– Success Stories* –

Success Story 1: Various Advisors Discuss the Referral Builder system [AUDIO]

Success Story 2: Various Advisors Discuss the Referral Builder System [AUDIO]

Success Story 3: Getting Referrals from Existing Clients, Randy Pickett [AUDIO]

Success Story 4: Practice Management / Getting Referrals from COIs, Scott Wood [AUDIO]

Steve,

It's been a long time since I've talked to you, a lot has happened in the last year. I blew out my knee in July (total blowout) I continued to coach (on one leg) and I'm proud to say that University of Ottawa won the National Championship in 2000!!! My defense set a record for fewest points against!!

My oldest son started playing football last year, he is a QB and his team also won a championship last year. I have finally got my priorities in order I am having so much fun working with my kids and seeing them develop. I have officially retired from coaching at the university! 9 years has just flown by, I don't want to turn around 9 years from now and wonder where the last 9 went, I am going to do it right! I will satisfy my coaching urge by coaching my own kids. This extra time allows me to enrich every other role in my life as well.

Steve you have impacted my life immensely, in such a positive way, you have helped me to build the foundation of a great practice, now I am ready to really devote myself to take it to the next level. Advise me Obi-Wan, I'm ready to rock and roll!! Awaiting your suggestions.

Your friend,
Mike, Defensive Coordinator, University of Ottawa (National Champion)

“Steve, I'm glad to say that it looks like the 4 days at the retreat are on you. I officially signed the papers for the account. It looks to be close to $21 million. I got the whole thing. I have to say I would never been in front of the lawyer who referred the account had it not been for the Top 100. Let's talk when you have a minute.” / Michael
 

Steve,

I thought I would drop you a note to say thanks. You moderated a managed money session for Nesbitt Burns in November 1996 that I attended, and I subsequently attended, with my assistant Sharna, a workshop that you put on in Santa Fe. I have received your e-mails over the years but did not participate in the formal coaching program, but the contact I have had with you has had a profound effect and inspired me to make significant change. Here is a snapshot of the change:

End of 1996

• Assets = $42 million

• Revenues = $520,000

• Business Mix = 100% transactional

• Relationships = 287

• Team = 1 shared assistant

May 2001

• Assets = $93 million

• Revenues = $1.34 million

• Business Mix = 100% fee-based

• Relationships = 69

• Team = 2 dedicated assistants

You commented in Santa Fe that we are either building the business for sale or for passing down to family. I am delighted to say that my daughter has joined me as a full time junior partner, and my lifestyle has gone from a "workaholic" to where I take 3 weeks vacation and one week professional development each quarter.

All our new business comes from referrals from clients (10%) and accountants (90%). All new clients have to have a minimum account size of $1,000,000, must deal with us 100%, must provide full disclosure, have new wills prepared, be 100% managed, and we have never been so busy!

Steve, my life has changed radically, as you can imagine, and I am a zealot who has "managed money religion", and I preach the message loudly and to whoever will listen. I am guiding I.A.'s in the firm with the conversion to managed money, and rank in the top four in the firm in managed money, and will make Chairman's Council this year.

I have given your name to a number of I.A.'s of the past several years as a source to assist them in making the conversion to a consultancy practice, but if you would like to use my name as a reference, please do. If I can be any help to you in the future, please do not hesitate to call. Once again, thanks.

Warmest regards,
Chris
 

“There is one thing I can really say: This is the best money I have spent on any type of training!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At first, being in Puerto Rico one usually believes that programs from US will not work...due to the difference in culture, since Latin blood is different and most of the time we have hard heads, but whoa!!!!! DE VERDAD TRABAJA!!!!!!!!! (this program really works). On 3/24, I opened one account with $34,000 and yearly contribution of minimum $24,000 (Keogh plan). At the same time, this new client gave me 2 referrals -- one CPA/Atty with whom I have an appt after April 15 (a great COI). Week of 4/7, I had one CRC with 2 referrals -- one of the referrals has an acct with Paine Webber and will be transferring +/-$100,000. We are working on the Financial Plan for the new client. On 4/14, one CRC meeting with 3 referrals -- one is an HMO organization with $500,000 to invest -- working on the proposal now. Another one of the referrals is also working on a financial plan to invest $100,000. The program absolutely works. You learn a lot from your clients and, at the same time, it is a superb way to get new referrals!” / Jorge from Puerto Rico
 

“Hi Steve, I thought I'd take a moment to thank you and your associates for the benefits we received by working with your firm. The coaching program was great! Without it we would not have our marketing materials in their present first class condition. Here's what was accomplished:

• Modification of mission statement

• Creation of tag line

• Creation of new logo

• Creation of new business card

• Creation of new stationary

• Creation of new mailing label

• Creation of new positioning statement

• Creation of new proposal sheet

• Creation of new proposal cover

• Best of all, CREATION OF A NEW FIRST CLASS BROCHURE

Walter from Florida
 

“They are always looking for new ways of making people more effective and more efficient. Very innovative.”
Tommy from Georgia
 

“Paragon Resources is the leading edge. Steve is a real visionary.” / John from Minnesota
 

“Steve is very honorable and hard-working.” / Nancy from Illinois
 

“Steve has greatly improved my marketing.” / Ed from Nebraska
 

“Steve has changed the way I think about my business and has increased the quality of my life.” / Glen from California
 

“Steve and his Paragon Team provide a challenging environment in which we learn how to better manage our time and business both from a marketing and from a technological point of view. They also provide opportunities to share ideas with other consultants in a non-threatening atmosphere. We feel that the outside speakers give us good content and helpful ideas.” / Ralph and Linda from Mississippi
 

“Paragon knows the challenges high-end retail consultants face in managing their business, and our team has dubbed them: Most Valuable Resource!” / Don from Delaware
 

“We view our business in a whole new light. We have really begun to focus on long term strategic initiatives which will allow the business to continue to grow to higher levels. The process requires discipline, however, with discipline comes results. Paragon truly does take you to a new level of thinking. In the six years I have been in the business, I have never felt better about the relationships I have with my clients.” / Scott from Texas
 

"Your program truly provides a constructive frame work for professionals to engage in the most productive type of marketing. Thanks! I created a follow up schedule for the professionals that will keep me in touch with them through out the year and hopefully keep me 'Top of Mind' when referring clients. It is a pleasure working with you and your team." / Lynn from Colorado
 

"I’m amazed at how Top 100 is building client loyalty. The system works if you work the system. And we’re learning more about what our clients want us to do for them. Getting a better handle on our clients is an even greater benefit than the referrals we get from them." / Peter from Illinois
 

"You were right about the therapeutic value of part one of the program. Articulating what I do in the context of the value we endeavor to bring to our best clients was challenging and rewarding." / David from New Hampshire
 

“The Top 100 is without question going to change our business in a very big way. We are totally focused on the system you have developed.” / Jeff from Oregon
 

“Thank you for your critique of my work so far. I am finding the sessions and the homework to be very personally informative. Just because you know what you do every day and do it, doesn't mean you have also analyzed it thoroughly. I appreciate your efforts.” / Martha from Tennessee
 

“Hi: It's going great! Just got a $450,000 referral this a.m. from CRC meeting. Been doing 1 CRC a week. PAC's are about one every other week. My brochure looks great. I refined it and feel really confident about showing it to people.” / Jim from North Carolina
 

“Top 100 has affected every aspect of my business. It's focused me on how unique I am, from my marketing materials to my servicing.” / Randy from Texas
 

“Oh yea, I have received a commitment for $5MM from a direct referral from a CRC meeting. I think I will end up with $10mm to $15mm from this new client, so Thank You!”
 

“Top 100 has re-energized my commitment to my 13-year-old investment consulting business.”
 

“Great first meeting! You are good. I felt like I accomplished more in that one-hour call than I have in all of the prior time I have spent "ruminating" on my core values.” / Frank from Illinois
 

“The results are in and they are impressive! This summer, we had 9 consultants participate in a 16-week Top 100 Challenge. As a group, these consultants produced the following: Referrals Received = 19; Referrals Given = 18; New Assets = $22.2 million (US$). Creative but practical way at looking at / examining business. Good structure." / Nancy from Minnesota
 

“We just had their 3rd CRC Meeting and the results have been nothing short of spectacular. They haven't received any referrals yet, but the feedback they are getting from their clients has been unbelievable. Case in point...their latest CRC Meeting was with the CEO of a company. This guy has built and sold 5 separate companies. They said that he was blown away by the CRC Meeting -- the survey, the fact that Nick and Jeff would take the time to solicit input from their clients, etc. Not only did he give them great insights about himself and his family, but he gave them lots of suggestions on how to improve their business and even the CRC Meeting itself. One of his suggestions was to add a final question to the Client Survey asking the client if there is anything else they would like to add (in addition to the questions already asked).” / Nick and Jeff from California
 

“CRC does work! Last week CRC with one of our clients (never rcvd referrals) took us to his friend office a heart/thoracic surgeon, he was very unhappy with his broker and we are in the process of transferring $1mm retirement plan, this week CRC our client has $400,000 (which we were unaware off) in a retirement acct with a bank which they never take time to go over his investment objectives and we just started the process to transfer this account.
 

Hi Steve, we still doing the CRC meeting is working super, yesterday I met for lunch with a client not only I was able to discover $260,000 new money but we are doing a new qualified retirement plan for him plus do to his contact in Arecibo (about 60 mi fm San Juan) I have 2 more appointments pending.” / Jorge from Puerto Rico
 

“Krista, You might remember that I was a bit concerned with getting "the story" through Compliance. I am stunned, 2 day turnaround, three words changed. You are good; very, very good.” / Rodger from Washington, DC

* These are actual comments received from individual advisors who used the Referral Builder^TM System