With more than one million financial services practitioners in the United States and Canada, competition for clients can be intense. While some professionals believe that working furiously around the clock at the expense of a personal life is the route to success, top-producing industry veterans Ron Carson and Steve Sanduski disagree. They believe that financial services is a commodity business, and as such, that performing better, delivering better financial plans, or having access to certain products doesn’t differentiate advisors effectively. Rather, differentiating through service, brand and relationship is the only sustainable way advisors can compete.

In Tested in the Trenches: A 9-Step Plan for Building and Sustaining a Million-Dollar Financial Services Practice the authors explain how securities representatives, insurance professionals, investment advisors and CPAs can do just that . . . and create great lives along the way. Based on concepts taught in professional coaching workshops worldwide, Tested in the Trenches outlines:

· The four "foundation" steps to success. · Four ways to generate revenue. · 15 habits of top achievers. · Forms and checklists to organize your financial services practice. · Online sources for additional business-building ideas and tools.

If you have the sincere desire to make significant improvements in your financial services business – and your life – clear your schedule, read Tested in the Trenches, then go back and implement each idea in the order it is presented. By doing so you’ll be prepared to join the rarefied group of personally fulfilled and professionally successful top achievers.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 14 reviews)

Successful Financial Services Business

I am a consultant in the Financial Services business. I coach advisors on building profitable businesses. The first thing I do when an advisor joins my practice group is send them this book. I call it the textbook of just how to put systems in place that will build profitability with less clients and more money under management. Ron Carson has reivented all the wheels, all advisors need to do is implement his 9 steps and watch as their clients are well taken care of, the revenue stream to the business increases and their lifestyles are what they have dreamed of.
May 18, 2008

Building your own Financial Planning practice

There are a lot of different books out there written by owners of different financial service firms but of all the books I've seen this book is by far the best. The advice may seem simple but it is highly effective. We have already referred to this book many times within the practice I work to help design processes that have simplified the way we do things. The advice on how to attract new clients makes so much sense yet is so simple. You don't need to spend a fortune attracting new clients, just do what Ron recommends and you too will see your practice grow. When it comes down to it, it's all about providing excellent service and earning your clients trust. The advice on finding your own true meaning has been very helpful to us when it came time to lay our marketing plan down on paper.
November 09, 2007

Tested In the Trenches

Covers the essence of Ron Carson's pathway to success. It is easy reading. Nicely laid out. Has summary after each chapter. Here's a practicing investment advisor who openly tells you how he does it, and still produces better numbers than any of his disciples AND ALL OTHERS in the largest independent broker/dealer in the country. If you are open to goal setting, and have strength in relationship building, this book is a powerful "how to" tool.
January 03, 2007

Excellent Book

I had already implemented much of what was suggested in this book, but to have my ideas validated has given me alot of confidence. I know it works, my business has increased revenues by 40% pa (profit 55% pa) over the last 3 years sticking to the core principles covered in this book.
August 30, 2006

This captures what is wrong with this industry

This book could be "A 9-Step Plan for Building and Sustaining a Million Dollar [insert name of industry here] Practice". It doesn't really talk of how to become a better financial advisor - just a financial advisor who is happy and who makes nice with clients.

This book could have been written by PT Barnum.

Where do I get the three hours of my life back that it took for me to read this?
August 19, 2006

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