To Have Personal Conversations, You Need Personal Information

You won’t be able to gather all the information you need all at once.

First, use the list below to write down all the information you currently know about your clients’ relationships and interests. For the information you don’t know, gather it over time.

Each time you have a conversation or call with a client, make it a goal to gather a tidbit of personal information. Get your support team involved too. They can also gather information when they’re talking with clients.

Start with your top 25 clients. Gather information on their relationships. Start by getting the names, ages, and interests of spouses, children, and grandchildren. With this intel, you’ll be able to ask specific questions like, “How’s Olivia’s gymnastics class going?”

• Children & grandchildren
• Pets
• Parents & siblings
• Friends
• Colleagues
• Professional acquaintances
• Neighbors

Next, gather information on your clients’ interests, including:

• Important dates: birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, etc.
• Recreational activities and hobbies
• Favorite sports teams
• Favorite restaurants/food
• Vacation locations
• Volunteer work/charity involvement
• Health considerations clients choose to share
  
• Preferred beverages
• Social clubs and organizations
• Political interests
• Exercise habits
• Alma mater

Once you’ve gathered this information, then what?

Third, What to Do With All This Information

Prior to meeting with a client, take some time to review the information you gathered. Then, when you meet with your client or have phone calls with them, ask about an item or two.

Don’t just dive into your client’s investment performance. Rather, ask about one of your client’s grandchildren or pets by name. Or ask about one of their hobbies. By having these types of personal conversations, you’ll build emotional connections. You’re conveying to your clients that you’re a good listener and care about the most important things in their lives. They may be more likely to mention you to friends if the topic of finances comes up. In addition to building emotional connections, you can use personal information to build new relationships.

Having a more personal connection also makes it easier to ask for personal introductions to people your clients know.

For example, you can just ask your client, “Jim, you mentioned that you play golf after work with Dave on Fridays. I’d like to meet him. Could I join you next week?” Request personal introductions in a social venue. Why? It’s more comfortable for your client to simply make the connection, not sell your services.

Plus, it’s easier to develop rapport with their connection when business isn’t the discussion topic.

Are You Wondering if This Is All Worth It?

True. It’s going to take some time and effort to gather all this data. But it’s necessary to have personal conversations that build emotional connections. A Harvard study found that emotionally connected customers are 52% more valuable than highly satisfied customers. Yes, you read that right: Emotionally connected customers are more likely to buy more from you and recommend you to their friends.

Remember These Steps When You Want to Build Emotional Connections With Clients

First, don’t settle for relationships with top clients that are strictly business. Rather, strive to build emotional connections. Second, to build emotional connections, you’ll need to have personal conversations. Use the list above to gather clients’ personal details you’ll need to have personal conversations. Third, before client meetings, review the information you gathered, then ask a question based on that information.

Avoid the Pre-Meeting Jitters

Whether we’re packing for vacation or gearing up for a meeting with a top client, none of us enjoy that sinking feeling of possibly forgetting something crucial. By collecting personal information about clients, you’ll sidestep the panic of lacking anything personal to discuss, ensuring plenty of engaging conversation topics.

Next Steps:

1. This week, identify your top three clients.
2. Start gathering the information listed above for each of them.
3. When you catch up with them next, chat about one of the things you’ve found.