If your Ideal Client Profile dictates a written plan and you charge a fee for it, should you also charge a fee for a plan for current potential Ideal Client's? Should there even be a fee charged for current clients if they come over to the New World?

Article ID: 32
Last updated: 20 Nov, 2019

Yes, if there is a fee you should charge that fee to existing clients as well. Particularly your new Ideal Clients even though they come from existing client base. Some advisors offer their existing clients a preferred price on the first year’s planning fee because they are existing clients.


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b My client also requested that the personal note on the Values-Based Financial Planning™ book to be changed. What would you do in this circumstance? My view is to change the note although it would not be in the client's handwriting. Please let me know your thoughts.
b I have heard that business development is a matter of volume. It is a numbers game. Is this the way you suggest marketing?
b It has been just over 12 months since I bought a client base of neglected clients. Over the holidays I have had time to consider where I am at in the context of Values-Based Financial Planning™. The situation is that I am still struggling with the question of who do I offer a Financial Road Map® to. I feel I must offer an appointment to these acquired clients to discuss their current accounts (whatever they may have), I can’t extract any value from them or increased revenue from them otherwise. I cannot ignore them and only offer an appointment to those who want a Financial Road Map® which is what I took from Bill’s response to a question last year. The initial contact with them is effectively a cold call given the neglect they had by the previous adviser, therefore impossible to offer a Financial Road Map® as no trust or relationship is in existence. The apathy and attitude towards an adviser from the majority of these people made it such that my assistant’s success in getting people in to just review what they had was less than anticipated. I could count maybe 10 appointments over 3 months he arranged and at a guess I know of three that cancelled or didn’t show up. In the context of the ‘Ideal Client,’ I am seriously questioning whether I presently have a client base of the wrong type of people to be able to afford the service and to be able to mentally connect to the philosophy required to be an Ideal Client. If this is the case, then where do I get an Ideal Client from??? In speaking with Shane Hatch he mentioned that in his experience the person would probably need to have at least $500K in investible funds to be able to afford the program. And I would tend to agree to an extent. This would rule out every one of the clients I purchased. I am thinking that the process I use may have to change to something as follows: 1. Invite each client in to review what they have and discuss this. This allows them to meet and maybe gain some trust and I can get a feel for them and their position. 2. After reviewing what they have, offer two options, to provide advice on what they have or anything else I pick up during the meeting, or, if I think warranted, offer a further appointment to undertake a Financial Road Map®. In the discussion offering the Financial Road Map® I explain what my business is about and they get a feel for what I do and not the perception of just being an ‘investment’ or ‘insurance’ adviser. The end result is that I get a win either way and re-engage with them. I have some competing interests at play here that is difficult to work around. Firstly I have lost a lot more clients than budgeted for in the first 12 months (in fact a lot had cancelled before sale) and expected income is well below what was purchased. So I am trying to maintain this income or increase it any way possible by any amount to make the loan I have a worthwhile exercise. This is competing with wanting to deal with more engaged clients that want a meaningful advice relationship that is comprehensive in nature; those that have some money and the ability to make changes and can pay for service. Can you give some advice as to how I deal with these people and secondly how I source Ideal Client if this isn't the solution I thought it was?
b I want to create a concise answer to the question of what do we charge. You mention two things and I can't reconcile them. Either "set a Predictable Minimum Annual Recurring Revenue and honor it for all clients" or "use an annual fee of ____ % of their net worth or assets". These seem very different. I'm fine with charging an initial one-time separate $2500 fee for creating the plan. But on going do I charge a Predictable Minimum Annual Recurring Revenue or % of assets/net worth for the 10 deliverables/3 meeting annual on-going process.
b As a "newbie" to the Bachrach & Associates process, I have been told that the focus of this initial part of my education is on the Financial Road Map® presentation. However, assuming the success of my training, I will be getting clients. EXACTLY what is it that I can offer these people that I can deliver on that is consistent with the Bachrach & Associates training?
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