“Our nervous systems regulate how we react to others and if advisors can regulate their own nervous systems they can change the way they approach situations,” she added. Martin said she helps advisors know more about themselves, and “once you know about yourself, you can learn more about the people around you, including clients. That is the bonus that comes out of this training.”
During the course, Martin leads the students through exercises that cultivate awareness about themselves. Advisors learn if they make assumptions, if they are closed to certain ideas, and if they should respond differently to situations. The course takes work and requires vulnerability, she said.
“Advisors are certain about their technical skills but they are not certain about their awareness skills,” she said. Advisors should think of themselves as being witnesses to what the client is going through. Clients who work with these self-aware advisors say they end up talking about topics they never planned to broach, she added.
Martin is quick to explain that she is not telling advisors how to sell a product or how to get more wallet share from their clients. The course requires a guide, or teacher, and is better practiced in a group setting, which the classes provide, she said. The fee is $350 for the eight-week course and additional information can be found at www.marymartinphd.com.