Two Questions to Add to Your Repertoire
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Effective communication is all about asking the right questions. I want to suggest two questions to ask your clients, two questions you might not be currently asking.
It’s very important that you know what you are doing right, so that you can do more of it. Explain to your clients, new and old, that you are not on an ego trip.
But you would very much like to know why they hired you.
Ask this in a way that makes you comfortable. Make the question considerate, not creepy. Listen carefully to the answers you get and let those answers determine your behavior going forward. These answers will give you the best insight possible into your relationship-building skills.
I believe that you will hear that the folks who chose you as the trusted family Advisor like you and trust you. They think you are compassionate. You listen well. They think you are smart. You provide solutions for their financial needs.
Whatever the answers, do more of the same going forward.
Your behavior is part of your repeatable process. People are people, so the skills you used to create one relationship can be used to create other relationships. Consistent behavior of the right kind will bring you many rewards.
You also might want to find out what it would take to get you fired.
What line can you not cross? Is it an issue of behavior? Performance? Not listening? Lack of communication?
Ask why they hired you and you’ll get great insight into relationship building.
Ask why they would fire you and you’ll get great insight into relationship maintenance.
Building and maintaining relationships are what you do. The better you do those things, the bigger you will grow your business.
Find out what motivates people and do more of it. Find out what alienates people and do less of it.
When you do hear the answers to these questions, you will marvel yet once again at how simple this business is. It’s not an easy business, but it is a simple business. And keeping it simple should be your mantra.
