Your first meeting is the one and only chance to make a first impression on your prospective clients. Instead of focusing on converting, many advisors need to shift their attention to “must-haves” that can increase their likelihood of gaining the trust of a new client. 

In this article, we’ll touch on 4 questions you should ask in your first meeting.

Why did you decide to reach out to us?

In many cases, prospective clients have a catalyzing event that forces them to reach out to a financial advisor. They likely need assistance now, and if not, they anticipate financial issues arising in the future. 

It’s your job to set the intentions in this moment of the conversation: to provide a safe space where they can feel seen, heard, and hopefully known. 

How did you hear about us?

This is a selfish question. Here is where you can collect data for your firm to help your marketing efforts. If you hear that people are finding you through your podcast, that is an opportunity to double down. This is real-time data that can save time in experiments. 

Paint a picture of your ideal life for me.

To make lifelong clients, you must have ideas of how you can impact their lives. By asking this question, you allow them to tell you - without telling you - what you’ll need to help them plan for. 

Although they may have found you because of a specific concern, your job is to make sure that through planning and sound advice, you’re bringing them closer to a life that they feel is satisfactory. 

If there were 1-2 things an advisor can do to add value, what would they be?

I like this question because it lets you hear what they value in a client-advisor relationship. While advisors might be biased toward their philosophy of planning or investment management, the client might think that accountability and cash flow planning is most valuable.

Whatever their preferred value adds are, it will help you cater your experience to their needs and further help you earn their trust. 

Onyx is building an inclusive relationship for advisors by advisors. To join other advisors that are impacting their communities and changing the industry along the way.