We’ve all been told that people buy from whom they know and like. But if that were the whole truth, then you’d probably have far more clients.
The truth is that people buy from whom they trust.
But what does trust mean?
In business, liking someone and trusting them are two different things.
You can trust that someone is going to be very effective at their job without necessarily wanting to be their friend.
And you can like someone, but not necessarily trust that what they’re selling is right for you.
In fact, the more you try to build likeability into your sales process (by having multiple “no pressure” meetings with your prospect, thinking it’ll lead to them liking you enough to engage you as a client), the less they’ll trust you.
I realize this is a very contrarian idea and you’re probably wondering how it can be justified.
One reason is that most sensible prospects know you’re running a business.
Trying to soften the reality of the sale by being extra friendly and having multiple meetings, can sometimes feel like a long and drawn out process.
You want your prospects to trust they’re going to get what they want (their problem addressed) by having a process that clarifies and reassures them, so the decision to choose you becomes simple and easy.
Here’s what you can do to reduce your meetings-to-sale ratio:
1.) Make the first meeting a trust-based diagnostic meeting, without attempting to move them forward
2.) Don’t share any solution-based information, instead, focus the first meeting on unearthing the prospect’s core financial issues deeply (so they feel that you really get them)
3.) Keep going deeper on their issues until they ask you “How do you work?” or “How do I engage your services?”
4.) Walk them through a “road map” – a visual aid that lays out your engagement process in simple terms (no complex diagrams decorated with your brand or logo etc), then ask them: “Where do you think we should go from here?”
By creating trust in a shorter time frame, the total number of new clients you can onboard increases dramatically.
This is the opposite of how most advisors think.
To get some help on how to get more clients by having less meetings or even one single meeting (yes, it’s possible), then order your complimentary book below.