Addie Woods Consulting Co

Ed Howat has been a sales trainer and coach for the past 14 years. His primary focus is coaching financial advisors and sales managers.  Ed started his career with Northwestern Mutual as a Special Agent and then moved to sales management as a District Agent.  Ed then joined Manulife Financial, holding positions as an Agency Manager, Wholesaler and Sales Training Director.  He later moved to Nationwide Financial as Field Training Manager and worked with wholesalers and sales managers.

Ed believes that it is important for experienced, successful people to mentor the next generation of financial planners by passing on their knowlege and skills.  Experienced people need to take on the role of "elder" and help people succeed.  It is up to those who have enjoyed and prospered from their careers as financial professionals to pass on their wisdom, knowledge, experiences and insights.

Sales training has evolved over the years and many financial services companies don't offer the same type of training and support that was available back in the 60s through the 80s.

The irony is that there is more infomation available today than ever before; the missing link is the accountability factor.  Companies have turned to event training and moved away from activity-based training which involves reinforcement and follow-up.  Many new sales managers are not equiped with the traininng and support they need to develop new sales professionals.

What is needed is alignment.  Alignment from the top to the bottom which imbeds training and development into the culture.  Every one, from the CEO to the field sales team, needs to be pulling the same wagon.  The only true, sustainable competitive advantage is knowledgeable and skilled people.

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