Breaking the Ice With New Clients
New clients are never a bad thing, but they can also be intimidating and overwhelming. Whether you have had an influx of new clients or you are simply looking for ways to improve your interactions with new clients, today’s blog is for you. We are going to be talking about a few of the ways that you can break the ice with new clients. First, let’s talk about why it is so important that you do take some time to break the ice in the first place.
Why break the ice?
It may seem silly, having to break the ice with new clients. After all, you are a professional that is offering a service they are paying for That being said, the service that you’re offering deals with an area that most people can get pretty sensitive about: finance. Because of that, it’s essential that you take time to break the ice with your clients. In doing so, you create a space where they feel comfortable. You also make them feel as though they’re sitting down with a friend. Both of these factors are incredibly important because they help build trust.
To truly be successful as a financial advisor, you need to ensure that your clients trust you and the work that you do. Now that you see just why it is so essential to break the ice with your clients right off the bat, here are a few ways that you can do so.
Set the Pace
As the professional in this setting, your client is going to be looking to you to set the pace for the meeting. First interactions will often have one person that sets the tone, and the rest will mirror. That being the case, you want to make sure that you are providing your client with a setting that allows them to feel relaxed, but also gives them an idea of what working with you is going to look like.
Welcoming new clients with a smile and maintaining eye contact while you talk shows them that you’re invested in what they’re saying. More importantly, this type of energy and attitude is going to increase the chances of them acting in a similar manner. At the end of the meeting, you’ll both feel more relaxed and at ease with one another.
Get to Know Them
The relationships that financial advisors have with their clients are always going to be incredibly personal. As we mentioned earlier, finance is a very sensitive topic, but it’s also something very personal that is being shared between a client and a professional. Because of that, trust is a must, and the only way to build trust is by getting to know each other closely. Knowing that this is the case, it’s always good to break the ice by getting to know more about your new client.
Small talk is something that just about everyone detests, so you want to make sure that you’re asking questions that show you genuinely want to get to know them. Don’t ask the typical “How was your weekend?” because it can be answered with a simple good or bad. Instead, ask about what they did that weekend. Their answer can provide insight into who they are as an individual. For example, “I spent the lake on the boat with my kids.” tells you that they have children and enjoy spending time on the water. Both are facts you can tuck away or utilize as follow up conversation starters.
Aside from being able to really get to know your client, this approach allows you to talk about the client. For whatever reason, most people will innately calm down when speaking about themselves. A calm and comfortable state is precisely what you want during your first meeting with a client.
Conversation-Starter Pieces in Your Office
At times, too much conversation can make people nervous. Given that there will always be that one client that will open up when they’re ready, it’s still good to have a conversation starter piece inside of your office. Whether that’s a piece of art, a picture of your pet, or something interesting that you found while traveling, having something interesting for clients to notice is never a bad thing. In most cases, it will come up casually and open up a conversation that might not have otherwise happened. Conversation starters can also help new clients find common ground, which is a great way to break the ice quickly.
Even if you are an extremely outgoing individual, it doesn’t hurt to find something that tells a little about you or grabs the eyes of individuals while they’re in your office. In the best case scenario, this piece will help you break down walls with new clients. At the very least, this piece will add a little spice to your office, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Alpha Droid Wants to Be a Part of Your Office
Unfortunately, the team at Alpha Droid can’t be there to break the ice with each of your clients, as much as we’d like to. We can, however, help you provide them with the quality experience that they’re looking for. The software that we’ve designed uses an algorithm to provide financial advisors with the current market trends. Learn more about our asset allocation software and start your 30-day free trial today. Contact our team if you have any additional inquiries or questions that we can help you with.
