Today features a guest column from Don Connelly, a veteran US consultant to financial advisors on sales and marketing. In this column, Don shares a conversation with a successful golf pro that provides important insights for advisors looking to maximize the enjoyment and satisfaction from the work they do.

To learn more about Don's programs, go to www.campconnelly.com.

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You are a Financial Services professional.

My friend Teddy is a golf professional. You and Teddy have a lot in common.

The similarities.

For instance, most golf professionals possess similar knowledge. The highest paid and most successful ones are the better communicators. The same is true of Financial Advisors.

You and Teddy are both really good at what you do. And your clients know you are good. They know you speak from experience.

You both are in the advice business, charging for your wisdom.

Common business models.

Teddy is a swing coach for a small number of touring pros, the proverbial big clients. His amateur clients far outnumber his illustrious clients, but not surprisingly, he derives the majority of his income from a small percentage of his clients. You certainly know that story.

Referrals are all-important to both of you. An outstanding reputation and a consistent stream of referrals ensure sustainability.

More than most people on earth, Teddy knows what a good golf swing looks like. And doesn't look like. He knows what works. And what doesn't work.

More than most people on earth, you know what successful investing over time looks like. And doesn't look like. You know what works. And what doesn't work.

The biggest thing you have in common is this: When the heat's on, too many clients abandon your advice and revert to old, bad habits. From day one, clients are determined to follow your advice. After all, they're paying for it. But they don't. They bail. And we understand why.

It seems unnatural.

The advice you both dispense is hard to follow and completely contrary to what feels natural to them. "Swing easy" doesn't make sense to an amateur golfer any more than "invest when the market is down" makes sense to an amateur investor.

Success in golf and success in investing evade most people because a successful golf swing and a successful investing model go against human nature. Neither feels right. It's really hard to do what either of you say, especially in times of doubt. To do something that doesn't feel right when it doesn't seem to be working takes more discipline than most people are able to conjure up.

In both the golfing world and the world of investing, you have to fight your instincts. To stick with the lesson is hard.

At the same time, unfortunately, abandoning all that's been taught in times of stress virtually guarantees poor results. That's why so few people ever get good at either endeavor.

Few make it.

According to Knight Ridder, there are approximately sixty million golfers in the world, all of them welcome to play their way onto the PGA tour.

As of June 29, 2010, two hundred and forty three golfers have cashed a check earned in a 2010 PGA Tour event. That's 0.000004% of the world's golfers. You can't subtract .000004 from 100 on a calculator. It gives you 100 as an answer.

A lot of us can name at least a few of those check-cashing golfers. Probably we can name fewer world-class investors. Warren Buffett comes to mind. So do George Soros and John Paulson. After that, it's tough. There aren't many of them either.

Now, Teddy doesn't expect his typical client to end up playing on the PGA Tour any more than you expect to spawn the next Jesse Livermore. But you both want your disciples to work at getting good, to practice what you preach and to stick with the plan. And you're not surprised when they don't.

Teddy's wisdom.

I met Teddy for coffee recently and he told me something interesting.

He has weeded out more than a few existing clients and he has set high standards for new clients. From now on, he is only going to deal with people who will do what he says.

He said a typical teaching candidate for most golf pros is someone who wants to learn how to play golf, who has the time to practice, who intends to improve and who has the money to pay for lessons.

That's an incomplete definition, said Teddy. In addition to having the time, desire and money to takes lessons, the person must buy into what Teddy is trying to teach.

"If he or she doesn't respect the way I do things," he said, "he won't do as I say."

"The minute he's under pressure, he'll abandon my advice and go with his instincts, most of which are habitually wrong. He's wasting my time and his money. If I set up a plan for someone who's not all in mentally and emotionally, that person will abandon the plan as soon as he gets in trouble. He'll revert to what is easy and abandon what is right."

His approach to choosing clients.

"So," said Teddy, "I now determine who becomes my client, not the other way around. I will not take on someone who is impatient. Impatient people bounce from teacher to teacher, blaming everybody but themselves for poor results.

"Before I take on anyone new, I ask them what it is they expect of me. If I feel I can manage those expectations, off we go. If their expectations are unreasonable, I tell them they need a level of service I cannot provide. You learn golf on the golf course, but you learn your swing on the driving range. And that takes a long time. Early success makes impatient people overconfident. I do not want to have to fight that tendency in my clients.

"And I tell everyone up front that since they are paying for my advice, I expect them to take my advice. I am not going to throw open to discussion with an amateur something I know to be true as a professional. I'm not playing "My way or the highway" with people. But I do know what works. If anyone chooses not to follow my advice, I insist they find someone else. That's better for both of us.

"I will not take on anyone with a negative attitude. That's just trouble waiting to happen. I insist all my clients be positive people. Every shot in golf is different every time. Change is constant, be it weather, a new course or whatever. Every day, every round of golf brings new, and often, difficult challenges. I can't teach my clients to predict change, but I can encourage them to react positively to change.

"I insist my clients stay focused on their stated goals," Teddy says. "The better someone wants to get, the longer the journey, the greater the dedication needed. He has to believe in me, in both what I say and what I feel."

"I'll end up with fewer clients, I know, but I'll also end up with better clients. I will turn people away, but that's okay. Money is not my God. I want to help people achieve their goals and have fun while I am doing it. After all, I'm not joining their family. They're joining my family."