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HPN digital content and learning solutions are designed to fit your organization’s unique needs. Our content solutions are scalable, customizable and designed to increase advisor productivity and retention. Digital Learning Solutions for Advisor Development Gain Trial Access and Experience Our Digital Content Today! Trial Access Sales Skills Prospecting Telephoning Factfinding Closing Sales Psychology Handling Objections Virtual Selling Generational Buying Differences Practice Management Goal Setting Time Management Activity Management Client Building Team Selling Staff Development Digital Practice Operational Best Practices Marketing Networking Social Media Marketing Target Marketing Cross-Selling Center of Influence Development Understanding Life Events Giving Presentations Product Knowledge Life Insurance Annuities Disability Insurance Understanding IRAs Qualified Retirement Plans Long Term Care Insurance Critical Illness Insurance Multiline Solutions Planning Concepts Saving & Investing Retirement Planning College Planning Business Planning Estate Planning Life Event Planning Overview of Social Security Understanding Medicare Motivation & Inspiration The Power of Purpose Mental Toughness Overcoming Rejection and Adversity Real Impact Stories Power of Risk Management Planning Check Out Just Some of the Topics Within Our Content Library Looking to get new advisors off to a fast start or reignite experienced advisors to get to the next level? Either way, our digital content and learning solutions are designed to fit your organization’s unique needs. Our content solutions are scalable, customizable and designed to increase advisor productivity and retention. Interested in a FREE “Test Drive” of Our Content? Test Drive eLearning Knowledge Checks and Action Items for Performance Improvement Ability to Easily Enroll Learners in Courses and Learning Paths Reporting and Analytics for Greater Accountability Around Learning On Demand Classroom Training Modules (virtual and in person) Coaching Resources Including Guides, Assessments and Tutorial Videos Skill Assessment to Identify Strengths and Areas of Development Additional Advisor Development Tools and Resources In addition to our digital content, we also provide turnkey training and coaching tools for managers including: How to Conduct an Annual Policy Review History and Numbers Behind Social Security Choices for Medicare Coverage Understanding Social Security and FICA Tax How to Find Networking Opportunities The Financial Services Education Network content library provides the Science through hundreds of micro-learning modules focused on education and knowledge. Eszylfie Taylor – Personal Observation Strategies for Better Prospecting Tom Hegna – Don’t Worry, Retire Happy: 7 Steps to Retirement Security Sabine Robinson – Understanding the Art & Science of High Activity David Resseguie – 3 Powerful Tips for Building Better Phoning Habits Ellen Rogen – Leveraging Presentation Skills to Move Clients to Action The HPN University content library provides the Art by focusing on the skills, best practices and execution methods of the top experts and practitioners in financial services. Check Out Some of Our Sample Videos! We’ve combined the two most powerful digital content libraries in the world, equipping you and your advisors with the Art and Science of learning and development. Digital Learning Solutions for Advisor Development

Clients in over twenty-five countries throughout the world leverage HPN to help them keep pace with the ever-evolving challenges of learning and development in the new world. Digital Learning & Development Solutions for a New World! Financial Wellness Resources to Differentiate Your Organization Learn More Home Office/Field Staff Development Increase Engagement, Productivity and Retention Learn More Leadership Development On Demand Resources for Your Managers and Leaders Learn More Advisor Development Digital Learning Solutions for Advisor Development Learn More Our digital resources are designed to be scalable and customizable depending on your organization’s virtual learning and development needs. Why Choose Us for Your Digital Content Needs? For more than a decade, HPN has been providing digital learning solutions when, where and how your financial professionals need it. Clients in over twenty-five countries throughout the world leverage HPN to help them keep pace with the ever-evolving challenges of learning and development in the new world. Most utilized digital content library in financial services Over 50,000 subscribers in 25+ countries Integrates within any Learning Management System Turnkey manager tools for training and coaching Hundreds of microlearning videos and courses Digital learning paths based on role, tenure and preferences Contact Us Today To Learn How We Can Help With Your Digital Content Needs. Let's Talk Digital Learning & Development Solutions for a New World!

BenchBuilders six key responsibilities of field sales managers: recruiting and selecting, training, performance management, target market planning, business management and, team development. Giving Advisors an Opportunity to “Test Drive” a Career in Leadership READ – Each module has a “chapter” the candidate is required to read. DO – Each chapter contains instructions for the projects associated with that module. DISCUSS – Manager meets with candidate to review and discuss completed project. Pragmatic & Interactive, Not Academic or Passive BenchBuilder – the Six Key Responsibilities BenchBuilder activities align with the six key responsibilities of field sales managers: Recruiting and selecting – Identifying, attracting, and selecting qualified individuals for opportunities within the organization. Training – Instilling basic skills in new recruits and providing continued development of all team members. Performance management – Helping sales reps set and work toward goals, assessing their progress, and providing feedback to develop high-performance sales teams. Target market planning and development – Providing sales reps with the guidance to analyze and select appropriate target markets in which to expand their business Business management – Managing finances and running a sales office in a financially efficient manner. Team development – Setting sales office goals and direction and taking the steps necessary to accomplish those goals. Self-assessment Investing in Your Future (Module) Identifying Potential Candidates Recruiting Through Personal Contact Recruiting Sales Talent (Module) Approaching Nominators Developing Your Network of Nominators Expanding Your Reach with Nominators (Module) The Selection Process in Action Using Market Opinion Surveys as a Selection Tool The Selection Process (Module) Using PESOS to Plan Training Conducting a One-on-One Skill Building Session Training for Improved Performance (Module) Developing a Performance Management Program Managing Performance (Module) Personal Market Analysis Measuring Market Potential Developing a Target Marketing Strategy Target Market Planning and Development (Module) Values-Based Motivation Achieving Sales Leadership (Module) Self-Analysis of Sales and Sales Leadership Skills Relationships Between Personal Goals and a Sales Leadership Career Making the Career Decision: Sales or Sales Leadership (Module) Activities & Projects By Module Questions on BenchBuilder? Give Us a Call or Send Us an Email! Contact Us Structures a readiness track for developing managers. Online Business System (Feature) Prepares candidates for the challenges of today’s sales managers. Contemporary Content (Feature) Enables each management candidate to experience the most appropriate aspects of the opportunity at the most appropriate time. Individualized Tracks (Feature) Keeps sponsoring manager and candidate informed of progress helps organizations track talent management at the field level. Centralized Platform (Feature) Provides for a consistent, continuous, end-to-end management development process. Easy integration with LIMRA & HPN (Feature) BenchBuilder Features & Benefits Giving Advisors an Opportunity to “Test Drive” a Career in Leadership

BenchBuilder™ was developed from LIMRA’s extensive leadership and management research as well as the Hoopis Performance Network’s field-tested systems & best practices. Giving Advisors an Opportunity to “Test Drive” a Career in Leadership How Do You and Your Organization Identify Sale Management Potential? BenchBuilder™ was developed from LIMRA’s extensive leadership and management research as well as the Hoopis Performance Network’s field-tested systems & best practices. The curriculum allows sales reps and their sponsoring managers to collaborate on 16 management activities designed to provide a better understanding of a manager’s role. The purpose is to help both the organization and the management candidate determine whether a role in leadership is a fit. What Are You Doing To Build Your Bench Strength With the Next Generation of Leaders? Systematic Process for Management Development and Succession Planning With an increasingly aging sales manager population within financial services, there’s a huge opportunity to identify and develop sales reps who have leadership potential. It also helps an organization do their best to create a pipeline for organic growth, most have struggled to develop a systematic management development process. Too many organizations bring successful sales reps into a management role too soon. Just because someone is a successful producer, doesn’t mean they will be a successful manager. Manager turnover is even more costly than sales rep turnover because now you’ve lost not only a manager but also a good producer. Field Leadership Profile Feedback Report (sample) Recognize the importance of identifying, assessing, and developing successful leaders for the future of your organization! Download Sample How It Works The Field Leadership Profile uses multiple-choice questions to collect information about candidates’ past experiences, personal characteristics, and work judgment. Building on our new examination of field leadership competencies, each feedback report provides summary and detailed information for three key areas. You will learn candidates’: Expected performance on key field leader tasks Likely personal leadership impact Strengths and developmental needs on core leader competencies Each Feedback Report Also Includes: Interview questions for exploring candidates’ problem solving and business ethics Candidate selection summary page Customized development plan worksheet The Field Leadership Profile is available through LIMRA’s Web-based selection system that makes candidate selection effective, efficient, and timely. Test results are instantly computed and reports are available to your managers. The reporting system allows key people at your company to monitor and analyze test results. The Situation Field leaders play a pivotal role in your company’s profitability. It is critical to choose the right individuals for sales management positions: When leaders fail, production suffers, turnover climbs, and the bottom line takes a hit. How We Can Help You The Field Leadership Profile is a comprehensive assessment that helps you identify and develop successful sales leaders. It helps your organization focus on crucial facets of leadership candidates. The Field Leadership Profile BenchBuilder is designed to help organizations determine which of their sales reps should step into a management role. BenchBuilder provides a systematic, structured process to determine which path is best for a candidate: Sales or Management. Not everyone who completes BenchBuilder will move directly into a management role. Having BenchBuilder graduates on deck provides for a smoother transition in management succession planning. Systematic Process for Management Development and Succession Planning Learn How Building Bench Strength Works Go to How it Works Giving Advisors an Opportunity to “Test Drive” a Career in Leadership

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Next Item Previous Item Go back to White Papers List Whether new recruits or those who have been at their job for a while, passion remains one of the biggest drivers for making sales. When agents and advisors are passionate about their job and passionate about helping their clients, they close more sales. As an owner or manager, the single most effective way you can begin to ignite passion and purpose in your team is through your attitude. If you are excited, positive, and supportive, you will see the same kind of attitude from your producers. Creating a culture of passion and purpose is so vital to the health and success of your business, so you need to make it a priority. Some things you do to start the fire and keep it burning include: Implement a Mentorship Program Mentoring relationships at your firm or agency are symbiotic; they help ignite passion and purpose in new and seasoned agents or advisors alike. Sometimes finding your sales groove in a new position takes a while, and new recruits can become frustrated with low sales and little money. Experienced pros can offer the support and encouragement to make it through the learning curve, as well as provide some tips and tricks of the trade. The one-on-one relationship also provides an opportunity for a mentor to give pointed feedback to help a new recruit overcome obstacles. Agents and advisors who have years of experience sometimes hit slumps, go stale, or develop bad habits. When they are assigned to help a new agent or advisor, it helps keep them sharp and maintain a sense of purpose. Provide Sales-focused Reading Materials You might find your top producers are book nerds who read every sales book they can get their hands on. This isn’t always the case, especially with young recruits. They haven’t read Who Moved My Cheese? and classics by Robert Cialdini, Zig Ziglar, and others. Provide your financial professionals with copies of your favorite sales-related reads. These types of books are typically written in a way which makes a salesperson greatly identify with the topics. They usually aren’t dry, which can be a drawback with some training materials. Additionally, people learn in different ways and they need to hear things repeated multiple times, in multiple ways, before it sinks in. Good books about sales repeat many of the messages you want your agents and advisors to hear and get them excited about a new and fresh presentation. For those nonreaders of the group, audio books are available to ignite similar excitement and passion. They can listen and learn while in the car, in the gym or whenever they have the time. Utilize Outside Coaching Your financial professional, especially the newest ones, will commonly obtain coaching through you and possibly a mentor. Sometimes new associates and seasoned pros might get defensive. You can give them some of the same messages and help them tackle selfdefeating behavior through outside coaching. If you aren’t internally reaching your agents and advisors, they might be more receptive to an outside coach. It’s not likely Dan Sullivan or Tony Robbins will be available to speak at your agency or firm, but you can bring in a proven outside coach, or have them attend conferences and events for personal growth. You can find speakers and coaches who focus on specific aspects of sales, but you can also find other adjacent topics focusing on personal growth, teambuilding, public speaking, and much more. Coaching, events, and conferences provides additional opportunities to improve their skills, by developing new methods and insights on growing their practices while remaining passionate about their jobs. Gaining New Insights and Passion from Study Groups Study groups have become an integral part of the value proposition of many successful firms. They are an effective retention tool, as well as a valuable resource in helping experienced associates grow, once they have mastered the basics. There are many reasons study groups are effective for retaining experienced associates. These group often provide unique opportunities to collaborate with other highly successful people. Collaboration opportunities encourage joint work between associates with complementary expertise, which could open new doors for all parties involved. As an example, one participant may have access to a key decision maker but needs the expertise of another member to close the deal. Collaborative opportunities also can benefit both parties and help them to grow their business. Sometimes these partnerships encourage associates to develop specialties that can differentiate their business from their competitors. Study groups are also an opportunity for experienced associates to learn from some of the industry’s most talented individuals. No matter how successful they are, study group participants know they can learn even more by spending time with their peers. In fact, many will thrive on being held accountable to apply new approaches or hit production goals, with the bonus of learning new and creative ways to build their business. Set Attainable Goals for Your Agents and Advisors The power of goal setting has been studied and written about ad nauseam, because setting goals works! Whether choosing to live a healthy lifestyle, training for a marathon, or selling insurance and investment products, those who set goals and write them down are more likely to achieve them. When people achieve their goals, they get a sensational feeling of accomplishment, igniting passion and purpose for them to keep reaching. This also means they are making money, and everyone is happy and driven when the commissions are rolling in. Business owners and managers who set unattainable goals for their associates are doing them and their business a disservice. Instead, use goal setting to continuously inspire your entire team to do their best. Give Recognition for a Job Well Done Some leaders subscribe to the idea that they should motivate their salespeople by fear. Fear is a strong motivating factor in many individual’s personal and professional lives, but it certainly doesn’t ignite passion and purpose. Everyone likes a pat on the back now and then when they’ve done well. Take the time to recognize good performance. This can be as simple as a “good job” when someone lands a client they have been chasing for a while, when they help a new recruit, or when they have done an exceptional job cross-selling. You can also do more formal awards such as presenting plaques, offer a gift card, or qualification for special events for a job well done. In any case, when you show your agents and advisors you notice and appreciate their outstanding performance, you will take leaps and bounds towards igniting passion and purpose throughout your entire organization. Implement an Open-Door Policy Many employers claim they have an open-door policy, but it isn’t always the case. You will be meeting with your agents and advisors about goals and performance, and to provide some personal coaching. You should, however, make it clear that your associates can talk to you too. You should especially encourage them to come to you about ways you can support them and any workplace issues they might be experiencing. Be mindful to set boundaries, so you don’t discourage individual problem-solving, which can reduce productivity, and, make sure to listen without distraction. When your team feel supported, they will want to do a good job for you. Creating Passion and Purpose for Different Age Groups Passion and purpose are the common denominators for success at the things we attempt and accomplish. Those with any background can demonstrate a high desire for purpose and an exceptional level of passion. As much as we are alike, we are also different. Our personal characteristics and life experiences form the things which inspire us. Managers and owners of firms who want to ignite passion and purpose in their existing team members and new recruits cannot use a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, learning about the ‘hot buttons’ of our team members and recruits is just as important as learning about the ‘hot buttons’ of clients. Age is just one factor which can impact the things which ignite passion and purpose in all team members. As your business continues to grow, you will likely have financial professionals from a variety of age groups. An agent’s or advisor’s motivations change during different periods of their life. In the last decade or so, management consultants and other human resource experts have focused on generational differences between the Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials. While it isn’t prudent to tie up your entire human resources approach in age and generational differences, and you don’t want to create any biases towards a specific age group, you should consider how core values and preferences about rewards impact your approach to create and maintain passion and purpose in each individual person. Core Values Research about core values among different age groups and generations is plentiful and inconsistent on broad topics. When you dig a little deeper and investigate the relationship between core values and recognition in the workplace, the differences become clearer. In a Ladders poll of more than 55,000 employees, the survey asked respondents about which types of things motivated them in the workplace. Older and younger generations agreed that words of appreciation and quality time were more important than tangible gifts for motivation. Yet, they disagreed about the specifics within each category. Here are some examples from the “Quality Time” category: Millennials remain more interested in team projects than older generations because they like spending time together to achieve final results/ goals. Baby Boomers and older Gen-Xers don’t mind working in teams, but their ideal process is less collaborative. They meet, delegate, and complete tasks individually. Older generations value quality time with their direct supervisor more than with their coworkers, whereas younger generations would rather spend time with their coworkers. You can apply these insights to create a culture of passion and purpose at your agency or firm by mixing up your approach to recognition. For example, you might buy lunch for your entire team after they meet their monthly goals. Another month, you might choose to individually take top producers out for a special lunch to give them some encouragement. Reward Preferences Goal setting is a common way to create passion and purpose for your agents and advisors, but the reward which accompanies those goals needs to vary based on generation. Yes, you need to treat everyone equally, but you can easily change up the rewards, so that you hit all their hot buttons in order to keep their passion and purpose at the forefront. Of course, everyone regardless of age, wants to make a decent living, pay their bills, and support their family, but money alone is not always the way to keep them passionate about helping clients and rewarding them for a job well done. Everyone is different and not everyone fits into broad generalizations made by academics and consulting firms. General reward recognition patterns for each generation may provide some insights. Here are a few of them: Baby Boomers are career-focused, goaloriented, and likely the most competitive out of all your team members. Research shows they value monetary rewards more than anything else. Often described as workaholics, Baby Boomers also appreciate peer recognition for their achievements. Generation X team members have the reputation for being slackers, but doesn’t every generation criticize those that come after them? Research does not support the slacker theory, but it does show that Gen-Xers thrive in achievement-based workplaces. They believe those who do the best work, should get promotions and rewards, not those who are oldest or have the most seniority. Gift cards, supervisor recognition, and flexible schedule options remain some of the most preferred rewards for members of Generation X. Generation Y associates, often referred to as Millennials, have grown up hearing that social security will be gone by the time they hit retirement age. This generation is all about mentoring programs, feedback loops, and a positive culture at work, but stock options might be the best monetary reward you can offer Gen- Yers. Like the generation before them, Millennials also respond well to supervisor recognition and flexible work schedules as rewards. Generation Z associates unlike generations before them, prefer social rewards more than monetary rewards for a job well done. The youngest generation is a group of techsavvy multi-taskers, who love passion projects, meaningful employment, and taking on additional responsibility. It’s fair to say that some of these characteristics might be more attributable to age than generation – eager, young, idealistic college grads out to change the world. Generation Z expects flexible work schedules, so it’s unlikely you have any members of Generation Z unless you have already offered them flexibility. Reward Generation Z through mentorship, constructive feedback, and including them on any special client projects which you might be working on. Contact Hoopis Performance Network to Create Passion and Purpose for Different Groups When you take the time to know your team members individually, learn about their values, and understand their reward preferences, you can go a long way in creating passion and purpose for each of them, which benefits the entire workplace culture at your firm or agency. HPN provides knowledge and skills training for management, producers, and staff in the financial services industry. Whether you own or manage an insurance agency or an investment firm, we want to give you the tools you need to successfully grow your business in a competitive industry. Contact us today for your training and education needs and to learn more about how to create passion and purpose for individual team members as a part of different groups, with varying life experiences and backgrounds. Igniting Passion into Your Firms Culture

Next Item Previous Item Go back to White Papers List Ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius expressed his belief in the importance of learning from interaction when he wrote, “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do, and I understand.” There are no shortcuts when it comes to being successful, just as there are no shortcuts when it comes to gaining knowledge and understanding. Why We Must Get Training Right The training you offer can distinguish your firm or agency from others, which in turn can help you attract top talent. This is one area in which you just cannot take shortcuts. According to the 2018 Deloitte Millennial Survey, about 8 in 10 millennials say that on-the-job training, continuous professional development and formal training led by employers will be important to help them perform their best. Employer training and support quite obviously help millennials and the Gen Z cohort perform their jobs, and as their careers progress, the role of employer as educator will take on even greater significance. The study noted that 73 percent of those who plan to stay with their organizations more than five years say their organizations are strong providers of education and training. But young professionals are looking for training that goes beyond technical and sales skills. Young professionals are especially seeking help building confidence, interpersonal skills and— particularly for Gen Z—ethics/integrity aptitude. In their view, businesses are insufficiently focusing on nurturing these and similar soft skills. More than one-third of millennials (36 percent) say it is “essential” to a company’s long-term success that its employees and leaders have strong interpersonal skills, but only 26 percent are offered much help or support in developing them. A similar support deficit exists in the areas of confidence/ motivation, ethics/integrity, critical thinking and innovation/creativity. Failing to train your team members can be a catalyst for them to seek out organizations that offer better training. That can be costly to your organization. Employee Benefit News reported that turnover cost approximately 15,000 per employee who earns an annual salary of $45,000. That number is much higher for top producers. We Retain More Knowledge when We Participate in Training Actively Edgar Dale, famous for his research on this subject and his “cone of experience,” found that after two weeks, we tend to remember only: 10 percent of what we read 20 percent of what we hear 30 percent of what we see 50 percent of what we see and hear 70 percent of what we say and write 90 percent of what we do The higher our level of participation, the more information we retain. From a business perspective, higher retention of information translates to a higher ROI on your investment in providing training to your team. How to Engage Participants in Learning This is why it is so important to have participants in any learning course do more than just sit there and listen to what is being presented. Here are some strategies you can ask your instructor to use in an effort to get your team members more involved in their learning: Require participants to complete pre-work before the training. Before the training, if possible, connect with all the participants, probably via email. Ask them what they hope to learn from the session and if there are any specific questions they would like to get answered. This involves them in the training before it even begins. During the training, present the material in several different formats, such as written bullet points with images, video or audio clips, quiz questions and hands-on exercises. Offer different methods of training. Consider off-site, on-site, online self-study and online instructor-led programs. Make it easy for participants to follow along with what is being presented and to take notes, either online or on paper—whichever they prefer. Let participants know what’s coming. One effective way to do this for longer training classwork is to use the 50-10-50 module/break format. People tend to tune out and get restless if a training module lasts longer than 50 minutes. Let them know you will conduct a 50-minute training session, and then they will get a 10-minute break. Then the next 50-minute session will begin. When participants know ahead of time that the workshop will break at a specific time, it reduces their stress and distraction. They likely will need to check their email or return calls. Choose participants randomly during the training to answer questions or offer their perspectives. They will want to be prepared in case they are called on, so they will pay closer attention. Require participants to complete worksheets, and then collect and review them. If it’s not worth instructors’ time to inspect what they expect, then soon it won’t be worth the participants’ time to complete the assignments. Break the participants into groups and ask them to engage in discussions on the topic. Have the participants write or say how they will translate the information, concepts and techniques they have learned into actionable activities they can use with their clients. Have your instructor create high-value deliverables that summarize and expand on what the participants have learned. Listing or linking to additional support resources is a valuable way to keep adults engaged long after your training seminar is over. You can offer these deliverables in the form of printed handouts or via an online LMS. Offer praise when participants offer contributions to the training and when they excel at grasping the concepts and translating them into real-world scenarios. Mistakes to Avoid in Training In addition to the above tips for engaging learners in their training, here are some common training mistakes for your trainers and instructors to avoid. Most of these common mistakes boil down to organizations, trainers and/ or participants attempting to take shortcuts in the learning process: Mistake #1: Offering training as an afterthought — or not at all. To become known as the organization that offers the best and most valuable training, it must be included in your budget. You must devote time, staff and money to training. Otherwise, it’s no more than an afterthought, or at best, a one-time event. Ongoing training is the hallmark of dynamic organizations that attract the best talent. Plus, when you train your own team members, you are investing in your own company. Mistake #2: Creating cognitive overload. That occurs when too much information is delivered at once. If participants feel overwhelmed, they will be unable to absorb the concepts you are sharing with them. This is a common occurrence when it comes to new agent/advisor onboarding training, since there is so much information to provide in such a short period of time. Offer classroom training in short segments, and stick with “bite sized” online training courses or modules that offer learners a small bit of vital information at once. This online coursework can be used as an initial presentation of the subject matter or as a training follow up after a classroom session. Repetition is the key to learning and recall. (This is one of the beneficial features of FSEdNet video training; our hundreds of videos last an average of only 8.5 minutes each.) Mistake #3: Using outdated materials. Make sure all your training materials are updated, with current statistics and facts. Participants are likely to lose confidence in the credibility of the information if the information is no longer accurate. Mistake #4: Ignoring differences in learning styles. We know people learn by doing. We also know that some people tend to learn better through visual or audio content. Be sure your content isn’t just written or spoken; but it contains a blend of written, audio, visual and even gaming elements in your training materials. Mistake #5: Ignoring generational differences. We can’t assume that all baby boomers prefer traditional training materials and millennials, or Gen Z prefer online training. A study of 1,000 professionals by Activia Training found that younger employees prefer classroom learning. Thus, when utilizing eLearning the style and design of its format is very important. The best designs are those which replicate a classroom experience, which should contain a blend of live speakers, along with visual enhancements to engage and supplement the learning process. Voiceover PowerPoints scored the lowest when it came to eLearning. Mistake #6: Trying to teach all knowledge levels in one class. When possible, tailor your training according to skill level. Veteran agents or advisors who have been selling life insurance for their entire careers obviously don’t need an introductory class on life insurance. Assess knowledge levels before deciding which participants should take which training. Also, don’t assume people know more or less than they really do. Mistake #7: Leaving out important aspects of the participants’ everyday activities. Training your agents or advisors in sales and negotiation strategies is essential but be sure to complement that training with product training and how to manage a practice as well. And, as mentioned earlier, millennials and Gen Z want training in “soft skills.” Offer training in a variety of skills. Mistake #8: Failing to follow up. The learning shouldn’t end the moment the training ends. Training is a process, not an event. One of the key benefits of eLearning via an LMS, is that the training curriculum is available for a refresher whenever the information is needed. No trainer can design a curriculum to fit every situation or client event at the exact moment needed. So, having the ability to return to a specific training topic at any time is a winning solution. Thus, repetition is the key element to any learning process. Set expectations for posttraining follow-up. Ask participants to submit reports three months later, for example, to explain how they have used the training. Schedule a get-together three or six months later, and have participants share their thoughts about the training. Ask participants to write down two or three specific goals for how they will use the training in their professional growth. Check back with them three and six months later to learn about their progress. Mistake #9: Skipping the assessment step. Ask participants to fill out an evaluation form before they leave the room or as soon as they sign off the online training platform. Make sure someone compiles the data on these forms to understand what worked and what could be done better next time. This is extremely important. Training requires a significant investment of your organization’s time, money and resources, so it pays to learn what type of impact it’s having. Do not allow anyone involved in the training of your team, or the participants, to take or accept shortcuts! It’s human nature to try, but we must form the habit of never accepting any shortcuts in learning or business. Consider Hoopis Performance Network for Advisor, Leader and Staff Training An effective resource for training financial advisors is HPN, which features online, ondemand, total video-based training built on four Disciplines of Success with access to more than 600 training sessions. The coursework can be either self-study or facilitator-led, and it complements any firm, agency or company training programs and marketing selling systems. With our mobile application your advisors can access the video training anytime, anywhere, on their computers, smartphones or tablets. It’s a cost-effective, time-efficient way to increase productivity, thus retention. All of our platforms are designed to help all levels of those in the financial services industry enhance their career opportunities by learning and understanding more. Which results in helping them reach their full potential by sharing ideas, concepts, techniques on topics that will help turn potential into reality. Don’t Shortcut the Learning Process

Free downloads of our Hoopis Performance Network advisor skill assessments and manager systems assessments. (PDF format). Advisor Skill Assessments The following are skills assessments based on the best practices of top advisors in financial services. The purpose is to have your advisors complete an assessment by reflecting on their own sales skills and the extent to which they are applying each best practice. Listening Skills Assessment Prospecting Skills Assessment Factfindings Skill Assessment Closing Skills Assessment Manager Systems Assessments The following are organizational systems assessments based on best practices of the top quartile firms in financial services. The purpose is to have your leadership team complete an assessment by reflecting on the firm’s existing systems and the extent to which the organization is applying each best practice. Recruiting & Selection Systems Assessment Training Systems Assessment Coaching & Development Systems Assessment Attracting Generation Next Assessment Your Top Line is Only as Good as Your Distribution I'm Ready to Build My Dream Team We have the proven programs you need to increase productivity and retention