According to Steve Atkinson, executive vice president and head of advisor relations at Loring Ward, the “art of the conversation” simply means being able to put a client at ease, especially during the discovery process, which is not an “Inquisition” but a natural give-and-take process between the advisor and client.
The intuitive advisor is able to use the conversation as a way to understand both financial issues as well as “softer” life issues. But in Atkinson’s experience, these life issues are every bit as important as the financial issues and can have an enormous impact on the client’s financial plan and the advice you provide. This is why, a good discovery process involves what he calls a “360” conversation.
“Good conversationalists understand that they must be willing to share information about themselves,” he said. “You have to give in order to get.”
Source: Steve Atkinson, executive vice president and head of advisor relations at Loring Ward.
