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A friend of mine has recently got back from Dubai. The purpose of the trip was an exciting job opportunity that has arisen out there for her partner. They were chauffeur driven to the airport, presented with two tickets for business class and stayed in a six-star hotel.

When she had got over the excitement of her first visit to Dubai I asked her what the single best aspect of the weekend was. Her answer was short and immediate - the people.

She was not referring to the natives of the United Arab Emirates, as she met none. Her response was solely based upon the staff at the airport, hotel and company. ‘Everyone was so friendly and helpful and we had every minute of the day planned for us.’

The company currently courting her partner needed to make an impact, they understood the importance of making this long trip over a weekend as comfortable, stress-free and enjoyable as possible. They achieved this by putting on a top quality service in every single area of the trip.

Service, as you may well have gathered, is the key.

The interested company was well aware that they had one real chance to make an impression. They made sure they took it, the result of which is that he has accepted the position. However one must pose the question, had he flown economy class, stayed in a three-star hotel and importantly had his partner not been invited, would he have arrived at the same conclusion?

I would suggest not. While it would be wrong to say that he was not interested in the ins and outs of the role, this alone would not have been enough. It was the added value and unexpected extras that made the difference between a yes and a no.

When joining the financial services industry it is very easy to get bogged down with the importance of exams, study and the technical side of things. It is vital to pursue these areas, but not at the expense of others which have an equal if not greater importance. Many people who seek financial advice do so because they do not have the time to handle their affairs effectively by themselves. They want someone they can trust who can offer them a service that fits their requirements. It is this word service that so many advisers seem to disregard.

Go above and beyond expectation. It is the attention to details that make a poor service average, and an average service great. Clients who know they are being looked after by someone who will do everything within their power to ensure their needs are met are happy clients. Happy clients are good clients and good clients lead to new prospects.

Don’t abandon the studies and technical approach, but in order to gain new clients and more importantly hold onto them, focus on service.

This may be easier said than done, especially for those who have been advising for a long time and therefore have established long term clients. Changing the service and bringing in additional aspects may be time consuming and difficult to implement. It is the new entrants who can really make this work for them. They have yet to build a client base, they can make their own rules and decide the level of service their clients will receive. Get a blank board, design the dream service for a client and put it into action.

It is a timely exercise, it will need careful attention and the rewards may not be instant, but in order to build a top quality client bank that will last through the tough times such that we are going though now, it is a first-class plan.