Why Having a Prospect Agenda Is Not Negotiable
Chances are you reached out to them through a cold call, mailer, email or social media and they like what you have provided them so far.
You have been professional, courteous, prompt and receptive.
But what is their background with Financial Advisors?
Do they have good, bad or no experiences with them?
Do they think all advisors are the cheesy guy you see on commercials or in the Wolf Of Wall Street?
Our minds are wired to protect ourselves from hurt, pain and the unknown. This is a gene that has been passed down since our ancestors were evading dinosaurs.
So your goal should be to help minimize the guard by providing a prospect agenda before every meeting.
Here are The Steps To Having an Excellent Prospect Agenda
Let the conversation flow naturally, be yourself, build rapport and small talk but also have a set agenda schedule so that you do not go too far off course.
Start with what the prospect will be getting out of this or should know by the end of the conversation. We have seen this done with great success and the prospect should already see the finish line before even starting.
Do not let them go into this feeling unsure of what to expect.
Here is an example of what to lead off with in a discovery meeting
When creating a Prospect Agenda, start with the conclusion, “By the end of this conversation, you should be able to feel confident…”
- We have discussed and addressed all of your near term and future planning needs
- We are aware of any immediate or future financial needs
- That our firm resources, services and our team can fulfill those goals without question
Here is the difference in starting with the conclusion, everything discussed before always contributes to the end result meaning everyone at the table has a common goal to reach.
The best question to have in a prospect agenda
Every prospect, client, plan and situation will never be alike. They may have some similarities in solutions but what keeps one prospect up at night, may not be a concern for another.
Concerns of the husband may be different than the concerns of the wife.
You get the point.
It is important to get to the bottom of this as soon as you can by asking this one question
Tell me what concerns do you have that suggested you take time out of your busy lives to meet in person? I would like to hear from each of you.
After you ask this, you need to sit back listen and absorb everything they are telling you.
If you are running the meeting with someone, designate one person to take notes, otherwise you take them but very sparsely.
You want to be listening, but you need to be hearing them.
The best way to ask about assets and allocations
This should come up naturally when the prospect starts to talk about their work, savings, etc.
All you have to ask is this…
Tell me what that looks like
The prospect will talk about how much they’ve saved, how much they’ve invested, what other assets and liabilities they have and what their future expenses might look like.
Again, take notes but take them when there are numbers involved. This will be critical when you start developing a proposal after the meeting.
How to get the full agenda
If you are using your own prospect agenda, add those questions in there or reformat it with the conclusion first if you are having trouble closing business or feel that your closing rate should be higher.
If you are looking for a prospect agenda that you want to incorporate into your practice get started below.