Dare to Be Different: Lessons from MDRT Korea

When I stood on stage at MDRT Korea in Seoul, I was struck by the energy in the room. What an honor to be with some of the finest financial professionals in the world. I felt a real responsibility—not just to deliver a keynote, but to give each advisor something practical they could take away and use to transform their results.

Over the years, I’ve learned that success doesn’t come from luck. It comes from deliberate action. It comes from daring to be different. It comes from looking at what everyone else is doing—and then choosing to do things better. Let me share with you some of the key lessons I spoke about in Seoul.

Process and Positioning Matter

When I started in this business, I was told to make 100 calls to get two sales. That never made sense to me. Why not create a process where two calls could lead to two sales?

Consistency builds trust, and trust builds relationships. That’s why I designed a system that worked every time. Alongside process comes positioning. Too many advisors give control away in the very first conversation. Instead of saying “I’m a financial advisor,” I talk about the value I bring: I help people become more financially successful. Everybody wants that outcome—whatever their circumstances.

Stop Asking for Referrals

For decades, advisors have been taught to “ask for referrals” at the end of a meeting. That approach hands control to the client, and the answer is usually: let me think about it.

Instead, I don’t ask. I explain why I need to meet their family members, their lawyers, or their business partners. Not for my benefit, but to ensure their plan works properly if something happens to them. That small shift turns referrals into natural introductions. And it builds holistic, intergenerational planning opportunities.

Clients Decide With Emotion First

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is this: clients say yes with their heart, and then justify it with their head. If there’s no emotional connection, the plan won’t stick.

That’s why I always begin by asking clients to imagine their best financial future—retiring early, buying a dream home, paying for children’s education. Those goals create emotional attachment. Logic comes afterwards to justify the decision.

The Rule of Three

When I present solutions, I always give three choices: a minimum, a maximum, and something in the middle. Psychology tells us that clients almost always eliminate the cheapest option. This naturally lifts the conversation to the medium or high solution—and increases average case size without pressure.

Sometimes You Need to Step Back

I once met a couple with £1 million sitting in cash. Another advisor had tried to push them into investing all of it at once. I did the opposite. I suggested starting with half.

That small step earned their trust. Within three months, they came back and invested the rest. Sometimes, downselling is the smartest way to build confidence and secure long-term relationships. 

Your Time Has Value

Here’s a question: do you know the true value of your time? Take your annual income, divide it by the hours you actually spend working with clients, and you’ll get your real hourly rate. For many advisors, it’s over $100 an hour. Every wasted hour is money you’re giving away.

To increase that value, you must focus on your A and B clients—the ones with opportunity and strong relationships. And yes, sometimes that means sacking your D clients. It’s tough, but essential if you want to grow.

Create an Experience, Not a Transaction

Think of Starbucks, Apple, or Singapore Airlines. They don’t succeed because of price. They succeed because of the experience they create.

In 2020, during the pandemic, when most advisors were hiding, I decided to think differently. We produced a simple magazine for clients—covering health, family, finance—and encouraged them to share it. It reached over 3,000 prospects and doubled our production in a year when many did no new business at all. That’s the power of creating experiences.

Service Is About Looking Forward

Here’s a small but important change: stop calling client meetings “reviews.” A review looks backwards. I call them “planning meetings,” because planning looks forwards and creates opportunity. That single word changes the way clients see me and the value I bring.

Becoming Iconic

My mission isn’t to be ordinary. It’s to become iconic—to be the kind of advisor clients come to, rather than the other way around. For me, that comes down to three things:

1. Personality – The personality of my business has to stand out.

2. Education – My role is to make the complicated simple.

3. Visibility – I make sure I’m in front of clients around five times a year, in meaningful ways.

Dare to Take Action

I didn’t go to Seoul to tell anyone to change everything they’re doing. What you’re already doing is great. My message was simple: if you improve every part of your business by just 10%, the results will be extraordinary.

You don’t need luck. You need action. Pick one or two ideas, put them into practice consistently, and you’ll be amazed at the difference. That’s how you go from success to greatness.