A TRADER TURNED SHARE BROKER

Shyam Lal Kirodia was engaged in the family business of trading in natural silk yarn
in a large town of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The town had lot of potential for silk yarn
demand as there were plenty of weavers engaged in weaving sarees popularly known as
‘Banarasi sarees’. At the initial stage, the trading business of Kirodia’s father was not
flourishing. However, after the death of his father, when SL Kirodia assumed the full-
fledged responsibility of the business, he expanded it manifold with untiring efforts. With
the result, he became number one trader of the city and earned lot of money. He
constructed his own five- story house in the prime business area of the city with a view
that ground and first floors would be used for business purpose and the remaining floors
would be used for residential purpose.

Trading of silk yarn involves procuring of silk yarn from silk producing centres
mostly at Bangalore and adjoining areas and some part of Jammu and Kashmir. Besides
silk yarn is imported mostly from China. Silk yarn is distributed directly to weavers who
are mostly illiterate manual workers or to semi-wholesalers. The yarn is supplied on credit
basis ranging from one week to two weeks with a provision that interest at the rate of two
per cent per month will be charged if the payment is delayed beyond the stipulated time.
When Kirodia made huge profit in his trading business, he started in investing a part of the
profit in buying companies’ shares both from the primary market and secondary market.
Gradually, he alongwith his family members became shareholders of about 250
companies.

Kirodia has three sons and when they were quite grown up, he decided to step
down from the trading business and entered the field of share broking. In late 1994, he
approached a share broker of National Stock Exchange (NSE) for the purpose with his
friends and was successful in getting sub-brokership from the main broker located at
Mumbai. He formed a firm known as SK Financial Services. Since this was the only firm
of this type in the city, it attracted lot of business at the initial stage. Over the period of
time, the firm was converted into a limited company under the name of Kirodia Capital
Services Limited with shareholders drawn mostly from his family and friends.

NSE offered computerised trading system from the very beginning. In this system,
a share broker or sub broker has to install VAST (vary small aperture terminal), a special
purpose dish antenna, and computers and accessories besides office furniture, etc. The
process of operating a sub-broker’s office is as follows:

(a) Orders for buying/selling shares are obtained from the customers either
through personal contacts or through telephones. A customer may give order either
at the market rate, that is, at the prevailing rate on which he can buy/sell
immediately, or a prescribed rate and the transaction will effected when this rate
comes. In both these cases, the transaction has to be confirmed by the sub-broker.

(b) After the end of the settlement period which is for a week, the sub-broker
prepares a list of transactions which have been executed. He collects money for
the purchases from his customers immediately but gives shares after about three
weeks because he has to deposit the money in advance to his broker who sends
the shares later after the settlement of shares takes place at NSE. Similarly, the
sub broker receives shares from his customers and sends these to his broker from
where money comes after certain interval, usually three weeks.

(c) The sub-broker has to maintain records relating to various transactions,

customers’ accounts, main broker’s accounts, and other relevant records.

At the initial stage, share – broking business did quite well but later, it started
dwindling. Many customers flew away to other brokers as many new brokers entered the
business subsequently. The turnover rate of employees at Kirodia’s office was quite high;
on an average no computer operator worked for more than a year. Some of the reasons
which old customers of Kirodia cited were as follows :

(a) Kirodia did not believe anyone in the matter of customer relationship.

(b) He used to interfere unnecessarily in the customers’ transactions by telling

‘why selling at low rate or buying at high rate. This interference used to upset their
mental set.

(c) If a customer had negative impact from his transactions. Kirodia would
reprimand him like anything saying that he advised not to do this or that. This
became quite embarrassing to a customer and heart his feelings.

(d) He spoke too loudly on telephone which interfered unnecessarily with the
concentration of the customers who used to present in the sub-broker’s office.

(e) His overall behaviour was not that of helping and cooperating. Many
customers just wondered ‘how he made so much money in his trading business
and flopped in share-broking business’.
1. Assess the personality of Kirodia and point out the personality factors, which made
him successful in trading business and factors let him down in share-broking business.

2. What behavioural change would you suggest for Kirodia and how such a change
can be brought?

3. Can his behaviour be changed at such a late stage of life? Give reasons.

Trait 1) Successful Traders Learn from their Mistakes.

Most successful traders have been through a painful learning process,
usually many times over. Whilst to a degree all people learn from their
mistakes, successful traders seem to learn better than others. Successful
traders are the ones prepared to keep learning, and never presume to
know it all. In trading; the moment you think you know it all, pre-empts the
moments when you find out that you don’t. Possibly the most successful
hedge fund trader of the past few decades, Ray Dalio, founder of
Bridgewater Associates, emphasises this aspect of trading into the way he
works, and has embedded it into the culture of the business he founded.
Dalio believes that mistakes are the greatest learning tool we have and at
Bridgewater it is a key principle that ‘it is acceptable to make a mistake,
but never acceptable not to learn why or how you made the mistake’.
Helpful behaviours to support development of this trait
 Keeping records and/or journals of actions, thoughts and feelings.
 Reviewing and evaluate actions and behaviours.
 Be willing and open to seeking and receiving feedback.
 Practice developing clarity of mind and the ability to objectively
assess your own behaviours.
 Develop abilities for objective thinking and reflection.
 Formulate and monitor a growth and continual development plan.

Trait 2) Love of Trading and a Competitive Will to Win.

The most successful traders love trading. They have developed a real
passion for it. There is not much chance of being successful as a trader if
you don’t have a strong desire and passion for trading. Don’t get me
wrong, most people get into trading for the money, however at some point
this transforms into a real interest and a passion. When I ask successful
traders what is it that motivates them to continue to be a trader, rarely is it
the money that is mentioned; more often it’s a love of the job, and various
other aspects that go with that. Helpful behaviours to support development
of this trait:
 Developing one’s self-efficacy.
 Immersing oneself in learning, training and personal development.
 Clarity over long-term goals and objectives.
  Spend time and with other people in the industry who are passionate
about trading.

Trait 3) Trading Style Congruent to a Person’s Personality and Character.

The top traders have a style that they have moulded around their own
particular strengths, and which works to offset weaknesses and flaws they
possess. It is unlikely the novice trader is going to start with the same style
and approach to trading that they will eventually settle down with. At first
they are likely to adopt the style of their teacher, trainer or mentor,
however over time they will refine and alter it to fit to their character and
personality. To achieve this one must have a high degree of self-
awareness, including the ability to achieve honest self-appraisal and
reflection. This can take many years, and a requires a high degree of
honesty, something not always easy to develop. In my work with traders I
have pioneered the use of ‘Risk Profiling’ to help traders better understand
their personality traits, and the style and behaviours that their personality
is most suited to. One of the biggest problems traders have is when they
are using an approach or style not best suited to their personality. I
compare it to an athlete who chooses the wrong event for their body type. I
find that most successful traders are employing a style/approach that suits
their personality and thus gives them a defined edge they can work. The
consequence of this is that traders of all types can achieve success,
whether they are highly risk-adverse, highly risk-seeking, logical and
methodical or intuitive and emotional. Helpful behaviours to support
development of this trait:
 Conscious alignment of approach to suit strengths and allay
weaknesses.
 Develop mindful awareness of one’s self, character and behaviours.
 Willingness to seek and receive feedback.
 Appraisals/Personality Tests/Risk Profiles.
 Set goals to include congruence to strengths and character traits.

Trait 4) Reduction of Anxiety and Stress.

Anxiety and stress are part of the territory in trading, there is no escaping
this, the very nature of trading requires one to immerse themselves in
uncertainty. Anxiety and stress affect people in different ways and at
different times; it has a distorting effect on the way we see and perceive
the world and our immediate environment, and alters our ability to make
sound judgments, and appropriate decisions. Successful traders will have
developed various tactics that enable them to reduce anxiety levels. This
will include preparation and planning of trades, reducing the need for ‘seat
of the pants’ trading, or if that is their style, ensuring they are appropriately
engaged for ‘seat of the pants’ trading. They also manage their personal
resources, such as time, physical and mental energy, to help stay on top of
the market and reduce the likelihood of ‘rushes of blood’ to the head.
However, keep in mind that complete removal of stress and anxiety should
not be an aim. Stress serves a purpose; it keeps traders alert to threats,
danger and opportunity. It helps one’s creativity to flow. There are times
when trading at very low stress levels can be highly unproductive and lead
to ‘trading with abandon.’ This sort of behaviour can sometimes be seen
when a trader has had a good run, and is a major cause of traders giving
back profits repeatedly. Some traders will take a break from trading after a
good trading run, in order to avoid just this situation. Helpful behaviours to
support development of this trait:
 Ability to be objective about one’s self.
 Engage in physical and mental activities that clear the mind
 Keep an inspirational object present to ground you and break
negative thought processes.
 Make time to be away from trading; talk to people, do not lock
yourself away.
 Share your thoughts and feelings with a sympathetic listener.
 Find ways to suspend self-judgement.
 Keep a journal and learn to read your own behaviour as well as
others’.

Trait 5) Humility and Humbleness: Curtailing ‘Ego’ and ‘Pride’

How does one do justice to such a huge topic in just a few short
paragraphs? Just about every major story of Financial Market excess and
collapse has, closely entwined in its narrative, tales of excessive egotism
and hubris. (The collapse of Lehman Brothers, the fall of LTCM, the Enron
scandal, the decline of Amaranth Advisors; the largest ever hedge-fund
failure.) Whilst these are clearly examples on a much larger scale, the twin
dangers of ego and excessive pride affect most traders at some time: I
have seen people’s ego and pride get them into some horrendous trading
messes, and I myself have not been immune to this happening more times
than I perhaps care to admit. The opposite of Egotism and Pride, in this
sense, are Humility and Humbleness. These two traits are not ones that
the common media depiction of successful traders as ‘Master of the
Universe’ would have us recognise. However, these are words that I
associate with many of the most successful traders I know. One of the
greatest errors many traders commit is to allow their trading and their
beliefs or views on the market to become entwined with, and an extension
of, their egos. The same can be said with regard to ‘pride’, though closely
related to ego, pride is slightly different, and though considered a positive
emotion, excessive pride (hubris) can be a major impediment to successful
trading. It is vital that a trader can admit they are wrong, capable of being
wrong and that they have limitations and flaws. Failure to admit to being
wrong, or even being capable of being wrong, can lead to traders
somehow trying to exert their will over the market or holding onto positions
rather than crystallise a loss. Helpful behaviours to support development of
this trait:
 Set aside being right or wrong, and adopt a process-driven approach
to profit.
 Listen well and be willing to seek open and honest feedback.
 Ensure you look into and learn from mistakes.
 Try and be an ‘optimalist’ and not a perfectionist. Admit to flaws and
maintain flexibility.
 Be mindful and conscious of not imposing your ego on people.
 Avoid boasting and building yourself up to other people.
 Listen to people, ask questions
 Avoid criticising and judging other people.
 Practice ways to develop objective thinking and reflection.

Trait 6) Planning, Preparation, Patience and Discipline.

It is hard to find a book on trading that does not stress these virtues. Yet actually following
through and exercising these virtues within one’s trading is one of the hardest things to
achieve on a regular basis. All the hard work and preparation that goes into one’s work
can be lost in a few moments of ill-discipline. Successful traders place significant
emphasis on these aspects of trading, they think through what they do thoroughly. Their
planning and preparation provide a solid foundation that allows them to exercise the
necessary patience and discipline; it also helps facilitate a reduction in uncertainty and
thus helps reduce anxiety and stress levels. Let us not however imagine that successful
traders are anything like perfect in this area, they aren’t, however many of them will
display higher propensities to display these skills than the majority of traders. It is
nonetheless this propensity to perform these skills and attributes that places a trader in
the right position to do well in the long-term. As the great South African golfer Gary Player
once famously said, ‘Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity’. Helpful
behaviours to support development of this trait:

Invest time to developing and implementing appropriate behaviours.

Review your progress towards achieving your development goals.

Develop a structure and strategic perspective around your trading. Then, use the right
tactics.

Trait 7) Respect for Risk and Uncertainty.

Successful traders have a huge respect for risk, and an appreciation for the dangers of
uncertainty. They also acknowledge and work with the subtle difference between the two.
Risk is only a small part of uncertainty: if one of my positions is stopped out, then I lose $x
being my ‘risk’. Every time I trade, something is ‘at risk’. As a concept, it’s much more self-
evident than ‘uncertainty’. Uncertainty itself is much wider: it is impossible to put a value
on exactly how the market will behave tomorrow. Some people try and price uncertainty,
which they mistake for risk, however, it is hard to truly put a price on uncertainty. This point
is admittedly contentious and some may debate the simplistic definitions, however I do
believe that attempts to price uncertainty typically end in disaster. People thought they had
valued uncertainty correctly at LTCM, and the lessons of this were quickly forgotten as
people also thought they had correctly priced uncertainty ahead of the Global Financial
Crisis. Top traders embrace risk, and respect uncertainty. They know crucially that they do
not know what comes next, and are at best making educated guesses. Successful traders
are not gamblers. The only casino game successful traders usually play is poker, and they
usually do not see poker as gambling since they have the ability to shift the odds in their
favour. In all other casino games, the odds are too heavily stacked against them. There
has to be positive expectation of a favourable outcome, not merely an assessment of
market direction. Helpful behaviours to support development of this trait:

Develop a rule base for risk, and assessing it vs reward.

Plan trades and include risk in trade evaluation.

Ensure you are consistent in applying the tactics needed to enforce the strategy.

Evaluate and monitor your performance in risk assessment.

Trait 8) Develop effective Risk/Money-Management Practice.

Successful traders see their trading as a business, and It would be foolish to go into
business undercapitalised and without sufficient liquidity. Many do take the gamble, and
some survive, owing their success to good fortune (which can only ever be stretched so
far). Running a business requires careful and tight management of costs and expenditure.
Prudent business owners do not put all their ‘eggs’ in ‘one basket’. Trading should follow
the same principles. Successful traders devote a lot of time to these issues. They know
that failure to adhere to basic principles of money management leads to ruin. It is
surprising how many traders engage in simple acts like not placing stops, removing stops,
or placing too large a trade, which can cause losses to multiply and greatly increase the
risk of failure. Taking profits too quickly means they fail to cover the costs of their losses,
and many traders focus on how much they believe they can make, neglecting to assess
how much they could lose. Some traders run their trading on Martingale principles,
something which only has to fail once to lead to wipe-out. One final point: Money-
management is the unexciting, somewhat boring aspect of trading, however this is so
crucial and important that it should carry equal weight with other key aspects of trading.
This is where many of the ‘excitement seekers’ or ‘creative types’ fall foul. Too often
people put their energies into assessing market direction, and where to enter and exit the
market, they completely ignore or give scant attention to money-management. The
“Mastery of Trading” image emphasises the importance of accounting for ‘Money and Risk
Management’ within a trading strategy. Helpful behaviours to support development of this
trait:

Have a well-developed structured approach to trading.

Developing a strategic perspective to your trading.

Develop a rule base for risk: include risk in trade evaluation.

Develop an approach for assessing risk/reward.

Understand the need to size trades according to risk of loss.

Trait 9) Successful Traders focus on making money, not being right.

Successful traders realise that they are not in control of the market (uncertainty). They
view the market as a force of nature without an agenda. The only thing they can control is
their own actions, actvities, behaviours and emotions. The top traders know they are not
infallible. All humans have biases and limits to cognitive abilities; anyone is capable of
being swayed or easily distracted. Everyone’s personality is different, and brings different
influences to bear on their decision-making. Successful traders work around these factors,
accepting that losing is part of winning, and they know their job is to make money, not to
be right. It is another of the paradoxes of trading: successful traders can lose money, get
markets wrong, but still consistently come out on top. Failing traders can have wins, get
markets right, and still consistently underperform. Successful traders win the Inner Game,
(see figure 1 above). They apply focus and concentration commensurate with what is
needed. They will display realism, and not fantasist ideas hoping that markets turn their
way, or bemoaning some sort of conspiracy. They will stay in the here and now, not
dwelling on past victories or defeats, or celebrating as of yet unearned future victories.
Importantly, they develop a strong relationship with losing. Some have even attested to me
that they ‘love’ their losses. It makes them easier to accept, particularly if they can
contextualise them as just part of the process of winning. Helpful behaviours to support
development of this trait:

Focus on long-term goals and objectives, and the tools necessary to achieve them.

Review and evaluate actions and behaviours used within your activities.

Seek and receive feedback.

Step back from the fray.

Practice ways to clear the mind and develop objective thinking and reflection.
Trait 10) Achieving Balance and Perspective in Life.
Successful traders try to keep their external lives in balance, holistic, and uncomplicated.
Trading is a part of their lives, so if the other parts of their lives are out of balance or synch
then this will affect their trading. Likewise, when their trading is out of balance, this can
have an effect of the other parts of their lives. Many traders will look to remain fit and
healthy and avoid doing things to excess. Likewise, they try to keep family matters as
uncomplicated as possible. Their own investments tend to be safe and relatively un-
complex. All of this helps ensure a clear and uncluttered mind in order to focus attention
and resources on trading. It is easy to forget the human element to trading, as people try
to add further to their tools, electronic systems, instruments and technical capabilities.
However, it is our human aspects that make us successful. The great British Army Officer
Field Marshal Montgomery, who achieved such success in the second world war, once
said, ‘Man is still the first weapon of war.’ This is the same in trading: our humanity and our
mind’s capabilities, despite limitations and flaws, are significantly more powerful than the
most advanced computers. Helpful behaviours to support development of this trait:

Step back from the fray. Make time in advance for other interests and responsibilities.

Practice ways to clear the mind and develop objective thinking and reflection.

Focus on long-term goals and objectives, alongside associated strategies and tactics.

Engage in physical and mental activities to clear the mind.

Keep an inspirational object present to ground yourself.

Talk to people, do not lock yourself away.

Share your thoughts and feeling with a sympathetic listener, close friend, spouse or
partner.

1. Integrity

The first step to selling any home is winning a buyer’s trust. If an agent is purely
profit-driven, buyers can sense it. The best agents genuinely want to help their
buyers. Sometimes, this means going above and beyond for little or no return to
build your reputation as an agent with integrity.

Never put a commission in front of a buyer or seller’s needs. Make it clear to

your clients that you have their best interests in mind, and you’ll reap the
rewards of referrals.

2. Proactive nature

An American Psychological Association study found that “proactivity” accounted

for a significant percentage of the difference between the top and bottom
performers in real estate.
Successful agents know how to make the most of their leads and don’t wait to
be contacted. According to Mischa Mileman—a top-performing realtor with
Owners.com—this is where top agents separate themselves from the pack.
Mileman says:

“The number one factor in an agent’s success is leads. Having a

brokerage with a strong lead generation program is critical. You
have to have leads to have closings. Not every lead is going to be a
sale, but you have more control over it than most people think. You
have to earn their trust to earn their business.”
Schedule face-to-face meetings with leads as soon as possible, regardless of
their stage in the buying or selling process. If you are proactive and increase
your number of meetings, you increase your opportunities for success.

3. Persistence

Top agents follow up on leads as soon as possible, and stay with them. They
know that sometimes it takes several weeks or months for buyers to truly begin
their home search, so they use that time to build a relationship.

Mileman has more advice for us here:

“I work on my leads until they’re dead. I’m not afraid to kick a dead
horse. You’re supposed to follow up at least five or six times, but I
will follow up more if I think there’s any chance they’ll choose me as
their agent. If someone is unresponsive, I try different modes of
communication until I get a response. The worst thing they’ll do is
tell me they’re not interested in buying a house. That’s fine! More
time to follow up on other leads.”
4. Love of competition

In this business, things can get tough. It’s a competitive industry, so agents have
to be ambitious and driven to succeed. Successful agents don’t blame struggles
on outside factors—they dig deep to push past encountered obstacles and get
things done.

If they’re getting bad leads, top sellers find a way to convert them into good
leads. But, they also don’t solely rely on leads provided by their brokerage firms.

Ultimately, it’s up to agents to generate leads and grow their own business.
5. Outgoing and extroverted

You can’t be shy as a real estate agent. To be good at selling homes, you have
to be able to talk to people. Really, you should develop a love for talking to
people.

Top agents make friends and grow their network everywhere they go, handing out
cards to virtually everyone they talk to. Most of all, successful agents aren’t
afraid to pick up the phone or go out of their way to connect with people.

With each meeting, you increase your sphere of influence by at least one
person.

6. Detail-oriented

The dullest aspect of selling homes is the paperwork, but successful agents stay
organized and on top of the details, carefully guiding their clients through the
entire process, from contract to close.

“I always make sure to write a strong contract that protects my client’s interests,
especially earnest money,” says Mileman. “If the contract doesn’t address
something important to my client, I add it to the special stipulations in clear
language so that all parties are on the same page. Then I carefully track all due
diligence and contingency dates—I put them in my calendar in red.”

. Experience

According to a Journal of Real Estate Research study examining the factors

affecting real estate sales performance across 16 firms, experience was one of
the strongest factors contributing to the success of top performers.

Seasoned real estate agents have seen enough contracts to know what to
expect. They can anticipate challenges that newer agents may not know how to
prepare for.

It takes time to build a strong network. The longer you stick with selling homes,
the better you’ll get at it. Over time—especially for agents who stay within the
same region—your network will grow, and you’ll learn your market inside and
out
And while personality traits are relatively stable over time, they can and often do
gradually change across the life span. ... Sudden, dramatic changes in personalityare
rare. Due to their effects on behavior and continuity over time, personality traits help
shape the course of people's lives.

Personality changes for the better with age. ... The researchers, who evaluated data
from 132,515 adults, ages 21-60, looked at overall life span trends in the "Big
Five" personality traits--conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness and
extraversion.

People in the later stages of dementia may behave out of

character. These behaviours can be difficult to understand
and often have different causes
hey may be a sign that a person’s need is not being met (for example, they are in pain), or that they
are confused or distressed. Often behaviour is a means of communication and can be a result of the
person feeling a certain way (for example scared or anxious).

Changes in behaviour may include:

 Distress or agitation – this may be because the person is confused about where
they are, who they are with or what they are meant to be doing.
 Sundowning – the person may become more agitated and confused in the late
afternoon and early evening. This can be caused by a range of factors including
disturbance to the body clock, too much or too little sleep, or medication. It may
help to give the person something meaningful to do at this time of day and make
sure the environment is suitable (for example, not too dark or too light). Going
outside during the day (if possible) can help.
 Aggression – the person may react aggressively for a range of reasons – for
example, they may be in pain or feeling threatened, may not understand what is
going on (for example, if a carer tries to change their clothes without explaining
why) or trying to communicate a need.

Dementia and aggressive behaviour

Read why people with dementia may become aggressive and get practical advice for care.

Get advice
 Repetition – the person may repeat certain behaviours (for example, carrying out
the same activity or making the same gesture over and over). This may be because
they feel anxious or want comfort. Their natural interaction with their environment
may have been disrupted (for example by memory loss) and the behaviour is a way
to make sense of what is going on. It can help to look for meaning behind the
behaviour and try to remain calm and patient.
 Hallucinations and delusions – some people with dementia experience
hallucinations, in which they see, hear, smell, taste or feel things that are not really
there. However, sometimes the person may not be hallucinating but mistaking what
they have seen for something else (for example, they may see a dark rug and think
it is a hole in the ground). Others may develop delusions, where they strongly
 believe things that aren’t based on reality but feel real to them (for example, they
may be convinced that someone is stealing from them). Talking calmly to the
person, offering reassurance and meaningful activity (such as going for a walk or
doing something around the house) can help. If you think the person is
experiencing hallucinations or delusions see the GP. For more information see our
factsheet on sight, perception and hallucinations in dementia.
 Restlessness –many people with dementia become restless and may fidget or
pace up and down. This could be for a range of reasons such as pain or discomfort,
needing the toilet, a need for more physical activity or problems with their
environment (for example if they are just sat in the same place with no stimulation
for much of the day). It may also be because the person used to move around a lot
as part of their job. It may help to encourage exercise (such as going for a walk
every day) or meaningful activity including activities related to past roles, interests
and hobbies, as well as new interests.
The person may move their hands much more often. They may constantly wring their hands, pull at
their clothes, tap or fidget, or touch themselves inappropriately in public. This can be a sign of a
need – for example, the person may pull at their clothes because they are too hot or need the toilet.
A rummage box, containing objects related to the person’s past such as pictures, jewellery or
souvenirs, may help as it gives the person an opportunity for moving their hands.

Restlessness and dementia

Find out more about causes of restlessness and tips for carers.

Find out more

Ways to manage changes in behaviour
The reasons for these types of behaviour may not always be clear. They may be due to, or a
combination of, difficulties caused by dementia (such as orientation problems), mental and physical
health, habits, personality, interactions with others and the environment.

Try and understand what may be causing the person’s behaviour, and think about whether they have
any unmet needs.

 Ensure that any glasses or hearing aids are clean and functioning properly. Arrange
regular sight and hearing checks.
 Check whether the person’s medication is appropriate or whether they might be ill
or in pain (see ‘Health problems’ below). A visit to the GP to rule out any physical
problems is a good idea.
 Check that they are not being disturbed by too many people, too much activity, loud
noises, sudden movements or an uncomfortable environment (for example, one
that is too hot or too bright).
 Consider whether they may be bored or in need of stimulation. Engage the person
in meaningful activities. Gentle activities such as a hand massage, listening to their
favourite music or stroking a soft piece of fabric may help.
 Make sure the person is comfortable – for example not in pain, too hot, cold,
hungry, thirsty, or needing the toilet.



Customer service:
This is yet another important factor that governs the selection of broker. Try to ask
any relevant or irrelevant question to customer service of your broker and check what
is the response time. How quickly they can resolve your issues. This need to be taken
care of as at any point of time you may need customer service for the proper working
of your account, and if not fixed in time, it may push you in serious trouble.
 Capacity for independent work
 Excellent communication, mathematical and analytical skills
 Working in a hectic, pressured, constantly changing environment
 Aptitude for research and financial writing
 Basic computer skills
 Making important decisions quickly
 Extensive knowledge of the finance industry
 Maturity and confidence when dealing with people
 Networking in order to recruit clients
 Willingness to transfer to other branches
 Keeping abreast of and understanding economic conditions and trends

Lack of discipline
Lack of patience