Traveling into the role of macro-planner: How being a one-stop shop for your clients deepens your relationship

Exploring new places, tasting exotic foods, experiencing foreign cultures. Many of us are always thinking about our next vacation, whether it’s for the adventure of a new destination or for the chance to kick back and relax.

I was fortunate to experience the latter when my wife and I honeymooned at an all-inclusive resort years ago. A hotel is a place to rest your head, but an all-inclusive is where every detail is taken care of and guests are made to feel special.

My previous column described how being a successful attorney in this day and age is hard. To set yourself apart from the ceaseless competition you need to deepen your client relationships. Last time I wrote about being a good teacher for your clients, this column will focus on how to provide all-inclusive service.

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The transactions beyond the transaction

Attorneys are retained to perform a transaction (multiple transactions, we hope). For example, a client may hire you when she is starting a business, buying into a business, or acquiring a business.

You, as the attorney, will be retained to execute various portions of the transaction: incorporating, licensing, or structuring the deal, to name a few. Think of it from your client’s perspective, though. Starting or purchasing a business is often a dream that has been many years in the making. For them, it is so much more than a transaction – it is the fulfilment of hard work and the first step in a new journey. For you as the attorney, it’s also an opportunity to deepen your client relationship.

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How to deepen your relationships as the macro-planner

In my business I serve as my clients’ macro-planner. I help my clients understand how all of their major money decisions are interrelated, from how they protect their assets and family, to how they finance their homes and education, to how they consider liquidity and taxes. This educational process empowers my clients to make better decisions.

And although I’m not an estate planning attorney, a mortgage broker, or a CPA, I guide my clients through executing all of the components of an integrated financial strategy by facilitating introductions to the right professionals. My clients know they can turn to me for any questions even remotely related to their finances. Even if the question is outside my area of expertise, I will guide them toward the solution.

In the context of a transactional attorney, your client who is now a business owner will need professional services well beyond your legal expertise. They may need accounting, insurance, marketing, banking, human resources support, and more.

Make it your job to know the right professionals for your clients, so you can be their macro-planner, guiding them through the quagmire. Because when you are a macro-planner, your clients know you have their backs and they will come to you first.

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Want to talk to Kyle about this or other topics featured in The Economic Blueprint? Please email him at kzwiren@financialarch.com or call him at 248-482-3622.

Kyle Zwiren, J.D. works with Financial Architects, Inc., an independently-owned company located in Farmington Hills. Kyle and his team serve attorneys and other professionals to help them design financial plans in line with their goals and based on optimal efficiency. Kyle practiced law prior to becoming a Financial Architect and left the practice to follow his passion.