Getting the Most out of your BrokerHunter Account

(Recommended - also see:
Recruiting — Planned, Purposeful Activity
By William Willard, CLU, President
Market Planning-Plus.

Consistency in Advertising
by Pilcher & Barnet,
Marketing and Public Relations.)

Properly used, BrokerHunter can be a very powerful tool helping you find qualified Securities Industry Candidates. We are compiling this list of "Tips and Techniques" that have been helpful to others; we hope it can help you. We wish you great success in your search!

1. Firm Profile - The Firm Profile is the starting point when using BrokerHunter. The reason it is so important is; good Candidates like to do a little research on your Firm before they commit to sending their Profile. Wouldn’t you do the same?
   1. Elements of a good Firm Profile
      1. Logo - There may not be much that you can do about your Firm logo and then again, if you are in the position to make these decisions, maybe you can. Your logo is the first impression that you will make on a Candidate (and potential client for that matter), and in this Internet environment, it may be one of the primary elements that go together to portray your image.
      2. Firm Background - This should answer the all-important questions, who, what, where, when, how and why! This is much different than the specific information that you will include with your SmartAd (Job Posting). Often this information is already available, professionally written and compliance approved, in Firm brochures or on your Firm’s website.
      3. Firm Website - Obviously a much larger issue, but one that is important in attracting the better Candidates.
      4. Here is an example of a good Firm Profile:

   ---

   H&R Block Financial Advisors Our financial advisors are uniquely positioned with H&R Block tax professionals to provide relevant investment advice based upon a client's personal situation, future financial goals and risk tolerance. Services available include retirement planning, education planning, online investing and full-service brokerage. In 1999 H&R Block acquired OLDE Discount Corporation, a full-service firm with more than 25 years of brokerage experience. The new broker/dealer, H&R Block Financial Advisors, Inc., is a member of every major U.S. stock exchange with a network of more than 200 offices nationwide with 1,400 financial advisors and registered associates. H&R Block Financial Advisors, Inc., member NYSE/SIPC. H&R Block, Inc. is not a registered broker-dealer. H&R Block H&R Block, Inc. is a diversified company with subsidiaries providing a wide range of financial products and services. In 2000, H&R Block served 19.2 million taxpayers — more than any other company — through its more than 10,000 offices, located primarily in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. H&R Block served another 1.8 million tax clients through its award-winning software program, Kiplinger TaxCut®, and through its new online tax preparation services. H&R Block Mortgage Corporation and Option One Mortgage Corporation offer a full range of home mortgage products. RSM McGladrey, Inc. is a national accounting, tax and consulting firm with 100 offices nationwide, as well as an affiliation with 550 offices in 75 countries as the U.S. member of RSM International. Equal Opportunity Employer Quarterly results and other information are available on the company's Web site at www.hrblock.com

   ---

2. SmartAds - If BrokerHunter is a tool, then SmartAds are the drill bit, that does all the work by drilling down through the database of Candidates to find, notify and help convince qualifying Candidates to apply to your job opportunity!
   1. First of all, here is what a SmartAd does for you:
      1. Using your criteria for Location, Gross Production, Assets, Years Registered, the SmartAd performs a matching function 24 hours per day / 7 days per week, notifying and delivering via email a link to your SmartAd opportunity to Candidates who meet or exceed your SmartAd criteria.
      2. You may establish "blockers", preventing Candidates, not meeting your criteria from submitting their Profile to you.

   2. SmartAd Dos and Don’ts
      1. Do - have an attention getting "headline" that can draw the reader in and encourage them to learn more. Here are some examples, which of these grabs your attention the most?
         1. Tired of Big City Hassles, but not Big City Clientele?
         2. Searching for a firm committed to growing your independent practice?
         3. Hi Payout Potential!
         4. Work from home or on the road!
         5. Receive personal attention, advice, and coaching!
         6. Offer a wide array of Products and Services!

      2. Do - Stress your Unique Benefits
         1. Sell the things that you uniquely can offer the Candidate. Here are some examples:
            1. Private office
            2. State-of-the-Art Technology
            3. Outstanding Payout
            4. Generous 401-K/Stock Purchase/Full Medical and Dental (Instead of just "benefits"

      3. "A little pizzazz goes a long ways". Here is an example of a great SmartAd, placed on BrokerHunter by an A. G. Edwards branch using color and images to entice the reader. This says volumes about the attention to detail and the probable dedication of the branch manager to recruiting and hiring. BrokerHunter.com has a sales and technical staff that can assist you with laying out an eye-catching SmartAd once you are ready to begin.

      4. Criteria - The criteria specified in your SmartAd should be balanced between attracting a reasonable number of Candidates and eliminating Candidates that are not qualified.
         1. Geographical Location - This is the broad geographical area where the job is located. You may specify the exact location by customizing your SmartAd. Optionally, you may decide to exclude Candidates who currently live outside of this or other specified areas.
         2. Registrations - Check only the Registrations that are REQUIRED for the job. Some Registrations might fit into to the "nice to have" category, but are not vital or can be easily obtained after hire. The Series 63 or 65 and certain insurance licenses sometimes fall into this category. Don’t forget to consider whether a Candidate with a Series 6 would be OK, if so check the Series 6 OR Series 7 checkbox, instead of just the Series 7.
         3. Minimum Years Registered - Consider some scenarios before you eliminate potential Candidates based upon this number. What about a young broker who is doing a good job of gathering assets and meeting your Gross Production specs? Do you really want to prevent them from applying?
         4. Gross Production - Decide what is your hard and fast minimum and post based upon that. Lower requirements will give you exponentially more Candidates, so some balance here is important. Obviously, there is a big difference between an "up and coming" broker doing 100 and someone in the business for 20 years doing 100. Unfortunately, prescreening can’t help you here, but why not gather the Profiles and err on the side of getting too many? We have some productive ways to deal with too many Candidates, but not enough Candidates just hurts us all.
         5. Assets - Coordinate your Assets minimum with the Gross Production to help screen brokers with high Asset turns or those brokers who don’t really have a book (i.e., Discount Broker Call Center reps, etc.). For example, if your minimum Gross Production is $100K, then maybe you want to specify $5-10M for assets? A broker doing $100K on less than $5M may be over trading their accounts.
         6. Blockers - Once you have established your Criteria, we allow you to optionally place "Blockers" to prevent those Candidates "not meeting your criteria" from being able to apply. You may block on any of the above and the Candidates current geographical residence location.
   3. Here is an example of an effective SmartAd:

   ---

   Tired of Big City Hassles but not Big City Clientele?   Time for a Change? The Corvallis Branch Office of A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. currently has openings for individuals in the financial services industry.  Our Financial Consultants are trained to provide advanced investment and retirement planning to individuals, such as executives, retirees, and professionals, as well as companies. A.G. Edwards offers the full range of investment instruments; Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds, Professional Money Management Services, Annuities and Insurance products as well as a vast array of financial services; Financial Planning, Trust Services, and Qualified Plans. We are looking for highly motivated, self-starters who are used to excelling in their past endeavors and who are honest, caring and intelligent. Strong people skills and the ability to develop strong relationships are a must. Series 6, 7, 63 and/or Insurance Licensing a plus, or we will train. Positive attitude, YES! Victims, NO! Series 6, 7, 63 and/or Insurance Licensing a plus.   Should you be selected to join our branch you will enjoy the benefits of a private office, access to support staff assistance (shared with other brokers, paid for by the branch), state-of-the-art technology, personalized web page for prospects and clients, outstanding payout with NO GRID system (average firm payout is in excess of 40%), generous 401(k), stock purchase, full medical & dental, group life, disability, FSA and more. The Corvallis/Albany demographics are ideal for a Financial Consultant looking to expand their business. Large, highly educated and affluent population. A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. founded in 1887, employs over 7200 Financial Consultants in over 700 branch offices nationwide and in the U.K. We have consistently appeared in “The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America” by FORTUNE magazine (January, 2002). The firm is one of only five companies nationwide to appear on all six versions of the list originally published in 1984 by best-selling authors Robert Levering and Milton Moskowitz.   To learn more about our Transition/Training program or for a Compensation Comparison, contact Andrew E. Jones, Branch Manager Vice President~Investments by e-mail at andrew.jones@agedwards.com or visit our website at  www.agedwards.com/fc/andrew.jones A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. Member SIPC

   ---

3. SmartSearch for Candidates
   1. SmartSearch is allowed for any of the geographical areas, for which, you have placed SmartAds. Remember that your SmartAds have already contacted all Candidates who meet or exceed your Criteria. In addition, the SmartAd will contact new Candidates, who meet or exceed, as soon as they register on BrokerHunter. However, SmartSearch is useful in a couple of situations:
      1. Slide in under your criteria in your SmartAds to find Candidates that may be of interests to you and send them an "I’m Interested" message. For example, your SmartAd says Gross Production Minimum of $400K and 5 years, but you can selectively SmartSearch to find some "rookies" who are doing good production and may show some promise.
      2. Use SmartSearch to reiterate interest in Candidates who have already received interest from your SmartAd. We allow this to be done one time only (to prevent spamming) and it can be helpful (though time consuming) in increasing the percentage of Candidates who respond to your SmartAds.

4. Candidate Contact
   1. CONTACT GOOD CANDIDATES IMMEDIATELY!
      1. You are using an electronic media and are in the Internet age! Things happen fast and your quick response to Candidates is probably the single most important thing you can do to enhance your success!
      2. We have provided editable "Stop and Go" letters for your use. A Go letter (actually an email) is a way to say to the Candidate, "I got your Profile and I’m very interested. I am going to try to call you right away, but in the meanwhile, feel free to call me." (or something like that). This is the beginning step in creating a sense of urgency with the Candidate and being there first. Treat a good Candidate in the same way you would treat a prospective client with a million dollars to invest. A "Stop" letter is a courtesy to say "thanks, but no thanks", you never know when a marginal Candidate can become a stellar performer down the line (don’t burn any bridges behind you, as they say).

   2. Have an Action Plan for Candidates.
      1. This will vary by type of Firm and individual Hiring Manager. If the Candidate is local, get in front of them right away. Schedule the first interview and get the ball rolling! If the Candidate is remote, (as in Independents hiring Nationally, etc) then schedule a phone interview. Either way have a packet of information for the Candidate that gives them more information about your Firm and the specific opportunity.

   3. Verify Candidate Information
      1. At some stage, (very early in your process with Broker Candidates), you should have them supply you with proof of their Gross Production levels and Assets in their book. This should ideally come from a recent Production Report for GP and from a Moneyline report for Assets. (One of the follow-up questions that accompanies the Gross Production and Assets questions for brokers registering on BrokerHunter is: "Do you have written provide to support these numbers?" Yes or no.) The answer to these questions appear in the Profile that you are provided for the Candidate.

         If a Broker is trying to misstate their production levels, then there will be excuses and a reluctance to provide this information or a "No" answer to the written documentation questions. Personally, we aren’t aware of any broker/dealers who do not provide this information in one form or another, and it would be a foolish Candidate who neglects to make a copy of it for their own records - so the choice is yours to make, but if you don’t ask for proof, it is hard to tell what you may be getting!

   4. Moving the Process Along and Close the Deal
      1. Timelines and processes vary, but if you have a Qualified and Verified Candidate, you must try to move them through the process as quickly as possible.

5. Candidate Profile
   1. The following is a Sample Profile as it appears after the Candidate has applied to a SmartAd:

Resume
Follows
if
Posted