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Next Item Previous Item Go back to White Papers List Although it’s important to measure the effectiveness of training, many organizations don’t take the initiative to see whether they have brought any positive impact to the organization. According to a study carried out by the Association for Talent Development, or ATD (formerly the American Society of Training & Development, or ASTD), only 3 percent of respondents measure the impact of the training on their businesses. Whether you use classroom training, e-learning or a combination of both, measuring results will enable you to determine how effective the training was. A Four-Level Training Evaluation Model Here are five methods to measure the results of any training. The first four levels were developed by Donald Kirkpatrick, Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin and past president of ATD (formerly ASTD). He first published his Four-Level Training Evaluation Model in 1959, in the US Training and Development Journal. He updated the model in 1975 and again in 1994, when he published his best-known work, Evaluating Training Programs. Level 1: Reaction Through an analysis of participants’ reactions to the training, you can determine the level of satisfaction they derived and the relevance of the materials used. In this level, the focus is not on learning but on the degree of learners’ satisfaction and their extent of appreciation for a given training session. Some surveys that assess learners’ feelings show that the choice of an e-learning training program was driven by flexibility and convenience. For this reason, e-learning can be a very effective method of training, especially for people who travel a lot and have no time for classroom training. Research and analysis also have shown that many online learners get effective support from their instructors. This makes the whole process enjoyable and fruitful. Level 2: Learning Learning involves the provision of techniques, facts and principles that are key to providing information to trainees. In measuring learning, the focus is on establishing the degree of skills, attitudes and knowledge trainees have received during a training session. Unlike in reaction surveys, assessing the degree of a participant’s knowledge requires rigorous procedures. Some organizations measure learning in this stage, while others use pre-tests and post-tests to evaluate and track trainees’ results from a training session. Evaluating learning through pre-tests and post-tests has proved a suitable method to gauge the level of learning participants have achieved from any training session. For example, a study carried out by California State University, Northridge, showed that participants who underwent e-learning performed 20 percent better than traditional learners. Another study discovered that e-learners scored higher grades than traditional learners. Level 3: Behavior The behavior of any e-learning participant will likely improve. But it is always impossible to predict how any trainee is going to transfer the knowledge gained during the training session to the actual workplace. Most e-learning training focuses on changing on-the-job behavior, even though at times it is hard to measure such change using test scores or analyzing trainees’ feelings. However, there is some level of connection between hoped-for consequences and behavioral change. The challenges that affect an organization’s measure of the effectiveness of a certain training session have led to the need for organizations to measure their results as opposed to evaluating trainees through pre-tests and post-tests. Such preference can be attributed to the fact that all business results have a significant effect on the level of clients’ or customers’ satisfaction. Thus, business results that do not have any effect on clients are considered bad, while those that increase the level of customer satisfaction are considered good. Level 4: Results In level 4, the focus is on evaluating efforts and processes. Performance results are important because they act as pointers to the level of client satisfaction. Training generally aims to achieve a lower rate of employee turnover, decreased absenteeism, increased productivity, higher quality and reduced costs. Despite having such goals, addressing the complexity of the evaluation process remains a challenge for most organizations. Some organizations measure the efficacy of e-learning results by analyzing the volume of sales. An Important Quantitative Measure A fifth way to measure your training program, not included in Kirkpatrick’s list, is quantitative — assess the return on investment. Compare the cost of the training with returns from sales to evaluate the monetary value your organization gains — after carrying out the training. Using these qualitative and quantitative measures of your training program’s value will guide your decisions about future training and its delivery method. Measuring training results will keep you from wasting time, money and effort on training that isn’t moving your company or firm forward. Finally, LIMRA reports that millennials and women recruits use organizations’ technology capabilities and their education and learning resources to help determine which firm to join and remain with. E-learning not only can provide the flexibility they seek for a balanced lifestyle; it also can deliver quick and easily available content on any specific topic on demand, when the need arises. An Effective Training Platform for Managers and Advisors An effective resource for training financial advisors is Hoopis Performance Network, which features online, on demand, total video-based training built on four Disciplines of Success with access to more than 400 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. 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. An effective resource for training new or experienced sales leaders is HPN, an innovative virtual platform designed for financial leaders who are building a region, an agency or firm, a sales unit or a sales team. You can get access to hundreds of high-impact sessions for all levels of experience, divided into five distinct elements of success. These sessions are short and easily digestible, averaging less than 10 minutes. Your managers, wholesalers and leadership teams can access the video training anytime, anywhere, on their computers, smartphones or tablets. Five Ways to Measure Training Results

Next Item Previous Item Go back to White Papers List One of the most important questions parents who have a child with special needs ask themselves is, “What’s going to happen to my child when I’m no longer here?” To a large degree, the answer to that question will depend on the steps you begin taking today to arrange for your child’s future well-being. Having a child with special needs requires considerable planning, both for the short term and the long term. Taking care of the legal formalities regarding your child’s long-term care will give you peace of mind. First Steps Planning for the future care of a child is important under any circumstances, and it’s especially critical to do so for a child with special needs. Here are initial steps you should begin taking today: Assess your child’s prognosis. Will your child ever be able to earn a living, manage assets, and live independently? Your evaluation of issues such as these will then guide you in the type of planning you need to complete to provide for your child. If you are unsure about your child’s future prognosis, be conservative in your assumptions. You can always change your plans in the future. Review your financial situation. What assets do you have available to provide for your child’s future financial needs? What can you do to accumulate additional assets for his or her care? Evaluate living arrangements. Where do you want your child to live after your death, or if you become physically unable to care for your child? Will your child need a guardian (or conservator)? Understand government benefits. Do you know what government benefits are available and what the requirements are to qualify for them? Government benefits and their requirements can play a major role in your child’s future well-being. Improper or careless planning could make your child ineligible for certain benefits. Government benefits fall into two groups: Entitlement programs. Eligibility for entitlement programs is based on meeting certain requirements, such as age, disability, or blindness. An individual who, for example, meets the required definition of “disability” is entitled to receive benefits, regardless of that individual’s financial situation. Needs-based programs. To receive benefits from a needs-based program, a disabled individual cannot have income or assets above stated amounts. Legal Planning Overview Once your initial assessment is complete, the care and well-being of a child who is either a minor or an adult who is mentally, physically, and/or developmentally disabled can be greatly enhanced by your efforts to complete legal, medical, financial, and educational planning. This white paper focuses on the area of legal planning. Please see our other white paper for tips on medical, financial, and educational planning for a child with special needs. In general, legal planning will establish how your estate will be distributed when you die. Who will care for your child with special needs when you’re no longer able to do so? How can your estate be arranged to provide for your child without disqualifying him or her from receiving government benefits? The 6 legal issues listed below are important in planning the future for a child with special needs. Will. The primary purpose of a will is to state how you want your assets distributed at your death. Guardian. If your child’s condition warrants it, give careful thought to naming a future guardian or conservator for your child, after both parents are gone. The child’s guardian may be different from the trustee of financial assets. Letter of intent. A letter of intent serves as a blueprint of what you want your child’s life to be like if there comes a time when you can no longer care for him or her. Special needs trust. This type of trust that can receive and manage assets for the benefit of your disabled child, without disqualifying him or her from receiving government benefits. Be careful here—boilerplate wording from an attorney who is not experienced in this field will not suffice. Special needs trusts should be specific and include exact wording, to prevent your child from being disqualified from receiving government support. As your child reaches adulthood, you might lose the authority to make decisions for him or her. The two documents described below enable you to continue assisting your adult child in making appropriate decisions throughout his or her lifetime. Both documents refer specifically to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). This allows disclosure of medical and hospital records and information to the “agent” that is not subject to federal regulation of privacy rules. Don’t forget to identify “alternate agents” to carry on for you after you are no longer able to do so. Power of attorney. This legal instrument is used to delegate legal authority to another person, giving that person the authority to make property, financial and other legal decisions during the lifetime of the person who executes the power of attorney (the initiator). A power of attorney remains in effect only while the initiator is alive. Upon the initiator’s death, it is automatically canceled and of no effect. Medical directives. In addition to recording the treatments an individual wishes to have or not have, should he or she become unable to make those decisions, a medical directive also appoints a proxy—someone to make medical decisions for a person who cannot make medical decisions on his or her own. Now let’s examine each of these 6 important legal areas in more detail. Your Will A will is the legal document that states the actions you want taken after your death, with regard to the disposition of your property, the guardianship of any minor or disabled children, and the administration of your estate. If you die without a will, you are said to die “intestate,” and the state in which you reside will make these important decisions through its intestacy law. This means that the state will determine who receives your property, who becomes the guardian of your minor and/or disabled children, and how your estate will be administered. By preparing your will, you can avoid negative potential implications such as the following: The court-appointed guardian might not be someone your child even knows. Any inheritance received by your child in excess of $2,000 could disqualify him or her from receiving needs-based government benefits. A will is an important first step in your legal planning… it sets everything else in motion. Guardians In most states, once a child reaches age 18, he or she is presumed to have decision-making capacity, and the parents’ legal authority ends. Parents of children with special needs have various options, each with advantages and disadvantages depending on the situation, to establish a new legal authority to continue making important decisions for the child. If the child is incapable of making personal or financial decisions once he or she reaches the age of majority, a parent—or anyone else who is an adult, is not incapacitated, and does not have a significant conflict of interest—can petition the court to be appointed the adult child’s guardian or conservator (the terminology is different in different states). It’s important to give careful thought to who will have responsibility for your child with special needs after both parents are gone. A guardian or conservator is the individual who will care for your child and manage his or her affairs when you’re no longer available or able to do so. The laws regarding this person’s roles vary from one state to another. Among the various guardianship/conservatorship arrangements, there are 2 basic types, and you will need to select one of them. Your choice will largely depend on your evaluation of your child’s developmental disabilities: Limited guardianship or conservatorship. The powers of the guardian or conservator are limited to reflect the needs of the disabled individual. A limited guardian or conservator is appropriate if your specialneeds child is capable of performing some, but not all, the tasks of daily living and/or managing his or her financial resources. General guardianship or conservatorship. The guardian or conservator has full decision-making powers for a disabled individual with respect to finances, living arrangements, medical care, etc. Letter of Intent A letter of intent is a blueprint of your child’s situation and your wishes for your child when you are no longer there to carry them out. Although it is not legally binding, the letter provides direction for the person or persons who will be caring for your child. Write a letter of intent as soon as possible and update it as your child grows. Include the following types of information: The child’s vital information (full name, nickname, place and date of birth, Social Security number), plus the name and contact information of anyone involved in your child’s life, such as a caseworker, school or work contact, financial advisor, executor of your will, and/or the child’s guardian. Medical information about your child, including diagnosis, care, and support he or she currently receives, medications, emergency instructions, physicians, therapies, etc. It’s a good idea to either include a set of the child’s medical records or to state where those records are located. A “snapshot” of your child’s capabilities with regard to activities of daily living (eating, bathing, getting dressed, toileting, transferring, and continence). Any special equipment your child needs, such as wheelchairs, shower chairs, modified computers, voice-recognition software, utensils or plates, etc. Also include whom to contact to maintain this equipment or where to go to repair or replace it. Education your child has received, as well as future education you’d like him or her to receive. Living arrangements…where would you (and your child) like for the child to live if something should happen to you? What happens if you become physically unable to care for him or her anymore? Indicate whether you feel your child can live independently or would be better in a group environment. This decision might need a long lead time (years, even) to put into place for independent living, depending on where you live. Employment opportunities that you feel might be open to your child when he or she becomes an adult. Social/behavioral information, such as activities and the types of toys your child enjoys, who your child likes to play with, plus any behavior-management issues, including how you discipline your child. Dietary information, including food likes and dislikes, diet restrictions or allergies, problems swallowing, etc. Religious information, as appropriate. Financial guidance, including information about medical insurance, financial resources available to the child, and whom to contact for assistance and additional information. Special Needs Trust The purpose of a special needs trust is to provide financial assets for your child’s future care and well-being, while maintaining his or her eligibility for government benefits, such as Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Medicare, or Medicaid. Under current federal law, an individual with more than $2,000 in assets will be disqualified from most needs-based government benefits. State assistance programs might also be based on need. The only exception to this law is an ABLE account, also known as a 529 ABLE or 529A account. It is a state-run savings program for eligible people with disabilities in the United States. Rules governing ABLE accounts are codified in Internal Revenue Code section 529A, which was enacted by the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act in 2014. If your child were to receive an inheritance from you directly, it’s highly probable that the inheritance would disqualify him or her from receiving needed benefits. Do not leave assets directly to your child. With a special needs trust, you leave assets to the trust. The trust is managed by a trustee, who can use trust assets on your child’s behalf. Special needs trust requirements are stringent, so it’s important that you consult with an experienced attorney to set one up. In a properly structured special needs trust, the trust holds title to the property for the benefit of the disabled child or adult. The assets in the special needs trust can be used to provide for the needs of the disabled individual and to supplement benefits received from government assistance programs. For example, trust assets could be used to provide your child with the following: Transportation, including the purchase of a vehicle Training, rehabilitation, or education programs Equipment Payment of medical, dental, and eyesight needs Payment of insurance premiums Companion/home health aides Entertainment Items to enhance quality of life/self-esteem A special needs trust can hold cash, as well as title to stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, and personal property. In addition, it can own and/or be the beneficiary of life insurance policies. Another use for a special needs trust is to receive any proceeds from personal-injury settlements without jeopardizing the disabled individual’s eligibility for government benefits. Special needs trusts are designed to supplement, not replace, the kind of basic support provided by government programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Special needs trusts pay for comforts and luxuries – “special needs”—that could not be paid for by public-assistance funds. This means that if money from the trust is used for food or shelter costs on a regular basis or distributed directly to your disabled child, those payments will count as income to him or her. This can affect eligibility for government benefits. One of the trustee’s most important jobs is to use discretion in making distributions from the trust, so as not to jeopardize the beneficiary’s eligibility for these government benefits. If the beneficiary receives SSI, here are some basic expenses that should not be paid through a special needs trust without consultation with a special-needs attorney: Cash given directly to the beneficiary for any purpose Food or groceries Restaurant meals (except if given as an occasional gift) Rent or mortgage payments Property taxes Homeowners or condo association dues Homeowners insurance if the insurance is a mortgage requirement Utilities such as electricity, gas, and water Utilities hookup or connection charges However, many of these payments will only cause a 1/3 reduction in SSI benefits. The trustee may determine that the benefit of the trust making these payments far outweighs the loss of income. Still, to ensure that your child can retain eligibility for government benefits, it’s important that wellintentioned family members, such as grandparents, understand that their wills should bequeath assets to the special needs trust, not directly to the disabled individual. Power of Attorney A power of attorney (POA) is a legal document giving one person the power to act for another person. Conventional POAs lapse when the creator becomes incapacitated, but a “durable POA” remains in force to enable the agent to manage the creator’s affairs, and a “springing POA” comes into effect only if and when the creator of the POA becomes incapacitated. A medical or healthcare POA enables an agent to make medical decisions on behalf of an incapacitated person. A person who is appointed as power of attorney is not necessarily an attorney. The person could just be a trusted family member, friend, or acquaintance. Medical Directives Medical directives, also known as advance directives, guide choices for doctors and caregivers if a person is terminally ill, seriously injured, in a coma, in the late stages of dementia, or near the end of life. Advance directives need to be in writing. Each state has different forms and requirements for creating legal documents. Depending on where you live, a form may need to be signed by a witness or notarized. You can ask a lawyer to help you with the process, but it is generally not necessary. You can change your directives at any time. If you want to make changes, you must create a new form, distribute new copies, and destroy all old copies. Specific requirements for changing directives can vary by state. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when doing the legal planning needed to ensure that your disabled child will get the best care possible. But advance legal planning is critical to ensuring that all potential scenarios are covered. Being proactive in this area can prevent costly, stressful, and time-consuming problems from occurring down the road. Legal Planning for a Child with Special Needs

Next Item Previous Item Go back to White Papers List When an agency or firm needs a new sales manager, top management’s logical first choice is often the star sales producer. Most top performers are excited about the promotion, and they don’t want to let their bosses down, so they take the job. They think it would-be career suicide to turn it down. That’s why many top salespeople end up taking a sales management role, even though they never really wanted to be a manager. They want to please others around them, and they want to help the company, but many are not prepared for the challenges and changes that lay ahead of them. Being Good in One Job Doesn’t Guarantee Success in Another Remember the classic “Peter Principle”? It was an observation that in any kind of hierarchy, people tend to rise to their “level of incompetence.” In other words, as people are promoted, they become progressively less effective because good performance in one job does not guarantee similar performance in another. Sales producers are conditioned to excel on their own, and they know what works for them as individuals. Teaching others how to have similar success is an entirely different skill. That’s why, once promoted to sales management, great salespeople often struggle to succeed in the new role. Tiger Woods isn’t known as a great golf coach, and you don’t see LeBron James conducting shoot-arounds. Their gift is in their own performance, and great coaches know that. Why Salespeople Often Fail at Management When we promote top sales producers into management, we lose their extraordinary sales production. And if they aren’t happy in the management role, we run the risk of losing their talent altogether if they leave the firm or agency. Without management training, new managers typically struggle to excel in the unfamiliar role. They might not enjoy leading others to succeed, and they might become impatient with producers who lack the talent they have. To compound this problem, their associates want strong leadership but might not be getting it, so they often leave the agency or firm, too. You can see why promoting your top producer into management without the proper preparation can be a costly mistake. Two Potential Solutions Here are your primary options. Choose the one that’s right for your organization: Conduct an external talent search for a sales manager with a successful track record of management success. Promote a top sales producer only if he or she has expressed a genuine interest in management and only after providing the person with management training. Before you do that, establish a process for evaluating sales management candidates, the same way you evaluate potential agents or advisors. Hold them to the same standards you would hold external candidates. This will help you avoid moving a producer into management just because you like him or her. Consider Hoopis Performance Network for Management Training One effective resource for training new or existing managers is HPN, an innovative virtual platform designed for financial leaders who are building a region, an agency or firm, a sales unit or a sales team. You can get access to hundreds of high-impact sessions for all levels of experience, divided into five distinct elements of success. These sessions are short and easily digestible, averaging less than 10 minutes. Your managers can access the video training anytime, anywhere, on their computers, smartphones or tablets. Think Twice Before Promoting Your Star Producer into Management

Best-Selling Author, International Speaker Ben Newman Best-Selling Author, International Speaker Ben Newman is a Best-Selling Author, International Speaker and highly regarded Performance Coach whose clients include top companies around the world, business executives, high performing sales organizations and professional athletes in the NFL, MLB, PGA and NCAA. Ben’s most recent book, “Own Your Success” was ranked by CEO READ as their #13 business book of 2012! In addition in 2012, The Napoleon Hill Foundation recognized Ben as one of the TOP 51 speakers & thought leaders in the World! Ben’s renowned Boot Camp’s, speaking, books, blogs and videos empower and inspire thousands of individuals each year to maximize results in their lives personally and professionally. Participants are able to uncover their true potential, ready to create the life they are meant to fight for and enjoy. Ready to take on THEIR relentless pursuit of greatness: Their Prizefighter Day! Ben’s mother, Janet Fishman Newman’s death, 11 days before his eighth birthday, left a cavernous hole in his universe. Yet while his mother passed away all those years ago, not a single day goes by without the reminder that she helped Ben become the man that he is today. Her strength, her love, her work ethic and her legacy live on through him, through the family he has created, and through the work he does. He has come to realize that she was demonstrating a very important truth – our circumstances in life are much less significant than our responses to them. Ben empowers audiences to recognize that “YOUR success is not just about changing YOUR habits, it’s about changing the way YOU think.” His clients have included: United States Army, MARS Snackfoods, St. Louis Cardinals, Northwestern Mutual, AFA Singapore, Mass Financial Group, Wells Fargo Advisors, Great West Life Canada, Boston Medical Center, Boys & Girls Club of America, St. Croix, New York Life, The Minnesota Vikings, as well as thousands of executives, entrepreneurs, athletes and sales teams from around the globe who attend his speeches and seminars. His authentic, powerful, and engaging presentations have become nationally recognized. Ben has shared the stage with Tony Dungy, Colin Powell, Brian Tracy, Ken Blanchard, Jon Gordon, Dr. Jason Selk, Floyd Little, Aeneas Williams, Walt Jocketty and other leaders and legends in the world. Ben is a 6-time author and his latest book, Own YOUR Success: The Power to Choose Greatness and Make Everyday Victorious is a #1 Business Best-Seller. The highly anticipated release of Leave YOUR Legacy will be in March of 2015. He is also the author of YOUR Mental Toughness Playbook, Fight the Good Fight, Pocket Truths for Success & Pocket Principles for the Insurance Business. In addition, Ben was a co-author of the recently released “Napoleon Hill’s 17 Principles of Success.” Ben lives in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri with the true measure of his success, his wife, Ami, and their children, J. Isaac and Kennedy Rose. Previous Speaker Go back to Speaker Network Next Speaker

Principal and founder of KeyeStrategies, LLC Julie Keyes CEPA Principal and founder of KeyeStrategies, LLC KeyeStrategies is a professional services firm based in Minneapolis specializing in Exit and Transition Planning education and advisory for business owners. Julie Keyes is the principal and founder of KeyeStrategies, LLC. She has founded and operated several companies over the course of her adult career and understands what keeps owners up at night, having lived so many of their experiences herself over the years. Julie is a Certified Exit Planning Adviser (CEPA) and is a national speaker and instructor on Exit Planning for audiences of professional advisers and business owners in both live and online platforms. She is also the President of the Exit Planning Institute Twin Cities Metro Area Chapter, faculty member for EPI’s CEPA Program and their 2017 “Leader of Year”. Along with a variety of speaking and teaching engagements, Julie’s consulting practices focuses on strategic growth and exit planning for business owners from various industries whose companies range in size from $5-50MM in revenue. On a personal note, Julie and her husband, Shaun have 8 children and 7 grandchildren, so when she’s not traveling for work, she’s traveling to spend time with family. Previous Speaker Go back to Speaker Network Next Speaker

Financial Wellness Save or Pay Off Debt Calculator: Saving vs using the money you have in savings to pay down debt. Try Our Save or Pay Off Debt Calculator Having savings is important, especially when the savings are part of an emergency fund or a hedge against a loss of income. However, when you also have debt, in the form of an outstanding credit card balance or loan, you might want to consider whether you are better off using the money you have in savings to pay down debt. Back to Financial Calculators We Invite You To “Test Drive” Our Financial Wellness Content Today! Test Drive

Next Item Previous Item Go back to White Papers List How often do you do things you don’t need to do so you can avoid doing something you are supposed to be doing? We all put off things sometimes, both in our personal and business lives, so there is room for all of us to become more productive. Why We Put Things Off Procrastination is the gap between what we know we should be doing and our actions. When it comes to self-sabotage, procrastination is king. We know what we need to do, but for whatever reason, we put it off. The bigger the gap, the bigger the issue. There are three basic reasons we procrastinate: We don’t like to do the task that needs to be done, or doing it will upset us somehow. This is the most common reason we procrastinate. In life, especially in business, we regularly face tasks we would prefer not to do. But to succeed, we must not only do them; we must make a habit of them. For example, cold calling, asking for referrals and taking educational courses are just a few of the common tasks that are fundamental parts of our jobs but are not on our “can’t wait to do” list. These challenging functions make us feel uncomfortable. The truth is, we just do not want to feel negative emotions — it’s about feeling good now. Often, we simply give in to feeling good by putting off these tasks. These delays sabotage both our short-term and long-term goals. We make our daily goals or tasks vague or weak. We know we really don’t want to make those calls or complete that training, so we make those tasks vague, without a deadline. We say, “I’ll get to that later this week.” It’s impossible to control behavior against such a poorly defined standard. We are easily distracted, and some of us are highly impulsive. We catch ourselves often saying things like, “It will take me only a minute to check my email” or “I’ll just update my Facebook page quickly.” Or maybe we just got a LinkedIn request, so we log in to find out who sent us a connection request. Then all of a sudden, we say, “Oops! Where did my day go?”In today’s hyper-connected world, our digital distractions can provide the perfect excuse for procrastination. But the things we really need to be doing won’t disappear, and putting them off just causes us more to feel more stress and a lack of accomplishment. A task is either too easy or too challenging. The problem with a task being too easy is that we quickly get bored, so we find little motivation in it, and there is little to hold our attention to the task at hand. To keep yourself engaged with tedious tasks, use frequent mini-rewards to keep your focus from one small chunk of time to the next, such as every 30 minutes. Now, don’t do anything big; the reward can be as simple as eating a snack, getting up for a cup of coffee or a soda or taking a brief walk.If the task is difficult, we seem to procrastinate even more. The reasons we do this vary greatly. Maybe we simply lack the confidence — we’re nervous or even scared. So we keep putting a task off, finding anything to keep us busy other than the task that needs to be completed. Finally, because time is normally running out, we force ourselves to do it. And because we are now short on time, we normally do not achieve the level of success that we would have or could have. We lack motivation. Finally, too often procrastinators say, “I lack motivation.” The word “motivation” is a vague term that lacks action. We need to think of what our motive is. In other words, what is your reason for doing a task? Every task we complete should play an important role in accomplishing our ultimate goals. If you have no good short-term or long-term reason for accomplishing a task, eliminate it from your to-do list. Tips for Overcoming Procrastination With today’s world competing for our attention, it’s more important than ever to prioritize where and how we spend our time. This is true whether you’re a financial advisor or a sales leader. We must understand that self-deception is the handmaiden of procrastination. When we don’t feel like completing a task now, we will often deceive ourselves — or try to — by saying, “I’ll feel more like doing this tomorrow.” Or maybe we just won’t remove distractions that we know undermine our work. Too often, we tell ourselves little white lies as we wait to become inspired and take action. However, deep down, we know these are just excuses. To end the self-sabotaging act of procrastination, it’s essential to stop all these self-deceptions. How can you do this? Let’s look at a few simple tips for fighting off procrastination to become more productive. Simply get started. This is the most effective solution. If your action plans call for you to do a task, don’t think about; just start doing it. Put a sign on your desk that reads, “Am I procrastinating?” The quicker you recognize it, the faster you can move on to the task at hand. A task begun is a task half done. Don’t think too far ahead — take baby steps. Research indicates that establishing a low threshold to task engagement will fuel your motivation and change your perception of the task. Quickly you will discover that it was not as bad as you thought. Recognize and acknowledge your delay tactic, and move on. Look carefully at your progress on your daily task sheet. Are you choosing what you like to do over what you don’t? If so, recognize and acknowledge it. Don’t get upset with yourself; just acknowledge it and move on. You may want to say to yourself, “Time to move on.” This catch phrase simply allows you to acknowledge that you are procrastinating, and you are getting back on track. Set deadlines. Deadlines allow you to have enough time to accomplish your task thoroughly. They let you know when you need to have it completed, which will tell you when you need to start it. That will enable you to be more productive and focused. Evaluate these difficult tasks, and break them down into a step-by-step routine or process. Also, break your day up by adding a couple of easy tasks as relief from the more difficult work. These are deadlines that you impose on yourself, so don’t freak out — it is a commitment to yourself. Decide when you will begin the task and when you will have it completed. And when it is time to start, start! Don’t think about it. Dig in and begin. Having self-accountability is great; however, if you don’t feel like you can hold yourself accountable, then get someone else to establish deadlines for you and check in with you to see how you’re progressing. This is a common challenge for advisors, especially those who are just starting out. If you’re an advisor, then get your manager or a mentor to work with you. If you’re a sales leader, ask another manager or colleague to hold you accountable. And you can do the same for him or her. By promising to complete certain tasks by a certain day or time, you will begin to form the habit of delivering on commitments. Know how long each task takes. We must become aware of exactly how long each specific task takes to complete, rather than just guessing. Take control of your time. To do this, you must learn what really takes 15 minutes, what takes 30 minutes and what takes an hour. By improving your estimate of how long a task will take, you can get better control of your time and achieve a sense of accomplishment by checking each task off your list. Know what you do while you’re procrastinating. We all have our special distractions to fill in the time. To overcome these, we must first identify what they are. What distracts you? Are you filling your time meant for other things by browsing social media or getting lost in the maze of the Internet? These digital distractions are powerful temptations. We all find it too easy to click on a social media icon when a task is too boring, difficult or uncomfortable to do. Begin to make notes about exactly where your time goes. This will enable you to consciously build your resistance to these distractors. Create a detailed daily action plan — a list of tasks you will accomplish each day. Assign specific time periods during the day for each task — for example, calling people to set appointments from 8:30 to 10:30, following up with people from 10:30 to 11:15 and taking an online course from 4 to 5:30. Reasons We Want to Complete Important Tasks Wouldn’t you agree that there are only two basic reasons for doing anything? We take an action because it is inherently pleasurable. In this case, we most likely won’t need any other motivation. We want a positive outcome that will result from completing a task. This could be short- or longterm in nature. A simple example might be to obtain enough referrals and networking leads each week. A short-term benefit is that you can avoid having to ever make cold calls again and thus spend less time on the phone and more time in front of potential clients. A long-term goal is to build a successful practice on client or network-based referrals, which will replenish itself based on its very nature. Those are both compelling reasons to get started on a task and complete it. If you are a sales leader, being in control of your time and digging in to complete even the most dreaded tasks will set a good example for your advisors. If you’re an advisor, learning how to conquer procrastination can help you build a more successful practice. Everyone can overcome procrastination. So don’t procrastinate! Start putting these tips to work today. Stop Procrastinating

Next Item Previous Item Go back to White Papers List Storytelling is a powerful tool that can help you close more sales, increase your revenues, and even recruit new agents or advisors. No matter what you are selling, whether it is insurance, investments, or your business, personal stories activate different areas of the brain that facts and figures don’t touch. People tend to make decisions based on their emotions, not their minds. If you are worried that you may not have any stories of your own to tell, you can use other stories from friends, family, and colleagues. Next time you speak with a prospect or client, or dig into recruitment efforts, incorporate a story into your discussion. Let’s take a closer look at the power of storytelling. Consider these examples: Example #1 Life insurance is designed to protect your family and other people who may depend on you for financial support. Life insurance will pay a death benefit to the beneficiary of the life insurance policy, such as your husband or wife or your children. Life insurance can now even help you to build wealth by using it as an investment vehicle. Let’s talk about whether or not it’s time for you to start looking at your life insurance options. Life insurance can be beneficial even if you have no dependents. Who is going to pay for your funeral expenses or pay your bills off if you happen to die earlier than expected? A new study shows that while 84 percent of Americans say that most people need life insurance, only 68 percent say they personally recognize their need for it and only 59 percent own it. The reason why so many people don’t like to think about life insurance is because they don’t want to think about their own mortality. Keep in mind that the younger and healthier you are, the less expensive it is. Example #2 I married Jason in 1994 when I was 22 years old. I had no idea that I’d be a widow by 26, or that I’d have a 9-month-old baby to take care of on my own. As soon as we became pregnant, Jason started talking about life insurance, but I was hesitant to commit. I was only 24 at the time, but Jason was adamant. The topic of life insurance was just plain scary. I was pregnant with our first child, and the last thing I wanted to think about was one of us dying. Jason passed away on a Tuesday in November, right before the holidays. The weekend before, we’d taken our 9-month-old to the beach for the first time. That Monday evening, our neighbors came over for dinner. Jason went to bed early because he had to work early. He was already asleep when I joined him later. The next morning, he left for work without me seeing him. Whether he kissed me goodbye while I slept, I’ll never know. My story is a reminder that once you have a family (no matter your age) life insurance is absolutely essential. I didn’t want to think about it at the time, but lucky for me, my husband had. The second example tugs on heartstrings that the first one can’t even touch, no matter how compelling the facts are. Here are some reasons why storytelling can more effectively persuade, convince, and sell for you: The Effectiveness Storytelling Is Scientifically Proven A data-filled presentation, like example #1, engages only two areas of a listener’s brain: The language comprehension (Wernicke’s Area) The language processing and comprehension (Broca’s Area) Stories, on the other hand, can trigger up to seven areas of the brain, making the listener actually experience the story as if it was happening to them. In addition to the ones listed above, stories can also activate the: Motor cortex Sensory cortex and cerebellum Olfactory cortex Auditory cortex Visual cortex These are the areas of the brain responsible for movement, touch, colors and shapes, scents, and sounds. Taking time to tell an exceptionally descriptive story can activate all of these areas of the brain, resulting in a truly impactful and motivating presentation. Stories Invoke Logic and Emotion Have you heard the phrase, “Facts tell; stories sell?” Here’s why. When you present facts and data to prospects, clients, and potential recruits, you appeal to their sense of logic. While logic is important, study after study proves that consumers make decisions based on their emotions. When you tell a story, you connect with your listener on an emotional level. Buying insurance and making investment decisions are a little different than splurging on a new outfit or jet skis. These are logical decisions and typically large purchases, so logical thinking is important to some degree. Facts can establish credibility and add professionalism to your pitch but activating emotions through storytelling will create a connection that will not only make your listener more engaged but may also build trust and rapport needed for a longterm business relationship. A mixture of facts and storytelling can transform your presentation into a powerful one. Storytelling Promotes Active Imagination When you tell a story, your listener imagines the story as if they were there. This can benefit you because without even asking, your listener will put themselves in the shoes of the people in that particular situation. They will subconsciously ask themselves how would they feel and what would they do. The story about the widow can make a husband or wife ask themselves, “What would we do if one of us passed away suddenly? Who would pay the bills or put our kids through college?” These questions will create an emotional and logical appeal to why the cheapest possible insurance policy might not be the right decision for their family. Storytelling Is Interactive One common struggle for new insurance agents and investment advisors is the tendency to talk “at a client,” instead of “with a client.” Storytelling gives you the opportunity to interact with your clients or potential recruits in a meaningful way. As you make them part of a discussion through stories and questions that engage them, you are truly interacting with them. When you elicit emotional responses to a story, your conversation becomes more organic and connected. Your clients might only give simple responses of shock, awe, and inspiration, but, a simple response is enough to demonstrate they are hanging on your every word and interacting with you. People Don’t Like Being Sold When people feel like they are being “sold to,” they tend to be more skeptical and less trusting. No one likes to be told what to do, especially in an aggressive or demeaning way. Aggressive selling can cause people to shut down and stop listening to your pitch. A strong salesperson will use other techniques that allow the listener to feel like they are in control of their decisions. Stories give you the opportunity to lead prospects, clients, and potential recruits to “obvious conclusions” through strong examples and clear and concise education. As a salesperson connects to the values that are most important to the listener, the listener will feel confident in doing business with you. Storytelling is an effective tool for this. Powerful Stories Promote Inspired Action Strong stories with vivid imagery will allow your listeners to imagine themselves in a similar situation and they will be inspired to take action. By taking the time to incorporate storytelling into your sales process, your ability to close the deal will become much easier. When your listeners feel inspired to act, they become more likely to act, whether in buying a policy, making an investment, or accepting an offer of employment. Our Brains are Wired for Storytelling A story, if broken down into the simplest form is a connection of cause and effect, which is how our brains work. We think in narratives all day long, whether we are thinking about buying groceries, a situation at work, or the future of our kids. We make up short stories in our heads for virtually every action and conversation, whether we see it or not. Whenever we hear a story, we want to relate it to one of our existing experiences. When we search for connecting experiences, we find connecting emotions such as pain, joy, or disgust to name a few. This is why we tend to understand concepts better when they have a metaphor attached. We automatically connect metaphors to things that happen to us. Everything in our brain looks for the cause and effect relationship in something we’ve previously experienced. When to Tell a Story Storytelling can be used in many ways. Effective salespeople will have a story ready for every stage of a sale – clarifying the product, overcoming objections, or answering questions. Some have found it effective in encouraging someone to sign up for auto-draft, longterm care, cancer plans, or even signing paperwork before leaving the office. While you may not feel that you have any stories to tell, ask around and you will find many stories. Here are some examples to get you started. Creating a Powerful Story An effective story will be relatable, present a conflict, provide a resolution, and include results. This can also be outlined as having a hero, a challenge, the change process, and a result. Let’s look at the steps in finding and developing your story into a powerful one. Step #1: Start collecting stories. This can be done in the Notes app on your cell phone or somewhere else that is convenient and easily accessible. Whenever you experience, hear, or think of a good story, write it down. Step #2: Categorize your stories. What is the “lesson” for each story? Create categories and keep them organized for easy retrieval. Step #3: Develop the best stories. Try to remember as many details as possible surrounding your story. If you can’t remember, make them up. You should be able to see, hear, and feel every aspect of the story. Step #4: Practice telling your stories. Practice makes perfect. Pay close attention to the most effective speed, pitch, and word choices. Delivering a Powerful Story Once you have a stockpile of stories, you need to deliver them effectively. Always: Get personal and connect with you audience Avoid clichés and complex language Be relatable Be descriptive In an examination of the most successful TED presenters, Nayomi Chibana shares these seven tips for delivering powerful stories: Immerse your audience in the story. A well told story is something that will stick in your audience’s mind for years to come. Choose your words intentionally, making sure that every word and image you present creates a clear mental picture of your story. Also, it clearly followed a golden rule of presentation-giving which is to use visuals that will supplement your story rather than repeat what has already been said. Another way to immerse the audience in your story is to provide sensory details that will allow them to actually see, hear, feel, and smell the different stimuli in your story world. Tell a personal story. Few things are as captivating as a personal story, especially those of triumph over extreme adversity. In his insightful book The Seven Basic Plots, author Christopher Booker finds that there are seven basic story plots that have universal appeal. These include the story of the hero defeating a monster, the rags to – riches tale, rebirth, the quest for a treasure, and the voyage of a hero who comes back a changed person, comedy, and tragedy. These plots are clearly seen in some of the most popular and moving presentations ever given. Create suspense. Those who love to watch movies or read books know that a good story always has to have a conflict and a plot. These two elements are what make a good presentation into a roller coaster ride that keeps an audience at the edge of their seats, asking themselves, “What will happen next?” There are several devices that can increase the level of suspense of your story. One way is to tell a story chronologically and build up to a climactic conclusion. Another way is to plop the audience right in the middle of action and then go backwards in time to reveal how all of this occurred. Bring characters to life. Characters are at the heart of any story. Their fortunes and misfortunes are what make people want to laugh, cry or rejoice. The most successful stories, I found, were those that created three-dimensional characters who were easy to identify and, at the same time, had an uncommon characteristic. In order to do this, you must provide enough detail to bring the character to life in the minds of those in the audience. Show. Don’t tell. Instead of telling your audience about a certain event in a story, try showing them by transporting them to a scene. Whenever you deliver a story, try scene-by-scene construction of events and use dialogue instead of narration. Build up to S.T.A.R. moment. Similar to a climax, a S.T.A.R. moment is a “Something They’ll Always Remember” event that is so dramatic that your audience will be talking about it weeks later. According to presentation expert Nancy Duarte in her book Resonate, this can come in the form of a dramatization, provocative images, or shocking statistics. End with a positive takeaway. After analyzing 200 of the best TED talks, presentation expert Akash Karia found that the most effective presentations not only had a conflict and a climax, but also a positive resolution. On the path to triumph, most characters in these stories received what he calls a “spark,” or a key piece of wisdom or advice that helped them overcome their obstacles and change for the better . If your story isn’t having the effect you were aiming for, cut it short and move on. Use your instincts to observe your listener and take cues to ensure you stay connected to their needs and interests. Another technique is getting your client to tell the story. Imagine you’re selling a disability income plan. Ask the client if they have any friends, peers or family members who have experienced a disability and let them tell the story. Telling a story can be even more persuasive than hearing one. An experienced salesman gets their client to do the talking. Conclusion Storytelling is a highly effective tool that anyone can use to elicit an emotional response in our listeners. It can illustrate best practices or persuade a hesitant buyer to make an important decision. Most of all, storytelling is a way to connect with your clients and create trust and rapport between you and others. The Power of Storytelling

At Hoopis Performance Network, we care about your privacy and security, and want you to know how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal information and what choices you have regarding your data. Privacy Policy Hoopis Performance Network, LLC (“HPN”) values our customers’ participation, interests and needs, and takes great pride in its relationships with its customers. In order to provide our services as well as information regarding those services, HPN will occasionally ask you to provide us information about yourself and/or your business. This Privacy Policy describes the information we collect and how we use that information. If you have questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy, you can contact HPN at info@hoopis.com . By providing HPN with personal information, you expressly agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy and consent to our use and disclosure of your personal information in the manner described in this Privacy Policy. 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Affiliates include our parent company and any other subsidiaries, joint venture partners or other companies that we control or that are under common control with us. With business partners: We may share your information with our business partners to offer you certain products and services. With other users: when you share personal information or otherwise interact in the public areas with other users, such information may be viewed by all users and may be publicly distributed outside of HPN. With your consent: We may disclose your personal information for any other purpose with your consent. Retention of Your Personal Information HPN will retain Your Personal Information only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. 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Other legal requirements HPN may disclose your Personal Information in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: Comply with a legal obligation Protect and defend the rights or property of the Company Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service Protect the personal safety of Users of the Service or the public Protect against legal liability Security of Your Personal Information The security and confidentiality of your information is extremely important to HPN but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to meet security standards and use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. We have implemented technical, administrative, and physical security measures to protect customer’s information from unauthorized access and improper use. Please be aware that, despite our best efforts, no security measures are perfect or impenetrable. HPNwill take reasonable precautions to protect Personal Information in its possession from loss, misuse and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction, taking into due account the risks involved in the processing and the nature of the Personal Information. Mobile Specific Information Mobile Device Access: We may request access to or permission to use certain features from your mobile device, including (but not limited to) your mobile device's camera, reminders, storage, and other features. If you wish to change our access or permissions, you may do so in your device’s settings. Push Notifications: We may request to send you push notifications regarding your account or certain features of the application(s). If you wish to opt out from receiving these types of communications, you may turn them off in your device's settings. 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Additional collected app information: Any additional information that you provide or is collected though usage of our apps is primarily needed to maintain the security and operation of our application(s), for troubleshooting, and for our internal analytics and reporting purposes. Any other additional information you provide may be collected for any other purpose with your consent. All personal information that you provide to HPN must be true, complete, and accurate, and you must notify us of any changes to such personal information. Controls for DO-NOT-TRACK features Most web browsers and some mobile operating systems and mobile applications include a Do-Not-Track ("DNT") feature or setting you can activate to signal your privacy preference not to have data about your online browsing activities monitored and collected. At this stage, no uniform technology standard for recognizing and implementing DNT signals has been finalized. As such, HPN does not currently respond to DNT browser signals or any other mechanism that automatically communicates your choice not to be tracked online. If a standard for online tracking is adopted that we must follow in the future, we will inform you about that practice in a revised version of this privacy notice. Links to Other Websites Our Service may contain links to other websites that are not operated by HPN or covered by this privacy policy. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. WE STRONGLY ADVISE YOU TO REVIEW THE PRIVACY POLICY OF EVERY SITE YOU VISIT. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services. Children's Privacy Our Service is not addressed to anyone under the age of 18. HPN does not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 18. If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your child has provided us with Personal Information, please contact us. If we become aware that we have collected Personal Information from anyone under the age of 18 without verification of parental consent, we will remove that information from our servers. HPN does not knowingly collect personal information from or conduct business with minors (under the age of 18) and we ask that minors do not submit any personal information to us via this Website. California Residents California Civil Code Section 1798.83, also known as the "Shine The Light" law permits our users who are California residents to request and obtain from HPN, once a year and free of charge, information about categories of personal information (if any) we disclosed to third parties for direct marketing purposes and the names and addresses of all third parties with which we shared personal information in the immediately preceding calendar year. If you are a California resident and would like to make such a request, please submit your request in writing to us using the contact information provided below. CCPA Privacy Notice This section applies only to California residents. Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), you have the rights listed below. The California Code of Regulations defines a "residents" as: (1) every individual who is in the State of California for other than a temporary or transitory purpose and (2) every individual who is domiciled in the State of California who is outside the State of California for a temporary or transitory purpose All other individuals are defined as "non-residents." If this definition of "resident" applies to you, we must adhere to certain rights and obligations regarding your personal information. Your rights with respect to your Personal Information Right to request deletion of the data — Request to delete You can ask HPN for the deletion of your personal information. If you ask us to delete your personal information, we will respect your request and delete your personal information, subject to certain exceptions provided by law, such as (but not limited to) the exercise by another consumer of his or her right to free speech, our compliance requirements resulting from a legal obligation, or any processing that may be required to protect against illegal activities. Right to be informed — Request to know Depending on the circumstances, you have a right to know: whether we collect and use your personal information; the categories of personal information that we collect; the purposes for which the collected personal information is used; whether we sell or share personal information to third parties; the categories of personal information that we sold, shared, or disclosed for a business purpose; the categories of third parties to whom the personal information was sold, shared, or disclosed for a business purpose; the business or commercial purpose for collecting, selling, or sharing personal information; and the specific pieces of personal information we collected about you. In accordance with applicable law, we are not obligated to provide or delete consumer information that is de-identified in response to a consumer request or to re-identify individual data to verify a consumer request. Right to Non-Discrimination for the Exercise of a Consumer’s Privacy Rights We will not discriminate against you if you exercise your privacy rights. Right to Limit Use and Disclosure of Sensitive Personal Information We will not collect or process your Sensitive Personal Information. Verification process Upon receiving your request, HPN will need to verify your identity to determine you are the same person about whom we have Personal Information in our system. These verification efforts require us to ask you to provide information so that we can match it with information you have previously provided us. For instance, depending on the type of request you submit, we may ask you to provide certain information so that we can match the information you provide with the information we already have on file, or we may contact you through a communication method (e.g., phone or email) that you have previously provided to us. We may also use other verification methods as the circumstances dictate. HPN will only use personal information provided in your request to verify your identity or authority to make the request. To the extent possible, we will avoid requesting additional information from you for the purposes of verification. However, if we cannot verify your identity from the information already maintained by us, we may request that you provide additional information for the purposes of verifying your identity and for security or fraud-prevention purposes. We will delete such additionally provided information as soon as we finish verifying you. Other privacy rights You may object to the processing of your personal information. You may request correction of your Personal Information if it is incorrect or no longer relevant or ask to restrict the processing of the information. You can designate an authorized agent to make a request under the CCPA on your behalf. We may deny a request from an authorized agent that does not submit proof that they have been validly authorized to act on your behalf in accordance with the CCPA. You may request to opt out from future sharing of your Personal Information to third parties. Upon receiving an opt-out request, we will act upon the request as soon as feasibly possible, but no later than fifteen (15) days from the date of the request submission. To exercise these rights, you can contact us by email at info@hoopis.com , by calling toll-free at (847) 716-1800, or by referring to the contact details at the bottom of this document [insert a link to exercise these rights. If you have a complaint about how we handle your data, we would like to hear from you. Users Located Outside the United States If you are visiting HPN Sites outside the United States, please be aware that information we collect from the Sites will be transferred to, and processed in, the United States and other countries. By using the Sites, you acknowledge and consent to the transfer and processing of your Personal Information in the United States as described in this Policy.[insert link – I AGREE] GDPR Privacy This section applies only to residents and citizens of the European Union. Legal Basis for Processing Personal Information under the General Data Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”) HPN may process Personal Information under the following conditions: Consent: you have given your consent for processing Personal Information for one or more specific purposes. Performance of a contract: Provision of Personal Information is necessary for the performance of an agreement with you and/or for any pre-contractual obligations thereof. Legal obligations: Processing Personal Information is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which HPN is subject. Vital interests: Processing Personal Information is necessary in order to protect your vital interests or of another natural person. Public interests: Processing Personal Information is related to a task that is carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the Company. Legitimate interests: Processing Personal Information is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by HPN. In any case, HPN will gladly help to clarify the specific legal basis that applies to the processing, and in particular whether the provision of Personal Information is a statutory or contractual requirement, or a requirement necessary to enter into a contract. Your Rights under the GDPR HPN undertakes to respect the confidentiality of your Personal Information and to guarantee you can exercise your rights. You have the right under this Privacy Policy, to: Request access to your Personal Information. The right to access, update or delete the information we hold about you. You can access, update or request deletion of your Personal Information by contacting us to assist you. This also enables you to receive a copy of the Personal Information we hold about you. Request correction of the Personal Information that we hold about you. You have the right to have any incomplete or inaccurate information we hold about you corrected. Object to processing of your Personal Information. This right exists where we are relying on a legitimate interest as the legal basis for our processing and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to our processing of your Personal Information on this ground. You also have the right to object where we are processing your Personal Information for direct marketing purposes. Request erasure of your Personal Information. You have the right to ask us to delete or remove Personal Information when there is no good reason for us to continue processing it. Request the transfer of your Personal Information. HPN will provide to you, or to a third-party you have chosen, your Personal Information in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format. Please note that this right only applies to automated information which you initially provided consent for us to use or where we used the information to perform a contract with you. Withdraw your consent. You have the right to withdraw your consent to our use of your Personal Information. If you withdraw your consent, we may not be able to provide you with access to certain specific functionalities of the Website. Exercising your GDPR Data Protection Rights You may exercise your rights of access, rectification, deletion, and objection by contacting us. Please note that we may ask you to verify your identity before responding to such requests. If you make a request, we will try our best to respond to you as soon as possible. You have the right to complain to a data protection authority about our collection and use of your Personal Information. For more information, if you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), please contact your local data protection authority. Members of the EU whose data is transferred into the U.S. and Data Privacy Framework HPN complies with the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (the “EU-U.S. DPF”) as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce. HPN has certified to the U.S. Department of Commerce that it adheres to the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Principles with regard to the processing of Personal Information received from the European Union in reliance on the EU-U.S. DPF. To learn more about the Data Privacy Framework (“DPF”) program, and to view our certification, please visit https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/ Data Privacy Overview The U.S. Department of Commerce and the European Commission have agreed on a set of data protection principles and associated supplemental principles to enable U.S. companies to satisfy European Union (“EU”) law by requiring that Personal Information transferred from the EU to the U.S. be adequately protected (the “EU-U.S Data Privacy Framework (EU-U.S. DPF)”). The European Economic Area (the “EEA”), which as of the date of this Policy includes all member states of the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, have recognized the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework as providing adequate protection of Personal Information. Should there be any conflict between the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Principles and this Policy, this Policy shall be interpreted to be consistent with the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Principles. Scope This Policy applies to all Personal Information received by HPN in the United States from the EEA either directly from individuals, from its affiliates or from other third party organizations, and in any format whatsoever, including electronic, paper or oral transmission. This Policy also applies to HPN’s Service Providers that process Personal Information received by HPN or its affiliates from the EEA on HPN's behalf. Privacy Principles for Transfer of Personal Information Received from the EEA The privacy principles set forth in this section have been developed based on the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Principles. Notice Where HPN collects Personal Information directly from individuals in the EEA or receives it from its European affiliates, it or its European affiliates will inform those individuals about the purposes for which they collect and use Personal Information about them; the transfer of Personal Information to HPN in the U.S.; the types or identity of third parties to which HPN discloses that information and the purposes for which it does so; and the choices and means HPN offers individuals for limiting the use and disclosure of their Personal Information. Notice will be provided in clear and conspicuous language when individuals are first asked to provide Personal Information to HPN or as soon as practicable thereafter, and in any event before HPN uses the information for a purpose other than that for which it was originally collected. HPN may, from time to time, process certain Personal Information about customers, business partners, suppliers, vendors, Service Providers, employees and candidates for employment, including information recorded and stored on various types of media, including electronic media. Hoopis Performance Network will process these types of data in conformity with the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Principles and will continue to apply the Principles to Personal Information received under the application of the DPF as long as it holds this data. Purposes for which we may collect and use Personal Information from our customers, consumers and other non-employees include: Communicating to individuals about our products, services and related issues. Evaluating the quality of our products and services. Allowing individuals to register for our Websites and administering and processing these registrations. Transferring Personal Information in connection with HPN’s legal, regulatory compliance and auditing purposes. Facilitating HPN’s internal administrative purposes and application functionality; and maintaining, administering, and complying with HPN’s legal, regulatory compliance and auditing obligations, policies, and procedures. Execution of contracts and delivery of our products and services to customers. We may share Personal Information within HPN’s U.S. Affiliates. HPN may also share Personal Information with its third-party Service Providers for the sole purpose of, and only to the extent needed, to support HPN’s or our customers’ business needs. We may also disclose Personal Information to our Service Providers in the U.S. and other third parties when required to do so under law or by legal process. Third Party Service Providers are required to keep Personal Information received from HPN confidential and may not use it for any purpose other than originally intended. Choice HPN will offer individuals in the EEA the opportunity to choose (by either opt-out or opt-in) if their Personal Information is (a) to be disclosed to a third party that is not acting on HPN’s behalf, or (b) to be used for a purpose materially different from the purpose for which it was originally collected or subsequently authorized by the individual. [insert link to opt in or out] HPN will provide individuals with reasonable, clear and conspicuous and readily available mechanisms to exercise these choices. Accountability for Onward Transfer HPN will transfer Personal Information to Service Providers only for limited and specific purposes. HPN will obtain contractual assurances from its Service Providers that they will safeguard Personal Information in a manner consistent with this Policy and that they will provide at least the same level of protection as is required by the relevant EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Principles. HPN recognizes its responsibility and potential liability for onward transfers to Service Providers. Where HPN has knowledge that a Service Provider is using or disclosing Personal Information in a manner contrary to this Policy and/or the level of protection required by the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Principles, HPN will take reasonable steps to prevent, remediate or stop such use or disclosure. If HPN transfers Personal Information to non-agent third parties acting as a Controller, HPN will apply the foregoing Notice and Choice principles and will obtain contractual assurance from these parties that they will provide the same level of protection as is required under the principles, unless derogation for specific situations under European data protection law applies. Access You can review the personal information you provided us and make any desired changes to such information at any time by requesting a copy of the information maintained by HPN about you at info@hoopis.com. Upon request and in accordance with the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Principles, HPN will grant individuals reasonable access to their Personal Information that is held by HPN. In addition, HPN will take reasonable steps to permit individuals to correct, amend, or delete their Personal Information that is demonstrated to be inaccurate, incomplete or processed in violation of the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Principles. In accordance with the EU-U.S. DPF Principles, Hoopis Performance Network may limit or deny access to Personal Information where the burden or expense of providing access would be disproportionate to the risks to the individual’s privacy, where the legitimate rights of persons other than the individual would be violated or if necessary to safeguard important countervailing public interests (e.g., national security) or in other limited circumstances (e.g., disclosure would breach a legal or other professional privilege). Data Integrity and Purpose Limitation HPN will use Personal Information only in ways that are compatible with the purposes for which it was originally collected or as subsequently authorized by the individual. HPN will also take reasonable steps to ensure that Personal Information is relevant to its intended use, accurate, complete, and current. HPN will adhere to the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Principles with respect to Personal Information received under its EU-U.S. DPF certification for as long it retains said information. Recourse, Enforcement and Liability HPN utilizes the self-assessment approach to verify its compliance with those sections of its Policy adopted pursuant to the EU-U.S. DPF. HPN periodically verifies that those sections are accurate, comprehensive for the information intended to be covered, prominently displayed, completely implemented, and in conformity with the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Principles. HPN will investigate complaints and disputes regarding use and disclosure of Personal Information in accordance with the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Principles. HPN will also investigate suspected infractions of this Policy. HPN’s participation in the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework is subject to investigation and enforcement powers of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). HPN encourages interested persons with questions or concerns relating to this Policy to contact us using the contact information below. In compliance with the EU-U.S. DPF, HPN commits to resolve DPF-Principles-related complaints about our collection and use of your Personal Information. EU individuals with inquiries or complaints regarding our handling of Personal Information received in reliance on the EU-U.S. DPF should first contact HPN at: Hoopis Performance Network, LLC ATTN: Paul Malave 790 Frontage Rd Suite #300 Northfield, IL 60093 Unites States Email: info@hoopis.com Phone: (847) 716-1800 In compliance with the EU-U.S. DPF, HPN commits to refer unresolved complaints concerning our handling of Personal Information received in reliance on the EU-U.S. DPF to EU data protection authorities or an alternative dispute resolution provider based in the European Union. If you do not receive timely acknowledgment of your DPF-Principles-related complaint from us, or if we have not addressed your DPF-Principles-related complaint to your satisfaction, please visit https://edpb.europa.eu/about-edpb/about-edpb/members_en for more information or to file a complaint. The services of EU data protection authorities are provided at no cost to you. Under certain conditions detailed in the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, you may be able to invoke binding arbitration. If your DFP complaint cannot be resolved through the above channels, under certain conditions, you may invoke binding arbitration for some residual claims not otherwise resolved by other redress mechanisms. For more information about binding arbitration, visit https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/s/article/G-Arbitration-Procedures-dpf?tabset-35584=2 [dataprivacyframework.gov]. HPN agrees to periodically review and verify its compliance with the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Principles, and to remedy any issues arising out of failure to comply with the EU-U.S. DPF Principles. HPN acknowledges that its failure to provide an annual self-certification to the U.S. Department of Commerce will remove it from the Department’s list of EU-U.S. DPF participants. Limitations HPN may also be required to disclose, and may disclose, Personal Information in response to lawful requests by public authorities, including for the purpose of meeting national security or law enforcement requirements. HPN adherence to the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Principles may be limited (a) to the extent necessary to meet applicable national security, public interest, or law enforcement requirements, e.g., in the course of lawful requests by public authorities (b) by statute, government regulation, or case law that creates conflicting obligations or explicit authorizations, provided that, in exercising any such authorization, an organization can demonstrate that its non-compliance with the principles is limited to the extent necessary to meet the overriding legitimate interests furthered by such authorization; or (c) if the effect of the Directive or Member State law is to allow exceptions or derogations, provided such exceptions or derogations are applied in comparable contexts. Data Privacy Framework Changes and Updates to EU-U.S. DPF Policy This Policy may be amended from time to time, consistent with the requirements of the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Principles. Appropriate public notice will be given concerning such amendments. Contact Us Questions or comments regarding this Policy or our practices concerning Personal Information should be submitted to Hoopis Performance Network by mail or e-mail as follows: Hoopis Performance Network, LLC 790 Frontage Rd Suite #300 Northfield, IL 60093 Unites States Email: info@hoopis.com Phone: (847) 716-1800 Changes to this Privacy Policy HPN may update its Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page. Updates shall be effective on the date the change is posted. If we are going to use or disclose your Personal Information in a manner materially different from that stated at the time we collected the information, you will have a choice as to whether or not we use or disclose your information in this new manner. Any material changes will be effective only after we provide you with at least 30 days’ notice of the amended Privacy Policy. We will post the amended Privacy Policy prominently on our Website so that you can always review what information we gather, how we might use that information and whether we will disclose it to anyone. Please check the HPN Websites at any time for the most current version of our Privacy Policy. In addition: We will let you know via email and/or a prominent notice on our Service, prior to the change becoming effective and update the "Last updated" date at the bottom of this Privacy Policy. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page. Effective Date This Policy is effective as of September 01, 2023. Last updated: October 09, 2023.

Next Item Previous Item Go back to White Papers List Introduction With more and more agencies and firms working virtually, many leaders are bringing new financial services professionals on board whom they have never met in person. Given the significant relationship-building focus of the profession, some leaders are asking if it’s possible to successfully launch new agents and advisors in a virtual world. The answer from many of the experienced leaders we spoke with is a resounding, “Yes!” Bringing new people on board in a remote environment is not without its challenges, however. Developing a sense of camaraderie and belonging may be difficult for new financial services professionals who cannot meet the rest of the team in person and building a client-base virtually can feel more than a little daunting. The onboarding process you use can make all the difference to the success of your new agents and advisors. A study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that people who have a positive onboarding experience are 69% more likely to stay with a company longer than those who do not. To see how leaders in financial services have adapted their onboarding processes for a remote field force, we spoke with 15 experienced agency and firm leaders from 10 different companies. Some of these leaders have been leading remote teams for several years, others adapted their processes with the onset of the 2020 pandemic. All have proven track records for launching, developing, and retaining top performers. Leaders in our study have implemented a structured approach to onboarding focused on three key areas: Training and developing new financial services professionals. Providing business support. Creating connections with the culture and the team. Key Take-Aways for Leaders Develop a structured process for onboarding new agents and advisors virtually. Include training in remote-work tools and skills in your development programs. Leverage virtual platforms to create opportunities for new financial services professionals to learn from senior professionals they wouldn’t normally have an opportunity to meet. Check-in with new financial services professionals frequently. Discuss remote-work policies, security procedures, and expectations (regarding availability and meeting attendance, for example) with new financial services professionals. Create opportunities to connect new financial services professionals with the rest of the team professionally and socially. Training and Developing New Financial Services Professionals Training and development programs have not changed significantly in the virtual environment. What financial professionals need to know remains the same; how they are learning it has changed. Field leaders and training facilitators are taking full advantage of their virtual platforms to keep new financial services professionals engaged in the learning process. For example, they use: Break-out rooms for trainees to practice scripts and role-play in small groups. The chat function to gather questions and then adjust presentations on-the-fly to answer the questions during the training session. Polls to generate discussion and quiz trainees on different topics during training sessions. One skill that has been added to many training programs is teaching new agents and advisors how to run virtual client meetings. Trainees learn how to use the virtual platform, how to present illustrations, and how to keep clients engaged during the meeting. It’s important to keep track of individual participation during virtual training sessions so you can check in with people who aren’t participating. Some facilitators keep a list of participants in front of them and place a checkmark by a person’s name each time he or she participates. That way the facilitator can draw out people who are not participating or check in with them after class to address any concerns. Peer-Accountability Groups and Study Groups Peer-accountability groups such as client-builder and sales-builder programs are still an important part of the development process. In addition to keeping new financial services professionals focused on revenue generating activities, these peer-to-peer learning opportunities create a strong sense of camaraderie and support. Some leaders have set up study groups using prerecorded presentations or guest speakers. Teams listen to the presentation as a group and then discuss what they learned and how they plan to implement their ideas. Leaders are also taking advantage of self-directed training programs where trainees learn on their own time—by reading articles or watching videos, for example—and then meet virtually to discuss what they’ve learned. These collaborative-learning programs teach more than business skills. The peer-to-peer learning that occurs through study groups, client-builder, and sales-builder programs has been shown to develop higher-level thinking skills, stronger communication skills, better self-management, and leadership skills. Joint Work and Mentoring Many training and development programs include connecting new and experienced agents and advisors through joint work and mentoring programs. Some leaders hold weekly virtual seminars where experienced agents and advisors share their best practices with newer professionals. Others include virtual one-onone meetings between new and experienced financial services professionals as part of their development program. Working virtually has increased the effectiveness of many of these programs. One leader told us, “We used to fly new advisors around the country to meet with different senior advisors. Now it all happens virtually. It means the new advisor can learn from more people than ever before, and it is much more costeffective for us.” For many agencies and firms, joint work is flourishing in the new virtual environment. New financial services professionals have access to experienced agents and advisors from across the country, people whom they might never have had access to before. Some organizations have formal joint-work programs where joint-work teams are assigned; others let relationships develop organically. Some leaders have new agents and advisors work with several experienced financial services professionals to gain different perspectives on how to approach clients and run meetings. Whether the joint-work program is formal or informal, preparation and practice are vital. “You have to know when one person’s going to speak and when they’re going to pass the baton,” one experienced leader explains. “You don’t want to trip over each other during the meeting.” Successful joint-work teams spend time before client meetings reviewing the agenda and defining their roles during the meeting, including who will speak when, who will collect presentation materials and put them in the correct order for the meeting, and who will manage the virtual presentation. One leader in our study decided to become an expert on running Zoom meetings. “I’m their co-pilot during client meetings,” she says. “They don’t have to worry about the technology.” Over time, agents in her organization have developed skills in virtual presenting, but she is always available to help when needed. The debrief after a virtual meeting is as important as the preparation before. New financial services professionals review what they have learned and discuss how to improve future meetings. This is also the time to identify follow-up roles and responsibilities. Leading Remote Teams While not the topic of this study, it’s important to note that leaders should also develop skills to lead in a virtual environment. Listening and observation skills become even more important when leading remote teams. Maintaining high energy and a positive attitude is vital for keeping people engaged during difficult times. As one leader told us, “You need to always be on. People are looking to you to see how they should react to these changes.” Flexjobs.com, a site focused on remote work, identifies the following leadership skills required for managing remote teams: Developing and maintaining trust. Facilitating virtual meetings. Tracking progress and managing accountability. Communicating via email. Maintaining work-life balance (for yourself and your team). Providing Business Support The business support that organizations provide new financial services professionals plays a major role in their long-term success. Joint-work and mentoring programs are part of that support, but leaders have also adapted other processes to support new agents and advisors in a virtual environment. They schedule virtual group call-a-thons and virtual client seminars to help new financial services professionals develop prospects, for example. Business-Building Support Some organizations hold activity-based contests and team new financial services professionals with experienced agents and advisors. Leaders team new agents and advisors with experienced professionals from different parts of the country to allow them to work with people they wouldn’t normally get a chance to meet. One large firm has implemented a business building contest that also helps new financial services professionals gain a passion for the business. The contest is based on the theme of “people helping people.” The goal is to insure 40 lives in the first six months and 100 lives in the first 12 months. The face value of the contract doesn’t matter. The contest is focused entirely on helping people get the insurance they need. This contest helps to launch new financial services professionals successfully and instills in them a passion for the work they do. Leaders in this firm have found that new financial services professionals who attain these two goals in their first year have higher retention rates than those who do not. Expectations and Accountability Clear expectations and regular feedback are still the foundation of successful onboarding. And, in the virtual environment, leaders have significantly increased the frequency of their communications with new agents and advisors. These include daily huddles and weekly meetings with the entire team as well as weekly group calls with new financial services professionals and weekly, sometimes daily, individual calls. In one organization in our study, new financial services professionals participate in weekly meetings with their sales manager and another meeting with the firm leader. Another organization assigns senior advisors as mentors. New advisors have individual weekly meetings with their mentor, participate in weekly team meetings, and meet individually with leaders on the professional development team twice a week. Many experienced leaders document expectations for their new financial services professionals. One experienced multi-line leader we spoke with provides her new agents with an operations manual that clearly defines their role, the sales process, and performance expectations. Another leader has defined expectations for each week of the first four months of the career. He sends weekly emails that identify the training and activity expectations for that week. The leader then uses these emails in his coaching sessions with new financial services professionals. Virtual coaching conversations with new financial services professionals haven’t changed, but many leaders say they are paying more attention to body language and listening carefully for warning signs that a new agent or advisor is heading off track and may need extra support. And, of course, leaders continue to work with new financial services professionals to develop their business and marketing plans, now with a focus on how they will grow the business through virtual interactions. The virtual environment also allows leaders to establish review committees comprised of experienced agents and advisors from across the country. So, once again, new financial services professionals are connecting with and getting advice from people they might not have had an opportunity to meet in the past. Remote Work Tools and Resources An important part of the onboarding process is providing new financial services professionals with the resources and tools they need to succeed. Many organizations have added training in using remote work tools such as Zoom, Adobe Connect, and Microsoft Teams to their onboarding programs. In addition to providing virtual platform training, leaders should also share their remote work policies, security procedures, and expectations (such as availability and meeting attendance, for example) with new financial services professionals. Creating Connections Developing business-building skills is only part of a successful onboarding process. For retention and long-term success, new financial services professionals must feel like part of the team and be engaged in agency or firm activities. In addition to arranging meetings between new and experienced financial services professionals, field leaders use several different strategies to get new agents and advisors involved with the team and the culture. Use Virtual and Social Media Platforms to Develop Camaraderie within the Team In one large firm, new financial services professionals meet the CEO, department heads, and the entire leadership team on their first day of orientation. This sends the message from day one that the leadership team is committed to their success. Leaders have increased the number of touchpoints with new financial services professionals. Regular and frequent check-ins help new team members feel connected to the rest of the team even though they aren’t meeting in person. Current team members can send emails, write notes, or call new team members to welcome them to the team. Some organizations create welcome videos. Many use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Slack to welcome new team members and to keep them engaged in the culture. Some leaders send welcome packets to new team members’ homes. To create a sense of belonging, make sure the whole leadership team is checking-in with new agents and advisors regularly. And create opportunities for new and experienced financial services professionals to interact both professionally and socially. Many leaders include fun activities, such as trivia games, in their meetings to develop camaraderie within the team. Virtual happy hours have become a regular occurrence in many organizations, and some leaders have started hosting virtual coffee hours. It’s important for remote workers to feel included in team activities. Even simple gestures such as sending gift cards so remote participants in training classes can purchase lunch can make a big difference. Onboard in Groups to Create a Sense of Belonging Working remotely can lead to feeling isolated, especially for new team members who haven’t developed relationships with the rest of the team yet. In a 2019 Gallup poll, 21% of remote workers reported feelings of loneliness and isolation. Onboarding in groups can create an immediate sense of belonging for new financial services professionals. If you are unable to onboard in groups, consider inviting all people who started in the past 3 months to a group onboarding session. One leading firm emphasizes to new financial services professionals that the people they are meeting in their training programs are the classmates they will be going through the same experiences with for the next four years. Another leader at a successful multiline agency told us, “It creates a feeling of ‘We’re all in this together,’ among the team. New agents started reaching out to each other on their own to help and support each other.” The Challenges of Virtual Onboarding Despite the success leaders are having onboarding new financial services professionals, there are challenges. Testing sites in many states are closed or back-logged and new agents and advisors are unable to obtain their licenses. “There’s a timing issue between when advisors are studying for exams and when they can take exams,” one leader told us. “You have to factor that into the process.” People are also starting to feel what one leader labeled Zoom fatigue. “You need to keep it fresh all the time. It takes more time to prepare for meetings because you have to think of new ways to keep them fresh and engaging.” A few leaders confirmed that productivity is down. One leader noted that overall productivity was down 11%, with new advisor productivity down 45%. Another said they have one-half the number of applications compared to last year, but 90% of the revenue. “What that tells me is that established advisors are doing fine. They bring in the larger cases. Newer advisors are struggling.” Still, the leaders we spoke with in our research remain optimistic as they navigate this new virtual environment. Many are having record recruiting years and are excited about the quality of recruits they are bringing on board. They have adapted their onboarding processes to adjust to a virtual work environment and are making adjustments as they go. “Nothing is permanent,” one leader told us, “We try something and if it doesn’t work, we pivot and try something else.” Conclusion Whether it is virtual or in person, the fundamentals of a successful launch haven’t changed. New financial services professionals need development opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills required to build a business. They need support from agency and firm leaders, and they need to feel connected to a team that is providing a meaningful service to its clients. While almost everyone prefers working in person, most leaders agree that the new virtual work environment offers unexpected benefits. With no geographic boundaries, new financial services professionals can receive support, mentoring, and advice from their peers around the country, and they have more opportunities to expand their business and partner with new people. While most leaders are looking forward to conducting business in person once again, they have also realized that the benefits of remote work are too important to ignore. “There’s a new paradigm,” one leader told us. “People coming into the business today have opportunities they never had before.” Did You Know? 69% Employees who are more likely to stay with a company longer if they have a great onboarding experience. 74% Companies that expect some of their employees to continue remote work after the pandemic ends. 60-64% US workforce that regularly works from home as of May 2020 59% Employees who want to continue remote work after 2020 pandemic ends. 7% US workforce that regularly worked from home before March 2020. 54% Employees who are willing to quit their current job for one that allows them to work remotely. Zojceska, A. (2020, May 18). COVID-19 & Work From Home Stats: Is Remote Work Here to Stay? Virtual Onboarding