In my previous article I discussed the importance of non-verbal communication such as proxemics haptics and so on. These important skills are paramount in the engagement process with prospective clients. Impression management is another critical area of relationship building.
The primary aim of impression management is to convey what you are all about – trust, commitment and loyalty. These characteristics are what help advisers build strong relationships with their clients.
At your next perspective client meeting, consider the following:
Are you a good listener?
Listing is critical as it shows the client that you are consciously acting upon their feedback or concerns to further strengthen their objectives.
How do you manage your emotions and expressions?
While your personal life has an impact on you many clients do not take kindly to using your own personal situation and emotion to camouflage areas such as lateness, poor workmanship, errors, and just simply sloppy work. As an adviser, you need to be professional in everything that you do this also relates to how your staff in a cultural sense understand the impression management standards that you set.
Be prepared
We are all are time poor so when a client, especially those who travelled to see you, feel that you had wasted their time or find that the meeting was ill-prepared the impression of you as a professional planner and your organisation goes south. Make sure that you have prepared for your meeting prior to engaging the client. It’s up to you to make sure that every meeting is positive. This will only build greater trust, loyalty and commitment to both you and your organisation. Remember, your clients can be your best or worst ambassadors. You make the decision.
How well do you know your clients?
Stay in constant contact with your clients. This means really understanding their goals, objectives and their lifestyle goals and objectives. E-mails should only be used as a tool to touch base and will never replace the phone or face to face conversation. There are times when you need to pick the phone up and simply say, ‘how you are?’
Building relationships requires a strategy and tactics and that is where impression management plays an important role.
Dr Jim Taggart is a financial services veteran who founded, grew and sold the hugely successful Taggart Group.
Jim currently works as a Professor at Notre Dame University, is a radio presenter on Live 90.5FM and is passionate about empowering advisers to develop more meaningful relationships with their clients.
