You are a financial advisor. You seek to build long term relationships with clients. You know the value you bring to the client relationship. You can easily articulate it when meeting with a prospect. There are several other benefits, valuable from the client’s perspective, that never get talked about. What are they?

Let us look at 12 aspects of the relationship clients consider valuable:

1. Bragging rights. “I have a financial advisor.” “My financial advisor tells me…” Not everyone works with an advisor. A few decades ago, firms targeted the HNW segment of the market. Put another way, the ability to have a financial advisor “de facto” qualifies you as a HNW individual. Firms differ in where they put the threshold. Years ago, $250,000 in investable assets was the minimum. It’s tactless to tell you friends; “I am rich!” or “I’m a HNW individual.” Saying “I have a financial advisor” gets the message across. If friends are still not impressed, this is followed by “My advisor doesn’t take just anyone…”

2. Bragging about the firm name. Big Wall Street firms invest in brand building. They sponsor golf tournaments. They are often in the tallest building in town and their name is at the top. Many years ago, New Yorker magazine ran a cartoon with angels on a cloud standing in front of a counter with a famous brokerage firm name on the wall. One angel says to another: “These are the people who who took their money with them.” Clients can affiliate with the brand reputation, just like they drink Moet champagne or Blanton bourbon.

3. My advisor makes house calls. Doctors used to do this, but then how medicine is delivered changed. Today, only concierge medicine comes to you. As an advisor, you might meet with clients at their home. You will come to their office. This is an opportunity for you to learn about them or meet their co-workers. The unspoken message is: “I am such a big client, they come to me.”

4. You are great at nagging. You remind them to make retirement plan contributions. With other clients you remind them about RMDs. You are always talking about rebalancing their asset allocation. In real life, self directed investors need to take responsibility to get these things done themselves. You are staying on top of them.

5. Someone else is driving the bus. The stock market changes by the minute. Financial commentators on TV create a sense of urgency. Overseas markets make investing a 24/7 activity. The client does not need to obsess about this. “They have people…” If something needs attention, they expect you will tell them. They can focus on living their lives.

6. They have someone to blame. You cannot predict the future. Most people do not want to accept responsibility for bad decisions they make. They like the idea of placing the faulty at the feet of others. If they buy a stock and it goes down, they can claim it was your idea.

7. Someone to call in an emergency. Your firm has offices around the world. If they lost their wallet in London, they feel they can call you and somehow the situation would be made better. You would tap a few keys and they could pickup a check at a local office of your firm, which could be cashed at a local bank around the corner,.You are the person who puts humpty dumpty back together again.

8. You give them fun, free events to attend. This might be client/prospect dinners. It might be client appreciation events. Perhaps you get them tickets to sporting events. You hold seminars. Maybe you invite them to your home. They see these things as fun nights out that don’t cost them anything.

9. You talk them off the ledge. Something gets them upset. They think the DJIA is going down to zero. They want to sell everything and put their money in the mattress. You listen, you offer advice, you explain volatility and get them focused on the long term. They calm down.

10. You talk them out of bad ideas. Their barber tells them about a new invention that turns water into gasoline. “The oil companies have been suppressing this technology for years.” They want to sell everything and jump in with both feet. You do some research, possibly showing the idea is a scam,

11. You explain complex concepts in simple terms. You tell clients they should never buy an investment unless they understand what has to happen for the idea to work out and the company to succeed. You take the time to explain and don’t assume if they ask no questions, they’ve “got it.” They do not need to be afraid to say they don’t follow what you are saying.

12. You demonstrate accountability. You “own” your recommendations. You give them periodic report cards. You stand behind your advice. They know other people who have given bad advice, then distanced themselves from their recommendations. You talk about this at the start of the relationship and you demonstrate it often.

These are benefits you deliver. You might take them for granted and think it is simply part of doing your job. They have value to your client and strengthen the relationship.

Related: 8 Unique Prospecting Ideas to Crack the UHNW Market