Coach’s Corner

A well-crafted ism is a timeless, pithy sound bite that connects the dots to the advice you provide. It can help you make first encounters count, generate more meetings and answer the inevitable "Why us?" in first meetings. What's more, isms have a "multiplier effect," helping you capture referable moments by tapping into human nature.

What's a referable moment? Anytime the topic of markets, money or financial planning pop up in your clients' conversations and you are not in the room.

What's human nature? Many of your clients want to look smart in conversation and are likely to repeat your ism in conversations about financial matters with friends and family. When asked where they heard it, your name will come up, and that's how you capture a referable moment. Consider this scenario between your client Jim and his colleague, who both work at Acme, a large public company:

Colleague: "I am thinking about reducing my financial exposure to Acme—if only I knew where to start."

Jim: "You know, not all shares are created equally, especially from a tax perspective."

Colleague: "Really? Where did you hear that?"

Jim: "Our advisor Sarah. Maybe you should speak with her. She has helped us develop a tax-smart approach to diversification."

"Not all shares are created equally" is an ism, an example of a timeless, pithy sound bite that your clients will want to repeat in conversations with others and may prompt a conversation about you and the value you bring to their lives.

Bottom line: Leverage the multiplier effect of isms to increase your chances of popping up in conversations when you are not in the room.