Carl Richards coined the term "real financial planning" years ago. Since then industry influencers have tried to explain what it means. On this episode of Elementality, Reese and Carl talk about the factors that might help provide a definition—an element of trust, technical chops, emotional IQ—and ask if we, as advisors, are getting any better at it?

Sales success begins with conversations that build rapport and allow both parties to communicate what they are really thinking.

On this episode of Elementality, Reese interviews Jake Larsen, VP of Sales at Elements. Jake explains how to build trust by educating prospects about your services and aligning their needs with your value proposition.

Can you help clients make good decisions today—keeping the future in mind—while also helping them live with greater happiness in the present?

On this episode of Elementality, Reese and new co-host Carl Richards discuss why your biggest challenge is helping clients make optimal decisions throughout their lives, while ensuring they enjoy the here and now.

Don't let prospects languish in the middle of your sales funnel because they lack engagement. Elements assessments keep them involved in the sales process as you demonstrate your value and they experience your advice.

On this episode of Elementality, Reese and Matt illustrate how Elements creates numerous opportunities for you to keep prospects engaged.

Trends show that the planning industry is going to look a lot different in the future. Here's why finding a good niche could be the way to go.

On this episode of Elementality, Reese and Adam Cmejla talk about the success Adam has found focusing on a highly-specialized niche market. Find out why specializing increasingly makes sense in our evolving industry.

Knowledge was once difficult to obtain, so we went to college to get it. Now access to information is almost immediate, yet we still use just-in-case learning when just-in-time learning is much more effective. On this episode of Elementality, Reese and Matt explain how you can leverage just-in-time learning methods when training new advisors.

Many retirees will be in retirement for 20 to 30 years, yet most financial plans take a person to the point of retirement and no further.

On this episode of Elementality, Reese interviews Blain Pearson PhD, CFP®, from the Department of Financial Planning at Kansas State to discuss the financial challenges people face throughout retirement.

As people make more, building wealth through an increase in savings is directly tied to whether they can decrease their spending rate.

On this episode of Elementality, Reese and Matt examine the Burn Rate (Br) Element. By using different incomes as examples, they illustrate what they would consider to be high, low, and healthy spending rates for each.

When planning, you've got the functional side of advice down. But people also have emotional needs tied to their money. Using these principles of behavioral psychology can help you with "the human side of money."

On this episode of Elementality, Reese welcomes podcast host Brendan Frazier, to discuss the therapeutic side of the advisory relationship.

As an advisor, you motivate clients to think about financial health and they count on you to occasionally remind them of its importance. On this episode of Elementality, Reese and Matt discuss financial salience and why the more often you take time to discuss even small financial issues with clients, the better they will become at managing their money.