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Have you ever had a conversation with a potential client where everything seemed perfect -- your solution was spot-on, your expertise was crystal clear?
But they didn’t take the next step?
You might have asked yourself, what went wrong?
The truth is, it wasn’t your solution.
It was how you approached the conversation.
Most advisors assume that offering a solution is the key to making a sale.
But in today’s world, that approach often pushes clients away.
Prospects don’t trust solutions they don’t fully understand.
And they don’t feel comfortable opening up to someone who seems more interested in selling than solving their problems.
It’s not your fault.
We’ve been taught that the more value we provide, the easier it will be for prospects to see why they should hire you.
But this approach skips an important step: listening and understanding their problems first.
Here’s the thing: it’s not your solution that’s the issue -- it’s how your prospects perceive your intentions.
When you lead with your solution, you trigger skepticism, even if it’s exactly what they need.
They don’t have the expertise to judge whether one solution is better than another, so they rely on trust to make their decision.
When you offer a solution too quickly, they’ll think you’re more focused on closing a deal than solving their problem.
Imagine if you didn’t talk about solutions at all.
Instead, you focused entirely on listening to their problems and helping them understand their situation.
This is the essence of the problem-centric approach.
Instead of selling, you help them realise they need to fix something, and they need someone they trust to help them do it.
Think back to a doctor’s visit.
They didn’t start by giving you a prescription.
They listened to your symptoms, diagnosed the problem, and then offered a solution.
Your prospects need the same experience: they want to feel heard and understood before you offer a solution.
The best way to build trust with prospects is by focusing on listening, not selling.
Next time you’re talking to a client, focus on their problems first.
Help them realise what’s at stake, and guide them to the conclusion that they need your help.
By doing this, you’ll position yourself as a trusted authority, not just someone with an agenda to get a new client.
If you’re ready to shift your own thinking on how to create trust in your sales process, order your complimentary books and consultation below.
Related: Forget Selling the Future: Build Trust Now
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.