I’ve had some very interesting discussions recently, with clients, potential clients and fellow professionals and more often than not, keeping things simple is the answer. The world of finance, like many industries is awash with jargon, acronyms and long words. Most people want to know what something will do for them and not the technical terminology.

I was recently introduced to a couple that are US citizens – which is unfortunately an area of business that we’re unable to work in. However, rather than leaving them to the joys of Google, I sought referrals from my network and have provided some options of businesses that specialise in that area. Do I want anything in return? No. Do I want those third parties to do a good job for this family? Yes. Move on.

We held our first webinar on the 18th November (link here – skip to the 3rd minute) and it was a resounding success, as we measure it. We had 70% of registrants watch the webinar live and more than the remaining 30% watched subsequently. People enjoyed the fact it was personable, simple and at a level where everyone took something away. They were not bombarded with a mass of jargon or confusing statements. Nor did we thrust WKM’s services in the viewers faces. Provide something interesting and hopefully educate – one day they may come back to us for more. Simple.

Offering simple advice, pointers and a plan, is how we want to do things with clients. There may well be a plethora of ways to approach a situation, but the simplest way is often the best and ensuring that we minimise jargon is part of that – it’s inherently difficult in the world of finance.

We did the same with our 2021 (& beyond) business plan. It’s not a web of complexity – can we grow the client base appropriately, what additional support do we need and will that allow us to thrive as a business? Do we back ourselves as a business to grow further? Yes. Are we likely to spend more on a few items to support that growth, and hopefully hire into the team?

It’s not an interrogation of detail, or questioning the value – it’s taking a simple approach to running and growing our business, using professionals to support us and focusing on what we do best.

Thanks for reading.