Critical Conversation #4: Mastery At Making An Emotional Connection In The Face-To-Face Interview.
What follows the opening is a conversation with each spouse about personal core values. Core values are the emotional why that drives all of their important decisions. Most FAs jump too quickly into asking clients about goals, needs or wants without laying an emotional foundation of why people want what they want. The skill to set this emotional foundation is crucial. “Why” always precedes “what.”
Values are represented by words like security, freedom, family, making a difference in the community or the world, satisfaction, fulfillment, inner peace, oneness with God, happiness, nirvana, etc.
Values are more about being, while goals are more about doing and having.
How would mastering this critical conversation help you grow your business with ideal clients?
Critical Conversation #5: Mastery At Helping People Define Clear Targets With Specific Dates And Amounts Of Money Wanted.
Goals are the tangible what they want built on the foundation of their values. You can develop the skill to lead an emotionally compelling conversation about goals. It’s a skill, an art form actually. And it’s learnable.
One mistake often made by FAs is that instead of asking a question about goals they suggest goals with statements like, “If you’re like a lot of people in your 40s or 50s or 60s, you are probably concerned about retirement.” The risk is that many people have a negative association with the term “retirement.” During our workshops for prospects and clients, as well as with advisors, I often ask, “How many of you have a negative association with the word ‘retirement?’” It’s common for more than half of them to raise their hands. Then I ask, “What are the words you associate with the term ‘retirement?’” Common responses are: “Uselessness.” “Unproductive.” “Death.” “Out to pasture.” “No longer relevant.” “Bored.” I know it’s not your intention, but when you broadcast the “retirement” word, you may be moving the needle in the wrong direction, especially with financially successful people who like to work.
Instead, ask an open-ended question like, “What’s one of your tangible goals that require money and planning to achieve?”
How would mastering this critical conversation help you grow your business with ideal clients?