The ability to connect with clients and staff makes a difference in your effectiveness as a financial advisor. Read these three ideas from MDRT members worldwide for some inspiration on how to connect better.
A view of life insurance
“Mr. Client, let me be very honest with you. This insurance is the worst investment you will make in your life. It in fact has no surrender value in the first two years and very little or no return even after 10 years. But this will be the most sensible investment you will ever make in your life. This ‘bad’ investment will ensure that all your other good investments are protected and enjoyed by your family. It will make sure that your wife doesn’t have to sell her favorite piece of jewelry or house to meet the family expenses. It will make sure your kids will not have to quit their priceless dreams. It will make sure your business need not be sold to raise money.”
—Anil Sharma, Cert CII, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 19-year member
Setting employees’ goals
We rolled out a new bonus structure and individual growth plans for all our team members last summer, working with each individual team member around what they want to achieve over the next 12 months, 3-5 years and 7-10 years. This has helped our team plan their future goals and dreams. We hope that they will each stay with our practice, but even if they don’t, we know that we have been able to help them set goals and work with them to achieve them, just like we do with our clients.
—Jenny Brown, CFP, FChFP, Mount Martha, Victoria, Australia, 12-year member
Find more ideas in “Standing out, staying in and more ideas to connect” in the March/April 2021 issue of Round the Table. You also can read the entire issue online.
Crash course gifts
Due to the lockdown, it was quite impossible to send physical gifts on our clients’ birthdays, anniversaries or other important days. Thus I took the chance to motivate my clients during this negativity by presenting them with an opportunity to attend crash courses to learn something new as per their interest. After segregating the clients according to their age, interests and wishes, I started gifting them these crash courses. The idea was appreciated and enjoyed by all my clients. Learning something new occupied them during this lockdown and boosted their knowledge. A few of my clients even posted the certificates they earned on social media, which encouraged others to know about it in detail, effectively referring me as a financial advisor as well.
—Sukanta Singha Roy, CFC, FSS, Kolkata, India, 7-year member
Great idea!!