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The Five Black Belt Principles

"The perfecting of oneself is the fundamental base of all progress and all moral development." - Confucius

There is no silver bullet.  No single idea or series of them, no matter how powerful, or brilliantly implemented that provide a 100 percent guarantee of success.  Make progress, strive and get into motion to make change a reality.  Protect and Grow your practice, yes.  And in doing so, you'll Protect and Grow your confidence, ability, and likelihood of success.  Here are the FIVE BLACK BELT PRINCIPLES THAT WORK.  There is some fine print however, you have to implement them or they won't.

Humility

The White Belt Attitude

Humility is one of the most powerful human traits.  It indicates a soul that has been tempered with wisdom, a spirit made larger through gratitude, and  - one of the most powerful of all tools in the universe - a mind that is open and seeking the truth.  Humility is a wonderful starting point for martial arts or investment advisors.  It's not a technique but rather an attitude for engaging the world.

Integrity

Look in the mirror

As you build your financial services practice, be willing to "look at yourself in the mirror."  Don't gloss over your personal strengths or those of your practice.  Without them, you would have no practice.  But, it is far more fruitful, from a development standpoint, to put in clear relief your own weaknesses and those of your practice.  These will tend to run along parallel paths.  Continue to strengthen those elements at which you already excel.  But have the humility to examine your weaknesses and the desire to correct them.

• Set account minimums
• Take the tough phone calls
• Follow up on details, be fair and truthful with your word
• Walk away from a sale that isn't a fit
• Abandon shrewdness for sound merit and good ethics
• The long, harder route is often the one that leads to long term success

Duality

Yin and Yang

In the universe opposing forces often struggle against one another but at the same time, need one another.  It is a relationship of both opposition and symbiosis.  Expose yourself to viewpoints that broaden your perspective and enhance your appreciation. 

Always represent the "opposing position" to your clients.  Always share both sides of every issue with them.  It is understood that every client situation is unique, and that NASD Rule 2310, "Know Your Client," must be a foundation for any work with clients.  "Know Your Client" does not pertain only to the beginning of th relationship.  It is an ongoing process.

Awareness

The Third Eye

In the 1980's, management consulting guru Tom Peters astonished the business world with his book In Search of Excellence (New York: Warner Books, 1982).  He examined companies that he considered to be at the top of their diverse, respective fields.  One of the key common denominators of these innovators and market leaders was the ability to see their own businesses through the eye of their customers.  This is the business equivalent of the Third Eye.

Tom Hine's Three Meeting Rule:  Tom adapted this practice from years of experience, and has found through the years that an extremely client-centric system of three meetings before taking on a client is best.  Too often advisors rush prospects.  This practice ensure clients feel confident, ask questions and can weed out any potential problems early.

Meeting One:  Fact Finding

Meeting Two:  Asset Allocation Meeting

Meeting Three:  Decision-Making Meeting

Dedication

Kaizen

The four previous principles involoved your soul (humility, integrity), your mind (duality) and your five senses (awareness).  Kaizen is about what is in your heart.  IT includes vision, passion, courage, and a relentless desire to excel, to take the next step toward an impossible goal that you know you will never reach.  It is the driving force that, over the course of a lifetime, makes the difference between merely marking time and having a lasting impact.

Kaizen is the Japanese word for "change for the better" or "improvement."  In business "Kaizen" became associated with the efforts to improve workplace and industrial productivity after World War II in Japan.  In martial arts,  Kaizen is a spirit - the spirit of a true warrior, who does not train in order to defeat others in battle, but rather to improve himself or herself toward a state of perfection that is unobtainable.  Kaizen is found in athletes, inventors, and entrepreneurs.