Being a financial advisor is a lot like being an athlete. If you have ever played on a team you can probably relate to the feeling of anticipation while waiting to play and all you wanted to say was, “Put me in, coach!” Once you got in the game it was up to you to make the most of the moment and shine.
One example of using this analogy is Amy, a ten year veteran advisor who wanted to succeed and she needed my help to do it. As her business coach, I helped her determine what her goals were and what actions it would take to work smarter rather than simply harder. Next, we practiced by role playing so she could get back to actually prospecting. However, it didn’t take long for her to realize that she was not applying what she had learned because her fears where getting in her way and thus, she would rather sit on the sidelines than risk losing the game.
Let’s look at the steps I utilized with Amy to create her amazing come-back:
Step 1: Be “All-In”
What Amy was experiencing is very common for veteran and rookies advisors alike. It’s easy to want to win but it’s not always easy to risk the possibility of defeat. Many advisors choose not to even try. In other words, it’s like asking the coach to put you into the game but choosing not to be “all-in”, playing the best you could once you were in because you don’t want to make a mistake and contribute to a loss!
The first step with Amy was to get her to commit to taking action and dedicate to being “all-in” when it came to her own success. So, I had her make a list of reasons why she wanted to get to the next level and what would happen in one, three, five and even ten years from now if she continued not prospecting. After realizing the pleasure she would have by being a top producer and the pain that she could have by being a low level one, she committed to getting back to prospecting!
Step 2: Think on Your Feet
All athletes know that sometimes plays don’t go as planned. You may practice the play over-and-over again but on game day anything can happen. So too is practicing for an appointment and realizing the conversation isn’t going in the direction that you want it to. That’s why you must be able to think on your feet.
Amy realized that setting appointments with new prospects was getting easier but from time-to-time she was getting caught off guard with specific objections. I assured her that this is natural and all we needed to do was to increase the tools, techniques, strategies and solutions to handle any objection that came her way. It’s not about memorizing what to say but understanding the formula of how to say it. Once we did this, she could easily adapt to any conversation path!
Step 3: Assess Your Actions & Results
All great coaches know that the best way to take their players to a higher level is to help them assess their actions and results. That’s why most teams watch game films, so they can duplicate their successes and learn from their errors.
Within weeks, Amy was excited to tell me that her pipeline was full! She had eight appointments set for the week and had already turned a few prospects into clients since our last session!
Wanting to Win
Amy knew that just getting into the game wasn’t enough. Instead, she had to focus on her desire to win. If you take a page out her playbook you too can create this level of success!