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Chit-chat has long been accepted as the norm for creating rapport, with the belief that people will only buy from those they like.
But in the commoditized economy we are all now in, building rapport alone can’t create the deep trust needed to build deep trust to convert prospects into clients.
Many advisors feel like they need to be liked before a prospect will trust them to do business with them.
As a result, you often hear advisors talking with prospects about ancillary topics things that don’t directly address their financial issues.
This is where the “know, like and trust” approach falters.
Your prospect can often sense that your chit-chat with them might contain a hidden agenda.
Imagine you’re a doctor, and your patient is sitting in front of you for their scheduled appointment.
Most doctors don’t waste time on chit-chat.
Instead, they dive into the problem at hand, focusing on the patient’s needs while still using empathy and bedside manner.
When your prospects come to you, they’re not just looking for financial advice.
They often grapple with anxiety about their future, concerns about providing for their families, or fears of not having enough for retirement.
These emotional worries can overshadow their ability to make decisions.
If you find yourself defaulting to chit-chat in order to get prospects to like you -- and that’s not working -- try redirecting the conversation back to their core financial issues with a phrase like this: "Would you happen to have a written, detailed, and customized financial plan from your current advisor that you can share with me?"
This simple question gets straight to the point.
Most likely, you’ll hear: “I don’t have one,” or “They didn’t create one,” or even, “I didn’t know I needed one.”
At this point, you shift the conversation back to the reason they came to you in the first place -- their financial challenges.
Now, you can naturally start discussing the importance of having a detailed plan and how you can help them create one.
Addressing their emotional concerns can also help build rapport in a more meaningful way.
Instead of merely skimming the surface, delve into what their financial situation means to them.
Remember, they want to know if they can trust you to help them.
Your goal isn’t to build rapport, it’s to guide them to focus on their core financial problems and how you can effectively solve them.
Think of their financial challenges as an iceberg.
What’s visible above the surface is only a small part of the whole picture, the real issues often lie hidden beneath the water.
By diving deeper into their financial challenges, you help them uncover those submerged concerns.
Rather than getting lost in small talk, when you shift the conversation toward the deep hidden issues -- the lack of a plan, the financial concerns they haven't yet solved -- you lay a foundation of trust.
You show them that you're not there just to be liked -- you're there to truly help.
If you're ready to shift to a deeper, trust-based approach, order your complimentary books and consultation below.
Related: Breaking Free from the Traditional ‘Follow-Up’ Sales Cycle
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.