THE POWER OF FOCUS

"Sell the process, not the product."

HOW I GOT STARTED: Having achieved a high standard of financial success in the world of corporate consulting, eventually, I became dissatisfied with the short-term nature of the relationships. I wanted to make a difference in people's lives and enjoy longer relationships. I went to a recruiter who offered this counsel: "You'd be terrific as a financial advisor."

After interviews with Jim Cook of National Financial Services Group, the choice to enter the financial services industry was easy. Jim tuned in to what I was looking for - to make a difference in other people's lives. He emphasized the importance of what we do in this industry for our clients.

TURNING POINT IN CAREER: Initially, I struggled with following a process. I focused on problems, instead of focusing on people.

In 2005, I was ready to quit because I was making no money at all. My husband kept encouraging me to give it time. While we were on a trip, I read Jack Canfield's, The Power of Focus. By the time I finished the book, I realized I was focusing on all the wrong things - I needed to focus on learning the process.

PHILOSOPHY OF SELLING: I don't sell; I plan, using a well-constructed process. My mission statement is: Care for my clients as if they are my family. In order to do this, I must help people face the challenges in their plan head on. I will educate my clients well enough to cause them to take action to secure their financial future. I believe that wealth is created by saving and we cannot control the return, but we can control what we save.

I believe every family must be insured. I will not work with people who lack integrity. I will not sell a product to a client if I know it isn't right for them. If a head of household is not concerned about purchasing for the future, I don't mind telling them they are making a big mistake.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO SUCCESS: Besides learning to focus on the right things and following a set process, two other factors have contributed to my success: hard work and the help of my mentors, Hillory Burkett and Jim Cook.