Clients said their adviser has not asked them to recommend them to people they know
Updated
How to improve how you ask for recommendations:
Choose your language
Rather than “I build my business on recommendations – please can I have one” change to “I’d love to help others as I’ve helped you – can you think of anyone who’d benefit from what we’ve done together?”
By changing your language, a recommendation from your client is now helping others. This appeals to our sense of community and increases the chance of a recommendation being made.
By changing your language, a recommendation from your client is now helping others. This appeals to our sense of community and increases the chance of a recommendation being made.
Practise
Role play. Practice asking for a recommendation in the mirror before you do it for real. It can be awkward if you’ve never asked for a recommendation before, so practise on your own, or with a colleague, before you do it for real. Think of it as a “role play” just like you did as a new adviser getting signed off as competent.
Script. It can be helpful to have it scripted to start with, so you know what you’re going to say, rather than having to think of it on the spot.
Practice Makes Perfect. It gets easier with practice so whilst asking for recommendations may sound outside of your comfort zone, like anything, the more you practise, the easier it gets.
Script. It can be helpful to have it scripted to start with, so you know what you’re going to say, rather than having to think of it on the spot.
Practice Makes Perfect. It gets easier with practice so whilst asking for recommendations may sound outside of your comfort zone, like anything, the more you practise, the easier it gets.
Be mindful of your own biases
Limiting beliefs. Don’t let your own beliefs get in the way! Some advisers have internal beliefs like “clients must have taken at last 2 mortgage deals though me without any issue before they’ll give me a recommendation” or “clients must have 2 years of exceptional service before they’ll give me a recommendation”. Whilst that might be what you would expect of yourself, your clients could have a completely different set of beliefs and be happy to recommend you after just your initial meeting, especially if they believe it is a part of the process.
Make it part of the process
Build it in. By having the request for recommendations in your process, it will happen for every client and in a similar way. As you learn more about what works and what doesn’t, you can adjust how and when you ask for a recommendation until you get the perfect formula.
Ask throughout. Ask for a recommendation at multiple points throughout the financial planning process. Reinforce how your client can help others by making a recommendation.
Ask throughout. Ask for a recommendation at multiple points throughout the financial planning process. Reinforce how your client can help others by making a recommendation.
Considering the amount of business that comes from recommendations, this should be a staple part of your process! Asking for recommendations at multiple points along the client journey will pay dividends in the long run. It also gives your client the chance to say that they wouldn’t recommend you, and you the chance to find out why and fix the problem.
