AFE, Consolidated Planning’s Misty Petrosino has some incredibly insightful tips for getting the most out of our educational workshop program. From engaging the decision maker straight out of the gate to the many ways her team “makes it easy” for companies to move forward with workshops, Misty’s figured out the “secret sauce” to AFE success and generously shares it in this eye-opening interview.

“FOLLOW-UP IS EVERYTHING.” -AFE member Matt Donaghue

Matt Donaghue is a registered investment advisor with Cetera Investors in San Antonio, Texas.  In his first year with AFE, he’s met with close to two dozen new companies and has gotten countless referrals as well as clients from the program. Within a month of one particular introduction, Matt says, “they were asking us to do live stuff, then we were training the employees on their 457 – even though we’re not the 457 provider – and it’s just spiraled from there. Now we get 3-4 employees a month reaching out to ask if we provide personal planning services and wanting to work with us.” Matt is so successful with AFE because he has the must-have mindset (“How can I help this company” versus “how can this company help ME?”) and is brilliant at follow-up and building relationships. Watch and learn.

“IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE.” -AFE member Michael Chadwick

Michael Chadwick, founder and president of Chadwick Financial Advisors in Canton and Thomaston CT, has been a member of AFE for five years. In this blunt, advice-packed interview, Michael covers everything from conversion rates to commission breath and shares how he *almost* blew it with AFE. Skip to the 7:40 mark for his top three secrets for succeeding with our educational workshop program. Michael’s bottom line: “You’ve got to be a moron not to get business out of being in front of lots of people.” (His words, not ours!) *The audio has some issues (sorry!) but the message is worth listening to. To check out Michael’s newsletter, click here: https://www.fiscalwisdom.com/publications-media/publications/money-matters/

“FOR BUILDING CREDABILITY AND GETTING IN FRONT OF THE RIGHT PEOPLE, AFE IS A NO-BRAINER.” -AFE member Pam Rodriguez

After trying everything from Dave Ramsey to White Glove to SmartAsset, Pam Rodriguez insists that nothing can compare to AFE. In this interview, Pam talks about how AFE has been an integral part of building her brand. Watch through until the end (specifically, AFTER the 11-minute mark), for Pam’s strategy for converting attendees to one-on-ones and to hear her take on the “competition.”

“I’M HAVING MY BEST YEAR EVER BY DOING VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS.” -AFE member Brad Sparks

Brad Sparks, AFE member and owner of Sparks Financial Education, shares how he’s enjoying his most successful business year ever—despite the constraints imposed by COVID—while also giving back to his community by conducting educational webinars. Packed with powerful tips for getting attendees engaged and earning the trust necessary to convert participants into clients, this interview is a goldmine for financial professionals interested in conducting virtual workshops. Stick around for the P.S. (right around the 24 minute mark), when Brad reveals the critical mindset that every successful AFE member shares. To see Brad’s follow-up survey, click here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DKH8S92 

“NOBODY WANTS TO BE SOLD TO.” -AFE member Justin Pohlig

Every successful AFE member remembers one thing each time he or she takes a meeting or conducts a workshop: AFE members are educators, not sales people. In this interview, member Justin Pohlig talks about how AFE was just the thing he was looking for to build his business–and what he wishes he knew before he joined.

“I built my practice of 32 years on the principles of educating, so this is a perfect fit for my firm. I have been with AFE for over a year and I have met hundreds of individuals through their efforts. This has been a great tool to help me sustain long term growth for my practice. “
-Richard P. RIA – Orlando, FL

“I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical at first that AFE could deliver every month. I continue to be surprised at the quality of groups I am in front of on a regular basis. This is not a “get rich quick” lead system. This is long term marketing based on relationships and it works!”
-Lee S. Registered Representative – San Jose, CA

“When I was first introduced to AFE I was not sure that it would be a fit because I’m not series licensed. It turns out that there are a lot of individuals that I meet through AFE who really need life insurance to help with protection and possible long-term retirement strategies. This is a great approach I would recommend to other financial professionals.”
-Sandra R. Insurance Professional – Boston, MA

“This is my second year with AFE and they have been a pleasure to work with. This type of marketing is not for every financial professional. If you are looking for a quick lead system and are sales driven first, I wouldn’t recommend it. If you take a long-term approach and understand that relationships are what often lead to client conversion, this might be a good fit. If you’ve been in the industry for a while, you understand what I’m saying!”
-Bobby S. CFP ©- Dallas, TX

“I have been with AFE for four months now and they have delivered on their word. Getting in front of new groups has always been a challenge, and AFE has taken that burden off me. This allows me to focus on educating and building relationships.”
-Joseph L. CFP© – Denver, CO

“I have worked with Brian and his team for years. When I first joined AFE, my office staff and partner were skeptical and actually advised me not to move forward. I remind them on a weekly basis now what a mistake that would have been! I also do television and radio marketing which compliments my educating with AFE. This program has done wonders for my drip marketing as well. I have thousands of prospects that I send my monthly newsletters to because of AFE and I can tell you that my return on investment has been 10-fold. “
-Chad C. IAR – NY, NY