0 Manipulation or Inspiration?

There is hardly any product or service on the market today that customers can’t buy from someone else for about the same price, about the same quality, about the same level of service and about the same features. So, how do you sell your service? You manipulate or inspire people. Now please, don’t get me wrong. Manipulations are just a good tactic to increase sales. In fact, almost everybody is doing it. Do you recognize that companies drop the price, run a promotion, using fear or peer pressure? I’ll bet you do. When companies don’t know how to inspire people they tend to rely on a disproportional number of manipulations to get what they need. And for good reason, manipulations work. But rarely the manipulation tactic turns to one stop shop customer into a loyal customer. Continue reading

0 How Does Your Client See You?

When we see things, we mostly assume that the way we see them is the way they really are or the way they should be. And because of that our behaviours grow out of those assumptions. The way we see things is the source of the way we think and the way we act. Let’s take you to an intellectual experience which helps you to understand how your client sees you as a financial planner. Take a few seconds and look al the picture in this blogpost. Take a good look.  Do you see a woman? How old would you say she is? What does she look like? What is she wearing? If you are like me when I saw this picture for the first time, you probably would describe the woman in the picture to be about 25 years old, lovely, fashionable and a small nose. But what if I were to tell you that you’re wrong?

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0 The Power of “AHA!”

One Sunday morning I was waiting at the subway in Amsterdam. People were sitting quietly – some reading newspapers, some lost in thought, some resting with their eyes closed. It was a calm peaceful scene. Then suddenly, a man and his children entered the the subway. The children were so loud and rambunctious that instantly the whole climat changed. The man sat down next to me and closed his eyes, apparently oblivious to the situation. The children were yelling back and forth, throwing things, even grabbing people’s papers. It was very disturbing. And yet, the man sitting next to me did nothing. Continue reading