Our program is all about helping you implement what we teach. Instead of a question about implementing what we teach you are asking me how to help you do something different. After spending a few days with me in San Diego, I'm sure you won't be surprised that I will not go down this path with you.
I do have some advice that you may find helpful, however.
My advice is that you only work with Subject-Matter-Experts in two ways:
1. As important members of your deliverables team to serve your Ideal Clients to get their entire financial house in order and keep it that way forever by making smart choices about their money that are in alignment with their most important goals and their most deeply held values. While this is not the objective, it is not uncommon for the SMEs to become clients and to refer you to their friends, family, colleagues, and clients after they experience what it's like to work you a professional like you who operates at a level of client service they have never seen or experienced before.
2. As clients for whom you help make mart choices about their money that are in alignment with their most important goals and their most deeply held values.
It is our position that you build your Ideal Client Community by referral only from your Ideal Clients and self-referrals, if necessary. Some of your Ideal Clients may be SMEs.
Doesn't it strike you as odd that a "professional" would refer you to their clients never having experienced the process themselves and / or not actually being a client? How will they answer this question when one of their clients asks them, "Is Cindy your Financial Advisor?" What are they going to say? "Nope. I don't do business with her, nor have I ever experienced what she does or how she does it. Truthfully, I just refer her business in the hopes that she'll refer me some business. Do you want to meet Cindy?" This is the typical BS on which too much of the financial services industry is based. What we propose is that you completely step out of this typical, not very client-centered, way that most FAs do business and put yourself in a much higher class of financial professionals.
If you choose to ignore this advice then the best you can do is use your Pivotal Question response to, "what do you do for a living?"
A better move that might impress any attorney, accountant, or other professional (potential SME) would be to say something like, "If I were your client I would rather that you not refer me to people with whom you don't have enough experience with to truly understand what they do and how they do it. By the way, on a scale of 1-10, how confident are YOU that you have YOUR entire financial house in perfect order so that no matter what happens in the markets, the economy, or the world that you will achieve your financial goals?" After they are done stuttering, stammering, and making excuses about their number not being a 10, you say, "Then why are we talking about doing anything for your clients until we have made sure you are taken care of?" Answer their questions and schedule an appointment for them to bring their spouse and their financial documents to get their Financial Road Map® completed.
If they don't respond to that, another smart move is to shift the conversation from them referring you to their clients to you vetting them to determine whether or not they are the best-in-class subject matter expert that you will be working with to serve your clients. If you don't have a process for vetting best-in-class SMEs, create one or follow what Mark Little teaches.
Whatever you do, pleeeeease... stop acting like the typical FA kissing the butts of "Centers of Influence" to get referrals to their clients.
