Joe Girard was the most successful car salesperson to ever walk the earth. Joe sold 1,425 units in the best year of his career, all at retail price. He is remembered by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most prolific automobile salesperson in the industry. Although his job is different from that of a financial advisor, one necessary skill is consistent between the two trades: building client relationships.
Building Client Relationships: Garnering Loyalty With a Letter
Joe Girard was a master of making people feel welcome, comfortable, and appreciated. However, it was his method of doing so that separated him from everyone else. He would send his customers cards on their anniversaries, gifts to wish them happy birthday, or go out of his way to call them on days that were special to them.
Pushing the Envelope Further with Unique Communication
In addition, Girard would send cards to his customers celebrating holidays that most people would not even think to get a card for, such as St. Patrick’s Day and the 4th of July. This was just one strategy that Joe Girard used to be a great salesperson, and it no doubt had a significant impact on the number of cars he was able to sell. He put the customer first, and therefore became a consummate master of the art of selling. As a financial advisor, it may help to think about ways that you can build relationships with your clients while also differentiating yourself from everyone else.
It does not matter what the emphasis of your practice is, relationship building has always aided strong revenue, and in order to start a relationship, you have to stand out. Joe Girard was so successful because he managed to do both in one fell swoop; he built relationships in a way that stood out.

Sending out cards or going out of your way to let a client know that they are appreciated is an excellent way to help build a relationship.
Earn Client Loyalty Using Dunham's Discussion Deck
One good way to build a relationship with a client is to listen to the things that are most important to them. In order to do this, a bit of fact-finding is necessary. To help with this process, Dunham offers a Discussion Deck that is geared to help financial advisors learn about their client’s most important financial goals.
Each card within the deck has a different financial goal printed on them. Like holiday cards, these cards can differentiate you as a financial advisor and may help you build relationships. These cards enable you to sit down with your clients and listen to them as they pick out the 3-4 most important financial goals they currently have.
This deck of 36 cards includes options like:
- Planning a dream vacation
- Starting a business
- Deciding on the best way to transfer wealth
- Planning for retirement.
This is one way that Dunham can help the financial advisor emulate Joe Girard’s method of success. His focus on what his customers wanted set an example for sales students to follow.
We think these cards will serve as an excellent way for you to differentiate yourself and build relationships with your clients. To receive your own set of cards, please follow this link. Who knows, you might just find yourself in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most prolific financial advisor to ever work the job!
Dunham: World-Class Trust & Investment Firm
At Dunham, we are dedicated to supporting financial advisors, both asset gatherers and asset managers. We offer a comprehensive selection of mutual funds and Asset Allocation Program model portfolios to help our clients meet objectives and outperform benchmarks.
For more information on how our team can help expertly manage your assets or to receive Dunham's Discussion Deck, give us a call at 858.964.0500 or via our online contact form! Our professionals are ready to take your call and answer any questions you have about beginning a journey with Dunham.
