There are two skills that will make or break success in sales: prospecting and closing.
And while bringing in new potential clients is critical, without the ability to close (efficiently, I might add), there is absolutely no benefit to all the work spent building those relationships.
Closing Is As Important As Prospecting
In working with hundreds of advisors, I’ve noticed the folks who are most successful at guiding clients share three critical things:
️Curiosity: Having an authentic interest to first seek to understand values, priorities, hesitations, and objections is a proven path to helping clients. When you know what matters to your clients, you can help guide them to consider all the pieces to gain confidence in the best path forward for them.
️Confidence: If you don’t have total conviction in your recommendations, how can your client? Confidence comes from knowing your product or service, the alternatives (including taking no action at all), and understanding your client’s needs, preferences, fears, limitations, and aversions. Your recommendation should be what you’d do for yourself if you were in their shoes. Relate the recommendation back to what the client has told you is most important to them.
Challenge: Clients often need someone to challenge their assumptions, and limiting beliefs. Remind them of how recommendations align with their values. There is no better way to solidify a client’s conviction and prove your commitment by putting their interests first.
Christy Charise, Founder & CEO of Strategic Advisor