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Many of you have a higher purpose.
It’s inspiring. Here’s how I realized what my higher purpose is.
My firm recently retained a systems integration expert to recommend and implement software required to deal with the growth of our business. We need the ability to scale.
He asked me this thought-provoking question: “Why do you do this work?” I want to share my response with you:
Sometimes it’s easy to forget, amid the talk of systems, revenues and profits, why we do what we do. Since you are now a part of our team, it’s important for you to gain this insight:
We are helping wonderful advisors, who positively impact the lives of their clients. Our work permits them to reach many more clients.
I take a lot of pride in our mission. It’s not just a job to me.
And now you are going to permit us to expand our work exponentially.
That’s the higher purpose.
A surprising manifestation
We have a well-defined process for producing videos for our clients. We don’t use a script. Instead, wherever the video session is held, I interview the advisor via Zoom. In post-production, I use a verbatim transcript of the video session (which often is one to two hours in length) to piece together two 90-second videos.
My interviews are wide ranging and give advisors the opportunity to speak freely on many subjects, both personal and business.
The most common feedback I receive is: “No one ever asked me those questions before.”
Here’s what’s surprising: how often these advisors become emotional when discussing their relationship with their clients.
What triggers this reaction?
The questions that trigger this reaction are unremarkable. Here are some of them:
Why did you decide to become an advisor?
Can you describe your relationship with your clients?
Can you give me an example of a time when you positively impacted a client?
These questions stir up very intense emotions. Advisors have told me afterwards they didn’t realize how deeply they felt.
One advisor described getting a telephone call on his cell phone at 2 a.m. from a client who wanted him to know her husband had just passed. She said: “I knew you wouldn’t want me to wait until morning to tell you.”
We took a short break so that he could compose himself and continue.
I asked him why that story evoked a powerful reaction. He said: “I give every client my cell phone number and tell them I’m there for them 24/7. This story made me realize how much they depend on me and how deeply I care for their well-being.”
My takeaways
Marketing Services For Evidence-Based Advisors...and a New Book!
We offer consulting services on how to convert more prospects into clients through Solin Consulting, a division of Solin Strategic, LLC.
We offer a full range of digital marketing services exclusively to evidence-based advisors through Evidence Based Advisor Marketing, LLC. You can see examples of our work here.
My new book:
Ask
How to Relate to Anyone
Is now available in all formats. For more information, click here.
Schedule a call with Dan here
It’s cliché for advisors to talk about how much they “care.” Being an advisor isn’t just transactional for them. They have a deep commitment to their clients. This relationship is an important part of their life.
Their clients are lucky to have them. We are privileged to serve them.
Another takeaway is one that validates the lessons in my book, Ask: How to Relate to Anyone:
When you focus on eliciting information (which is at the core of my interview process), instead of conveying it, you learn remarkable things.
You also deepen your relationship.
It’s very fulfilling.
Dan trains executives and employees in the lessons based on the research of his latest book, Ask: How to Relate to Anyone. His online video course, Ask: Increase Your Sales. Deepen Your Relationships, is in production.
Read more articles by Dan Solin
Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.
