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For many independent, solo-practitioner advisors, every client won or lost is critical to the success of the business. Those advisors will bend over backwards for their prospects and clients by traveling to meet them instead of meeting in the advisor’s office.
While this may seem like a logical strategy for retaining and building a client base, it may be the reason solo advisors struggle to grow to their desired goals. Traveling to meet prospects and clients hinders productivity and may even diminish the perception of professionalism. Being too accommodating to clients and prospects can make you look like a small, struggling business. Even if this is true, this is not the perception you want to convey.
If a client or prospect isn’t willing to come to your office, find out why and develop a solution. Below are two common excuses advisors hear and solutions that avoid having traveling around town to meet clients and prospects.
“I can’t make it to your office during your office hours.”
Your office hours might directly conflict with the schedules of your prospects and clients. If this is the case, choose one Saturday per month to schedule appointments or have two weeknights per month when you keep your office open until 9pm.
Be consistent in when you set your hours, such as the first Saturday, second Tuesday and third Wednesday of the month. Post those additional office hours on your website in order to establish a clear policy. When a client or prospect gives you this excuse, provide them with your extended office hours and reference this information on your website. Implementing this policy will enable you to accommodate irregular schedules without having to accommodate for individual clients and prospects. If you are still getting further resistance, there is probably another reason why the client or prospect doesn’t want to meet at your office.
