When good rapport has been established with the client, moving on to the next step — interacting positively — is seamless.

You can engage in small talk, being sure to keep things light and high energy. Ask the client what they did over the weekend, or what plans they have for the next weekend. Clients like to talk about things that interest them or events they are looking forward to.

The client will likely tell you what they need, and what they feel the purpose of the meeting is. The best thing you can do is display a “can-do” attitude. A can-do attitude is characterized by a determination or willingness to take action and achieve (Oxford University Press, 2022). The client needs to know that they have come to the right person; someone who is prepared to assist them with their needs. It may happen that it is beyond your ability to assist the client with their need or request. When this happens, you can display your can-do attitude by finding the right person to assist the client and facilitate a warm handoff with the next finance professional.

As mentioned above, using the client’s name throughout the conversation helps foster the connection being built. Saying the client’s name three times in a conversation helps the client remember that you called them by their name.

Finally, and it can’t be said enough, listening is a critical conversational skill. It is important the client knows you are interested and paying attention to what is being said. As listening is such an important skill, we expand on this topic later in the chapter, focusing specifically on active listening.

A financial advisor who wants to build solid relationships with their clients understands that, in order to bring value to their clients, they need to know their clients’ challenges, problems, needs and overall perspective. Understanding their client’s point-of-view allows an advisor to customize solutions to the unique situations of a client. As was stated previously, clients often recognize they have a need, and that is what prompts them to ask for a meeting with their advisor. However, clients are rarely aware of what the best solution to their need or problem is. This is where the advisor (as the expert) can apply their knowledge to determine the best approach to the client’s financial situation.

An advisor who does this is helping solve their client’s problems and, therefore, providing superior value to their client. These types of positive, value-driven interactions are the building blocks for a long-term, mutually-beneficial relationship between advisor and client. It is important to not jump to a conclusion about a clients needs at this point of the conversation. Although there may be similarities between client situations, each situation is unique. Therefore, each solution needs to be customized and personalized with unique elements of the situation in mind.

Using the client’s name is essential at this stage of the relationship-building process and throughout the entire conversation. Seek first an understanding from the client as to their preference for how you are to refer to them. In previous chapters, it is vital to ensure we are respectful and pronouncing a client’s name correctly – this assists with putting the client at ease and is essential to helping build trust with the advisor.

 Advisors use questioning strategies to derive the information that they are seeking from the client. In order for the Advisor to get to the root of the issue they will use questioning strategies as introduced previously. Closed-ended and Open-ended questions. We will explore questioning strategies that are useful at this stage as well as the skill of active listening. We will also look at how important empathy plays into the role of the conversation and how it helps the advisor have a more successful conversation.

Close-ended questions are ones that require a very short answer (for example, multiple choice or yes/no questions.) Close-ended questions are useful when you need to know a specific piece of information rather than achieve a deeper understanding of an issue or perspective.

Some examples of close-ended questions are:

• Which package looks the best to you?
• Would you like to set up another meeting?
• Do you see how this will benefit you?
• Would you like to move forward and set up the account right now?
• How does that sound?

Which of the following best describes the purpose of close-ended questions in client interactions?

To delve deeper into an issue and achieve a better understanding of a client’s perspective.

To generate lengthy responses and encourage detailed discussion.

To obtain specific pieces of information and help make decisions more quickly.

To explore a client’s emotional responses and personal experiences.

There is another side that comes into play when asking questions — being able to truly and actively listen to the responses. In personal relationships and social situations, listening is a great trait to have but not an essential requirement. People don’t expect you to retain everything they say and are fairly satisfied if they are allowed to speak without excessive interruption. Consequently, in social situations, most people will listen to respond not listen to understand. Poor advisors have the same tendency.

In advising conversations, listening is essential if you are going to develop a complete understanding of the client’s perspective and the current situation surrounding the client’s financial situation. There are a variety of reasons why people struggle with listening. For one, it is cognitively difficult. It takes concentration and commitment and requires the listener to focus completely on the person with whom they are communicating. Also, people tend to focus on themselves and what they are going to say when the other person stops talking. This human inclination can take on an extreme form; when a person is so focused on what they are going to say that they interrupt the person speaking and don’t let them finish.

In addition, to truly listen to understand, you (as the advisor) need to be able to be able to put your own perceptions and truths aside and focus on the prospective client’s perceptions and truths. This is why the concept of empathy, or the ability to understand and sense other people’s emotions and thoughts, is so important (empathy is discussed in more detail later in this chapter). If you are able to gain an understanding of the client’s perspective by being empathetic, you will be able to present information using the client’s “language.” This is much more persuasive than using your own “language.”  People who listen are also more likable. Listening is a way to show a genuine desire and curiosity to learn more about the speaker, demonstrate respect for the speaker and honor the speaker’s psychological need to be heard.

Active listening (listening to understand) allows you to tailor your follow-up questions based on what you have heard. Later, when presenting the solution to the client, there will be a high degree of customization. A customized solution not only makes your message more relevant, it also demonstrates that you were carefully and respectfully listening when the client was speaking.

People also communicate nonverbally (through body language); therefore, active listening also involves observing and reading (listening to) body language. This can give you an even richer understanding of the words spoken and their underlying meaning.  During the discovery stage, it is important to observe your client’s body language to discern their level of comfort with the questions being asked and determine if they understand what is being discussed. The client, when engaged, should be leaning in to the conversation, nodding their head in agreement and focusing on what the advisor is saying. If the client is leaning back in their chair, looking at their watch or looking at the door, there is a good chance the client is disengaged from the conversation. To re-engage the client, it may be best to ask a closed-ended question or to confirm understanding by restating and verifying the information gathered (paraphrasing). You need to be cognizant of a client’s time, and you should periodically check-in to ensure that the client has the time to continue the conversation. Rescheduling the meeting for another day may be a better option.

Image generated using the prompt “Create an image of a financial professional assisting a client demonstrating good body language of leaning in.” sourced from OpenAI, 2025.

An advisor’s goal should always be to persuade a client to want to work with them. In order for that to be achieved, you need to be an empathetic, active listener who is focused on helping your customer.

Active listening is not something one can improve through practice. tf

Active listening does not only involve listening but also speaking. TF

How Does an Advisor Show Empathy with Clients?

Earlier chapters discussed how individuals have emotional attachments to their financial situations. A client’s financial situation can have both positive and negative implications throughout their lives. Life experiences, such as childbirth, marriage, divorce, loss of employment and death, can impact a client’s emotions and significantly affect their financial situation. A good financial advisor can display empathy at the right moment, even if they has not experienced these life challenges themselves. Working with clients during difficult times, and listening and responding with empathy, can lead to future gains in the client/advisor relationship. You should look to yourself  to see what level of empathy you have and investigate how you can build on this skill.

Using empathetic questions requires you to 1) truly hear the client and 2) for the client to truly feel heard. More often,  you will need to use empathetic statements and responses to what a client says, and these responses help show the client that you understand their feelings. Following are examples of empathetic questions you can ask and empathic responses you can give during client conversations.

Questions you can ask: 

• What financial decisions make you feel uncomfortable?
• When have your instincts let you down when it comes to investing?
• Can you share with me how you previous banking experience is impacted you personally, so I can better support you and tailor our financial conversation accordingly?”

Responses you can give: 

• I am sorry that happened to you.
• That would upset me too.
• I want to thank you for being so open and honest with me.
• This sort of challenge is never easy.
• It is clear this has impacted you deeply.
• What else would you like to share?
• It sounds like you had a very stressful time.
• Yes, what happened makes no sense at all.
• I am on your side.
• It’s no surprise you are upset.
• That sounds frightening.
• You are making complete sense.

One final thing to note about empathy, while empathic questions are important and can be helpful, they should not dominate your meetings.

How Empathetic are You? Click on the link to take an Empathy Quiz  (Greater Good Magazine).

Identification of Needs

The reason financial advisors need to be highly skilled at asking questions and active listening is because their goal is to identify needs and understand the client’s perspective. It is common to discover that your client is struggling with their financial situation and determine that their situation can be simplified by recommending an alternative product or service.

For example:

You learn your client is not able to contribute to their registered retirement saving plan (RRSP) because they have a number of monthly payments to credit cards and loans. Knowing this, you can investigate the option of consolidating the client’s debts to free up cash flow, giving them savings that could be contributed to their RRSP.

Benefits Statements

In the example above, when presenting your solution to the client, you should focus on the features that illustrate the benefit of simplifying the process and connect that benefit to the client’s current struggle. The likelihood is high that the client will recognize the value in being able to continue to pay their debts while also being able to contribute to their retirement savings.

Benefit statements are one way you can connect the client’s struggles to the solutions you are presenting; solutions that will help solve the client’s issues. These statements reinforce to the client “what is in it for them.” Remember, benefit statements are only effective if you match them up to the client’s specific needs or wants. If you don’t first take the time to collect that information, you will simply be shooting in the dark.

• Peace of Mind
• Save your Money
• Grow your Money
• Convenience
• Flexibility
• Save Time

Features and Benefits

There are times when an advisor may confuse a feature of a product/service with a benefit of the product/service. It is important to discern between the two, as it helps you communicate and sell a solution to the client. To be clear, a feature of a product/service is what it is, and a benefit is what it does for the client.

[Figure 8.2] Features versus benefits.

Features are relevant because they provide the client with examples of how the product/service delivers its benefits. In the financial services industry, products and services can be easily compared to competitors. As an advisor, it is important for you to determine what the client is looking for in a product/service and demonstrate how you and your company are different from your competitors. This is your value proposition; you need to set yourself apart from others. A successful advisor will commit to delivering exceptional service to their client and follow through on this commitment.

Funnel Approach  

The primary questioning approach used when identifying client needs is the funnel approach. The funnel approach starts with more general, high-level questions and then probes for deeper, more specific information. The funnel approach involves questioning a client using the four following question types:

1. relevant facts questions
2. problem/challenge questions
3. follow-up questions
4. paraphrase and pre-commit questions.

Relevant Facts

First, learn about the client and their current current financial situation. The goal is to learn more about the client’s life (including their responsibilities), their day-to-day activities and, potentially, what is currently going on in their life that prompted them to request a meeting (i.e., the topic of the meeting). Some examples of relevant facts questions are:

• How can I assist you today?
• Can you tell me about what brings you in today?

Problem/Challenge

Second, learn about the clients challenges, problems and/or needs the they are facing. The goal is to determine if the products/services offered by your financial institution could possibly address the needs your client has described. Some examples of problem/challenge questions are:

• What challenges are you currently facing in meeting your retirement goals?
• What are some of the major issues with meeting your cash flow needs?

Follow-up

The third point in the funnel approach involves crafting strong follow-up questions because you have employed active listening. Strong follow up questions allow you to obtain a fuller and deeper understanding of the problems/challenges facing the client. Some examples of follow-up questions are:

• Can you tell me more about your plan for retirement? How much income do you think you will need to live comfortably?
• Would you walk me through your monthly budget in more detail?  

Paraphrase and Pre-commitment

At this point in the conversation, you have likely identified several key issues, needs, challenges, or problems that your products and/or services could help address. The fourth step is to paraphrase those agreed upon needs and get a pre-commitment from the client to consider the product/service that could help address their needs.  Examples of a paraphrase question and a pre-commitment question follow:

• Paraphrase: To summarize, you are facing this pretty significant challenge with respect to achieving your retirement goals, and you also would benefit from a better way to manage cash flow needs?
• Pre-commitment: If I can show you some solutions we offer at NAITLAB Financial that could help you achieve your retirement goals and make it easier to manage your cash flow would that be of interest to you?

The Importance of Clarifying, Restating, and Paraphrasing

• The questioning and active listening processes are enhanced when an advisor momentarily abandons his/her own opinions and assumptions. It is important for the advisor to not jump to conclusions to quickly – assuming the solution too soon. 
• When a client makes a statement, it’s important to be able to confirm, clarify, and/or get a deeper understanding. When participating in sales conversations, the active part of listening is to respond to client’s answers with clarifying questions (when appropriate) or by restating or paraphrasing what is said.
• By clarifying or restating/paraphrasing, an advisor can be confident that the sales conversation is defined by clear communication and mutual understanding.

Making the Client Feel Valued

Image generated using the prompt “Create an image of a client showing that they are feeling valued.” sourced from OpenAI, 2025.

The probability of selling to an existing client is 60-70%, whereas for a new client it is 5-20% (Mansfield, 2016).

 

In the financial services industry, a financial advisor/planner will compete with other advisors/planners, all of whom offer essentially the same products and services; they may have different names but are essentially the same. What differentiates an advisor/planner from their competition is the relationships they have built with their clients. To be successful, an advisor needs to be strategic in how they approach their clients and how they build their business. 

This section of the relationship building process may seem like common sense, but it is a critical part of the process, as we should always be focused solely on the client. Making a client feel valued does not end once a conversation is over. As an advisor, you will need to do this repeatedly throughout your entire relationship with your clients. It is critical to know — keeping a client satisfied and engaged in the relationship makes it much more likely you will have future dealings and business with that client. 

Undivided Attention

Giving your undivided attention to your client is critical in any interaction. The client will know if they are not the priority in a meeting, and they will often decide early in the meeting that they will not commit to the conversation and end the meeting early. When having an in-person meeting with a client, find a location free from distraction for all parties. 

You should always get back to your clients in a timely manner and in the way they have indicated is best (e.g., phone, email, messaging). Provide a level of commitment to your client on when they can expect to hear from you and then follow through with it. Sometimes, this means you will contact your client when you do not have an answer, but they will appreciate you reaching out to keep them up to date on their situation.  

Additional things you can do to show a client you are giving them your undivided attention include the following: 

• Silence your devices. Your phone, tablet and computer can be distracting, and distractions can have an impact on the success of the meeting.
• Close down most of the browsers on your computer. Only keep windows that pertain to your client open on the screen. This practice will also ensure the privacy of your other clients’ information.
• Face the clients you are meeting. If you have more than one client, attempt to look at both of them throughout the meeting. Even if one person dominates the conversation, it is vital to include everyone present. 
• Provide entertainment for children. If your clients bring their child to the meeting, and the child has nothing to do, it is helpful to have a colouring book and crayons/markers on hand. Not only will this keep the child occupied, the parents will appreciate the consideration you have shown their child. If the child becomes upset and is taking attention away from the meeting, it may be advisable to offer to reschedule for a better time. Alternatively, you can offer to meet the clients in their home.
• Listen before you speak. This has been mentioned before, but this serves as an important reminder. Take notes if needed; this is a good way to not miss out on critical information. Make sure you first ask your clients if they will permit you to take notes. Repeat to the client what you heard. This will reassure the client that you are listening, and they have been understood.

Process Requests Accurately and Efficiently

A client can become extremely frustrated when a mistake is made that may impact their financial situation. This does not mean mistakes will not happen; after all, advisors are human. There are certain skills an advisor should master, though, to reduce the chance of error. 

• Pay attention to detail. Financial matters can and will be complicated. Ensure that you follow appropriate guidelines and do not rush a request; you can be efficient without rushing. Often, when a person rushes, they cut corners and mistakes occur. You need to be meticulous and organized with your work. Essential details to stay on top of are: dates, capital requests and deadlines. 
• Confirm your understanding of your client’s request by restating and confirming. Often, clients will be overwhelmed and may provide incorrect information. It is the your responsibility to be cognizant of when the client has provided incorrect information and repeat the correct information back in a way that is not patronizing to the client.
• Document your steps. It is good practice to document your work. Documentation provides you with a file that accounts for the work that has taken place. Documentation in a client file is helpful for future client dealings or when a file has been pulled for audit purposes. The file shows the auditor what the advisor did, and as an audits can occur years after the work has taken place, the documented notes in the file can act as a good reminder for you. Documentation is also helpful when there is a customer dispute — you will have proof of the work you did.

Demonstrate Confidence and Assurance to continue to Build Customer Trust

A client needs to see that an advisor is confident in their role. This assures the client they have picked the right person to help them; that their advisor can do what needs to be done. Refer to previous chapters to review the areas that address the importance of product knowledge and the how clients are seeking an advisor because they need guidance and recommendations.

Confidence can be seen in the language you choose to use with your clients. Try to avoid words and phrases that can make a client think that you are unsure of what you are saying (e.g., maybe, sometimes, nearly or well.) Try to use words with more intention (e.g., always or exactly.) 

If you are looking to set timelines for a client, and are unsure of what the dates will be, it is better to under promise and over deliver. Setting client expectations is important and allows you to manage the expectations set.

Question:

Consider Osman… He has completed a home equity line of credit with the Johnstons. The next step in the process is to order in the legal documents for signature. Osman knows that this could take up to two weeks, but he also knows it may be completed in as little as three business days. Which statement should Osman use?

The next step, Mr. And Mrs. Johnston, is to order the legal documents in for signature. This could take up to 2 weeks, but if they come in sooner I will let you know right away.

The next step, Mr. And Mrs. Johnston, is to order the legal documents in for signature. They should be here in three business days, and then you can begin your renovation project!

Be prepared with the questions you want to ask your client and also be prepared for the client’s potential questions. Have a plan in place for the questions you are not prepared to answer. There will be occasions when you do not have a ready answer to a client’s question. It is crucial to handle these situations appropriately, and in a way that will still demonstrate confidence to build trust. It is best to be  honest. When you do not know the answer to a question do not lie or avoid the question. Doing so can lead to problems later on, when the client realizes you were not truthful or provided incorrect information. It is likely you will lose the client by not being honest and upfront.

It is fine to say, “I don’t have the answer to that question, but I will find out for you.” The key is to follow through; contact your client as soon as you have the information they need. By doing this, your client will trust that you are getting them the correct information in a prompt and efficient manner. 

Making the Recommendation

Getting a confirmation from a client and successfully finding a solution to meeting their needs (a.k.a “closing”) is the reward for working through the relationship building process.

Closing, as the name suggests, implies an end. But closing is actually a beginning. Yes, it is the start of creating the solution and fulfilling a client’s financial needs, but it is also the dawn of a new client relationship. You are looking to build on this one meeting, as you have likely uncovered other opportunities you can explore with your client.  Ensuring that you are meeting the client’s initial needs first – and doing it properly and correctly – will help the client to trust you further, and they will be more amiable to another meeting to discuss the other needs identified.

Closing Philosophy and Mindset

It’s possible you have a negative connotation towards the term “closing” or perceive closing as a distressing part of the selling/advising process. Advisors often fear this part of the conversation, as they need to get commitment from the client and proceed to the conclusion of the meeting. Remember, closing is about the client, not the advisor. Nobody likes to be sold to; it can be uncomfortable for the client. Instead, think of closing as helping people make decisions about their financial situation that will benefit them now and well into the future.

Ironically, the easiest way to close is to not have to close. The way to achieve this is to do everything right before asking the client to agree to the proposed solution. Earning a client’s commitment is achieved by delivering a solution that meets and exceeds their expectations. If you have listened to the client, understood their needs, presented a sound solution, and addressed any concerns and questions they have than you have excelled at your job — addressing a client’s needs with a solution that delivers a tremendous value. Usually, more than one meeting is required to completely address a client’s needs. Gaining a detailed understanding from the client during the first meeting allows you to begin working on the client’s transaction early and ensures timely fulfillment of the solution presented.

However, you never know if you have taken all of the right actions and done everything you should have done until it is time to ask for commitment. Many advisors shy away from closing, but you should never be afraid to ask the client to commit to a solution. Remember, though, you should only attempt to close when the client is ready. Experience is the best way to become adept at determining a client’s readiness to close, but there are also some strategies you can employee to to help you determine where the client stands in terms of closing. Those strategies are discussed below.

When a Client is Not Ready to Commit

Before attempting to close, ensure that your client is ready. Be sure the client has no further questions or, more specifically, objections. Long-term success in advising means resolving any “red light” statements before asking if the client is ready to commit. Red light statements are hesitations by the client. Here are a few examples:

• “I’m not sure that will work.”
• “The interest rate/fees is higher than I thought it would be.”
• “Your timeline does not work for us.”
• “I don’t see the advantage of going with your solution.”

If these objections do come up, be sure to address them using the strategies discussed in the previous chapter on client objections; we also will go into greater detail on objections later on. Remember, during most any attempt to close and gain commitment, an advisor will be met with resistance from the client.  Objections occur frequently when you are trying to get agreement on a proposed solution. No need to worry – this is all part of the process. You simply need to use the strategies and approaches on overcoming objections. Once these concerns are laid to rest, you can start the process of closing again.

What if you are not hearing any other major concerns from the client?  How can you be entirely sure that the client is ready to buy? Clients will most likely show that they are ready to commit via signals (they will say or do something that demonstrates to you that they are ready.) This form of communication can be verbal or non-verbal and will indicate a client is either completely ready to commit or are at least  considering commitment. Here are some common signals to look for:

• They ask questions. “My brother-in-law got his mortgage a few weeks ago at ABC bank, and his banker charged him a higher rate from what you are offering?”
• They ask another person’s opinion (such as a family member or friend.) “This seems interesting. I would like to run it by my father if that is ok?”
• They relax and become more friendly.
• The read over any brochure material you have provided.

If you observe any of these behaviours, the client may be sending signals and be ready to commit.  However, you can best gauge a client’s willingness to commit by paying attention to how they are acting in the moment and applying context to what they are saying. Do not simply listen to the words the client uses; pay careful attention to the verbal and non-verbal clues (such as body posture, eye contact, and overall mood.)

When the client seems ready to commit (by exhibiting the types of behaviours described above), you can also gauge interest in another way —  by asking a trial closing question. See if you can determine the client’s level of commitment in that moment. You may also want to respond directly to the signals the client is sending. These approaches can be just the thing to get the conversation started and create an easy transition to a close.

• “What do you think about what we’ve discussed so far?”
• “Do you see how this will help you achieve your financial goals?”
• “I am sorry that your brother-in-law received a higher rate. The rate I am offering you is based on your long relationship with our institution. We reward loyalty! Can I confirm that rate today?

Presenting the Solution

The next step in the recommendation is to present the specific solution, based on the client’s unique needs and situation. The goal is to connect the specific features and benefits of the advisor’s product or service to the specific needs of the customer. The focus needs to be on how the features and benefits of the product or service solve a specific concern or take advantage of an opportunity that will help the client achieve their financial goals. In customizing the recommendation, referring back to the client’s exact wording of their need or problem as closely as possible is a technique that is very effective.

Here’s an example of how to customize a solution:

“Chandler, you mentioned earlier that you had a goal to retire at age 55 and have two children about to begin university. You identified that you have concerns with saving for retirement and paying for your children’s education. I think we can accomplish both of your goals. Doing this would involve accessing the equity in your home and looking into how much carry-forward room you have in your RRSP contributions room. We will ensure that you max out your annual RRSP contributions each year. And once your RRSP contribution limits have been met, we will leverage your TFSA for more savings as needed. Each year, contributing to your RRSP will reduce your taxable income leaving you with a tax return. The tax returns you will receive can be targeted at the funds borrowed using the equity in your home for tuition fees. The home equity line of credit is interest only. Your repayments will target the principal, thus paying it off as we go. Does that sound like a plan to you?”

The Use of Visual Aids/Tools

Words are a very effective ways to communicate. Great advisors do an excellent job of using words to paint a mental picture, describing things in a way that is very engaging. However, presenting solutions to a client is a lot like teaching — the goal is to teach the client so they gain an understanding of what exactly is to take place. To make teaching easier and more effective, advisors need to employ the visual aids provided by their institution. These visual aids should provide a summary of the information being communicated. Charts, diagrams and images can all help an advisor describe the features and benefits of a product or service.

Image generated using the prompt “Create an image of financial advisor using visual aids in their presentation. (Open AI, 2025)

Client Involvement

Although visual aids can help an advisor tell their story, the goal is to continue the conversation and get the client involved in solving their problem (in collaboration and cooperation with the advisor). The more the client learns about how the actual product or service will benefit them, the more engaged the client becomes in working with the advisor to solve problems, address needs and capitalize on opportunities. In doing this, the client begins the process of ownership and gains buy-in to the presented recommendation. Justifying the recommendation by reiterating the client’s points helps the client see that the recommendation will help them not only address their initial needs, but eventually achieve all their financial goals.

Maintaining Ongoing Relationships 

“What else can I do for you today?”

The question – “What else can I do for you today?” – helps you determine if you missed anything during the conversation. If you did uncover an additional need during the conversation, it would be advisable to ask the client if they have time to discuss that need at the current meeting, or if it would be better to schedule another meeting. It is important to not bombard the client with too many solutions in one meeting. You need to be considerate of the client’s time and your own. You need to be aware of your schedule; you may have another client meeting after the meeting you are currently in. Keeping clients waiting is a practice you should do your best to avoid. Being late to meetings can cause clients to form a bad impression of you.

“Thank you for your business.”

Expressing gratitude to your client helps you to further build confidence and trust with them. Thanking your client for allowing you to work with them shows you understand that they are putting their trust in you. For the client, it solidifies they are not just a number, and they matter to you. Expressing your gratitude reinforces the to the client that you are invested in the relationship with them; it makes them feel like they are valued clients. Clients care about being appreciated quite a bit. A 2016 study conducted by NewVoiceMedia found that one of the top reasons customers had for leaving a company was feeling unappreciated (Business Wire, 2018). 

Examples you can use when thanking clients:

• Thank you for trusting me with your mortgage today! Please let me know how else I can make this experience as enjoyable as possible.
• Thank you for your business! We truly appreciate you and look forward to seeing you again.
• I know that you could have chosen many other financial institutions to set up your investment accounts. Thank you for choosing us!
• Thank you, Mr. Bing, for seeing me today to process your RRSP contribution. I look forward to seeing you again to discuss setting up your children’s RESP accounts.
• We take pride in your business with us. Thank you!

Sending your client a thank you note, as a follow-up to your meeting, is a good way to maintain and grow that relationship. 

Diarize the Meeting

Once the client leaves, it is critical to diarize your meeting with the client in your organization’s Customer Relationship Management System (CRM). Make a note of anything interesting that the client shared during the meeting (i.e., travel plans or a child attending college.) This information will help you remember what you and your client discussed when you meet again.

Summary

In summary, building rapport with clients is crucial for identifying their needs and fostering positive interactions. This requires skills in active listening, empathy, and effective questioning. These tools aid in understanding complex client needs, making them feel valued, and maintaining ongoing relationships. Diarizing meetings is essential to track conversations and ensure consistent progress.