Shifting Your Perspective: What Do Your Clients Need Most From You?
The first part of serving your clients well is providing them with accurate, actionable financial information. But this is something that most financial planners can do. How can you take your practice to the next level? Shift your perspective.
What separates a good planner from an outstanding one is the ability to zoom out and look at things from a big-picture perspective. When you can take this view of your client’s finances, you can give them what they need to feel truly confident about their money.
Small-scale details are just the start
When you’re prepping for a meeting, you probably start off thinking about all the little details. Depending on the client, that might mean researching and preparing notes on savings rates, investing strategies, cash flow options, or taxes. This sort of granular work is essential, and it’s important to take as much time as you need to prepare this data for your clients.
Once you’ve done that, though, it’s time to take the next step. What else does your client really need from you besides those super-specific details? What can you do to answer their questions and help them identify their financial goals and priorities?
What do your clients really need?
Ideally, your purpose as a financial planner is to give your clients the information and tools they need to make key financial decisions and manage their money well. You want to support your clients effectively so that they can walk away from each meeting feeling confident about their money. And that means being able to provide both small-scale data and big-picture advice.
It takes a while to master this skill – to be able to zoom out and address your clients’ big-picture needs. But figuring out how to shift your perspective from “I have every detail put together” to “I know what my clients really need from me” is what will take your career to the next level.
Taking your practice from good to great
When you can identify and provide what your clients need most, you make a lasting difference in their lives – and take your career to the next level. That’s how you become the lead planner in your firm. It’s what makes your clients stay with you and refer you to their friends.
So the next time you’re prepping for a client meeting, don’t stop after you’ve covered those tiny details. Take some time to shift from that granular perspective to an overarching viewpoint. Think about what your client truly needs most from you, and then figure out how to offer it to them.
Ready for the next step in your career? Shift your perspective
A good financial planner spends the time to research and prepare key data and specific details for their clients. An exceptional planner is able to go beyond the obvious and see what their clients really need to feel supported, confident, and ready to make wise financial decisions. If you want to stand out in this profession, learn how to shift your perspective and see the big picture for your clients.
Do you know what your clients truly need most from you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Shifting to a big-picture perspective isn’t something you can learn overnight, especially if all your training comes from one-dimensional textbook examples. Real-world experience is the best way to hone this skill, and we’ve got a one-of-a-kind training program designed to give you just that.
With Amplified Planning CORE, you get to watch expert planners in action as they run real client meetings. You’ll get play-by-play commentary that lets you see each planner’s process of preparing for a meeting and making real-time changes to accommodate their clients. CORE is a fantastic opportunity to advance your career, and you can even earn CFP® standard pathway or continuing education hours. Join Amplified Planning CORE today!
