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When you achieve a level of mastery as an advisor and someone crosses your path with issues you can solve, it’s an ecstatic experience.
“When I explain how I can solve their problem and that I’m the right person to do it, it becomes obvious that I’m the right fit for them.”
That is the quintessential assumed “expert” mindset that can go pear-shaped in today’s selling environment – especially in the commoditized advisory profession. Turns out, your prospect is neither interested in how you solve their issues nor is easily impressed with your expertise. The criteria that matters in their decision to hire you is whether they can they trust you. Trust is no longer created from your level of knowledge or expertise. In their mind, they can easily find knowledge or expertise from most other competent advisors. No longer is your knowledge and expertise the single factor that will differentiate your sales process. Displaying your expertise is an attempt to prove your value; it’s how the profession has always taught advisors to win over new clients. So why do advisors still default to attempting to prove their value?
It’s because as an expert, you’ve been trained to solve problems, and it’s easy to assume that having the solution is what you need to make the sale.
Here’s the shift: Your prospects aren’t qualified to judge your expertise. How can they, if you haven’t yet solved their problem yet? Your prospect’s goal is to find an advisor they can trust – they’re not interested in the solution itself.
This shift in perspective makes all the difference to how successful advisors approach the sale.
How do you become the advisor they choose to work with?
Diagnose and unpack their problems and find issues that even they themselves never knew existed. They must come to see their problem in a way that had never occurred to them, nor ever would occur to them, until you had diagnosed their situation at a very deep level.
More importantly, the only way your prospect can act decisively with you is if they understand the impact of not solving their issues.
They also must feel that the sales conversation is about them, not about you.
This is the deep connection that your next prospect needs to trust and appoint you as their new advisor.
To learn how to replace your expertise with deep trust instead, order your complimentary book and consultation below.
Ari Galper is the world’s number one authority on trust-based selling and is the most sought-after high-net worth/lead generation expert for financial advisors. His newest book, “Trusted Authority” has become an instant best-seller among financial advisors worldwide – you can get a Free copy of Ari’s book here and, when you click the “YES” button in the order form, you’ll also receive a complimentary “plug up the holes” lead generation consultation. Ari has been featured in CEO Magazine, Forbes, INC Magazine and the Australian Financial Review. He is considered a contrarian in the financial services industry and in his book, everything you learned about selling will be turned upside down. No more chasing, no pressure, no closing.
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