Have patience in establishing your brand

Brad Sutliffe, director of employee benefits at ISG International, is one of Employee Benefit Adviser’s 2014 Rising Stars in Advising. He shared three tips for other young advisers in the field, like another Rising Star did earlier this week. “I think the need for advisers and consultants is greater than ever,” says the Cambridge, Md.-based professional. Stay tuned to EBA for more on Sutliffe and our other nine Rising Stars.

  1. Knowledge is power. “Know your industry and invest the time to learn something new each and every day,” Sutliffe says.
  2. “Patience,” he says, is key in the business. “It takes time to establish yourself and your brand. I recently earned the business of a client that took over five years to build the relationship and their trust.”
  3. Give back. “Get active in the community, as well as active in local industry-related associations such as the National Association of Health Underwriters.”
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