4th May 2017

The impact factor

"What can I change or add to my product or service that will make this even more attractive, and compelling and irresistible?" 100 ways to create wealth by Steve Chandler and Sam Beckford

Dan, is a financial planner who has been in business 7 years and very much wants to build his practice and increase the number of clients he serves. However, he has been finding the process of finding and bringing on new clients far slower than he would like.

One of the ways his dissatisfaction was showing up is that he was suffering from what I would call 'shiny object syndrome'. He seemed to be changing what he is doing every week. One week he was all enthusiastic about networking. Then it was writing blogs. Then it was doing a seminar. And so on...

Shiny object syndrome is when you get all fired-up and enthusiastic about a new idea, you might start taking action but as soon as the going gets a little tougher it gets abandoned in favour of the next 'shiny object' that catches your attention.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with new ideas but there is a factor that people rarely take into account that, over time, often makes a huge difference to results and it is was there all the time right under our nose.

The impact factor

We all know that referrals are the very best source of new clients. Someone who has heard a glowing report about the impact you have made and wants a similar experience is just about as good as it gets - they are open to what you do, often keen to engage immediately and are also the best source for more referrals in future. At least, this has been my experience.

So, I suggested to Dan that, first and foremost, we look at the level of impact he is having with people and see how he can leverage this.

The logic is simple. The greater the impact you and your work has for people, the bigger the difference it makes, the more referable you become.

Self-orientation kills connection and trust

Dan was great, technically speaking, but in truth he discovered that he could do a lot more when it came to understanding his clients. He was very quick to jump upon opportunities to solve his client’s financial problems without first really getting to know them. Consequently, his relationships were very transactional and lacked the kind of warmth, human connection and depth that defines far more effective engagement.    

Self-orientation can take many forms but includes only being willing to talk about what you feel comfortable with. For practitioners this can show up as only talking about products, investments and financial matters and avoiding what all this means in the context of the clients life (which, after all, is the whole point). 

What self-orientation always stems from are feelings of insecurity, a lack of confidence, being afraid of how people might react, trying something new or fear of losing control.

A new understanding

Feelings of insecurity have absolutely nothing to do with our circumstances. It is insecure thoughts that produce insecure feelings, just as secure thoughts produce secure feelings.

People often hold back because of their insecure thoughts, forgetting that they were the ones who made them up in the first place!

When we see the truth of this we do not allow our insecure, ego based thinking to dominate our minds and this alone will effortlessly transform the quality of our communication. 

When you experience a meeting of minds with a client, a genuine connection and understanding, then it builds a level of trust that could never be achieved all the time that our own agenda is part of the picture.

Dan found that when meeting people and having no intention, other than to listen, get a sense of where they were coming from and understand them, it created the relationship very differently. It made a far bigger impact with people because it was all about them.

This was highly significant for Dan because he realised that it is the degree of impact you have with people correlates with how many referrals you receive. He also realised that the jumping around from idea to idea was also a product of his insecure thinking. 

Ultimately, what really made the difference was his understanding of how his mind works because he naturally spent more time in effective states of mind rather than being a victim of his own insecure thinking. 

FREE webinar for advisers

On 25th May we are hosting a FREE webinar for advisers called ‘Making an impact.’

Whilst important, being highly qualified and having great technical knowledge is not enough. Really successful advisers are great communicators too. They put a great deal into understanding their clients, making them feel at ease and explaining things in a way that is engaging and understandable.

On this insightful one hour webinar you will discover the hidden secret to making a far bigger impact with your clients and creating even more value - the key to becoming highly referable.

You can reserve your place (if you cannot make the time or date you can get the recording) by clicking here.

John Dashfield, Dashfield Coaching & Development Ltd

T: 01580 753770 www.dashfield.com

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Business Development, John Dashfield, Dashfield Coaching & Development Ltd