Spoiler alert : There's a reason why this blog is not accompanied by a picture.
Back in the day I worked in financial services. Ads for pension products were always accompanied by happy couples, mostly grey-haired, wearing white capri pants, strolling along a sandy beach, hand in hand, and evidently very happy with one another and their situation in life.
Illustrations of advisers almost always showed male advisers talking to couples, but clearly engaging with the male of the always heterosexual almost always white couple. As a single woman it was very easy to feel that product providers and advisers really weren't on the same wavelength.
Adviser firms used to (and still do) frame "the ideal client" in terms of business owners, those approaching retirement, widows or those who had recently come into an inheritance or other "sudden money" situation, including big City bonuses (those were the days!). Basically, I'm interested in you if you're rich and have some significant sums of capital to invest that make it worth my while talking to you. Honestly, how does that make you feel? Cool if you're in that club I guess, not so much if you're not.
Another technique was to invite people to join a "waiting list", often imaginary, implying a scarcity which needs the prospect to "get in quick" before they're excluded from the secrets of a long and financially secure life.
Of course, when I was taking on new clients myself I had two criteria. One was that we had a telephone call to discuss what you wanted me to do for you, just to make sure it was actually something I could deliver before either of us spent too much physical time or emotional energy (cos it's actually emotionally exhausting preparing for your first financial or coaching meeting and worry about not "making the grade"!). And the second, which couldn't happen without the first, was that we got on together and felt we could build a trusting and mutually rewarding businesss relationship.
No minimum income or investment criteria, no age or family criteria, no job criteria. Just two simple things : what you want from me is within my skill-set to deliver, and we're going to enjoy working together to get it done.
In financial advice, and in any kind of advice relationship, trust is the most important currency. You need to believe I can help you. You need to trust me and the advice I'm giving you, whether it's financial or about sobriety. You need to trust me with your information, your history, your past and (often) your less successful decisions. You need to know there's no judgment and no agenda, no sales funnel, no palming off on other individuals if you're not important enonugh. You need to be able to share your struggles, and be able to tell me when something we talked about didn't work out as intended, and what we can do differently next time.
And if we are going to have a longer term relationship, it's going to be painful in many many ways if we simply don't get on, if we simply don't enjoy one another's company.
So no pictures that will stereotype you. No conversations that will put you in a box. No feeling like you have to pass some kind of entrance exam or Spartan Challenge to take the next step to making your life better. No need to sign up to a costly or demanding change programme cos my way is the only way to do this. No need to share your story on my blog for free so I can advertise cheaply to even more clients how amazing I am. Not even a minimum fee or engagement period (so no need for a stupid "money back guarantee if you're not totally satisfied").
If you want to be able to live life as it's meant to be lived, alcohol-free, and you want 1-2-1 support from a real person that you trust on that journey then let's talk.
To make an appointment for that free introductory call click here, or reach out to Red Kites Life via my Facebook page or Messenger :
https://calendar.app.google/6B2KWLy7n7xwoPAy5
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