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Every day you’re probably hearing this from those who claim to be marketing “experts”: “If you want to get new clients, you have to give information/value”.
Most advisors seem to comply with this false belief.
They give immense value in their sales process by providing free information.
Dispensing free information used to be an effective way to sell but that has ended.
Why?
Because in the pre-internet era, there was less free information available and free information provided was used to classify the source as trustworthy.
But in the post-internet era (now), free information is everywhere and when you dispense it in your sales process, it is perceived as persuasion for the purpose to get them to hire you.
Providing free information no longer portrays you as a credible expert... it portrays you as someone trying to sell something, keeping your prospect in “shopping mode”.
It extends your sales cycle, puts you in “follow-up” mode and ultimately ends up in: “I’d like to think about it, and I’ll will get back to you when I’m ready”.
This is the problem with the free information, typically delivered upfront by advisors, and the reason why most prospects don’t move forward as paying clients.
Here’s a different perspective that will give you more clarity on this...
When an industry becomes commoditized (like advisory), those working in it try harder to differentiate.
They share a portion of their knowledge for free, hoping to differentiate by displaying their competence.
That works great, when your peers aren’t doing it.
But it doesn’t work great, when everyone else in your industry is sharing their knowledge as well -- competence from your prospect’s perspective, has becomes commoditized.
It’s easy to make the assumption your prospect is judging you based on your competence.
Don’t make that assumption any more.
They’re judging you based on how much they trust you.
It’s why they often say “I need time to think it over”, instead of “Let’s move forward”.
What they are really looking for from you, is deep clarity on their issues, the ones they can’t articulate on their own.
Dispensing information requires them to process what you are giving them, it doesn’t create a clear “aha” based on the “gaps” they can’t see on their own.
Your prospect’s ultimate decision is not driven by processing your expertise and knowledge – it’s driven by whether or not they trust you.
And educating them with free information doesn’t build trust, it only commoditizes you, losing you potential paying clients.
To learn how to shift the conversation away from giving away free information and value to trust-building instead, order the complimentary book and schedule your free consultation below.
Related: Is Giving Away Free Information Helping You Sell?
Get your Free copy of Ari’s best-selling book "Trust In A Split Second!" here and you’ll also receive a Complimentary Sales and Lead Generation Consultation (value $995.00). Ari Galper is the world’s number one authority on trust-based selling and is the most sought-after high-net-worth new client acquisition expert for financial advisors. His latest book, “Trust In A Split Second!” has become an instant best-seller among financial advisors worldwide.