Go Where the Hungry Fish Are

What You Need to Know

Different fish go for different baits.
The same with people.
Do you know what bait attracts your best clients?

As I was preparing to present a workshop in Indiana for a room full of young financial advisors, I overheard a small group of them discussing fishing.

“Chris,” I called out to one of them at the beginning of the workshop. “When you go fishing, are you looking for just anything that will take your bait, or are you aiming for something specific?”

“Well, any fisherman knows that different fish go for different baits,” he called back.

“So, when you go fishing,” I asked him, “is there a particular fish that you go after?”

“I like fly fishing,” he responded. “Usually for trout.”

“Would you do that on the ocean?” I continued. The group chuckled.

“No, of course not,” Chris replied, trying to decide whether I was acting clever or clueless. “You’re not going to find trout in the ocean. They’re a fresh water fish that you find in streams and rivers,” he continued, apparently concluding that my problem was ignorance.

“So,” I responded, “what you’re saying is that if you’re fishing for trout, you’re going to be casting with different bait, and maybe even in different waters, than if you’re fishing for tuna.”

“Yes, that’s right,” he responded, satisfied now that he had enlightened me, while others in the group continued to chuckle.

“When you’re fishing for trout, then, do you fish just anywhere—in any stream or river?” I asked.

Now, Chris must have been really concerned for me. He replied, delicately: “No, a good fisherman learns the best times to fish and where he’s most likely to land one.”

“In other words,” I continued, “he goes where the hungry fish are?”

“I guess you could put it that way,” Chris replied.

My class was ready for our lesson. “When you’re looking for clients,” I asked him, “what type of client are you looking for?”

Chris chortled. “Anyone who needs my services that has the money to pay for them.”