By: Bruce Risler, Risler Financial Management

Getting to the “next level’ isn’t always easy. In fact, as we all know much too well, it can be downright difficult! Why does it have to be an uphill battle?

The fact is it doesn’t have to be and whoever said you have to go it alone? That’s where relationships come in…and I couldn’t be more grateful for my connection and association with my coach, Bob Waks, and all those at The Training Center. After all, they are an essential partner in my growth and success.

For over 11 years, I have been a faithful devotee of the program. Almost from the very start, I began to feel the impact. It started with avoiding unpaid consulting…and I remember it like it was yesterday.

I had just gained a new client, an employee of a large furniture distributor. I asked for referrals and was particularly pleased when she referred me to the company’s HR Director. I called, arranged a meeting and met with this very nice man who was insistent that I provide “answers” to his countless questions. Understanding how important those answers were to him…and realizing that those answers were all I had, I was faced with a choice; business as usual (unpaid consulting) or business as it ought to be (first you hire me, then the answers).

It’s really simple, but when you’re always chomping at the bit, it’s hard to resist. I asked if he would design a layout, order in all the furniture and deliver it according to specifications of an unsigned contract, without an appropriate and reasonable deposit and firm commitment to work together. Now, instead of answering his questions free of charge, he was answering mine. And, his answer was going to tell me whether or not I had a new client. He gave me a very knowing smile and said ‘Ok, let’s get started”. I now had a new client. It just so happened to also be my largest client at that time.

Equipped with the proper Behavior, right Attitude, and essential Techniques, I learned to stop wasting time educating prospects and giving free advice. Instead, I started to spend that precious time more effectively with people I could really help, who wanted my help, and most of all, who valued that help enough to properly compensate me for my long hours and hard effort.

More respectful, mutually beneficial, and rewarding relationships continued to develop, as I ascended to each “next level”.

Our experiences are building blocks to greater knowledge and the experiences I have had at The Training Center have increased my knowledge and ability to greater overall effectiveness. What does that mean? It means that I have learned to implement Up Front Contracts and gather Pain with ease. I’m now a better listener and have learned from others in Open Forum workshops as to how others handle various situations that I may encounter. By debriefing my calls and sharing my ‘pain’ with the class, I have learned what I could have done better.

Seeing the different styles of the coaches has expanded my thinking as to my own consultative style, resulting in greater confidence. After all, the program now belongs to me. I OWN it!

QuickStart Training, Professional One-on-One Coaching, President’s Club Open Forum, Cut and Paste and other programs throughout the year have helped increase my production and quality of life. I still send my Cookbook to my coach every week!

My business has grown over the years, almost exclusively through referrals from existing clients and professional advisor relationships. In addition, in order to protect the integrity of the services I currently provide to my existing clients, I only accept a certain number of new clients each year.

Thank you to everyone at The Training center; the knowledgeable coaches, the attentive staff and the brave salespeople who divulge their fears so that I may learn!


By Bruce Risler, Risler Financial Management is a fee-based, boutique Financial Planning Firm in Plymouth Meeting, PA. Their Mission is: “to competently and ethically guide our clients to Financial Peace of Mind, enabling them to focus on the more Meaningful things in Life.” They may be reached at 610-825-5687, lisa.alban@lpl.com or at www.lpl.com/bruce.risler

more testimonials