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Coaching from the Branch Manager

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Jun 16, 2006 8:41 pm

Folks,
how would you describe your experiences with branch management? Is the
BOM in your office readily available to discuss portfolio issues,
client presentations, the right product mix etc.? Or is he or she too
bogged down with compliance issues and recruiting FAs from rival
brokerage houses? In other words, do you feel you’re getting enough
attention from the teacher?

Jun 16, 2006 8:47 pm

No No and 100 times NO.

The function of the branch manager is not to dedicate himself to lowly trainees.  Did they tell you that?  He needs to manage his own book and give most of his time to the big producers in the office. 

Here, we receive 1 hour of training 3 x per week for our first 8 weeks from the BM.

We have a weekly meeting.

After that you are on your own or get help from your home office, mentor, or another trainee.

Call the HOME OFFICE that is what they get paid for, to help YOU.

Jun 16, 2006 9:41 pm

[quote=maybeeeeeeee]

No No and 100 times NO.

The function of the branch manager is not to dedicate himself to lowly trainees.  Did they tell you that?  He needs to manage his own book and give most of his time to the big producers in the office. 

Here, we receive 1 hour of training 3 x per week for our first 8 weeks from the BM.

We have a weekly meeting.

After that you are on your own or get help from your home office, mentor, or another trainee.

Call the HOME OFFICE that is what they get paid for, to help YOU.

[/quote]

Something to ask in an interview would be if the manager has his own book.

You want to go to work at a place where the manager manages rather than run a book.

Real brokerage firms relieve the manager of his book and instruct him or her to manage 100% of their time.

You should have access to your manager at all times. You may have to wait an hour or so, but if he or she does not have an open door to everybody in the office you need to find out why not.

Jun 16, 2006 9:47 pm

[quote=maybeeeeeeee]

No No and 100 times NO.

The function of the branch manager is not to dedicate himself to lowly trainees.  Did they tell you that?  He needs to manage his own book and give most of his time to the big producers in the office. 

Here, we receive 1 hour of training 3 x per week for our first 8 weeks from the BM.

We have a weekly meeting.

After that you are on your own or get help from your home office, mentor, or another trainee.

Call the HOME OFFICE that is what they get paid for, to help YOU.

[/quote]

How sad it must be to be in that branch.  The manager has convinced a girl rookie that she is not important--and worse still, she accepted that pronouncement.

Tell us Maybeeeee, you're the girl who said that getting to the variosu bogey points was not big deal.  When did you hit $5 million--two months in, four months in?  Yet to get there?

Jun 16, 2006 9:58 pm

BEF....

How many heart attacks and strokes have you had yet, are you on your 3rd....4th yet?  It's laughable that you think we should eat up your rabbit droppings like chocolate when you make petty disparaging comments that are aimed at criticizing instead of helping.

Get a clue BEF noONE here thinks what you have to say is worth anything.  You are clearly miserable......I have yet to see you being positive.  Pathetic....really.

Jun 16, 2006 10:06 pm

[quote=dude]

BEF....

How many heart attacks and strokes have you had yet, are you on your 3rd....4th yet?  It's laughable that you think we should eat up your rabbit droppings like chocolate when you make petty disparaging comments that are aimed at criticizing instead of helping.

Get a clue BEF noONE here thinks what you have to say is worth anything.  You are clearly miserable......I have yet to see you being positive.  Pathetic....really.

[/quote]

What, you do not expect your branch manager to be available to help you?  Is that what you're saying Bunkie?

Jun 16, 2006 10:17 pm

Why would you want help from someone that couldn’t make it as an advisor?

Jun 16, 2006 10:24 pm

[quote=bankrep1]Why would you want help from someone that couldn't make it as an advisor?[/quote]

Moronic on the face.  You should be so lucky to be offered a chance to lead.

Jun 16, 2006 10:57 pm

[quote=Big Easy Flood][quote=dude]

BEF....

How many heart attacks and strokes have you had yet, are you on your 3rd....4th yet?  It's laughable that you think we should eat up your rabbit droppings like chocolate when you make petty disparaging comments that are aimed at criticizing instead of helping.

Get a clue BEF noONE here thinks what you have to say is worth anything.  You are clearly miserable......I have yet to see you being positive.  Pathetic....really.

[/quote]

What, you do not expect your branch manager to be available to help you?  Is that what you're saying Bunkie?

[/quote]

Obviously the Alzheimers is getting to you since the post I was responding to was right above my post.  Your response again was laughably irrellevant and not addressing anything I was referring to.

Jun 17, 2006 2:57 am

[/quote]

Something to ask in an interview would be if the manager has his own book.

You want to go to work at a place where the manager manages rather than run a book.

Real brokerage firms relieve the manager of his book and instruct him or her to manage 100% of their time.

You should have access to your manager at all times. You may have to wait an hour or so, but if he or she does not have an open door to everybody in the office you need to find out why not.

[/quote]

Really???  Huh, how about that...so I guess you (in all your wisdom) don't consider ML or AGE "real" brokerage firms...both have producing managers.
Jun 17, 2006 3:15 am

Same goes for SB and MS

Jun 17, 2006 3:39 am

I don’t think MS managers produce…at least the one in my city doesn’t.

I know, he tried to hire me!

Jun 17, 2006 3:41 am

But the point is the same…and that point is that BEF doesn’t know nearly as much as he thinks he does.

Jun 17, 2006 5:25 am

What I can tell you for sure is a particular Wedbush Morgan I know of takes on “apprentices,” so if they have an office in your city, it might be worth a try. Very limited in cities and offices, but if you are in one, check it out.

Jun 17, 2006 5:38 am

Wedbush Morgan???  LOL what are you talking about? 

Jun 17, 2006 11:13 am

[quote=BankFC]But the point is the same...and that point is that BEF doesn't know nearly as much as he thinks he does. [/quote]

I know there are producing managers in the tiny offices of the major firms, but not in the major offices of the major firms.

My comment about "real firms" was a tongue in cheek sneer at Ray Jay, which is not in the same league as the real firms such as Merrill.

What is curious is the tendency in the business to hire managers who were not groomed in the business.  Some of the firms are installing managers who were never brokers, ops professionals or anything else in the biz.

That is very dangerous, in my opinion, because the sales force needs to respect the manager and a sure way to not have respect is to show up one day and introduce yourself as being delighted to be there and confident that your experience managing the local NCR district office is going to translate well here at Acme brokerage.

Nonetheless it is being done, with a "sales manager" being appointed from the rank and file to act as the team leader.  Meanwhile the branch manager goes about managing the office, hiriing staff, interviewing potential FAs, but mostly dealing with compliance and other non-selling responsibilites.

There are branch offices--single branches--where there are several hundred employees.  There is no way the manager can be a producer and ride herd on that many people.

On the other hand, in Bumpphuck, Iowa, where there are five people, no six counting "the girl," the place is not viable if the manager does not produce.

But how would you like working somewhere where the manager is trying to open accounts with the same people you are?

The idea of a producing manager is not a good one, but the realities of business often mean it has to be that way.  That does not mean you should expose yourself to it if you have a choice.

If you're trying to decide between X and Y and X has a non producing manager, but Y has a producing manager.  Choose X unless there are compelling reasons not to.

I could have written that in lower case, but it would have made me look stupid.

Jun 18, 2006 2:53 am

[quote=Big Easy Flood]

[quote=bankrep1]Why would you want help from someone that couldn’t make it as an advisor?[/quote]

Moronic on the face.  You should be so lucky to be offered a chance to lead.

[/quote]

spoken like a true leech....
Jun 18, 2006 3:19 am

Hey Broadway Joe...how's Winged Foot?!!

BTW, your inbox be full, brotha...

Jun 18, 2006 5:06 am

[quote=Big Easy Flood]

[quote=bankrep1]Why would you want help from someone that couldn't make it as an advisor?[/quote]

Moronic on the face.  You should be so lucky to be offered a chance to lead.

[/quote]

BEF, those that can't do teach.  Why would someone that could make 500K a year (as a top performing advisor) take a job, with stress, quotas, reports and meetings to make 100K a year?

I do not want the advice of a failure....  I wouldn't take a job leading if it were offered because they won't offer em what I am already getting, freedom & unlimited opportunity

Jun 18, 2006 5:07 am

[quote=Big Easy Flood]

I could have written that in lower case, but it would have made me look stupid.

[/quote]

stupider.

but you need no further emphasis--