Written by: George Shirley. Opinions are those of George Shirley and not necessarily those of RJFS or Raymond James
I have gotten this question often over the years, and the answer to that has changed. When I first started in the business, I was happy to talk to anyone and would have said $1. After a few years and feeling a little too full of myself, I started saying 250k, 500k and then 1 million. Without realizing it, I probably turned off some potential clients that I could have helped because it made me feel important.
But over time, our business has evolved into many more multi-generational relationships. And when evaluating how much time I need to spend with clients to truly provide the level of service that they need, I have changed the answer to that question.
Our account minimum is not a dollar amount, but rather a personality match. I want to work with people whom I like, respect, and generally enjoy their company. People that look for guidance, take recommendations and have an open and honest discussion about their financial situation.
Life is too short to spend it with people if you don’t enjoy their company, regardless of the investable assets they may have. Working with people with different backgrounds, life stories, in different fields of work, helps us learn and we have a chance to grow together and share the journey. It makes it much easier to come into work when you look forward to the clients that you will be working with.