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When a prospect sits across from you, weighing the decision to hire you as their advisor, it might seem like a straightforward choice.
Despite your credentials, years of experience, and a solid book of business, they hesitate.
Why?
The answer lies in what I call the “Wall of Indecision.” This wall has risen in recent years, and breaking through it requires a fundamental shift in how you approach your sales conversations.
Let’s dig into why this happens and, more importantly, how to fix it.
The Commoditization Trap
The advisory industry has become commoditized. Prospects shop for advisors the same way they shop for products online, comparing features, benefits, and costs.
To combat this, many advisors fall into the trap of proving their credibility through education and information. They believe that by front-loading the sales process with free consulting, added value, and solution-based ideas, they’ll stand out.
But here’s the hard truth, this approach doesn’t differentiate you. It commoditizes you further.
When you give away your time, energy, and expertise before the sale, you’re essentially training your prospects to shop around.
They take the value you’ve provided and use it to compare you with the next advisor on their list.
Think about it, have you ever had a prospect say, “This is great, let me think about it,” only to never hear from them again?
It’s not because they didn’t like you or doubted your expertise.
It’s because they didn’t trust you at a deep enough level to make a decision on the spot.
The Trust Gap
Here’s the key insight, your prospects can only truly believe in your value as an advisor after you’ve solved their problem, not before.
But since they need to commit to you first for that to happen, trying to convince them of your value upfront only comes across as selling.
And when they feel like they’re being sold to, their walls go up.
This isn’t an issue of competence. It’s an issue of trust. Your prospects are asking themselves, “Can I trust this person to solve my problem?” If the answer isn’t a resounding yes, they’ll hesitate, no matter how impressive your credentials are.
Breaking Through the Wall
So, how do you break through this wall of indecision? It starts with letting go of old selling behaviors and adopting a trust-based approach.
Here’s what that looks like:
Stop Over-Educating: Resist the urge to prove your expertise by sharing too much information upfront. Instead, focus on understanding their problem at a deeper level. Ask questions that uncover the root cause of their challenges, not just the surface symptoms.
Be Problem-Centric, Not Solution-Centric: Your role in the initial conversation isn’t to provide solutions. It’s to help your prospect gain clarity about their problem and the impact it’s having on their life. When they feel understood, trust begins to form.
Create a Moment of Clarity: The decision to hire you happens in a split second, during a moment of clarity where your prospect feels, “This person gets me, and I trust them to help me.” Your job is to guide them to that moment, not by convincing, but by connecting.
Eliminate Free Consulting: Offering free advice might feel generous, but it undermines your authority. Instead, position yourself as a trusted advisor who diagnoses the problem and prescribes a solution, just like a doctor would.
The Shift You Need
If your prospects aren’t hiring you at the rate you believe you deserve, it’s time to challenge your own thinking.
The old selling habits that got you here won’t get you to the next level. Breaking through the wall of indecision requires a mindset shift, from selling to trust-building.
When you adopt this trust-based approach, you’ll notice a dramatic change. Prospects will stop saying, “Let me think about it,” and start saying, “How do we get started?” And that’s when you’ll know you’ve unlocked the game.
Related: The Art of Selling With Emotion
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.