President's Letter
Welcome to our website! D.H. Hill is uniquely positioned to meet the demands of our growing and changing industry. We have a clearly defined business model that focuses on state-of-the-art technology and specialization. We believe in helping our Financial Advisors establish a successful financial practice. This means improving their quality of life. We believe that you can improve your quality of life by specializing. We believe that Specialists earn more money and spend less time at work allowing for more quality time with their families. We believe Specialists are likely to be more compliant because of their more focused approach to products and services. D.H. Hill is a specialist firm with an emphasis on fee-based asset management and commission-based packaged products. We also can provide added value to those Financial Advisors with practices focusing on lump sum investments, IRA rollovers or retirees.
With D.H. Hill, you are not just a number, but are considered to be a vital partner. Our plans are to help our Financial Advisors grow their practices and enjoy the fruits of their labor. We are small enough to make fast decisions to support our growth and large enough to handle the expansion. We compete with the large firms with our technology and specialization approach.
State-of-the-art technology is not defined by quantity. I recently was talking to a Financial Advisor from a large firm that had just been acquired by another firm. He was sick with all the changes and inefficiencies that impacted his firm. He told me that the combined technology available to him was at best "eighteenth century"! This was one of the largest firms in our industry! They had a ton of technology, but it was simply antiquated. He also stated that the compensation agreement was so complex that he had no earthly idea how to interpret it! And he was sick and tired of all the "nickel and dime" charges that severely impacted his payout percentage.
D.H. Hill believes in the Specialist approach to helping our Financial Advisors become more successful. Being more successful is not just about the amount and number of products and services sold or the number of new clients added. It is not just about the money. It is about having a more balanced and happy existence. It’s about spending more time with your family and taking care of your health. What does it accomplish to be standing on stage in front of your peers holding a trophy for "most income earned" and not really enjoying the fruits of your labor? You work 60 to 80 hours per week; you never get caught up; you hardly recognize your family, your health is fading and sometimes you wonder if it is really worth it. The answer is NO!
Success is a journey, not a destination. You need to be enjoying your success every day. I remember many years ago a consulting firm that I was working with introduced their definition of success as follows: "Success is the progressive realization of predetermined, worthwhile, personal goals." That simple statement says a lot. This consulting firm was in the business of teaching professionals and business owners how to achieve success by identifying what was important to them in all areas of their life. A statement often introduced to new clients was "If you are not making the progress you would like to make and are capable of making, it is simply because your goals are not clearly defined".
D.H. Hill believes that a Specialist approach can help you achieve this more balanced way of life. We believe that you should clearly identify your niche market and become an expert in that area. Take the time to know and understand the products and services needed in this market. Set up standards for your practice. Say no to prospects that are outside your defined niche. Set minimum requirements for prospects and clients so that you are in control; be proactive rather than reactive. It is ok to leave money on the table; in fact if you truly want to reach this balanced life objective, you must commit to a disciplined approach to client building.
A Specialist does not have to spend as much time keeping track of all the products and services that a full service practice would demand. A Specialist may have less but more profitable clients. A Specialist can make more money in less time by clearly defining his practice goals and objectives and committing to the process. A Specialist prides himself with knowing that he is on top of his game and in control. A Specialist understands that “growth at a reasonable price” means more than value-oriented stock picking; it’s about the price you pay for a successful practice.
Sincerely,
Dan H. Hill
President and CEO