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What are the psychological tripwires in the minds of your prospects, who clearly need your insight and advice, that makes them back out and “think about it,” after which they slip through your grasp?
It turns out the typical advisory approach to selling is no longer a safe and effective way to build trust.
You see, prospects are bombarded with so much information about investing and working with advisors that they’ve become skeptical of advisors themselves.
As a result, their decision-making process has become more subjective and emotional than objective and rational.
They’ve become resistant to trust.
What does this mean?
Your prospects now regard information you may share with them as persuasion.
The trust that advisors hope to build by helping their prospects understand the complexities of their situation and couching it in friendly “relationship-building” conversation creates mistrust.
Complexity and information are trust tripwires – and advisors who fail to recognize them and adjust their sales approach accordingly will lose more clients than they gain.
The safest way to convey trustworthiness in selling is to eliminate complexity from your process and restrain yourself from providing any information about solutions to their issues.
Think of it as operating more like a doctor than an advisor.
Doctors don’t share complex information about the drugs they have in mind for their patient when they do an exam.
They proceed straight to diagnosing the problem and prescribing the treatment, which their patient accepts without question.
No education is needed for this process to work.
The care and concern the patient feels from having their problem examined and focused on by an expert is all they need to be able to trust that expert and pay for their advice.
It’s a problem-centric approach rather than a solution-based approach, where the patient is the focus, not the doctor.
The purpose of your initial sales meeting is no longer to help your prospect understand your solution – it’s to show them that you understand their problem and that you’re an expert on them.
This is the mirror opposite of everything advisors have been taught about building trust in selling.
To learn more about this crucially important shift in trust-building, 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, “Trust In A Split Second” 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 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.
