Embrace Your Inner Hero

Here’s a a lightly updated version of an article we first ran on Oct. 2, 2012. In it, the author gives advice that might help some agents climb out of the pit of burnout, and regain a sense of gratitude for the good they have been able to do for others through their work.

Are you the type of person who smells flowers and immediately starts looking for a coffin? Then you’re exactly who the writer H. L. Mencken had in mind when he penned that quip. Although it’s funny on the surface, Mencken’s underlying message is tragic: No one likes a person who wallows in scornful or jaded negativity.

Unfortunately, the world has become more cynical in recent years. People are jaded about their jobs, their government, and their futures (or lack thereof). So it’s no surprise they’re also turned off by the financial services industry, the performance of their equity investments, the low interest rates hampering their fixed-income investments and the perceived untrustworthiness of financial companies and advisors.

This cynicism can be poisonous to advisors. 

Prospects sometimes tell you to get lost. Clients occasionally go “postal” when market volatility strikes. And strangers can make snide comments when they realize what you do for a living. Granted, your thick skin often repels such negativity. However, some advisors take it to heart, resulting in:

• Lower energy levels and productivity.

• A sense of shame about what they do.

• The need to hide behind vague job titles.

• A defensive attitude, which hampers their ability to engage with prospects—and close sales.

Am I describing you? 

Then here’s a book to read: “Living a Life of Significance,” by Joseph W. Jordan (The American College Press: 2011). Jordan’s thesis? That it’s time for advisors to better appreciate the great work they do.