Over the holiday season I was fortunate to be invited to a client appreciation holiday party by one of my financial planning firms. This is a father and son team and I have worked with them for a few years but had never been asked to attend an event like this. I felt honored to be included. They just said, "Sue swing by if you can, we like you to see what we do for our clients."
I must tell you I was blown away. And I learned a valuable lesson that I'll share. First, they did not get a ballroom at a swanky hotel. It was in a modest hall. You don't need to spend a fortune on something like this. The value not in the trimmings, as you'll see.
Second, when I arrived, the room was packed. There were only two seats left (of course you know I was right on time and the rest of their clientele (seniors) were early). They had put together a wonderful function. We played bingo (yes, bingo) and trivia games (I did pretty well on the music section if I do say so).
There were prizes for the winners. The guests joked and laughed and greeted each other during the event. A nice dinner was served. They even introduced me to the group to promote a reverse mortgage seminar I was giving for them at the start of the New Year.
None of these small details by themselves are important. What is important is that this father and son team was like celebrities to the guests. They hung on their every word. Applause was spontaneous and genuine when staff members were introduced.
This was a true client appreciation event and the respect went both ways. I feel confident that these gentlemen are not too worried about losing these clients to someone down the road who may have a slicker approach or the latest gimmick. The respect is genuine and it showed. They have built a relationship with their clients over the years and I was impressed to say the least.
Could you have celebrity status with your senior clients? You bet. You build that status and you earn their unyielding respect a little at a time. Do your clients know that you appreciate their business and their referrals? Do you communicate with past clients throughout the year? Do you send birthday cards? Do you make them aware of events in the community that might be of interest to them? You can build this relationship and have clients that treat you the way these men were treated. It must be genuine and it does not come from your wallet. It comes from your heart.
Keep moving forward - in reverse.
Sue Haviland is a reverse mortgage consultant in Baltimore and the founder of Reverse Mortgage Success, a leader in the training and education for originators around the country in the rapidly growing reverse mortgage arena. Ms. Haviland has worked in the lending industry since 1981. She has been originating reverse mortgages for the last six years and still originates loans every day. She has helped hundreds of families all over the country in the last several years. Sue also shares her knowledge of this market in presentations before the Women's Council of Realtors, Mortgage Bankers Association, National Association of Professional Mortgage Women, and SRES - Senior Real Estate Specialists, Brian Sacks' Insider Seminars, as well as the public. Sue is a Certified Senior Advisor and is active in many professional organizations. Sign up for her free seven-part mini-course at
