While the list of consulting programs we provide at USA Financial is long, we’ll focus here on how we help advisors identify what is really happening with the people they serve.
This is the first of two revealing exercises; this one called The Loyalty Ladder.
In order to maximize this particular Opportunity Gap it is important for us to ask our advisors "What do you have?" Or, asked another way, "Who are you working with?" That is why when we start working with an advisor or a team we never ask, “how many clients do you have?” It's an inappropriate question. What we ask instead is “how many households do you serve?” We start with that larger number and then break it down into three categories: Customers, Clients, and Advocates.
The first group, Customers, we describe as people that are doing business with you, but we also know they're doing business elsewhere. It may be that they do their wealth management with you but perhaps they’re doing their risk management and insurance someplace else, or it could be that they have a second advisor, just to mention a couple of examples. Obviously, we’re not downplaying the revenue that these folks generate, but typically these relationships are a product of timing and/or convenience and they rarely progress further with your practice.
Related Posts
Your Business Map: Growth, Expansion, Legacy
In this episode of The Rare Advisor, Aaron Grady is joined once again by Steve Phillips, Chief Practice Management Officer at USA Financial, for an insightful conversation about the three phases of an advisory practice: growth, expansion, and legacy. Discover how to identify where your financial advisory business stands today—and why understanding your current phase is just as important as knowing where you're headed. Whether you’re an independent financial advisor scaling your team, planning a succession strategy, or navigating the evolution of your firm, this episode offers actionable insights to increase enterprise value, improve team retention, and build a lasting legacy. Perfect for financial advisors seeking clarity on business growth, practice management, succession planning, and future planning.
14 LinkedIn Marketing Tips for Financial Advisors
With over 1.1 billion members worldwide as of 2025, LinkedIn isn't just another social network—it's the world's largest professional networking platform. We're talking about a platform where 40% of active users check the platform daily, creating consistent opportunities for meaningful engagement.
2025 Seminar Marketing Trends for Financial Advisors
In this episode of the Financial Advisor’s Marketing Playbook, Mark Mersman breaks down the latest seminar marketing trends based on real-world data collected over the past several years at USA Financial. He explores the age-old question every advisor faces: Should you serve a meal at your seminar or not? Mark compares response rates from meal and non-meal events dating back to 2018, reveals how pandemic-era shifts and election cycles have influenced performance, and highlights which topics are driving the strongest turnout in 2025. If you’re a financial advisor planning your next seminar, this data-driven analysis will help you make smarter decisions and maximize your results heading into fall and winter.