Attracting clients in dicey times

It’s no secret there’s overwhelming uncertainty in the air right now, which has resulted from unprecedented change. Problem is, when you’re uncertain, you get a bit lost. Like a sailor adrift on a foggy sea without a compass, you lose your sense of direction, along with your self-confidence. And when clients sense this, they start looking for a new
ship … and a new captain.

What’s missing, I believe, are “true north” principles. Leadership guru Stephen Covey says these include fairness, kindness, dignity, charity, integrity, quality and service–all timeless and true. He goes on to say that TNPs are “objective and external, (reflecting) natural laws, as opposed to values which are subjective and internal. Because the compass represents the eternal verities of life, we must develop our value system with deep respect for (such) principles.”

So what about you?
Have you been aligned on TNPs throughout your career? Or have recent events forced you off course? For
example, are you now …

• Thinking more about your own financial issues than about the needs of your clients?
• Taking your recommendations from the chattering, increasingly dubious financial pundits on our nation’s airwaves?
• Preying on the public’s fears in order to close more sales?
• Failing to communicate with your clients when they need your support the most?

If you answered “yes” to any one of these questions, your moral compass is off, which will repel clients and ensure a regulatory shipwreck.