How do I go about getting my first Ideal Client? I do not have a client base to work from for referrals. I know many people superficially who I believe meet my Ideal Client Profile, but I do not know MISC information about them, and I do not know anyone who knows MISC information about them. Help?

Article ID: 56

Last updated: 20 Nov, 2019

Make a list of your friends, family, acquaintances, etc. Sort the list and prioritize who you think are the best candidates to be Ideal Clients and know people who might meet your Ideal Client Profile. Follow the Values Based Financial Planning™ referral process with you referring yourself to these people. If you did know the MISC information about them you would write the note on the cover of the book with those reasons that you think Values Based Financial Planning™ will be of value to them.

However, you indicated in your question that you don’t know what’s MISC to them. In this case, call them before you send the book and tell them that you want to send them a book that you think might be of value to them, but you don’t want to waste their time if it’s not. In order to determine if it might be of value you want to ask them a few questions. Ask them some of the MISC questions that you learned in the Academy 2. If there seems to be a fit, tell them so, send them a book, and schedule the 20 minute phone appointment. If there doesn’t seem to be a good reason to send the book, don’t. Follow the process: do the phone appointment and, if appropriate, invite them in for a complete Financial Road Map®.

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I spend a fair amount of time practicing responses to clients who we are starting the Referral Conversation with. Your recent webinars have been vey valuable. So far I left the first Referral Conversations in Progress Meetings with the client with the view I expect them to bring names of people we can introduce VBFP™ to at the next appointment. Would it be beneficial to send a letter prior to the next progress meeting to remind them to bring names of people we can introduce VBFP™ too with perhaps an explanation of what we would provide. If so what would be the content I should place in this letter?

Can you please suggest an appropriate scripted reply, when my clients (often happens in the Values Staircase™ Conversation) ask me, "Are you a life coach or counselor?” I’m looking for a response that has a yes but we are also so much more impactful i.e. a wow factor that’s compelling, succinct and all about them.

How do I approach the planning idea vs. the investment idea? I get referrals from our credit union employees, and many of these people do not want or need “planning” services. Most of them aren’t prepared to do a Financial Road Map®, and many times the other spouse is not there. But some of the seemingly small investors have other assets, and could benefit from the whole process. Any suggestions as to how to handle that?

I realize mine is not the optimal model, but until I actually get an Ideal Client and transition to referral only, it is the one I've got. Here is my situation -- I've met with a few attorneys since my return from the Academy, actually took out the Financial Road Map® and tried to get them to go through it with me [they all refused and I do not expect that to change] but they all were intrigued enough with what I was saying to ask me for the words for them to use [most likely in an email] so that they could tell their clients about me and give them the chance to contact me. No, they will not give me their clients' names for me to contact directly; nor will they send the VBFP book/Road Map to their clients on my behalf. They want a short blurb on what I do, what makes me appealing/different, etc. so that THEY can make the INTRODUCTION/REFERRAL. I've learned from the Financial Road Map® Interview that what we say, how we say things, the language we use, etc. are all critical to the rapport building. So, with all that in mind, what words would you suggest I put before the attorneys so they can make a "warm" third party referral without having experienced the Road Map first hand [again, they won't do it, but I am confident they will make introductions].

I am going to have a lunch meeting with a client to complete implementation paperwork. He is bringing with him a referral. How should I handle this situation?

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