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You’ve got the expertise, the right offering, and you’ve asked all the right questions in your sales process.
So why are many of your qualified prospects still slipping through your fingers?
New alert: It’s not about you’re offering -- it’s about the deep trust you’re not creating.
As an advisor, you’ve likely been trained to kick off every conversation with fact-finding questions, digging into your potential client’s financial situation.
The classic formula looks like this:
Qualify the lead + Present your solution = New Paying Client
It sounds simple enough, right?
But if this formula really worked every time, why aren’t all qualified prospects turning into paying clients?
There’s a missing element.
It’s called trust-building, and it needs to happen before any qualification process begins.
If you don’t establish deep trust upfront, those qualification questions will make your potential client feel like you’re only interested in offering your services.
In their mind, if they qualify, they expect the next step to be a pitch.
But let me clarify something important: building trust is not the same as building rapport.
Building rapport is about being friendly. However, friendliness often prevents you from sharing the hard truths your client needs to hear.
Building trust is different -- it’s about “going down the iceberg.”
As an advisor, “going down the iceberg” means helping your potential client understand the full impact of their problems and what could happen if they don’t address them.
Like an iceberg, the issues below the surface are usually much bigger than what they’re initially aware of.
When you guide your prospect through this process --gently but confidently, like a doctor with a patient -- they begin to trust you.
And once trust is created, they’re likely to ask: "How can you help me?".
At this point, no further questions are unnecessary.
Why?
Because you’ve given them a depth of understanding they won’t find with other advisors still relying on traditional sales methods.
To help your clients go down the iceberg, try asking these questions:
You: “Can you tell me a bit about your background and your biggest financial concerns right now?”
You: “You mentioned [insert concern], could you expand on that?”
(Tip: Speak calmly, like a doctor offering reassurance.)
You: “How long has this been a concern for you?”
You: “What have you done so far to solve it?”
You: “How has this issue impacted you?”
You: “Is resolving this a priority for you?”
These are trust-building questions, not just fact-finding. They show your potential client you truly care.
Focus on trust, guide your clients down the iceberg, and watch how your approach sets you apart from other advisors, often leading to new clients who are eager to work with you and sometimes even willing to pay upfront planning fees because your approach is so different.
If you're ready to shift to a deeper, trust-based sales approach, order your complimentary books and consultation below.
Related: Are You Leads Unqualified? Or Are You Losing the Sale
Get Ari’s 6 best-selling books for FREE 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 books "Are You Chasing Ghosts", "Trusted Authority" and "Trust In A Split Second" have become instant best-sellers among financial advisors worldwide, get your free books here.