When I look at 3 levels down in my business Level 1 starts with the initial client conversation. My clients want to be comfortable with me. We need to build rapport. This allows them to warm up and answer my questions which leads me to Level 2, fact finding. They start to understand that for me to provide their best options, they need to give me all the information. They start to trust that I have their best interest at heart. They start to open up to me. Level 3 is when the applications are done, and the coverage begins. This relieves their stress, and a burden has been lifted from their shoulders. They recognize that they have someone who is in their corner and that they can call anytime they have questions, which gives them peace of mind.

Personal Injury - Let's peel back some layers... Everyone thinks getting the most money for someone is all that's important. Not even close. Getting the most is always important, but next I have to ask how much do we have to pay back to medical providers? Then of course - what does the client actually receive in her pocket? And based on that, how does she move on from this? Nancy was seriously injured and after we resolved her case much more favorably than we hoped for. She spent 1 year and multiples surgeries recovering from her near fatal crash. After all that, Nancy's real value is taking her grandchildren on vacation with her.

For the accounting industry this is pretty simple, however most of our perceived value can be assigned to th first few levels:

1.  stay compliant (avoid excess penalties - FEAR sells afterall)

2.  being proactive can actually save money

3  knowing how your business is performing is key to future decision making, officer compensation, and future success (this is the most overlooked by clients but is arguably the most important)

We prepare monthly reporting packages for our business clients and periodically we'll schedule meetings to to go over them and ensure clients know what information they are getting and how to understand it.

The best way for me to get three levels deep is asking questions and then determining a course of action to maximize the likelihood of success.  A close Realtor friend had a very important deal in 2023.  It was a tough year in the market, and she needed to (1) close a purchase for her client, which would (2) enable her to sell that client’s current home, and (3) those two commissions would help her fund her side-hustle home-flipping business.  Without 1 and 2, she could not get to 3.  It client had a VERY challenging self-employment situation.  We had the only loan program they could find that would allow the client to close a jumbo loan using only 1 year of tax returns.  We ran their file through underwriting using a TBD address so we could have their loan approved before they made an offer on a home, thus reducing risk.  My Realtor friend was thrilled when we closed the purchase, enabling her to move on to 2 and 3.

The place in my business when working with couples where the real value is three levels deep is improving their marriage.

When couples first begin to work with me, I listen and observe a lot.  There are things in body language and verbal language that tell what's going on in a relationship.  So, I always start with exercises and modules that address communication.  communication can always be better no matter how long or how good the relationship is.  

I have the couple work together on the budget.  I have them work on their goals and priorities individually and then come together to discuss and learn from each other, building common goals.  I encourage short weekly meetings to discuss finances as well as general family stuff.  All these things improve communication, teamwork, and shared goals to strive for.

Jack Moore, planning attorney.

On the surface, my job is to help people put a period at the end of their lives. But below the surface, they should strive to put not just a period at the end of their lives, but an exclaimation point. Your Last Will and Testament is almost like giving the eulogy at your own funeral. You are summing up your whole life. Just like a company's real mission statement is its budget, your last will is your real mission statement for your life and how you want to tie it all up.  By my encouraging my clients to think in this way, they really have to dig deep and confront a host of raw emotions, pro and con, about their spouses, partners, exes, children, grandchildren, friends, enemies. It's a whole different kind of therapy that I believe is valuable to them in living, not just after they pass on. The process of asking deep questions and sending drafts of the documents forces people to do the hard digging. Hard, sometimes painful work, but worth it all, I believe.

In dog training, the value is not in what I teach the owner or what I teach the dog. It is in the behavior of the dog. In real-life situations.  With my clients, I discuss how dogs learn and how they react to different situations. This allows the owner to be better prepared for life events. 

Website completion → Maintenance →  More time for sales.

Although many clients see the advantage of having a team behind their website, some of them believe it is something they can keep up by themselves (I used to believe the same with many parts of my company) However this is not the case.

I help clients maintain and update aspects of their online presence so they can focus on sales and other aspects of their company. A good example of this is my client Mike who is on the road all day, I take his inquiries from the site and get them sent as a text message which he uses to contact the client right away. This way his clients get immediate response, making the maintenance something essential for his business.

Many of my prospects often ask the same three questions when they're considering investing in marketing and advertising:

1. "If I invest in marketing and advertising, what will my return on investment be?"
2. "How long will it take to see a return on my investment?"
3. "Do you guarantee results?"

My response to these questions is always a question of my own:

1. "How hard is it for your best propects find, review, and choose your business online today?"

Answering this question usually leads to a more in-depth discussion. When I began my career in marketing, there were only four major TV networks and a handful of cable channels. However, today's consumers spend almost six hours online per day, compared to less than two hours with connected television and cable. Consumers have endless media options available to them, and it's crucial for businesses to be present along the customer journey. With consumers having so many media choices, it’s harder than ever for business owners to reach their best customers.

That’s why the answer to the question, how hard is it for your best prospects to find, review, and choose your business online today is so important. It’s help identify gaps that could lead to lost business and marks the starting point of building a strong marketing strategy.

Three levels deep, starts by asking questions about where they are in their investing. Usually when I talk to someone I can tell, but there are some that hide their true level of understanding. I encourage open lines of communication with me so they feel commfortable to ask what they may feel is a dumb question. When buying property is where the conversation can go in different directions. 

Things to think about: 

1. How to purchase the property- basic purchase and sale agreement, seller finance offer, lease options, or a combination of the two or three.

2. The Money- Having some money, no money, or having all the money neccessary to move forward in any of the purchase option stated above.

3. Credit- Personal credit, other peoples credit, or not based on credit.

4. Experience vs no experience with investing 

5. Types of property 

6. Terms I can offer and Proof of Funds

I provide home and auto quotes every day. The details behind getting to those quotes look very different each time. Oftentimes, people just want the "cheapest" quote, however, I created a saying "The cheapest insurance isn't always best, but the cheapest best is". The married couple with kids looks different than the retired couple who looks different than the young 20-year-old new homeowner. 

I listen

I ask questions

I listen more

That's how I get to where I need to be so I can present what I think is the "best" for my clients.

The adult children I work with ultimately want to get a promotion at work, or they want to resume their Friday night date nights with their spouse, or they want to attend every basketball game their son plays.  On the surface, level 1 is finding an Assisted Living community for their parents.  Level 2 is their desire to ensure that Mom or Dad are safe and secure.  But level 3, and the true Gold Card, is returning to engaging in their life and doing what they love.  Getting there begins with good listening during our initial discovery calls and finding a solution that gives the adult child peace of mind that Mom or Dad is safe, secure, and treated with dignity.

In our business considering the question the real value which is three levels below the surface and the process to get there.

First,  our pressure washing services uses water under high pressure or low pressure depending on the needs.

Second, we choose solutions for different surfaces and use soft wash techniques for delicate surfaces.

Thirdly, at a deeper we create our own special cleaning ratio of chemical to water to clean better and safer ensuring compatabilty with low pressure and soft wash methods.

 Process to get there we do lots of research and colaboration with other partners working together and trying new things.We make sure that our cleaning is not only effective but also gentle on all types of surfaces.

At Handyman Connection, our first in-depth interaction with the client happens when the handyman visits the client's house. We encourage our team members to ask questions and understand the client's motivation to get the job done. The screen door repair may be to keep a pet safe, and changing the light fixture to keep from stumbling in the dark. Our handymen are often able to recommend additions to help our clients achieve their true motivation - for example, the client who wanted a brighter light fixture was happier with a series of night lamps. We believe our value-add to our customers is to meet their latent needs, and not just do the job they wanted. 

Surface level - first impression, public image and track record. Asking questions but also giving information based on concerns.

Project engagement- deeper trust is gained when we are droning or climbing and they see and acknowledge the damage on their roof. Giving open and honest communication about what we see.

Long term reliability- occurs over time as they see we stand by our warranties, support after the install and future roofing needs. This solidifies trust and satisfaction

I often discuss access to files with my clients from the beginning. Not only do I want my clients to love what I have created for them, I make sure that they have full access to it. The reality is that most people don't realize what this "full access" actually means. Not only do I share multiple design variations of their logo. I then break the versions down into multiple color variations based on branding established. This means that I usually release 100+ files to my clients for a logo/branding creation.

How does this below the surface value show up? I'll share about my client A.

1. She wanted to get T-Shirts printed. She already had the exact file the t-shirt shop needed, and was able to get her shirts made quickly.

2. When she was ready to Sponsor a business networking event in her community; she was able to send her contact the exact file she needed for the website and promotional materials.

3. When she wanted to make a post on social media about her business, she already had the exact file she needed to make her post look good.

She knows that anytime she has a question about her logo/branding/file access, that I'll be there to help her.

Many people think financial advisors are only interested in discussing the assets. While the assets are an important part of the equation, they are just that – only a part of the discussion. 

The real value is in the financial planning process and helping clients understand the importance of managing both sides of their personal balance sheet and their personal income statement – assets and liabilities as well as income and expenses to ultimately fund the quantifiable goals in life they have for themselves and their family (i.e. I want to option to not go into work at the age of 60 and need $180,000 in after-tax income adjusted for inflation.).

We accomplish this by doing a lot of listening, asking a lot of questions, and never speaking more than 30% of the time.

A majority of the public sees life insurance only in the death perview.  Life insurance is the best protection in the event of an untimely death; however, life insurance does have a multitude of living benefits.  A whole life policy or UL policy can be a great investment vehicle.  Structued properly, the cash growth investment can help supplement retirement, offer emergency cash reserves, fund education, give children and jump start in life.  Policy loans and cash withdrawls are available while mantaining a death benefit.

Now that we've assited to solve the issues you have, is there anyone in your network who could also benefit from our services?