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Here is a recent experience one of my financial planner clients, Phil, shared with me.
A business owner, Trevor, had worked extremely hard to build a successful enterprise, which included him working every Saturday.
Now the business had been established for several years he could easily cut back his hours to spend more time with his family, something that his wife was very keen for him to do.
This was part of his plan and he had discussed the logistics and financial aspects with Phil.
However, another year went by and yet he was still going in to work every Saturday.
So, at their next meeting, Phil began to question Trevor about this. He was curious and persistent. He asked him why he kept going in on a Saturday and, to Phil, Trevor’s ‘reasons’ seemed more like habit than necessary.
They knew each other well and had a good relationship so Phil, with permission, told him what he thought!
Phil also added that he did not have Trevor down as the kind of person who did not follow through with commitments, but maybe he had this wrong.
Here is what I found interesting.
Several months later at their next meeting Trevor proudly shared with Phil that he had not worked a single Saturday since their last conversation and he was loving it. His wife and family were extremely pleased too.
Trevor remarked to Phil that the conversation that lead to the change was extremely valuable to him and that alone made Phil’s fees worth every penny and more.
What is the one thing that Phil did for Trevor?
He created real value. He made a difference that wouldn’t have happened without their relationship. Keep doing this and you have a client for life.
And here is my point:
Value can be added in an infinite number of ways but to be consistent requires imagination, creativity, originality and inspiration.
It requires going beyond the ‘routine work’ and doing something to positively surprise someone and have them think, feel or act differently.
The key to this begins with our own state of mind. With a clear mind ideas, insights and fresh thinking come to us easily and naturally. This is how we are designed to operate.
And yet busy, frenetic and over-burdened states of mind have become the ‘new normal’ for many people.
In these states of mind, we are bereft of ideas because what we are doing is chewing over endless amounts of repetitive thought that gets us nowhere.
I teach advisers a new paradigm of how the human mind works because this simple understanding leads to greatly increased mental presence, clarity of thought and the ability to effortlessly generate creative ideas (including adding value for clients in unexpected ways).
Would you like to know more about this paradigm and how countless people around the globe are upping their game by thinking less?
You can download (for free) the ‘Engage your clients NOW!’ report and get a free chapter of the audio book ‘The Client-centred Financial Adviser – the ultimate guide to high-trust, high-profit relationships and a thriving practice’. Click here