Each day I work closely with Advisers who are really great at what they do, have a compelling story of how they got to where they are, and are making a serious difference in the lives of their clients. The problem is, more often than not, this is also one of their best kept secrets.
To get past this, one of the first things you need to be able to do is nail your version of ‘why you’? Why would I want to work with you and potentially form a long term meaningful relationship? When I ask Advisers this question, the typical response I get usually includes a version of their experience, that they are personable, they care, they tailor the advice to suit me, they charge a fee for their service (this is a goodie as it means ‘jack all’ to most clients), they outline the process steps they follow and one last thing…. they mention they’re a good bloke (obviously this one only comes from the fellas)……However, I am sure you get the drift of what I am saying.
The problem is, nearly everyone says something similar or along these lines. I am not sure about you, however none of this really rocks my boat. And guess what, it’s probably not rocking your prospective clients boats either. Most importantly, when a prospect leaves they only remember a tiny percentage of what you said, so unless you said something really memorable…. They will be left with blah blah blah. So how do you stand out?
It’s no surprise that what people do remember is usually the weird, wacky, quirky, and funny stuff or the awesome, amazing and incredible stuff. So, what do you say that people will remember? For some people, this may be easier to answer than for others. If I asked Usain Bolt, I’m pretty sure he’d say that he can run faster than anyone on the planet. For most of us though, this question proves to be quite a stumper.
Try answering it for yourself. Why you? If you are stuck, here are five fun activities to help you out.
1. Ask family, friends or clients how they would describe you.
2. Write down how you would describe you.
3. Think about the unusual, weird, crazy or fun things about you.
4. Reflect on the fabulous, impressive and super human things about you.
5. Work out what makes you that little bit different to everyone else?
I asked an adviser who has been successful for over 30 years to do exactly this. And when I asked for the feedback he received, he said, “I was referred to as a bulldog”. MMMM ok, not sure where this is going, so I asked him to elaborate. He said that people described him as a bulldog because when he gets hold of something he does not let go until the very end, however long that may be. This point is a great example to highlight his commitment, passion, tenacity and proves that he is on your team and will have your back till the very end.
So to really stand out, I ask, what is your Bulldog?
