Published by Shayla Kriha
Flash back to May 9th 2011, the day I started working at our firm Management Group. I thought at that time I knew what working in the financial services industry was all about; I could not have been more wrong. It’s now June 2018, and I can truly say I know exactly what sets us apart from other wealth management firms and financial advisors in Omaha.
Although I’ve learned many lessons the past seven years, there are three things that stand out.
Lesson #1: Culture Makes A Difference
I’m inspired by the values at our firm, and they are what make us unique. We are dedicated to delivering trust, transparency, and accountability to our clients. These words serve as a source of inspiration for every single stakeholder (that’s right – we aren’t employees, we are stakeholders). We actually have a Cultural Creed booklet, and I love this line from it:
“The relationships we build with each other establish a trust and loyalty rarely rivaled by any company, brand, or business. It’s why our stakeholders walk through our doors each and every day inspired to serve one another more than themselves.”
Lesson #2: Be Obsessed With The Client Experience
I’ve held two roles at our firm, both very different, but both with the same goal and focus: providing exceptional service that exceeds expectations. From the moment a client or prospective client step into our office (seeing our awesome Director of First Impressions, Jane, helps!), we focus on YOU. We even have a “Client Bill of Rights” which clearly identifies the level of proactive service and relationship you will experience.
I could focus this paragraph on our digital client experience (take our risk survey here to see for yourself), but what truly makes our experience different is the personalization and the way you’ll see the Value of Relationship with your advisor. Whether it’s a card on your birthday, a laugh with a friend at the Pinnacle Golf Event we sponsor or, more practically, seeing your 401(k) roll over (it’s the little things advisors help with, too!), we put our client’s interests first.
Lesson #3: We Help You Plan
I’ve learned how financial planning is an integral part of the overall investment process; if you’re not talking to your financial advisor about life planning, they are doing you a disservice. We live by the saying, “True Wealth is all that money can’t buy and death can’t take away”. It requires a comprehensive and holistic approach, and that’s where a financial plan comes into play. Personalized plans are always current, flexible and ever-changing based on life circumstances. Investments are important, but financial planning is what ultimately makes our firm different from the rest.