How to Get More Clients Through Centres of Influence

One of the most effective – yet often overlooked – ways to grow your business is by building strong relationships with centres of influence. We all know about referrals and advocate clients, but there’s another goldmine of opportunity that sits right in front of us: the professional people our clients already work with.

Think about it. Most of your clients will have, at some point, engaged with:

• A conveyancing lawyer when they purchased a property

• An accountant if they’re self-employed

• A solicitor during a divorce or litigation matter

• A broker, when renewing insurance

• Or even someone who helped them update their will

Every single one of those professionals is a potential gateway to new clients.

The Power of Asking the Right Questions

When I meet a client for the first time, I don’t just ask about their financial needs. I ask who else they’ve worked with. For example:

“What did you think of Steve Smith, the lawyer who helped you with your property purchase?”

If the client says, “Steve was excellent – he’s worked with our family for years,” then I know I have a warm introduction waiting to happen.

The very next day, I can call Steve and say:
“Hello, Steve. My name is Sandro Forte. I was speaking with our mutual client yesterday, who spoke very highly of you. I run a successful wealth management business, and many of my clients ask me for a good lawyer recommendation. Could we meet for a coffee to discuss how I might introduce some of my clients to you?”

Now, here’s the key: Steve is in the same business as me – not financial planning, but the business of prospecting. He’s looking for clients every day. So when another professional offers to send business his way, he’s going to listen.

Building Mutually Valuable Relationships

Of course, I can’t promise how many introductions I’ll make, but I know that by genuinely trying to add value to my clients with holistic solutions – legal, tax, insurance, mortgages – opportunities will naturally arise. Over time, as I build relationships with these professionals, they will begin to reciprocate and introduce clients back to me.

If they don’t? That’s fine – I simply reassess whether the relationship is worth continuing.

Diversify Your Centres of Influence

The beauty is that professionals have different specialisms. For example:

• I can work with several lawyers in the same town (property, family law, litigation).

• I can partner with multiple accountants – one who focuses on small business, another on personal finances.

In this way, I create a small but powerful group of trusted professional introducers. Not only does this strengthen my value proposition to clients, but it also drives consistent growth for my business.

Final Thought

Your clients are already connected to a network of professionals. By positioning yourself as the bridge between those services and your clients’ needs, you become more than a financial adviser – you become a trusted partner in their lives. And in doing so, you’ll open the door to a steady stream of new clients through centres of influence.