Here’s a great story.
A few days ago I visited our local pastor. He’s like the ideal grandfather. Old, old-fashioned, always a friendly smile.
Can you picture it?
I didn’t expect to learn how to overcome my prospect’s objections during this short visit.
But when he started talking, I was blown away.
There’s a myth about the success of setting goals.
The myth says that back in 1953, Harvard University conducted a study on the graduating class. They discovered that only 3% of the graduating seniors had definite predetermined objectives.
Twenty years later they did another survey of those same people, and of the 3% that had set those goals and committed them to paper and had made a commitment, they had accomplished more in their lives than the 97% who had not written it down.
However, there seems to be evidence that this myth isn’t true.
Now, you can call me pigheaded, but I strongly believe that this myth most certainly is true. Here’s why:
What if you can save at least 60 minutes worth of explanation, reasoning, justification, comparison and analysis in your client interviews? I believe that in the financial planning business there is still a traditional reasoning-centered approach to selling the service. It’s not strange. Most advisors don’t know about the possibilities of right brain selling. I didn’t for 11 years although I continually studied during this period. Are you still using the traditional approach and therefore missing chances to engage, connect and sell more? Continue reading
“I believe that financial planners will be more successful when using their right brain potential”. Actually it’s strange for me to say. I’ve always been a typical left brainer for years. Good at maths, very rational and successful with study. And always focussing on building knowledge. Because when I finished a study I could say that I achieved something. And that’s very tangible. That’s great, because left-brainers love it when it’s tangible.
I also thought that with this knowledge I could help my clients the most. But after reading Simon Sinek’s book ‘Start with Why’ about three years ago, my perspective changed. The book gave me the urge to search my WHY. And I discovered something I never knew before. Since ‘Start with Why’ I’ve read many, many other business books and found out that almost every successful and innovative influencers (like Seth Godin, Robert Cialdini, Anthony Robbins & Daniel Pink) wrote about the power of the right brain. Since then I can’t stop reading and researching about it. And more important: I’ve applied it in my financial planning profession.
Now, my goal is to inspire other financial planners to believe in their right brain potential. I believe in the importance of the financial planner. Financial planners are by definition highly educated. They have the ambition to reach for the best. And more important: they truly want to help people. Not by selling products. But to give real advice based on what their clients really want. Because financial planners have these strong ambition and are almost always smart people I know financial planners have this right brain potential. When using it right, it’s going to build more profitable and enduring relationships.
To prove it to you I’m not going to tell you a story, influence you with a metaphor or let you see the big picture. In other words, I’m not appealing to your right brain. To show you that what I believe is true, I’m going to appeal to your left brain in this article. Because I know your left brain asks you to rationalize your choice to work on your right brain potential. And therefore it needs facts and numbers. So please take a look at the picture below.
What is your value proposition that sets you apart from other financial planners? Do you use terms like: ‘independent’, ‘wealth management’, ‘the best advisor’, ‘actual knowledge’, ‘CFP’, ‘trustworthy’ or other features? The problem with this kind of terms is that it’s used by everyone. And it’s also not really compelling. It’s just a feature, while your client is really interested in benefits. So how does your (potential) client know why he has to do (or has to stay in) business with you? He doesn’t, unless you have the right value proposition. That’s why it’s essential to write it in the exact words that relate most to your target audience.
The easiest way – and for most financial planners a really scary way – to discover what these words are, is to do this:
Many financial planners are at risk. They think that they fullfill the needs of their clients by showing the numbers of their financial plan. “The figures should be perfect. It’s in my clients best interest that he sees this”. The numbers are often a priority of the financial planner. Mostly outof compliance-considerations. But also because the planner thinks he’ll persuade his client with those numbers.
The question is: are the numbers also the priority of your customer?
If this isn’t so, you’re taking a huge risk. Your client can doze off when you are presenting the numbers. I believe that your customer has 6 priorities. Do you know them?
Most people hire a financial planner because they have a problem. A problem that you have to solve for them. Many financial planners think that their client only wantw their advice. But your clients also have another problem. If you ignore that problem you’re missing a huge opportunity. Chances are that you don’t take this into account. You should. Because you can miss sales if you don’t.