Jonathan Flaks carries the International Coach Federation distinction as being a Master Certified Coach. He is also a ClientWise coach who has been coaching advisors, entrepreneurs and executives since the beginning of the coaching movement in the late 1990's.
One of Jonathan's areas of expertise is in helping advisors to do business with friends. What follows is the result of an interview that I recently had with Jonathan, where he reveals his observations and insights on this important topic...which can be surprisingly problematic for many top advisors.
Like many ClientWise coaches, Jonathan has observed a fairly common affliction among advisors. They become obsessively tentative when it comes to the concept of doing business with friends. He has observed that, in their desire to NOT appear "salesy" or "pushy", the advisors tends to stay 5 miles away from the boundary between friend...and prospect.
As a result of this distancing, advisors send out an unintended message to their friends that...they are EXCLUSIVE, and they DON'T REALLY WANT the business of the people that they could really help. This perception is confirmed every time when an advisor hears this response:
"I had no idea that you'd even want my business." OR..."I didn't even think that I'd qualify to work with you."
As a result of this perceived image of detachment, the advisor creates the Advisor-Friend Paradox, i.e. they neglect to serve the people who trust them the most!
To avoid this illogicality, Jonathan prescribes a 6-Point plan that positions their friendship in a manner that preserves the relationship...and puts the opportunity to serve out on the table:
Concluding Thoughts
Many advisors dread the day when they walk into a room, and the room appears to tilt slightly...as everyone moves to the other side to avoid them. The reality: this never, ever happens except for the most brazen, shameless salesperson. What is much more likely to happen is that advisors completely miss the opportunity to serve their friends...the community who likes and trusts them the most!