ALIGN YOUR SALES PROCESS WITH YOUR DESIRE TO SERVE

Why did you become a financial advisor?

I was at a pivot point in my life.  I was a mortgage broker looking for more meaningful work.  I had applied to law school and was awaiting word on whether I was accepted or not.

I got a recruiting call from the firm I had my Roth IRA with from my Army days.  I was open to change, so I said, why not!?  

I walked out of that lunch with the local OSJ psyched.  It felt like becoming a financial advisor was everything I wanted.  I could make a good living, positively impacting my client's lives and build my own business in the process. These were my three priorities.

I quickly determined that though I would be a great attorney, I wouldn't have the long-term collaborative relationships that I was looking for.  Years as a mortgage broker taught me that just because something is lucrative, doesn't mean it's satisfying!

So…I received my acceptance letter to law school and promptly turned it down.  I was off to become a financial advisor and change lives!

It took me a few months to get licensing out of the way and begin training for my new career.  I got my sales scripts and my trusty voice recorder.  I learned to pitch and overcome objections.  I became very intimate with Mr. & Mrs. Jones and their "financial planning" needs!

I presented my sales scripts and passed with flying colors.  In my first year I started over 50 clients!  I was a Rockstar by any measure.  

In the flurry of excitement and activity, it took me a while to realize something was wrong.  I was winning, but I felt…I felt a little embarrassed.  I was closing, but I felt…I little ashamed.

I realized that I was a highly-skilled salesperson who just happened to be offering financial products.  I could have just as easily been selling copiers or cars.  I was good, but what was I good at!?

I did not feel like the professional that I had signed up to become.  I felt like a smooth talker, a shister, a taker.

For the sake of brevity, I won't outline my whole journey, but I came to another pivot point in my professional life.  If I was going to stay a financial advisor, I had to find a way to approach the work that was more aligned with my values.

I had to find a way to engage potential clients that wasn't just a manipulative sales pitch.  I had to deliver on the promises I made to them in a more meaningful and valuable way.

If you are like the vast majority of advisors, you became an advisor to help people. Have you struggled to align that desire with the old-school sales tactics that are still taught in the industry today?

Done right, financial advising can absolutely change the trajectory of people's lives and the quality of their relationships.  It can change their outlook on the future and even their health. 

We have this amazing tool to change lives and yet the primary way we have been taught to market it is filled with fear and manipulation.

Right now, more than ever, people are struggling.  Some are struggling financially and others are struggling emotionally with uncertainty about the future.  And we have tools that can help them!

But in a moment when the world feels vulnerable, doesn't it feel predatory to hit them with fear-based sales scripts?  Or to pressure your clients for referrals when it's all about you growing your business and what they "owe you" as one of the ways you get paid!?

If you are wired like I am, you just won't do it.  It feels like taking.  You will come up with every excuse as to why it's not a good time and how people aren't in the right space and so on.

What if I were to tell you that there is a way to turn your prospecting into a true act of service to the world?

If you knew that every potential client you talk with is truly better of because they sat down with you, would you feel differently about asking for referrals or inviting a prospect into your office?

There is a way to make prospecting = service.  And I am going to show you how!

Next week, I am going live to record three trainings to help you step away from old-school sales tactics and get authentic and audacious about your client acquisition process.

You are invited to join me as I record these three trainings and for a live Q&A session after each session.

SERVE FIRST- Aligned Selling for Financial Advisors

1. Redefine Selling -Monday, 12/7 @ 11am (MT)
2. Gift to the World -Wednesday, 12/9 @ 11am (MT)
3. Commit to Serve -Friday, 12/11 @ 11am (MT)

Click HERE to sign-up to attend one or all of the live SERVE FIRST trainings.  This challenge is a gift to our community and is offered at no cost to you! 

I had the idea to create this challenge earlier this year and I have struggled to get my act together to record them.  So rather than keep in on my To Do List and let it roll into 2021, I am committing to doing the trainings live with you!

I hope you will join me next week as we redefine selling and align your sales process with your desire to serve!

-Lucila