How Clients Choose Advisers
The Brand Comfort Trap
Professional services firms often behave as though branding works the same way it does in consumer markets. A familiar name, a polished office, and a strong visual identity are assumed to signal quality.
But clients do not “pick up” professional advice from a shelf.
They enter professional relationships uncertain, vulnerable, and often intimidated. They cannot assess quality in advance and may not even know what questions to ask. This makes trust—not brand recall—the true buying criterion.
Why Clients Delay Seeking Advice
Many clients have told me they delayed taking advice not because they did not need it, but because they did not know who to go to or how to begin. The experience is often framed as distressed, even when it should be proactive.
Technical jargon, unclear pricing, and intimidating expertise silence clients. They do not ask questions for fear of appearing foolish. The result is disengagement—and lost opportunity for both sides.
When Professionals Talk, Clients Switch Off
I once accompanied a client to meet an accountant. After I explained the client’s concerns, the accountant leaned back and delivered a long presentation about what his firm could do. When we left, I asked my client what he had understood.
“Not a word,” he replied.
I have witnessed the same pattern with bankers, lawyers, and advisers across sectors. Professionals focus on capability; clients are seeking clarity and reassurance.
The Power of Human Engagement
The most powerful moment in client relationships often comes when someone says, “This may sound foolish, but what does that actually mean?”
That question signals engagement and trust. It is an invitation, not a challenge.
Professionals who welcome these moments—and respond without ego—differentiate themselves instantly. This is where loyalty is built, referrals are earned, and fees become less contested.
Reframing Growth in Professional Services
Marketing departments are often tasked with fixing profitability, but they cannot solve a client-experience problem alone. Real growth comes when every professional understands what it feels like to be on the other side of the desk.
My Sustained Growth methodology focuses on the individual professional—not the corporate brand—because clients remember people, not taglines.
In my next few blogs published in my weekly newsletter on Tuesdays, I want to share with you what characteristics I have observed in some of the best professionals I have come across in my career. They may surprise you.