Result: Surfaced $2MM loan opportunity; sold new products to six other accounts

How did The Power to Know® help?
“I brought several key accounts with me when I moved from my old bank to this one. The CFO in one of those accounts is a friend I knew from college. Our relationship is terrific. I knew his feedback would be extremely positive.

“I was shocked when his responses identified the issue of ‘adding value’ as the item most important to him and the one on which I am least effective. His comment was disturbing and confusing: ‘bring me options and choices instead of your one best solution.’

“Years ago I was trained to offer my clients the one solution I perceived as most appropriate, rather than a confusing array of possibilities. It was a total surprise that this client preferred to make his own decisions and found my one-solution approach frustrating. I learned that, ironically, our friendship and years of working together had kept him from being more honest, even while his frustration was building.

“The payoff was quick. Within a month of my follow-up meeting, the client asked me for options on restructuring business he had with a competitor. The decisions he made surprised me, but the discussion of how and why he made them offered new insights and further deepened our relationship. I won the business, and credit that Power to Know® meeting.

“Since that discussion, I have asked every account whether they prefer options or one recommended solution. Preferences are mixed, but every client appreciates being asked. After years of success a Power to Know® complaint led to a dramatic improvement in my skills.”