Market Developer

Market Developer

The Market Developer is responsible for providing sales mentorship, practice guidance, and joint field work to increase productivity and total sales for advisors and other sales roles in the area. They serve as the primary support person for new advisors within their first year and offer supplementary support throughout their first four years. The Market Developer ensures that clients receive purpose-based advice by providing training, case consultation, and mentorship, working side-by-side with new advisors and other sales associates. This role will foster a culture of excellence, compliance, and client-centric service, ensuring that advisors are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to succeed. It is critical in retaining financial advisors and sales roles by helping them get off to a productive start in their new careers.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Launch New Financial Advisors into Teams: Conduct high levels of joint fieldwork as scheduled by new financial advisors to observe and offer feedback. Provide support for case preparation, consultation, and delivery. Demonstrate, model and coach on the use of Salesforce, MoneyGuidePro, Thrivent Planning Platform and other Thrivent advice tools during the sales process. Serve as the main point of contact for financial advisors as they develop their sales goals and help analyze gaps and opportunities to grow. Help financial advisors to develop/execute marketing plans that leverage relationships within their natural market, referrals, and communities. Advise financial advisors as to what activities will enable them to achieve their sales goals. Serve as an extension of the field training team to enable the development and execution of advisor training deliverables.
• Foster Growth within Existing Teams: Support existing practices to launch client facing sales roles directly on to their team. Create an onboarding approach to fit the development path within the team. Communicate consistently with the existing team and leadership on strengths and development gaps. Work closely with the team to connect support and core training needs to deliver purpose-based advice.
• Collaborate with Others: Work with market and area leadership to support referrals for talent. Directly influence market and area plans to drive total sales growth. Inform and communicate with leadership team regarding financial advisor progress toward development and sales goals. Facilitate connections with experienced financial advisors to provide additional joint field work and support. Leverage matrix partners to stay informed of best practices or changes that directly impact new financial advisor launch.
• Market Leadership: Work with the Community Engagement team to execute financial advisor growth plans. Execute a plan to develop quality talent by spending focused time understanding the development needs of the advisors, staying up to date on processes and systems and working closely with matrix partners for support. Conduct selection interviews and assess candidates as needed in support of the market director. Create followership by demonstrating enthusiasm for the career and for Thrivent and by caring about the success of others.

Qualifications & Skills:

• Required: Four-year college degree strongly preferred. Demonstrated track record of solid sales results (i.e. L/H/A, investments, etc.) and alignment to providing clients wholistic, purpose-based advice. Experience in leading groups, specifically in presenting and facilitating to drive understanding of concepts and practices that lead to new financial advisor success. Professional designation or history of significant progress toward achievement preferred. Experience in using the Thrivent Financial Advice Process, Salesforce and other Thrivent tools and systems and ability and willingness to model, promote and demonstrate usage of tools as needed. Ability to utilize technology effectively to coach and train new financial advisors. Will and skill to commit to joint field work expectations.
• Licensing: FINRA Series 7, 63/65 or 66 required or obtained within 90 days. State insurance licensed and appointed in life, health and variable lines of authority or attained within 90 days. State securities registered and insurance licensed and appointed in all states that comprise the market or are aligned to specific financial advisors that are assigned. Satisfactory background check and clean compliance record. Flexibility to travel within the region (may include overnight), up to 50%, and conduct business during evening hours. Must have own vehicle to use for business purposes. Demonstrated track record of satisfactory performance.