Building deeper connections and more trusting relationships

You likely spend most of your days talking with clients. For a financial professional, it’s easy to get into the habit of approaching client meetings as another item on the to-do list.

Avoid the temptation to generalize about clients, and instead take the time to hold more personal, open conversations that will help build deeper connections and more trusting relationships.

Avoid generalizations

As you work with clients daily, you may start to apply general rules of thumb to most of your clients. Remember that no two clients are the same, regardless of their similarities.

You can miss important details about the client in front of you when you approach the client meeting with the idea that it will be like the last one. Be intentional about reviewing each client’s profile and listening to their needs so you’ll be more prepared to share outstanding advice down the line. To ensure a clear understanding of your clients’ needs, spend more time listening than doing anything else.

Give your clients the space to share as much information on their financial and personal backgrounds as they feel comfortable doing — the more details you can capture, the more fine-tuned your advice will be. For example, during initial client meetings, spend little to no time talking aside from introductions.

This will showcase your dedication to helping them receive tailored, best-in-class advice.

Be authentic

Creating an applicable financial plan requires clients to share sensitive information, which can make them feel vulnerable. That discomfort they feel can impact your advice — not getting a sense of who they are can make it difficult to understand what they need. I’ve found that sharing aspects of my own circumstances has helped put clients at ease and opened the door for a deeper relationship.

For example, most of my clients are single-by-choice, divorced or widowed women. I know how difficult it can be to open up about these topics, so I often share the story of my mom being unprepared for my father’s death and how that shaped my career today.

With this being such a relatable experience for many women I work with, it allows us to connect on a deeper level. Take some time to determine how you can relate or connect to clients on more than a surface level. Being a bit more vulnerable with them will help show that your main interest is to help them exceed their goals, not critique their past.

Establishing client relationships is far more than setting up meeting times and going over agenda items — it’s laying the groundwork for a long-term, mutually beneficial connection. Offering more openness to clients will showcase your dedication to their growth, setting both of you up for continued success.

Pamela J. Sams, CRPC, is the president of Jackson Sams Wealth Strategies and has been helping women improve their personal and financial wealth for more than 20 years. She is a 4-year MDRT member. She may be contacted at [email protected].