CHRISISM #7 - Professionals Practice - Amateurs Ad Lib

05 January 2016

When I first joined the life insurance business back in 1978 in London, I was incredibly lucky to stumble across a company that had an incredibly structured client engagement process. Every single part of the process was carefully thought out and designed to make it as easy as possible for a prospect to come on board as a client.

Even as a brand new adviser with no sales experience or knowledge of financial services, I felt totally confident when sitting in front of someone because I had been given a track to run on and I knew exactly what I was seeking to achieve at every step of the way. Knowing clearly what my role was and exactly how to convey the necessary messages meant that I could focus on the most important thing, which was what the person sitting in front of me was saying to me rather than what I was going to say to them next.

I was given so many scripts when I first joined the business and I soon realised that the key was to understand what messages the scripts were conveying and then make sure it was me speaking and using my own words to convey the same messages rather than just me spouting someone else's words. Also remember it's not what you say but how you say it that's important, given that "voice tonality" is 5 or 6 times as important as the words you are saying when communicating verbally with someone.

The outcomes of client meetings will largely depend on how prepared you are when going in to the meeting and the more you practice your part, the less likely you are to fluff your lines, and that is why professionals practice and amateurs ad lib.

The Risk Workshop by Chris Unwin

Are you a financial adviser who would like all of your clients to have appropriate types and levels of personal protection? But perhaps you feel you need a more structured and client friendly engagement process?