When people want to know how you feel about being an advisor, they are not being nosy. As you are talking, they are forming opinions. They come to conclusions as the narrative unfolds. They want to feel as if they know you. They are not going to entrust their money to a stranger. That’s why you cannot simply showcase your industry achievements and academic credentials. People want to know the personal you as much as they want to know the professional you.
Clients and prospects don’t want to see charts and graphs. They want a genuine experience that makes them feel you are on their side. They’d like to know that you get something out of your job besides money and prestige. Show them that you are passionate about your ideas. What gives you passion and fulfillment? What do you love about what you are doing?
When you open that new account, you get rewarded financially and you feel a sense of accomplishment. Why else do you want people to grow your business? How do you feel when you see your clients achieve their goals? Why do you feel that way? Did you ever do something special for a client in need? How did you feel about that? I’m guessing you really like helping people.
Maybe you’ve seen friends or family members struggle financially. Worse, maybe you’ve seen someone in trouble because of poor financial decision-making? Maybe you’ve seen people worry themselves sick over money problems. If so, it’s probably true that you want to make sure other folks don’t suffer the same fate.
These feelings are all part of your "why I am an advisor" story.
From now on, when you first meet with a potential client, ditch the technical terms and talk to them like a real person. Give them a memorable story about why you became a financial advisor. As people are beginning to form an opinion about you, they are not focused on your product knowledge. They are focused on your authenticity. Their one goal is to determine whether you’re trustworthy. You want them to leave your office thinking you are someone they want on their team. When people realize that you are there for their betterment and not your own, they will always opt to choose you over other advisors.
Your story doesn’t have to be long and involved. A three-minute story is plenty long enough to get your point across. That’s 500 words. Simply explain what motivates you to do your job. Explain why you love being an advisor. That’s what gets you out of bed in the morning.
Don Connelly is a speaker, motivator and educator for financial advisors. To read more of his blog posts, visit https://donconnelly.com/bog. And if you want to ignite your performance, be sure to check https://www.donconnelly247.com—a learning center, dedicated to training and coaching elite financial advisors.