Written by John Szymanski | Published August 16, 2010

First off, I would like to say thank you to all my readers, old and new, for joining me in my first installation of my series: In The Financial Loop. As an independent fee-only financial advisor and President of John Stanley Financial, I routinely meet with clients whose main concern is the preservation and security of their portfolio. Many people ask, “Should I have all my money in cash or invest in precious metals? Should I bury my money in the back yard?” In this article, I would like to address both things that you should be weary of and some time tested strategies that typically remain the same throughout all market conditions.

Specifically many clients want to know, “Should I be holding gold and other precious metals? What percentage of my portfolio should include these assets?” Basically their question is, “Is gold getting old?” Well maybe not old yet. If you have read any of my previous blogs or watched my linked videos, they offer a far more compelling story for the large increase in inflation. To catch up, the articles and videos can both be read and viewed here. This again is not a radical statement because inflation typically will average at least three percent a year (SOURCE). Even if there is more to come of this cyclical bear market, the short term interest rates certainly should not remain at the current levels.

With that being said, the same basic planning tools should be utilized. Ladder your bonds, remain diversified, and prepare for the inevitable normal inflationary pressures to rear its ugly head sooner or later. We are going to have far worse problems if interest rates perpetually remain this low forever, but we will address this in a future installment. I recommend seeking professional guidance when attempting this complex process. If you are interested in consulting a financial advisor, please contact me for a free consultation by visiting www.johnstanleyfinancial.com or call 704-313-8513.

It is typically suitable for most investors to have their portfolio hedged with gold, silver, and other precious metals, including but not limited to aluminum stocks such as Alcoa. These and many other precious metals can be appropriate for the vast majority of portfolios. However, let’s be realistic, if your advisor is recommending that you tie up eighty percent or even more than a quarter of your portfolio in the respective sectors, I would ask them how are they getting paid? They may be giving you this advice because they are motivated by commissions and/or other incentives.

Suppose that it is the end of the world, to have all of your money in gold may or may not be the most viable solution for you. Based on this assumption, one would most benefit from investing in meals-ready-to-eat, gallons of water, and other items crucial to daily survival. Though, it is usually suitable for most investors to have five to ten percent of their portfolio encompassing precious metals.

Now that we have cleared that up you may have asked yourself, "Where does one begin?"
One should maintain a diverse core investment mix of stocks, ETFs, and some actual hard assets in this respective class. Personally, I have been watching the trend in silver. I am currently adding exposure to silver in my portfolio through the stock HL and the ETF SLV (SOURCE).There are many other options when investing in precious metals, but I would keep in mind that this is more of a hedge than something one should look to get rich off of.

Hedges such as these may help during times when many other investments are receiving poor returns. The old rules of dollar and gold parity do not always apply in today's turbulent markets. As we saw during the financial collapse of 2008, precious metals along with almost all other investment categories hit their fifty-two week lows; yet, gold prices saw an increase once the dust had settled.

As a trend follower, I don't mind buying on the way up. Gold is certainly on its way up. With this said, silver has been a little overlooked and may be an area of greater potential gain if historical pricing and parity are any barometer. Gold and many other precious metals are good, but silver may have the most possibility of growth. We derive this not only from past performance, but also from current market trends. Please keep in mind that past results are of course no predictor of future gains, but this is where doing your homework and consulting your advisor on a quarterly or at least a semi-annual basis would prove advantageous.

John Szymanski has extensive experience in the financial industry which includes serving as a registered representative for top companies such as Edward D. Jones and MetLife. As a seasoned independent financial advisor and President of John Stanley Financial, he brings to his clients a unique blend of industry know-how and market expertise. John Stanley Financial is a fee-only planning firm that works solely for its clients and manages portfolios uniquely designed for each client on a flat fee or hourly fee basis. We do not receive any form of revenue or incentive from any source other than directly from clients. Securities are offered through Trade PMR. Member NASD, SIPC, and Registered Investment Advisor, an independent broker/dealer. For further details on how John can help you, visit www.johnstanleyfinancial.com or call 704-313-8513.

Keys to Effective Phone Calling
By John Boe

Its been said that salespeople who avoid making phone calls have skinny children. Prospecting for new business is critically important and for the majority of salespeople, it is by far the most challenging and stressful aspect of their profession. Successful salespeople are proactive and recognize the importance of prospecting for new business daily. They don't have to be reminded to ask for referrals or follow up on a sales lead, they do it automatically. This article is packed full of helpful phone calling tips and techniques which, if put into practice, will fill your appointment calendar with new business opportunities!

Don't shoot from the hip, use a script. If you want to sound confident and competent, I strongly suggest that you write out your opening and closing remarks. If you sound in the least bit nervous or unprepared, people will immediately sense this and rightfully assume that you lack experience. Using a phone script for your opening and closing remarks is a good idea for several reasons. A well-polished phone script gives you a consistent approach that keeps you on message and guarantees you don't leave out important information. Be respectful of your prospect's time by designing your phone script to be short, sweet, and to the point. Once you have prepared your phone script, it's now time to tape record yourself reading it aloud until you sound smooth and polished. While you might be tempted to skip this step, don't do it. Recording your phone script role-play session provides you with a golden opportunity to critique your performance and improve your delivery.

During a face-to-face conversation, first impressions are based primarily on appearance. While on the other hand, first impressions created over the phone are based on brevity, vocal quality, and attitude. An upbeat mental attitude is contagious and, unless taken to an extreme, builds rapport and creates a very positive first impression. Keep in mind that a smile can be heard over the phone. The best way to build trust and rapport during a phone conversation is to match your prospect's energy level. This is accomplished by "subtly" matching their rate of speech and tone of voice. For example, if you have the tendency to speak fast/loud and your prospect begins speaking slow/soft, you will need to lower your voice and slow your rate of speech down to match them. The psychological power behind the principle of matching is based on the premise that people want to do business with salespeople who they feel are similar to them.

There is absolutely no substitute for preparation and practice. Like most successful endeavors, the key to effective phone calling has a lot to do with preparation and practice. Practice builds confidence through repetition. Ask your sales manager or an associate to schedule an hour role-play session with you. This session is important because it gives you a dress rehearsal and the opportunity to work the kinks out of your script. As they say in the military, train like you plan to fight. Create a realistic training environment by role-playing over the phone. Begin the role-play session with minimal prospect resistance and then, as your confidence builds, gradually inject typical prospect objections. While it is impossible to have a script that might address every conceivable objection, you must anticipate key objections and develop scripts to respond to them.

Remember to stay positive, polite, and professional. It is best to make your phone calls during the morning when both you and your prospect are rested and fresh. Be organized, do your homework, and take good notes. Before you contact your prospect, take a moment to research their company by visiting their website. By reading your prospect's company newsletter, annual report, and press releases you become familiar with their products and services. Stay organized and save time by using a contact management system, such as ACT, to record your notes after each phone call. Relying on your memory alone is a poor business decision and is bound to cost you money.

It is important to keep in mind that the primary purpose of any prospect phone call is to make an appointment, not a sale. Most salespeople make the fundamental mistake of overeducating their prospect and dominating the phone call in an attempt to showcase their knowledge. Obviously you will need to respond to some questions, however, questions that require a detailed response become an excellent reason to secure an appointment. Use your precious phone time to gather information through the use of open-ended questions. Your objective is to build your prospect's interest and arouse their curiosity through a series of well designed, probing questions about them and their organization. Just before you ask for the appointment, summarize the key points of your conversation for clarity and agreement.

Top producers don't take rejection personally, because they realize that selling is fundamentally a numbers game. It really doesn't matter what product or service you are selling; the key to your long-term success is directly linked to your ability and desire to prospect effectively. Phone calling in today's marketplace is much more challenging than in years past, but fortunately the basics never change. Selling is, after all, a contact sport!

John Boe presents a variety of training and motivational programs for meetings and conventions. John brings over twenty years of experience as an award-winning sales trainer to the platform. John's programs are unique, consistently well received and get results! To have John speak at your next event, visit www.johnboe.com or call 831 375-3668.

John's Media Photo: www.johnboe.com/media_picture.html