The ELITE Advisor™ Program is the measure of service excellence within the financial advisor community. It is an indicator that an advisor has been recognized for the highest standard of service excellence.

Advisor Excellence

ELITE Advisors Canada welcomes Richard Sheppard to the ELITE Advisor™ Program

ELITE Advisor™ – Richard Sheppard ELITE Advisors Canada welcomes Richard Sheppard, Senior Financial Consultant at Investors Group Financial Services Inc., to the ELITE Advisor™ Program. Choosing the right investment strategy starts with choosing the right financial advisor. Yet, with so many different advisors to choose from, how can investors distinguish between those who are exceptional and those who are average? How can you tell which advisors are actually as good as they say they are? It’s simple. When an advisor earns the ELITE Advisor™ distinction, it means that their clients agree that they provide the highest standard of service. They have been recognized for their unparalleled professional conduct and practice standards and for their unsurpassed client satisfaction ratings. What’s more, to maintain their status, advisors are reviewed every year to ensure that they continue to exhibit exemplary practices and an unwavering commitment to client service satisfaction.

Why does this matter to investors?

When you choose to work with an advisor who has achieved the ELITE Advisor™ status —the only benchmark for service excellence — you can be confident that you are working with the best. This is an elite group that upholds the highest standards of service.

Richard Sheppard CFP®, CEPA

Senior Financial Consultant

Investors Group Financial Services Inc.

ELITE since January 20th, 2012.

333 96 Ave NE, Suite 5113

Calgary, AB T3K 0S3

Phone: 855.905.0199

Email: richard.sheppard@investorsgroup.com

Recognizing service excellence

How do you separate the truly excellent advisors from the others? By asking ALL of their clients exactly how good they are. Each ELITE Advisor™ goes through a Client Feedback Review screening process, which is administered by a respected, third-party research organization using the industry recognized Client Audit program. The audit is sent to all their clients and is used to ensure that advisors consistently demonstrate a strong commitment to service excellence through:

Client Satisfaction: Do they meet a defined industry standard for client satisfaction?

Client Priorities: Do they excel in those aspects of service defined as being most important by clients?

Client Contact: Do they meet or exceed client expectations for direct contact?

Service Offer: Do they meet or exceed client expectations related to service offerings?

Service Delivery: Do they meet or exceed client expectations related to service delivery?

Relationship with Clients: Do they meet or exceed client expectations in terms of the relationship they have with their clients?

Once the Review has been completed, an advisor’s score in each specific area of service is evaluated. The results are then shared with the advisor, which helps them to further strengthen their client understanding and gain deeper insights into what they value most. Ultimately this allows the advisor to work more effectively with their client, and create a richer and more successful financial relationship.

A distinction that must be earned! Each financial advisor must successfully complete a rigorous, independent qualification process that includes:

A Professional Services Check confirming that they demonstrate the utmost respect for industry standards and are in good standing with their self-regulatory organization.

A Service Offering Review confirming that their service offerings are clearly and consistently delivered to their clients.

A Client Feedback Review confirming that they meet or exceed the highest standards for client trust, satisfaction, contact and priorities.

A Dealer’s Review and Approval confirming that their online ELITE profile is accurate and is in accordance with their dealer’s compliance regulatory guidelines.

Richard Sheppard’s ELITE Advisor™ profile and validation can be viewed at:

http://www.eliteadvisors.ca/elite-advisors/richard-sheppard/ ELITE Advisors Canada is committed to helping Investors find great financial advisors and educational information to create a more successful financial future.