This doesn’t mean you need to be boisterous. You need to be exactly who you are. Perhaps your style is more subtle than mine. That’s fine. Whatever your style, accentuate and highlight it. Even your surroundings should reflect your style—your clothes, watch and jewelry, hair, even your reception area and office.
Do all these reflect your style in positive ways? Do they engender a good first impression of you and your practice?
To answer that, think like the person coming to meet you. I recall walking into the office of a financial planner I was coaching. “This reception room is all wrong,” I told him. “What’s the first thing your clients see when they walk in?”
The answer was the huge clock on the wall of an otherwise spare room. You couldn’t miss the clock. But think about what that clock does: It reminds the clients how busy they are and how long it took the planner to greet them. (Ever notice that casinos don’t have clocks or windows? They don’t want visitors to be aware of the passage of time.) My advice to the planner: Get rid of that clock. You should, too.
The planner also had a bunch of financial trade journals and The Wall Street Journal on his coffee table. He thought this would impress his clients. Wrong. Those magazines featured cover stories that didn’t exactly help his cause, with titles such as “What To Do When Nobody’s Buying What You’re Selling” and “Fees or Commission? Now You Can Charge Both.” Not exactly what you’d want prospective or current clients to see. And the Journal is filled with articles that contradict your advice, along with ads from competitors. Why let a client read all that before meeting with you?
Here’s what I have in my reception area: My books and copies of my newsletter. That’s it. I don’t put newspapers there that might have a headline about a rogue broker or a large ad by one of my competitors.
Another style consideration is the furniture in your office. Do you sit behind a large desk across from your clients in a way that might be perceived as arrogant?
Our planners’ offices typically have an L-shaped desk next to a window with an attractive view and a separate living room area featuring a love seat, coffee table and side chair. The planner sits in the chair, and the clients on the love seat. It’s a very relaxed setting, just like home. According to a Kansas State University study, couch settings reduce clients’ stress by 20%.
And one more thing: When visiting our offices, clients can find chocolate everywhere.
Substance may matter most, but style, even in subtle ways, counts too.
Ric Edelman, Chairman and CEO of Edelman Financial Services LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor, is an Investment Advisor Representative who offers advisory services through EFS and is a registered principal of and offers securities through SMH. Advisory services offered through Edelman Financial Services LLC. Securities offered through Sanders Morris Harris Inc., an affiliated broker/dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. You can connect with him on LinkedIn or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RicEdelman. Follow him on Twitter at @RicEdelman.