This document provides essential skills for financial advisors to effectively advise female clients. It begins by outlining the economic power and influence of women, as most wealth transfers in the coming years will go to women and many women are primary breadwinners. However, many women do not trust financial advisors or the industry. The document then discusses how the female brain is wired differently than the male brain, emphasizing connection and emotions. It provides rules for advisors to get personal quickly, use feeling words, and build trust through thoughtfulness, reliability, understandability and transparency. Advisors are advised to listen to women, invite them to participate, avoid stereotypes, appreciate their perspective, and help them communicate with their partners.
2. The
great
ques7on
that
has
never
been
answered….”what
does
a
woman
want?”
-‐
Sigmund
Freud,
founder
of
psychoanalysis
3. The
Economic
Power
of
Women
70%
of
the
$41
trillion
in
intergenera%onal
wealth
transfers
will
go
to
women
1
Female–owned
business
generate
$3
trillion
in
annual
economic
impact
2
4
out
of
10
American
women
are
primary
breadwinners
for
their
families
3
¹
”To
the
Contrary:
Hot
Topics:
Women
and
Philanthropy,
Sharing
the
Wealth”,
PBS
Online;
²
Center
for
Women’s
Business
Research,
2009;
³
”Women
of
Wealth:
Why
Does
the
Financial
Services
Industry
S%ll
Not
Hear
Them?,
2011.
4. Women’s
Buying
Power
80%
of
the
household
buying
decisions
¹
VETO
Power
80-‐90%
solely
responsible
for
their
finances
at
some
point
in
their
lives
²
¹ Silverstein, M. Kato, K and Tischhauser, P., Women Want More, Boston Consulting Group, 2009.
² ”Wojnar, K. and Meek, C. “Women’s View of Wealth and the Planning Process,” Advisor Perspectives, March 1, 2011.
5. The
Industry’s
Problem
2/3
of
women
don’t
trust
financial
advisors
1
Financial
services
rated
lowest
in
customer
service
out
of
34
categories
2
70%
of
women
fire
the
couple’s
financial
advisor
within
one
year
of
the
death
of
their
spouse
3
¹
State
Farm
Survey,
2008;
²
Silverstein,
M.
Kato,
K
and
Tischhauser,
P.,
Women
Want
More,
Boston
Consul%ng
Group,
2009;
³
”Wojnar,
K.
and
Meek,
C.
“Women’s
View
of
Wealth
and
the
Planning
Process,”
Advisor
Perspec7ves,
March
1,
2011.
11. Female
Rules
of
Road
• Get
personal
quickly
through
stories
• Use
feeling
&
collabora%ve
words
• Define
success
as
being
“indispensable.”
• Nod
equals
listening,
not
agreement
• Are
LOYAL!
12. The
Men’s
Handbook
The Real
Man’s
Handbook
Rule #1: Never, ever share this book with women!
16. Gender
and
Trust
90%
of
married
and
single
women
don’t
have
a
preference
for
the
gender
of
their
advisors*
1
in
4
divorcees
and
widows
feel
strongly
about
the
gender
of
their
advisors*
The
majority
of
women
look
for
good
chemistry
Source: “Women of Wealth: Why Does The Financial Services Industry Still Not Hear Them”, Family Wealth Advisors
Council, 2011.