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“What are your goals for the future... where do you see yourself in five years?”
Many advisors ask those classic opening questions in their first prospect meeting.
That traditional selling has always been about getting your prospects to talk about what they want for their future, showing them your process and offering solutions to achieve their goals. All common sense so far, right? But what if your prospect is not crystal clear on their future goals?
What if they’re so overwhelmed with daily life and world events that they can’t think past tomorrow?
If your primary focus is talking about their future goals, which they have a hard time imagining, then you’ll hear this at the end of your meeting: “I’d like to think about it and will get back to you.”
Few prospects have the mental bandwidth to plan ahead five weeks, let alone five to 20 years.
Attempting to have them project their future, when they don’t completely trust you, creates anxiety and indecisiveness on their part.
If you’re still using this traditional sales approach where you’re effectively “selling the future,” then you are losing perfectly qualified prospects. Shift your sales process to a problem-centered approach, instead of a future-centred approach.
Your prospect has come to you because they have a problem they don't know how to solve.
They feel uncertain and uneasy about their issues, but they don’t fully grasp the totality, depth and impact of them.
For them to trust you, they need to feel emotionally connected to you, based on your ability to help them identify, quantify and clarify their problems (that is a unique process I call “going down the iceberg”).
Until this happens, there will always be a mental roadblock that prevents them from choosing you as their advisor.
They can’t buy into their own future until their present situation is fully addressed and understood.
If you’re not on boarding at least seven out 10 qualified prospects from your first meeting, then shift your sales mindset.
To make that shift, 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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Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.
