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“I am totally committed to having this conversation make a difference for you.”
The other evening, I was re-reading one of my favorite coaching books, Masterful Coaching by Robert Hargrove (@masterfulcoach).
Masterful Coaching is one of the seminal coaching books for business coaches. It’s on par with influential books for financial advisors, which could include One Up on Wall Street, The Intelligent Investor or The Money Masters.
I was perusing a section of Masterful Coaching that I had read on numerous occasions when a passage leapt off the page as if bolded and in red.
As context, the author is recounting the story of a meeting that he is conducting with one of his clients, a senior vice president of a global financial services company, in an executive conference room on the 52nd floor of office building in midtown Manhattan. Hargrove invites a colleague of his to join the meeting. The colleague introduces himself to the client with these words:
“I am totally committed to having this conversation make a difference for you.”
Wow! What a powerful introduction! What a way to begin the conversation!
As Mr. Hargrove observes: “By making a public declaration of commitment that the conversation make a difference for the person, the coach creates a powerful new context that alters what’s possible in the conversation. Coming into the conversation from that context immediately alters the coach’s everyday way of being in the world.
When one says, ‘I am committed to this conversation making a difference for you,’ this stance alters your way of being, as well as your speaking, listening, and actions.”
Of course, this statement of commitment to the conversation that transcends coaching. It could apply to all of us with regard to how we choose to alter our way of speaking, listening and interacting in ANY relationship.
For financial advisors, what does this mean? Given the importance of the relationship that you have with your clients, and given the primacy of the role that financial advisors play in the lives of their clients, could you begin your next conversation with a client or prospective client by affirming, “I am totally committed to this conversation making a difference for you”?
It would be interesting -- and memorable -- wouldn’t it?
For insight on an important client engagement tool, the ClientWise Conversation, please download the ClientWise Learning Tool below:
Topics: Coaching Marketing & Communication
