The advisor of the future: Skills every advisor must have in this new era

Talking about a plan is no longer enough; the conversation is now on a whole new level

There we have it—2020 is over. For some, it’s a welcome relief. For others, the new year is just more of the same. But, we must admit, 2020 brought us into a new era and a whole new world.

According to the World Economic Forum, the pandemic propelled us from an information age into an age of wisdom and perspective. This statement implies a major transformation in the role you play as an advisor and what you offer your clients.

Let’s explore this statement together, shall we?

Propel

The verb “to propel” means “to move forward with a push”. In short, to take a giant step forward. Several studies have shown that we have experienced the equivalent of 10 years of technological progress in just a few months. Think about it: you have surely experienced this shift in your own business: electronic signatures, working from home, a paperless office, etc.

The same can be said about peoples’ behavior; the pandemic has challenged our values and life priorities.

Usually this return to fundamentals tends to occur later in life and on a very personal basis. But the pandemic has created a collective movement for this return to fundamentals. We’ve seen it in the number of people who chose to move to the suburbs or the countryside. We’ve seen it in the number of people who made their own bread, planted a garden or developed a new hobby over the last few months.

The information era

We’ve been in the midst of an information age for years now—a affluence of content, information, technology. According to Sandvine, a network management company located in Waterloo (Ontario), internet traffic increased by more than 40% between February 1st and April 19th, with nearly all of its increase occurring in March and April.

This information overload catapulted us into the next era…

The era of insight – which I like to elaborate as an era of wisdom and perspective

When there is too much information, when people are going through a lot of emotions, they seek a leader—a person who is able to put things into perspective, lead them back on the right path (for them) and, above all, to open the door to a world of possibilities, letting them know their dream life is possible and bringing their deepest desires to light (because, let’s face it, many people don’t know what they really want). A leader who can guide them to a life that is aligned with their values and purpose.

This new era requires different skills on your part—both in terms of expertise and interpersonal skills. So, how do you stay current and relevant as an advisor in this new era?

Be more than an advisor…be a guide and coach
Be more than an expert…be a full-fledged entrepreneur
Be more than a source of information… be a conversationalist
Be more than a creator of added value… be a creator of added warmth
Be more than a “preacher”… you must also be an embodied leader who inspires clients and follows their progress

I truly believe that this era will favor “deep” people far more than “sales” people.

This is an era for entrepreneurs who have a strong mission to help people thrive and truly achieve the highest vision of themselves, well beyond a plan, a strategy. In this new era, a plan is simply a tool that allows clients to accomplish something way bigger and more meaningful in their lives.

I am currently preparing a guide called “The 5 Skills of the Advisor of the Future”. Click here to be the first to know when it becomes available. (I’ll also be hosting a series of French masterclass on the topic)

I’ll leave you with an inspiring quote by Jean Fouratié: The machine leads man to specialize in humans.

…because so much more is possible…