Have you ever considered becoming an advocate for the causes of your clients and prospective clients?  This is what Jason, a financial consultant, does all the time.  He has great sensitivity to the needs and problems of others.  I would like to share one of his experiences with you.

Jason is a community volunteer who is actively involved with fund raising and leadership for many recreational sports and other service institutions.  He often worked with another volunteer, Bill, who is the owner of a local meat-packing company that distributes in three states.  Bill’s company was especially generous in subsidizing the expenses related to a variety of youth activities.

Jason did much of the grocery shopping for his large family.  He and his family were fans of Bill’s “brand” of packaged foods, especially its bacon products.  Over a period of about three weeks, Jason noticed that the large regional supermarket he patronized did not have Bill’s brand of bacon in stock.  When he inquired, the store manager did not have a good answer as to why the product was no longer available.

Instead of purchasing what Jason calls “brand x, y or z” bacon, he decided to take affirmative action.  You see, Jason is an advocate.  I defined advocate in Networking with the Affluent and Their Advisors as a person who speaks and/or writes in support of another’s cause.  Along these lines, Jason wrote a letter to the head of the supermarket chain which no longer carried Bill’s products.  In it he explained why the chain should reinstate Bill’s brand: “better quality than the national brands but at a lower price.”  Then Jason documented many of the noble deeds that Bill’s company had done for the youth of the community.  He went on to inform the supermarket executive that he would no longer patronize a chain which could not support a generous, local business that provided a superior product.  Jason also implied that other people from the community shared his concerns.

Bill also received a copy of the letter Jason wrote.  After reading it he called Jason and thanked him.  Jason replied, “I guess you can file my letter with the similar letters you have received from your financial advisor, accountant, attorney, life insurance agent, etc.”  Bill responded that this was the only letter of this type that he had ever received!  Jason suggested that perhaps Bill should hire a financial advisor who was also an advocate.  And Bill did just that; he now has Jason as both a financial consultant and an extraordinary advocate!