Q: What is different about Edward Jones?
A: At Edward Jones, having your office is one thing, but having your own assistant is just invaluable. Where I was at before, I didn’t have an assistant although I was led to believe that I would get one. Your profitability is exponentially increased because of having that assistant because time truly is money. And your time to be able to talk with your clients or talk with a prospective client about something that you can offer them is going to come back in spades to you in your office by having that person out front. They’re very valuable, and I can’t imagine trying to do business without my own assistant. Q: What stands out most about Edward Jones in terms of being different?
A: At Edward Jones there are no proprietary products – unlike in my previous situation. I am able to pick and choose who I want to do business with, and never has there been any critical word or indication of reduction of my compensation because of whom I chose to do business with. And that’s one of the things that’s very important about whom I do business with and why I continue to do this with Edward Jones, because they brought me in indicating that I could run my office the way I saw fit, and with that being the case, that’s how I’ve chosen to do it. Q: Can you talk a little about the training you received?
A: At Edward Jones the training doesn’t just stop. If you want to be a specialist in retirements, if you want to develop a technique or a talent that is advanced, Edward Jones allows you to be able to get that training to help you do your job better. So in my opinion, you’re at the best company at the right time for all the good reasons. Q: What advice would you give to someone considering the Financial Advisor position?
A: Make sure you get the full story. Make sure you talk with some people who are experienced in the business and don’t for a minute think it’s a pie-in-the-sky position. One of the truisms of this job is that all the opportunities are here for you. You can take the nice trips, you get a good income, you can get limited partnership, you can get profit sharing. You can share in all of those things, but along with it comes a price, and that’s a willingness to work. And if you’ve got a good work ethic and want to be rewarded for what you think you’re worth, the sky’s the limit. You go to work, you do your job, you see your clients, you help your people, and you’re going to be more than well taken care of. I’ve heard it said by a lot of veterans in our company that the first couple of years it might appear that you’re underpaid, but for every year after that, you’re actually overpaid. That is something that I’ve experienced personally, and I can only say to you that it’s a real deal. Q: What kind of tools does Edward Jones provide to its Financial Advisors?
A: We have great software. We have e-mail to be able to communicate. We have portfolio analysis material that can really help paint a picture for an individual as opposed to all of the language about the industry. Edward Jones provides you with that type of material, so that, again, you’re not trying to explain how a watch is made to someone, you’re able to tell them what time it is, which is what they’re wanting to know.
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