Our last three hires have been disastrous. I don’t know if it is my own bad choices or the hires themselves, but the time I spend trying to fix and negotiate is wasted time from other things I could be doing for clients. Is there a secret to making better choices in the hiring process?

We have yet another coach working with our advisory firm to help us with referrals. As it is, I get more referrals than anyone on our seven-person team, but I am forced to participate in these activities. Is there a way for me to gracefully back out of this coaching or explain to him why I don’t think I need to participate?

I see the problems that arise when we take bad business. Most of the time, it is obvious from the outset that it will cause us trouble, but everyone is trying to meet the numbers. Why don’t the leaders of our company see the problems that these divisions cause?

Can I find prospects without cold calling or running an advertisement, both of which are time consuming and expensive?

Wholesalers are supposed to be product pushers. Lately our firm is making us learn skills to build better relationships. How can I push back professionally on this idea? Spending time learning something that isn’t going to help me is a waste.

Over the years I have had the chance to work with countless financial advisory firms to help them increase their growth. While most do not want to “sell,” they would like additional assets coming in the door! This week’s column gives a peek into the assessment process I use.

What’s the best way to go about securing my legacy but not letting clients think I am jumping ship soon?

I have two high-performing advisors in my firm. They find “new” money from existing clients all the time, and they get referrals without having to ask for them. But I need them to take these skills and sell more aggressively.

Unsettled markets are creating unsettled clients. We are being proactive, but I wonder whether being proactive tells clients that there is a problem. We can’t say, “There is nothing to worry about” without creating a concern that there IS in fact something to worry about.

I have an advisor who is boisterous and pushy. My administrative team does everything to avoid him. I know he doesn’t mean to be so aggressive, but no matter what I say to him, he laughs it off and makes it out like I am the problem.

Our newer advisors – while credentialed – are not experienced. We can’t put them in front of our large clients. But because they have credentials behind them, they think that doing analysis or behind-the-scenes client work is beneath them. How do we explain that doing the time in analysis is important and does require a high level of expertise on its own?

We’re struggling to decide which factor should determine our categories for client segmentation. Do we base it purely on asset size? Or do we do a profitability analysis? One of my advisors wants to categorize by “irritation factor;” those clients who call too much and ask for the world without paying for it would drop to the bottom of the list first.

I hired a team member a couple of years ago who was very seasoned with an excellent background and a track record of success. He arrived, and all of a sudden he wasn’t motivated, didn’t return client calls in a timely fashion and had no fire in the belly. He wants ownership, but I need to see motivation to give it.

I have hired the best individual contributors anyone could find. Individually, they are strong performers, but they trip over one another whenever they have to agree on ways to meet client needs. Are there incentives or punishments I can dole out to change this dynamic?

In last week’s article, I discussed the need for advisors to use social media effectively. This brought a number of follow-up questions. This week’s column provides guidelines for navigating the often-murky waters of social-media marketing.

We should be getting more from social media. We all have LinkedIn accounts. We have a Twitter account for the firm, and we regularly post articles and ideas. None of this leads to new business. What can we do to generate prospects from our social media activities?

We are reworking fact sheets for a number of our specialty investment products. As we read them, we see that we use the same terminology and ideas over and over again. How can we make this aspect of our offering more compelling?

Our advisory business is going very well. The better it goes, the less involved my business partner becomes. She will come in late, leave early and generally be disruptive when she is here. God forbid I say anything and she bursts into tears. What can I do?

I have a great support staff. I cringe, however, when I read some of their email responses to client inquiries. How do I coach them for clearer communication?

One of our clients is getting great returns but complaining more than ever. How do we get him to see the benefit of what we are doing?

I can't say if I have clinical attention-deficit disorder, but I feel like I do most days. I find myself listening with half an ear on conference calls, and I don't always give my full attention to conversations with clients. I realize I'm doing this, but I can't stop. There are so many demands on my time that I sometimes think if I don't multi-task, I can't keep up with all of it.

I don't like making sales calls. Why would someone want to talk to me? What can I do to arrange the time and focus?

Some of my coworkers believe we should put on a sales hat and try and "sell" our new hires on how great we are. Others think we should stick purely to the facts and just say this is what we do and how we do it. Any perspective on what's better?

Here are three key areas to focus on if you want to increase your selling acumen but stay comfortable doing it your own way.

I can't get any work done. My firm is obsessed with meetings, organizing them for every little thing. How do I stop the madness without looking like I'm not a team player?

Clients describe a void to me; they will call to ask questions about an issue and might wait days to hear back. I know that my staff is working on finding an answer, and that's why they don't respond. But the clients don't know this, and it makes for a poor client experience. Any tips on improving the response time and communication?

We have a number of strategic alliances with estate attorneys and CPAs to whom we often refer business. We provide a steady flow to these connections, but they do not refer in kind. Is there a formula that works best to stimulate referrals?

I am working to establish a training program that would match a newer advisor with one of our more seasoned ones. So far, this has been a disaster. The lead advisors treat the newer people like administrative staff. How do I teach my lead advisors to be better mentors?

Are there key phrases and terms we should stay away from in our firm's marketing message?

There must be a way to more effectively illustrate the value we provide for the fees our clients pay. How have other advisors done this?

What's the best way to integrate a new, young advisor into our practice? We are too small to have a formal training program and I don't have time to sit with someone and provide step-by-step instruction.

I've read a lot about different ways to show appreciation for clients: events to plan, gifts to send, newsletters to write, etc. Is there one thing that stands out more than anything else when it comes to letting clients know how important they are?

After a lengthy search, my staff and I agreed on a CRM system and paid for consulting and installation. Now we have installed it, but no one is using it. They offer excuses: it is unwieldy or they don't have the time. How do I get them to use the system that they asked for in the first place?

I can't seem to find the magic conditions to make it worth my while to create a succession plan and retire. What advice do you have that might push me to finally figure out how to make a graceful departure?

Providing the highest quality client service and finding time to network and uncover new sales is challenging at best and impossible at worst. Can these two goals coexist and be achieved?

We have been very successful when we sit down with a prospect to tell our story. However, our newest advisors find this more challenging. Our story is clear to them, but it isn't distinct from what they have heard at other firms. How can we reinforce our story or build a new one incorporating ideas from our staff?

Two of our advisors openly dislike each other. Is there a graceful way to steer clear of this whole situation?

We devote most of our time to client communications and portfolio changes. These are the activities that fuel business, so I am reluctant to spend less time doing them. My preference would be to provide the same level of investment and client service but to find time to grow as well. Do you any tips for me?

Is it possible to coach someone who doesn't really want the job they have?

If you don't think your sales culture is strong enough, here is a guideline for developing a more robust sales culture.

One of our most senior advisors has been suffering from depression and it is creating an increasing problem in our firm. Though there has been no official corporate communication, we all know it is going on and see the impacts.

We recently changed our investment approach. As senior management, we decided against broad messaging because we believed it would cause more consternation on the part of our clients. Some of our advisors think this is disingenuous. Do you agree with our decision or should we be telling our clients exactly what we are doing and why?

I am asking everyone in my advisory firm to write down resolutions for 2015. I want to post these as motivation. As the owner of the firm, I know I need to do the same. What are some of the best resolutions advisors can make?

I hired an advisor who showed great promise. Now, nine months later, he does not have a new asset to his name. I read some of your articles on developing selling skills but I wonder whether some advisors just can't learn to do it.

We are considering two methods for training our younger team members: using internal senior staff mentors or hiring an external coach. Which do you think is best?

What is the number one most important area to focus on for growth in 2015?

Every year we talk about formalizing our client referral process, increasing our market presence and setting other growth-related goals. But we start January 1 without real plans in place. What can we do this December to ensure we are successful with our resolutions?

One of my colleagues thrives on gossip. She talks about each of us behind our backs, criticizing how we do everything. I want it to stop.

We are worried a client of ours might be in the early stages of dementia. How do we address this issue sensitively and most effectively?

Our firm has many new projects underway. Our owner expects us to finish everything quickly while still managing client accounts. How do we communicate that we are working hard and take these projects seriously but that we can't do everything at once?