Do you have a five-step investing process? That’s great if prospects are linear thinkers and follow steps. Do your clients believe in long-term thinking or do they have little patience? Do prospects make decisions quickly? Sometimes things don’t go the way we would like them to proceed. Here are a few expressions that might help.

1. Persistence is a virtue. You are following up with prospects. You worry they think you are calling too much.
Rationale: The expression likely gets a smile. If they work in sales, they know follow up is where most people fall down. Your follow up is polite.

2. Patience is a virtue. You’ve made good investment suggestions, suitable for your client. They aren’t moving up yet. They are thinking about selling and buying something else.
Rationale: You bought on good fundamentals. There’s a logic why this idea should work out. Other things still need to happen, like the announcement of a breakthrough or publicity attracting the investing public. The idea is good, but you were early.

3. There is a fine line… between efficient follow up and being annoying. I’m trying to stay on the correct side of that line. Like the first expression, you are acknowledging your follow up might be considered annoying.
Rationale: You are demonstrating sensitivity to the prospect’s feelings. They will likely dial their feelings down a bit and say: “Don’t worry. You’re doing fine. If you get annoying, I’ll tell you.”

4. No tree grows to the sky. Everyone wishes for risk-free investments. They want one that only goes straight up. Sometimes certain stocks become market favorites and everyone piles in. What could possibly go wrong?
Rationale: It’s a way of politely reminding people the stock market is cyclical.

5. We are like a swan… Graceful looking above the surface, furious paddling beneath the water.
Rationale: When the stock market does well, people get the idea “Investing is easy. Anyone can do it.” You likely pay as much attention to your client’s account when things are going smoothly as when markets are volatile.

6. What can we do to move forward? You have a client where everything goes wrong. You suggest a stock. It goes down. Ten people leave messages. Only one gets lost. Their tax reporting statement has problems. Are they getting ready to jump ship? You meet in neutral territory, ideally over a meal.
Rationale: If you let them vent and don’t get defensive, it lowers the temperature.  It’s difficult for them to say: “We cannot move forward.”

7. Trust is built slowly, yet can vanish in an instant. You are thanking them for placing their trust in you and following your advice. It’s another way of highlighting your value. 
Rationale: If they are thinking of leaving because investing is cheaper elsewhere, you are reminding them trust and a long relationship both have value.

8. Good, fast and cheap. OK, maybe this isn’t for clients and prospects. It’s still useful. “You can have it good. You can have it fast. You can have it cheap. Choose any two.” Try it out: You can have it good and fast, but it won’t be cheap. You can have it fast and cheap, but it won’t be good.
Rationale: You are explaining a process. Things need to be done your way.

You would like prospects and clients to come around to your way of thinking. You are looking out for their best interests. These expressions might help make that point.

Bryce Sanders is president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc. He provides HNW client acquisition training for the financial services industry.  His book, Captivating the Wealthy Investor can be found on Amazon.