Let\u2019s face it\u2014there\u2019s no shortage of distractions as a business owner. No one could blame you for having your attention divided at any given time, but to deliver the kind of experience we\u2019re talking about, you must have a lot of discipline and remain present in every interaction that you and your staff have with your clients and prospects.<\/p>\n
Every interaction affords you an opportunity to deepen your relationships and gain a better understanding for what makes your client \u201ctick\u201d as an individual, and these opportunities can be gold for your business in the long-run.<\/p>\n
A useful tool to keep for yourself and your team members is to maintain a worksheet which can be used with your clients and prospects with the word \u201cFORD\u201d on it. FORD is an acronym that will help you and your team to remain conscious about the kind of dialog you\u2019re wanting to engage in with your clients and prospects.<\/p>\n
\u201cF\u201d stands for \u201cFamily\u201d If you and your staff can condition yourselves to have this as a top-of-mind awareness in all your interactions, you can use it as a guide to remain conscious of infusing this into your conversations. You\u2019ll be amazed at how many opportunities this will present to your business.<\/p>\n Being present and operating with intention and focus is critical, but equally important is having a clear sense of purpose for your accomplishments as a team. Most of us get focused on products that we sell and the service that we provide and become convinced that\u2019s what differentiates us from our competition. If you were to poll your best clients and ask them why they do business with you, and what makes you unique, it will have nothing to do about the products you use or the plans you coordinate.<\/p>\n It\u2019s about the experience<\/em> that you and your team provide and the feelings that this experience instills in your clients. It\u2019s what differentiates you from your competition, and what ultimately creates the moat in your business that separates you from competitors.<\/p>\n As a team, focus on what you want your experience to feel like for your clients. You\u2019ve heard people refer to their business as a \u201cfamily\u201d, and ideally, this is how your clients refer to your business and introduce it to their friends and family as well.<\/p>\n This is a cultural dynamic that only occurs with purpose and intention. It results from your leadership and guidance and creates loyalty and buy-in from your team members because you\u2019re all working towards a bigger purpose: to make a bigger difference in people\u2019s lives and leave your mark.<\/p>\n Put yourself in the shoes of someone you\u2019d identify as an ideal prospect for your business; meaning the kind of person you\u2019d love to build your business around.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve likely been around the block, so based on their experience, what would their baseline expectation be from someone in the financial service industry?<\/p>\n What has that experience been for them in the past<\/em>?<\/p>\n What does \u201cstatus-quo\u201d feel<\/em> like?<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve figured this out, go to the next step by thinking through what would need<\/em> to happen for that prospect\u2019s expectations to be blown away<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/em>\u201cO\u201d stands for \u201cOccupation\u201d
\n<\/em>\u201cR\u201d stands for Recreation\u201d, and
\n<\/em>\u201cD\u201d stands for \u201cDreams\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
\n2. Purposeful<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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