The Blue Roof

Let’s continue our discussion of the ideal client.

The ideal client knows his own business and affairs. If they don’t, it is always a mess anyway! Ideal clients can tell you what they earn and what they have. Or business people know the turnover of the business and the key financial figures. How can anybody expect anybody else to help them when they answer questions with “I don’t know? What do you think?” Imagine this: “what is your gross salary?” “I don’t know? What do you think?” Or “If you have a fire in the shop and it burns down to the ground, how long will it take to rebuild and be 100% operational again?” “I don’t know, what do you think?” Interestingly enough, from experience I have an idea what the answer could be – much longer than you imagine!

Good clients know where they want to go (they have definite goals) and when they want to be there. Generally they are looking for help to help them achieve their goals. When I was still doing financial planning I categorised clients based on this. If you ask somebody: “When do you want to retire?” And they tell you promptly without hesitation, you can bet your last dollar that their financial affairs are very well looked after. If, on the other hand, the person says: “I don’t know. When do people normally retire?” Then you can bet your last dollar that his whole financial planning is a mess and totally inadequate! Makes sense, does it not? If you don’t have a destination, any harbour is fine and even sailing in circles is acceptable.

Because they have goals and are eager to get there, they do whatever they can to help the advisor to help them as best as he can.

Because good clients are involved with there own affairs, they tell you when they do not agree or are not 100% satisfied. This is important, because the dissatisfaction could be that the advisor missed something and therefore a real concern, or it could be that there is a misunderstanding on the part of the client. The point is, it contributes to better over-all result and experience.

And then the advisor also knows that the client is working with him and will keep him informed at all times of any changes or possible concerns.

Let’s conclude this with an analogy to a patient going to a doctor.
Doctor: Are you feeling well?
Patient: I don’t know. What do you mean by “well”?
Doctor: Do you have any pains and aches?
Patient: I don’t know. What do you think?
Doctor: Do you take any medication?
Patient: Yes.
Doctor: What medication do you take?
Patient: I don’t know. It is some tablets.
Doctor: For what condition do you take it?
Patient: I don’t know. What do you think?

If you think this is a joke, think again, because I actually met people like this!

NOOO! When we go to the doctor we go for a specific reason, perhaps we have a pain or don’t feel well or just for a general check-up. And we tell it honestly, simply and plainly to the doctor. We might not know the names of the medicine, if we do take medicine, but then we take samples along, or at least know why we take it.

And then, if the doctor prescribes medicine, and it does not work like expected, we give feedback. We phone and say: since using this I feel dizzy all the time. Is it normal? Or we phone and say I have been using this for a week now, but I still have head ache. Am I impatient or should the medicine be working?

A good client and his advisor are a team. The better the relationship in the team, the better the performance. Irrespective of what the business is, be it insurance, car service or doctors!