Each Financial Advisor had a different story and a different experience that compelled them to want to work with women.
Success with a female client rests on one key point- Don’t treat her equally, treat her exceptionally.
- Sheila, a junior advisor never heard her parents talk about money, she just assumed she would be taken care of like her mother; life didn’t go exactly as planned.
- Jeff, raised by a mother who was a physician and with a sister in politics, he had seen what women can accomplish when given the encouragement.
- John’s cousin forged the male world in Egypt and became a female pediatrician only to end up losing all of her assets by depending solely on her husband to manage her finances.
- Rob was awakened after the wife of a couple confided in confidence to him that the plan they had in place was not her desires but that of her husband; Rob realized he needed to make exceptional efforts to give women a voice.
Helping women is not just about looking her in the eye, asking her the same questions as her husband, it’s not about treating women equally you must treat women exceptionally.
Women are behind the gun; the industry as well as society have made it more challenging for women to become involved in their financial affairs. As a financial advisor, you must make up for that disparity and accelerate her ability to become more knowledgeable and encourage her to become more involved. Most importantly, you must give her a VOICE.
Show her you hear her by incorporating these three aspects into your business:
- Create an environment where she feels comfortable; show her she is important, make your environment more esthetically pleasing to the woman; she is the one that notices not the man.
- Incorporate a process that gives her a voice and encourages her to speak up; use provocative questions that inspire discussions that cause women and their spouses to really think about what they want.
- Provide the opportunity for her to become more knowledgeable and educated; host events, conference calls and constant drip emails that engage her, educate her and inspire her.
- By giving women a voice with her financial affairs you will inspire her to talk about you to her friends, family and associates.