"People do business with people," or said another way, "people don't care about what you know, until they know that you care." Even though it sounds like I ate a bowl of cliché's before writing this, the reality is often times clichés present the truth.
One of the great things about a free market economy is that there are multiple choices for just about every professional service on the planet. That being reality, why would a prospect choose to do business with you??
The answer is simply: Because you show up as advertised!
Before a prospective client can appreciate your skill set, they need to understand who you are. As the famous business evangelist Simon Sinek teaches, start with "why" and share with your prospects why you do what you do.
I will share my "why" as an example of crafting a personal narrative, which hopefully will also shed some personal insight into your "why."
Why I am a financial architect for emerging professionals
In the legal world, they teach you there is the trial you prepared for, the trial you had, and the trial you wished you prepared for. There are victories sprinkled in between these trials, but the point is that things don't always go as planned.
From the time I was a middle schooler with a passion for wearing over-sized basketball jerseys, I wanted to be a lawyer. Everything along my young path confirmed my passion for law: I had older cousins who were lawyers, I enjoyed politics and debating social issues, and of course, I liked to read and write. In law school I felt especially in my element.
Fast forward a few years, to when I attended a political conference in Washington, D.C. It was one of those 7 a.m. 11 p.m., three-day marathons of learning, meeting, and debating. I was fired up, or so I thought. When I returned to work after the conference, I returned with a different feeling toward the practice of law.
I let this feeling sit with me for a few months because I worked at an amazing law firm known for producing high-quality work, and I truly liked my colleagues.
Then it hit me square in the face; I had a deep passion for advising and helping individuals, but the practice area I was in did not ignite or further that passion. I knew I needed to make a change with that burning passion in mind.
During the course of networking and interviewing I met a wealth management advisor who connected the dots for me. He showed me how the advocacy that I wanted to deliver to clients could best be accomplished through a career in wealth management.
As I looked to transition to a new career, with a very young family, I decided to look back at how I was raised. I am incredibly grateful for what my parents have done for me, on countless levels. With respect to finances, I have benefited from the plans they made early on. I'm thankful their ship was built to weather a storm, because the storms came, and the ship prevailed. When my children are grown, I can only hope they feel the same way about what I did for them.
I have tremendous trust for the team my parents assembled to help them reach their goals. Because of that, it was no surprise that I immediately connected with Ken Grace when my dad introduced us.
When I met Ken, he said something to me that has stuck ever since. "We exist to help our clients succeed under multiple circumstances." Helping clients succeed under multiple circumstances: that's what wealth management means to me. My role as a Financial Architect empowers my clients to do just that.
Crafting your story
So why do you do what you do? In a world of seemingly endless choices, being a human with a story could be what sets you apart from the competition. Before your potential clients appreciate the what or how, they may want to know the why.
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Attorney Kyle Zwiren works with Financial Architects Inc., an independently-owned company located in Farmington Hills. Zwiren and his team serve attorneys and other professionals to help them design financial plans in line with their goals and based on optimal efficiency. He practiced law prior to becoming a Financial Architect and left the practice to follow his passion. To talk to Zwiren about other topics featured in The Economic Blueprint, email him at kzwiren@financialarch.com or call him at 248-482-3622.
Published: Fri, Mar 13, 2020
