Procrastination Hides Other Issues

When a client says, “I need to think about it,” “Let me get back to you on that one,” or “I don’t feel good about moving forward,” they may be telling you more than they realize. To be clear, there are times when waiting is not only needed but required.

In my experience, delaying a needed decision may reveal other agendas.

What would those be? Might there be personal and/or family issues placing undue stress? A change of job or the possibility of career realignment, a health concern, the demands of aging parents, children transitioning to college or career, or something as normal as a move across town can slow down one’s decision-making acuity.

When a client puts the brakes on what you believe is a needed change, stop the conversation and move away from the issue on the table. Find a way to voice your suspicions in an affirming way. “Terry, we have spent several months exploring the risk you and your wife face in not having long-term care insurance. I sense something else going on with you right now. In fact, a moment ago, you grazed by a challenge you face at work. Could we talk about what’s going on?”

Then listen with ears and heart, compassion and creativity. 

Ask follow-up questions that have nothing to do with the placing of a long-term care policy or investment idea. Convey to your client that his or her life balance and sense of purpose in a career or with the family is far more important than anything else. Yes, we manage financial risk. Nothing, however, is more important than being aware of those times when a client’s life is in disequilibrium. Find a way to discover those pressure points and then speak to them in supportive ways.

On the other side of this issue is the fact that a client may be procrastinating because we have not done our job well. We have failed to communicate the features and benefits of one investment approach over another. We have not listened well or asked enough questions. Unknowingly, we may have slipped into “selling” something rather than being their partner in solving a problem or addressing a need.

All of us face the procrastination monster along the way. When that happens, either in our lives or in the lives of those we serve, turn over more soil, raise the blinds on an issue lurking in the shadows, and be the life advisor to your clients no one else in their world is either qualified or willing to be. I can think of a few professions more vital and yes, more fulfilling!