A Chartered and Certified Financial Planner has revealed his top tips for finding and retaining the right clients.

Matthew Aitchison, managing director of Clear Vision Financial Planning, in Bedfordshire, spoke exclusively to Financial Planning Today magazine and features in the latest issue.

Asked how he got his first clients, Mr Aitchison said: “The first ever clients I took on were an annuity recommendation that was given to me by the firm I did my graduate scheme through.

“My first role was at an IFA firm that was great for training but very transactional in its nature.

“The first clients we took on at Clear Vision FP were friends of the family.”

Speaking about his longest term clients he said: “My longest clients were running their own business when we first met.

“They had an existing adviser, but had a jumble of policies, no cohesive strategy, they didn’t know what they had and didn’t know how they would get to the retirement they wanted.

“After all the work we’ve done over the years, these clients are now fully retired and enjoying time with each other, their children and their grandchildren.”

He said the key to long term relationships was to “put them at the centre of what you do.

“Be interested in them (not their money), ask good questions and listen intently to the answers.

“Connect on a human level, stay curious and be open and approachable.

“Once you have this connection, just keep it going.

“Be constantly interested in them, their family and what they want for the future.

Be good at what you do, deliver what you say you will deliver, when you say you will deliver it.

“Be prompt, on time, genuine and courteous.”

Mr Aitchison also said getting the right clients was important.

He added: “Most of our clients come through referrals and word of mouth.

“We try to be very clear about who we serve.”

The full interview with Matthew Aitchison appears in the latest issue of Financial Planning Today magazine.