How to grow your business
When you next think about how to grow your business ask your self this one question
"What is happening from the client's perspective that creates demand for my services?"
That single question fundamentally changes the way you think about how to grow your business
From my work with UHNW families and Single Family Offices, I have learned that the best advisers think from the perspective of their clients.
Most professional firms start with their services.
"We want more investment management work."
"We want more tax work."
"We want more pension work."
"We want more mortgage business."
That seems perfectly logical.
But it is only half the story.
The more interesting question is:
What is happening in the client's world that creates demand for those services?
Clients rarely wake up thinking:
"I need a wealth manager."
"I need a lawyer."
"I need a financial planner."
Something happens first.
A business is sold and they now have cash.
A property is sold.
A founder dies.
A family relocates.
A succession issue arises.
A child joins or leaves school.
A company expands internationally.
These are not service events.
They are trigger moments that happen.
Clients respond to trigger moments.
Professionals respond with services.
That distinction matters.
Once you understand the trigger, the next question becomes obvious.
Who is involved when that trigger occurs?
If a business is sold, who else is likely to be advising the client?
If a family relocates internationally, who should be around the table?
If a founder dies, which professionals become relevant?
These are the relationships that matter.
Not because they attended the same conference.
Not because they belong to the same networking group.
Because they become relevant at precisely the moment the client needs them.
This is one of the lessons I have taken from working with Single Family Offices.
They do not begin with departments.
They do not begin with organisational charts.
They begin with the client.
They ask:
"What does this client need now?"
Only then do they bring together the right expertise.
Lawyers.
Tax advisers.
Investment managers.
Mortgage brokers.
Trustees.
Accountants.
Corporate finance advisers.
The client experiences one joined-up journey rather than a series of disconnected professional conversations.
As firms grow, no individual can know every colleague, every specialist or every relationship across a large organisation.
Without a structured way of thinking, valuable opportunities remain hidden.
Not because people are unwilling to collaborate.
Because they simply do not see them if they are thinking in terms of service skills.
That is why I believe many firms ask the right question but do not go far enough.
They ask:
"Which services would we like more work for?"
Good question but then you need to ask
"What is happening in the client's world that creates demand for those services?"
That is the key to growth and everything else follows.
The trigger moments become clearer.
The right internal relationships become easier to identify.
The external professional network becomes more focused.
Client outcomes improve.
And, almost as a by-product, firms create a more consistent flow of good quality work.
Thinking from the perspective of the client changes everything.
Perhaps that is the real distinction between simply providing professional services and thinking from the perspective of a Family Office.
The firms that understand the difference will be better placed to uncover opportunities that others never see.
If this resonates with you, I'd be delighted to continue the conversation
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