Staffing & Culture | 01.22.25
Advisor Motivation as a Business Foundation: Q&A With John Harshman, SVP of First National Bank
by: BISA Staff
Motivating your advisory teams is an integral part of maintaining a healthy and successful business. BISA staff spoke with First National Bank Senior Vice President John Harshman, CPWA®, CRC®, to understand the intrinsic relationship of professional development and satisfaction with client success.
How does empowering financial professionals (FPs) contribute to a more positive client experience?
This is a people business. Clients want to work with an advisor they have a personal connection with, and likewise, as leaders, we need to work collaboratively with advisors to build strong relationships. There will always be non-negotiable parts of the firm-advisor relationship, but our clients see the most impactful results when the individual developing their personal investment strategies is the one who knows them best. That is why First National Bank (FNB) empowers our client-facing teams with decision-making authority where we can provide, as well as support, resources and education.
What best practices have you found for building an environment where FPs feel supported and motivated?
We focus on attracting and retaining the highest-caliber employees and have succeeded in doing so by building an outstanding, award-winning workplace. Additionally, we understand every advisor is different, from their background to their level of experience, so we tailor support to their individual characteristics. With a less tenured advisor, for example, you may need to spend more time helping them better define or refine their process. Conversely, with a more experienced advisor, it may be about understanding their existing client service model and identifying opportunities for improvement or analyzing their book of business. By utilizing a personalized approach specific to each advisor, we’ve seen both junior and tenured advisors rapidly increase their revenue, assets under advisement (AUA) and assets under management (AUM).
How does open architecture help FPs foster trust with and better serve their clients?
There are no one-size-fits-all solutions, so the competitive advantage created by open architecture is the breadth and depth of customized products an advisor can offer their clients. A successful client relationship hinges on the “trust factor,” meaning that a client has to trust that you understand their goals and are capable of achieving them. Open architecture presents more flexibility and a greater span of potential solutions that can help an advisor take their knowledge of a client’s needs and turn it into a positive outcome.
What challenges do FPs often face in implementing open architecture for clients, and how do you support them through these?
Considering the sheer scale of the product offering, it can be overwhelming to narrow the field. It takes us back to the old adage, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” First, you have to meet the advisor where they are — know and respect their background, experience and goals. From there, you can support their learning path and help guide them to the best client solutions. We’re fortunate that we have partnerships to supplement our in-house support to foster education with our advisors, which helps our management team maintain their focus on strategic priorities while still offering essential education for their teams.
What advice do you give to FPs to help them inspire confidence in their clients?
A well-defined and repeatable process is the key to client confidence. Take your time, get to know the client, utilize agendas in every meeting, set expectations and hold yourself accountable to them, and have an ongoing service delivery model.
John A. Harshman, CPWA®, CRC®, Senior Vice President, Director of Brokerage, First National Bank
John A. Harshman, CPWA®, CRC®, has a proven track record of building world-class wealth management teams with Fortune 500 companies. An experienced leader, he has held roles at Citizens Financial Group, PNC Financial Services and Ameriprise Financial Services. Harshman is well-versed in coaching team members through times of transformation, cultivating trust while simultaneously growing business.
In his current role as senior vice president, director of brokerage at First National Bank, Harshman oversees the business line. He does this by guiding leaders, managers and financial professionals to meet strategic goals while consistently delivering exceptional client experiences.
Harshman takes pride in being known as a subject matter expert across high-net-worth clients and continuously works to expand his skill base. He currently holds certified private wealth advisor (CPWA®) status through the Wealth Management Theory and Practice Executive Education program at the Yale School of Management. Harshman also holds certified retirement counselor (CRC®) as well as FINRA Series 24, 7, 66 and PA LAH Insurance statuses. He has extensive experience with high-net-worth client management including assets under management (AUM), lending, trust advisory, estate planning, tax planning and preparation, insurance, family office services, banking and concierge services and personal financial management.
Harshman is known as a community leader in the Greater Pittsburgh Region, serving as a board member for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Corporate Circles. He resides in Washington, PA with his wife Danielle, his son Cole and daughter Reese. Harshman coaches his children’s travel soccer teams and volunteers as a registered Boy Scouts of America leader alongside his son.