Always Ask “What else can I help you with?”
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This morning I was working with an adviser on a new case for a retired couple in their 70s, and we came up with a rather involved lifetime plan for growth, income, and passing on assets to their heirs.
After finishing working on the case, I asked “What else can I help you with?”
The adviser quickly replied, “Nothing right now”, then paused for just a second and chimed in with, “wait a minute…I do have a new client you can help me with”.
Are you asking for additional business when working with clients?
The most successful advisers we work with get 30% to 60% of their sales from existing clients—because they ALWAYS ask what else they can help with. But, don’t make the mistake of asking IF you can help. Always ask WHAT you can help with. It is much too easy to dismiss a ‘yes or no’ question, but much harder to eschew an open question. So, if you ask “Is there something else I can help with?”, there is a 70% higher chance the answer will be negative. By asking “what else can I help you with?” you presume that there is definitely something else to be worked on—and you are offering your skills and service. This eliminates the ability to simply reply with a curt “no”. The client is forced to search their brain for a plausible and polite way to tell you to bug off—but in that process their memory is often triggered to some other financial situation they actually do need some help with, but may not have been thinking about.
Start doing it right now, with every person you work with — even if you don’t make a sale.
Yes…even if you don’t make a sale, ask what else they have going on that you can help them with. It is a truly confident and impressive move to ask what other things you might be able to assist with—especially after failing to close a sale. You have virtually nothing to lose, and a great deal of additional revenue to gain. Want more tips. Give us a call.
How Are Your Renewal Meetings Going?
We are half way through the year, which means you have most likely already passed about 50% of the anniversary dates from previous sales. A.K.A., “policy renewals”.
- What percentage of anniversary renewals did you actually discuss with clients?
- If the answer to the previous question is less than 100%... a) How much less than 100% is it? b)How can you get that number closer to 100%? (we can help, if you like)
Anniversary renewal conversations can be boring, time consuming, and fruitless. BUT!!!
They can also produce new sales and referrals…in other words; More MONEY!
The National Association of Fixed Annuities did a study a few years ago that showed that agents who sometimes did anniversary reviews with clients generated a new sale from one out of every 5 to 6 conversations. But that number jumped to 1 in 4 for those agents who consistently had anniversary review conversations with clients.
This is the easiest money you can possibly make. Your clients already know and love you, and they have more financial needs that you can help with. The anniversary meeting is the perfect time to find these opportunities—or to find out who your clients can introduce you to that need your skill and knowledge. But, some advisers are cautious about these meetings. They don’t know what to say, or they are afraid of questions that might come up. Give us a call, and we can help you prepare with talking points and a structured approach to the review. But, don’t take my word for it. See John Robert’s June article for even more.
CALL US
~ Greg Skogsberg
800-200-9194
Gregory B. Skogsberg
Greg is the President of TWH Agency with 20+ years of professional experience. Greg is a seasoned management consultant who has worked for organizations of all sizes in locations all across the country.
