Karen Vibe - February Featured Member
Choosing a financial planner may be one of the most important things you do in 2010. Karen Vibe, second vice president/wealth management and financial advisor with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, says that when choosing that advisor, don’t just call the first number in the Yellow Pages. Vibe says, “Interview a couple of people, sit in the office with them and choose the one where you feel the most comfortable.” It’s Vibe’s opinion that a financial advisor isn’t simply someone who buys and sells stocks for you; it is someone who develops a relationship with the client.
She explains further. “You’re hiring someone to do a job for you, and you need to find the best match for you and your family. I need to find out what your long-term goals are, if you’re saving for retirement, your children’s education.” That and more goes into developing a portfolio for a particular client.
Vibe came to financial planning through an interesting path. Although taking a Masters Degree in Classical Music, she has a mind for numbers and found herself interviewing with Smith Barney. She says it took nine months to finish the process and she finished her degree before becoming a full time financial planner. That was five years ago, and Vibe still loves her work.
“You need to want to be in this business,” she says. “You need to feel good about what you’re doing.” Perhaps that’s why she’s so insistent on developing a relationship with her clients that allows her to make them money even in these down times. She says when meeting with a client, they talk about their trips, their children, how their health is doing, and then oh yes, let’s look at your portfolio. It’s all part of doing the best job for the client, she says. “I want to be their trusted advisor. I want to educate them about what’s a good investment for them and match the product with the investment dollars.” She seems to carry that same attitude to her BNI group.
It’s all about knowing the person you are going to do business with, whether it’s getting your teeth drilled or your lawn mowed. We all look for referrals. It’s our comfort zone. BNI formalizes the process and makes it easy to connect. “I refer business to people I like and I know,” she says, and BNI “gives me an opportunity to meet with people once a week and develop a relationship with people in the community.”
Vibe is president of BNI Millionaire$, meeting in Reno every Thursday, 11:30 a.m., at La Posada Real Mexican restaurant on Longley Lane. “My business comes from referrals,” she says, and “those in your group may not be your clients, but they are the eyes and ears in the community.” She adds that she can spend $500.00 a month on radio advertising and not get the results she gets from the personal recommendation. “One referral will pay for your yearly dues,” she says.
Just like clients looking for a financial planner, Vibe says if you want to join a BNI group, visit a few of them. See which one you click with and if the seat is open, join that group. If your position isn’t open, then look for another group or start your own. “My top 10 clients came from referrals from BNI,” she says.
The bottom line is, if you want to get business, join BNI. To find out more information about Vibe’s BNI Millionaire$, call her at 775-689-8708. To find out more about BNI groups in Northern Nevada, visit www.bninevada.com.
Copyright © 1998-2007. All rights
reserved.
Click here to make suggestions or request help with this site
|
|
Members Only
