Trending
Most advisors base their sales process to inform and educate their prospects.
You have a discovery meeting, offer a free financial plan, and then schedule another meeting to explain the plan and why it’s crucial to solve their challenges.
Even if they attend all these meetings and understand your plan, there’s no guarantee they’ll become a paying client.
Often, they’ll say: "Let me think about it and I’ll get back to you."
This contrasts with other professionals like lawyers or doctors, who usually have a new client/patient pay at the end of the first consultation.
Could it be that the entire free information/value-selling model is fundamentally mismatched to what prospects really want?
The decreasing conversion rates from first meeting to paying client suggest it is.
If they just wanted information, they could search online.
Lawyers and doctors don’t waste time educating clients about the legal code or biochemistry.
The issue is, the more information you provide, the more questions are raised -- which leads to indecision.
Your prospects may think they want information from you, but what they really want is to trust you to take their problem off their plate.
Information alone doesn’t build trust.
Selling isn’t an intellectual exercise.
Your prospects aren’t looking for endless facts and data.
They want clarity.
They need someone who can simplify their decision-making and solve their problems.
They want a trusted expert who understands them on a deeper level.
Your job isn’t to impress with knowledge.
It’s to clarify their situation in a way that makes them ask, "Can you help me?"
Think of your sales process like a doctor’s appointment -- uncovering issues through your financial “x-ray” process and providing the right solution.
It’s not a Discovery meeting; it’s a Diagnostic meeting.
Prospects don’t need to like you to trust you.
They don’t need to get to know you before trusting you either.
Just like a doctor’s bedside manner doesn’t involve coffee dates, your pre-sale process should focus on diagnosing their issues and offering solutions -- not on building a social relationship.
Want to start building stronger, more trust-based relationships with your prospects, then order your complimentary books and consultation below.
Related: Stop Wasting Time: The Case Against Low-Quality Lead Services
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.