The benefit of sharing your supposed limitations with clients

Douglas Anthony Chukwuka Eze did not go to college; he has a high school diploma from his native Nigeria.

Shortly after coming to the United States, the five-year MDRT member from Greenbelt, Maryland,  ruined his credit by buying a timeshare that he could not afford and subsequently filed for bankruptcy.

He does not hesitate to share these facts with clients.

“You can learn from personal experience or other people’s experience,” he said, acknowledging his emphasis on educating clients about the importance of good credit. “I’d rather share my mistakes so clients can see the transparency and know that I’m sincere in helping them avoid their own mistakes. Clients want to buy you and believe that you’re a human being just like them.”

They can’t choose you if they don’t know you

Eze does not think twice about the vulnerability that comes with this information or worry it will prevent clients from wanting to work with him. “Not everybody is going to do business with you,” he said, adding that he also shares his financial portfolio to make clients comfortable sharing theirs. “When they want to do business with you, it’s because you know they trust you and that you care about them and you’re not just there for the money.

“If some don’t want to do business because of that situation, that’s OK. You understand it, and you keep moving.”

For more marketing and practice management ideas:

• “Landing the whale” (pdf)
• “Catching, keeping and growing” (pdf)
• “Room for improvement” (pdf)

Written by Matt Pais, MDRT Content Specialist