As an investment professional, knowledge is the ‘brahmastra’ that helps you realize the full potential of the new opportunities presented by market.
Here are 10 books that you will profit from reading.
1. Questions great financial advisors ask and investors need to know
Alan Parisse’s book will help advisors strengthen their probing techniques. The book contains questions, suggestions and stories from some of the world’s top financial advisors, including a chapter on ‘great questions to ask’.
2. Investing psychology explained
This seminal work in behavioural finance by Martin J Pring shows how to overcome emotional and psychological barriers that can lead to faulty decision making and offers classic trading principles that have stood the test of time in the bull and bear markets.
3. Story selling for financial advisors
Make the complex, simple and understandable is what Scott West and Mitch Anthony advocate in this book. The author shows with real life examples how describing a financial concept with the help of a story helps engage a client.
4. Ineffective habits of financial advisors (and the disciplines to break them)
The book is a step-by-step guide to on how advisors can bring excellence into every client interaction, generate higher revenue per client and take their practice to a new level. The book lists the ineffective habits of advisors which are countered with a discipline to help them improve their practice
5. Pound foolish
Journalist Helaine Olone exposes the myths, contradictions and outright lies of the personal finance industry in this book. One such often cited myth is that women are bad at managing finances. It is a compelling book which forces us to change the way we think and talk about money.
6. The E-Myth Financial Advisor
Michael Steranka’s e-myth teaches how advisors can put systems and processes in place to professionalize their business. The book will help budding advisors start a successful practice from scratch and experienced advisors to maximize their practice’s performance.
7. Common Sense on Mutual Funds
The founder of Vanguard Group, John Bogle has highlighted how an approach based on common sense and simplicity can deliver effective results. He makes out a strong case for indexing, an advice that advisors in India need to pay more heed to.
8. The Art of Sale
Philip Delves Broughton mines powerful insights after interviewing some of the world’s most remarkable salespeople. So whether you are selling a plan, advice or a product, there is a lot to be learnt from this book.
9. In search of the perfect model
Advisor or distributor? Fee based or commission led? Niche or mass clientele? What kind of business should you build? If you have grappled with some of these issues, you will find many useful pointers in Mary Rowland’s book.
10. Smart Ideas and Advice to Help IFAs Grow Business
As the title suggests, this book focuses on helping you to handle some of the most common issues faced by an advisor– how to acquire clients, how to retain clients etc. With over 100 tips from leading financial advisors, this book is definitely a collector’s item that will be a frequent reference point – not just a one-time read!
