Guide your client meetings with the GLOSS Method™, a framework created by GoProposal to keep the focus on what matters most – your client.
As a business, your goal is to deliver value to your clients. However, during key interactions, like fee reviews or sales discussions, it’s easy to shift the spotlight onto yourself – your services, your team, your products. But that’s not where the focus should be. These moments are about the client’s needs, goals, and challenges.
The GLOSS Method™ helps structure your meetings to keep them client-focused and productive. Here’s how it works.
What is the GLOSS Method™?
The GLOSS Method™ is a straightforward yet powerful framework for client meetings, created by GoProposal. It helps you stay focused on your client’s goals, gain a clear understanding of their current circumstances, pinpoint any challenges they face, and provide personalised solutions that address their specific needs. This structured approach ensures every meeting is productive and centred on delivering real value.
GLOSS stands for:
- Goals
- Location
- Obstacles
- Speed
- Solution
Let’s break it down.
Goals: Where is your client trying to go?
To effectively support your clients, it’s essential to first understand where they want to go. Begin by exploring their personal aspirations before diving into their business objectives. After all, a business should be designed to enhance and support their lives, not the other way around. By prioritising their personal goals, you’ll gain a clearer perspective on how their business can align with and drive their overall vision for success.
Encourage your client to think short- and long-term by asking questions like:
- What would a perfect week look like for you?
- What immediate changes would make your life better?
- What would a great year for your family look like?
- How much revenue would you like to generate in the next 12 months?
- What’s your ultimate dream for your business and personal life?
Location: Where is your client now?
You can’t guide someone toward their goals without knowing where they stand currently. Understanding their situation is crucial, especially for accurate pricing and tailored solutions. Key factors to consider include:
- Industry and revenue
- Quality of existing record-keeping (this should be decided by you)
- Number of staff, directors, and transactions
- Outstanding debtor days
Gathering this data gives you a clear picture of their starting point.
Obstacles: What’s standing in their way?
Next, identify the roadblocks holding your client back from achieving their goals. These challenges often arise from a lack of key resources, such as time, money, or expertise. By uncovering these obstacles, you can better understand their needs and recommend the right services to help them overcome these barriers and move closer to their objectives.
Ask questions to uncover issues related to:
- Time constraints
- Financial limitations
- Staffing or expertise gaps
- Outdated or inefficient technology
Speed: How fast do they want to move?
Every client has a different pace of ambition. Knowing how quickly they want results will influence the service levels you propose.
- Fast pace: You handle most or all tasks, freeing up the team entirely.
- Moderate pace: You complete key tasks while training your team to manage others.
- Slow pace: The client handles most tasks, guided by your expertise.
By aligning your services with their desired speed, you empower them to choose the best investment level.
Solution: What’s the best way forward?
Once you have a clear picture of your client’s current position, their goals, the obstacles in their way, and the speed at which they want to progress, you can confidently present the most suitable solution. This could include tailored services, specialised software, targeted training, or a combination of these, all designed to help them achieve their objectives effectively.
When presenting the solution:
- Be confident and authoritative as their trusted adviser.
- Avoid overwhelming them with too many options.
- Tailor your advice to their situation, imagining what you would want in their shoes.
- Clearly explain: “Based on where you are, where you’re headed, the obstacles in your way, and your desired pace, this is the best solution for you.”
Making the GLOSS Method™ work for your business
For the GLOSS Method™ to be effective, it relies on a few key practices:
- Dynamic pricing: Implement a flexible pricing model that adapts to your client’s unique needs and the services they require.
- Client collaboration: Work through the process alongside your client, maintaining transparency at every stage.
- Instant documentation: Create proposals and engagement letters during the meeting to confirm agreements and ensure everyone is aligned.