The Question Every Woman is Secretly Asking
When a woman is deciding whether to work with a financial company or professional, there’s one question that is going through her mind. And the problem is she’s not going to ask it out loud, at least not directly.
The question? “Do you have my best interest at heart? “
This is closely followed by another question she is thinking, but not asking, “Do you know what my best interest is?”
If she feels the answer is “yes” to both questions, chances are extremely high she’s going to become your client or customer.
How to show customers you have their best interest at heart
They key word here is show, not tell. Having a marketing piece that simply says, “We value our customers” isn’t going to get the job done.
I was working with a group of financial professionals recently and asked them how they showed their women customers they had their best interest at heart. Here are a few of their answers:
“I am very transparent about my fees and how I am paid. Clients want to know whether or not I’m making a commission on what I recommend.”
“When my female clients recommend me, they say, ’Mark really listens to me.’ Talking doesn’t show you have someone’s best interest at heart, listening does.”
“We actually did a client survey and 100% of our ciients agreed with the statement, ‘(Company name) cares more about me than my money.” (And by the way, the company put the survey results on their website.)
“After a meeting, I actually walk the client all the way to the front door. Call me old-fashioned or chivalrous, but I feel it’s the courteous thing to do.”
“I explain why I do what I do. It’s important that my clients know I’m motivated by something other than just money. I share stories of clients I’ve helped and the genuine joy I get from making a positive difference. I also ask why they do what they do. It’s a great conversation starter and usually leads them to ask me the same question.”
“I start and end my meetings on time. If it looks like we might run over, I always say, “I want to be respectful of your time, and I see we’re getting close to (time meeting is supposed to end).” That way it doesn’t come across that I’m protective of my time, I’m protective of theirs.”
What are you doing to show your female (and male) customers you have their best interest at heart? Here are a few suggestions:
- Listen more, talk less
- Find ways to be courteous
- Pay attention to details
- Explain why you do what you do
Get women to answer, “Yes” to this unspoken question, and you’ll get more of their business.
