“There was a time when I was sitting at my desk and thinking, ‘How in the world are we going to train these people?’” Dechant admitted.
The solution? She reached out to Kaplan Financial and discussed how they could be a resource to help 6 Meridian train its new hires.
“They’ve been a very valuable partner in helping us train our people by helping them get on track to get their securities licenses, and they’re the channel we use for the CFP designation,” she said. “I can’t say enough good things about the work they’ve done for us.”
In addition, she added, 6 Meridian developed an internal training program where new employees spend time in each line of business—investment management, marketing, operations—to better understand the ins and outs of the company.
“One key thing we want everyone to understand is how they fit into the bigger picture, so we work hard to make sure they understand how the organization works, how a person moves from being a prospect to being a client, and how to develop that relationship,” Dechant said.
What’s In A Name?
Oh, about the company name of 6 Meridian . . . this refers to the Sixth Principal Meridian, a north-south line established in 1855 as the launching point to survey the newly created territories of Nebraska and Kansas, along with parts of Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota. This line goes through Wichita via Meridian Avenue.
“When we launched out of Morgan Stanley in September 2016, we worked with our marketing firm and we wanted something that was a nod to the region because most of us grew up in the Midwest and most of our clients are from or still live in the Midwest,” Dechant said.
She added that the marketing folks proposed incorporating the Sixth Principal Meridian into the firm’s name.
“We don’t put this in our marketing because it’s a little too corny, but what we say is that the Sixth Principal Meridian was the launching point for people who wanted to launch a better future for themselves and their family.”