How Advisors can stand out & build influence in the AI era

Greetings from Japan! 🇯🇵

Last edition, we talked about the importance of taking teams of professional advisors through an initial discovery phase — getting honest about where they’re starting from so we can be intentional about where they’re headed.

That process of discovery unearths the opportunities hiding in plain sight, and next, it’s time to activate them. This is where the real shift begins.

In our first month of my Activation for Advisors program, we introduce teams to the Activation Flywheel, the core concept that turns casual contacts into long-term, high-value advocates.

You’ve probably heard that success in business is all about who you know, but we believe it’s about something deeper: it’s about who you activate.

The Activation Flywheel is designed to help advisors:

⚡ Deliver immediate value and start building influence right away.

⚡ Stand out while others over-automate. (We’re believers that AI can assist us, but at the end of the day, people still buy from people.)

⚡ Turn their network into momentum, and that momentum into results.

Phase 1: The Activation Flywheel

1️⃣ Strategic Network Positioning

A network isn’t just a list of names – it’s an ecosystem, and we help advisors map it out: spotting untapped influence, high-leverage relationships, and new pathways for visibility and referrals.

To do so, we ask:

👉 Who already knows and trusts you, but hasn’t sent a referral yet?

👉 Where are you spending energy with no return?

👉 What’s missing between where you are now and the future you want?

2️⃣ The AI-Powered Connector

AI is not a shortcut to relationships, but it is a powerful amplifier. We show advisors how to use AI to track conversations, personalize follow-ups, and identify trends – all without losing the human touch.

Consider the following:

👉 What systems do you have in place to remember who to follow up with, when, and why?

👉 Could AI help you stay top of mind with less effort and more intention?

3️⃣ From “Who You Know” to “Who You Activate”

Not every connection becomes an opportunity on its own. We teach advisors how to re-engage existing relationships, create value first, and invite the kind of collaboration that leads to open doors.

Take a second to ask yourself:

👉 Who in your network would benefit from an introduction right now?

👉 When was the last time you reached out just to support someone with no ask attached?

4️⃣ Future Vision Mapping

This is one of my favorite exercises.

We help advisors identify their 6-12 month goals and build a relationship strategy around that vision. Because Activation is about moving forward with purpose.

💭 Let’s reflect: What do you want your business to look like one year from today, and who do you need in your corner to get there?

What gets accomplished 💪

The advisors we work with don’t just learn how to network better – they learn how to build influence, curate opportunities, and stay top of mind in a world that’s increasingly automated.

By the end of Month 1, advisors…

✅ Understand why Activation works (and how and why it’s different from traditional networking).

✅ Have a clear roadmap for increasing their visibility and value in an AI-driven world.

✅ Walk away with real actions they can apply right now – not “someday.”

I’m curious to know how it felt to ask yourself some of the questions above. Did the answers come easy? What felt uncomfortable to realize or admit? I encourage you to write back and share!

☝️ Oh, and one last thing: if you’ve been a subscriber (or friend!) long enough, you’ve heard me rave about Beyond Connections, a live, action-oriented training experience for professionals who don’t yet have the world-class network they need to win. I’m both an alumna and former co-facilitator of the program who recommends it to anyone at every chance I get. Now is one of those chances, as the next program cohort opens later this month. Click here to learn more and please feel free to ask me about the program!

With gratitude,
Nicole

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