The Gatorade Treatment
In a recent interview, I asked one of my recently retired, and very successful clients to think back 25 years ago when he started, and describe to me what he did to grow his financial planning business from the ground up. His response; “We started giving our clients the Gatorade treatment.” He told me how several years ago, one of his employees was attending a meeting in New York City and staying at the Ritz-Carlton. The meeting was in another location, so he had a driver from the hotel drop him off. After the gentleman exited the car, the driver noticed he had been drinking a Gatorade, and left a half-full bottle in the cup holder. After the gentleman’s meeting concluded, the same Ritz-Carlton driver picked him up, and to his surprise, there was a fresh, ice-cold Gatorade, of the same flavor, waiting for him as he got back in the car.
The bottle of Gatorade was $1.50, at most, but the impact of the driver’s attention to detail was worth a fortune. From that moment forward, he instructed all of his employees to constantly be aware of the little details in their quarterly meetings with clients. When they heard about upcoming vacations, anniversaries, birthdays, etc., they took notes, and more importantly, they remembered.
He told me a story of how a client of his had booked a Carribean cruise in the upcoming months. Through actively listening and casual questioning during their meeting, he was able to deduce the dates of the cruise, the ship, and which islands they were touring. Two months later, when his client and spouse boarded the ship, a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates, and a note saying, “Have a wonderful, and relaxing vacation!’, were waiting in their room; courtesy of their financial planner.
Customers for life? I think so. Referrals to a whole bunch of prospective clients? Definitely. The Gatorade treatment is so simple, but so rarely done that it creates such surprise in the recipient. It costs nothing to listen intently to your customers and pick up on their subtle preferences. Being so interested in what your clients have to say, and caring enough to share in the excitement of their lives, creates truly genuine relationships that last for many years, both personally, and professionally.
As you prepare for your next client, don’t forget to notice their “Gatorade”, it may be the most profitable part of your meeting.