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Sarcasm – Is there a place in the classroom for it?

Federal benefits expert, Chris Kowalik of ProFeds, shares her approach to engaging federal employees in her pre-retirement workshops. It’s all about perspective, and her ability to be direct in order to help federal employees have a clear understanding of how their benefits change over time.

LINK TO SPEAKER MAGAZINE ARTICLE

The hard conversations are
always the most important

The hard conversations are always the most important. Have them anyway.

In our industry, sometimes we’re the bearer of bad news. Perhaps we may have to tell them that they’re way behind in their retirement planning or that the primary breadwinner is uninsurable leaving the family under-protected.

There are a lot of emotions surrounding these topics, and we need to recognize that it is painful for clients to have these conversations. But it doesn’t mean we should ignore them.

If you consider yourself a “coach” of sorts, I hope you’ll appreciate this analogy.

Consider a sports coach (pick the sport of your choice). The coach is not there to do what the athlete wants. The coach is there to inspire and challenge the athlete to push themselves to be better/faster/stronger and achieve greatness. They both have the same goal, but one knows HOW to get there, and the other must WANT to get there.

Do you have that type of relationship with your clients? Do you have the hard conversations even though it’s uncomfortable? Do your clients trust that you have their best interest at the heart of everything you do with them (even when it’s hard)?

I challenge you to push yourself to earn the trust of your clients so you can push them to their greatest potential. You’ll be grateful you did – and they will too.

Financial Professionals: Schedule a 30-minute consultation with Chris Kowalik of ProFeds to see if this proven, step-by-step system is right for you.

Ready to get started? The ProFeds Bootcamp is where all of the magic begins! This training program is limited to the first 10 financial professionals who qualify, so reserve your seat today! CLICK HERE for details about our next available class.

About the Author: Chris Kowalik, founder of ProFeds, is the industry’s leading business coach for financial professionals who specialize in working with federal employees. She is a frequent speaker for financial services firms and federal agencies throughout the country.

Relationships always trump marketing

Relationships always trump marketing. Take time to nurture long-term relationships.

In the days of having technology at our fingertips, it’s easy to lose sight of building long-lasting and meaningful relationships. Often, we spend more time gathering “friends” “likes” and “followers,” that we forgot to go a bit old-school and simply talk to people and find real ways to bring value to their world.

While marketing (of all sorts) has it’s place, the results can be fleeting. You can continue to do things like mailers, social media ads, and email blasts, but are you taking the time to build relationships with clients and centers-of-influence within your target market?

Taking the time to build these very important relationships are rewarding (and with a high ROI). Nurturing relationships with your clients help them to continue to value your services and refer their friends because of the positive vibe they get from knowing you.

Likewise, nurturing relationships with centers-of-influence give you an outlet to vet new ideas and gain perspective of what your audience is looking for as their needs change. Gaining their trust and respect ensures that you’ll be top of mind when the time comes that they need help in your area of expertise.

Financial Professionals: Schedule a 30-minute consultation with Chris Kowalik of ProFeds to see if this proven, step-by-step system is right for you.

Chargebacks mean you didn’t listen

Chargebacks mean you didn’t listen. Are you having the right conversations?

In our industry, chargebacks happen. Most often, chargebacks happen because you did not properly listen to your clients and what they were REALLY telling you.

Buyer’s remorse seems to be the biggest culprit when it comes to getting those nasty-grams from the carriers that you’ve just received a chargeback. It stinks when it happens. But have you ever stopped to ask yourself WHY it happens?

Chargebacks are a monetary indication that you may not be listening as well as you thought.

When a client gives an objection to a product recommendation…

Do you bulldoze over it and try pushing them to make a quick decision?
Do you gloss over the “WHY” behind the reason you’re having the discussion about a product, and simply go for the sale?
Have you sweet-talked your way to closing a deal by making your clients feel inferior if they don’t make this “obvious” decision to buy the product you’re selling?

Then they get home. And that’s when the buyer’s remorse kicks in. A week later you get the notice that your client decided that they made a mistake and no longer want this product. Then the conservation process begins. Ugh!

Wouldn’t it be easier to have the right conversations to begin with? I suggest you start with WHY.

Consider including these talking points in your conversations:

What happens if we don’t solve this problem?
If we stay with the status quo, what’s the likelihood you’ll achieve your goal?
When I make a product recommendation, what are the top three things you want to see solved with that product?
How will you FEEL once we know this issue has been fixed?
What is your biggest fear when it comes to making a decision about the product I recommend?

Really listen to the answers they give you because it will tell you a lot about how they FEEL about their ability to make the right decision. By having a sincere discussion about these issues, we’re also arming them with their own words about how they should feel after the sale is complete.

Give it a try, and let us know how it turns out!

Financial Professionals: Schedule a 30-minute consultation with Chris Kowalik of ProFeds to see if this proven, step-by-step system is right for you.

Know you – Like you – Trust you

Know you – Like you – Trust you: 3 important aspects of sales (and life).

Lovingly known as “KLT,” these are 3 of the most important things that people in any type of sales need to know. Typically, these 3 things happen in order.

First, someone starts by getting to KNOW you and feel comfortable sharing (sometimes very personal) information with you. Perhaps they heard about you from a friend who had a great experience, or met you at a workshop where you talked about ways you can help people like them. They’re certainly not ready to do business yet, but we have to start somewhere.

They then begin to LIKE you because of your personality, sense of humor, and demeanor. They’ll know when you’re blowing smoke, so make sure this is genuine! Do you genuinely care about their experience, their happiness, and their satisfaction… or do you just hope they’ll like you so you’ll have a better chance at selling something? Be honest with yourself here — it’s this kind of introspection that will help you to identify the lack of authenticity in your business. Simply put — people do business with people they like.

Finally, they grow to TRUST that you have their best interest at heart and can help them accomplish their goals. People don’t buy from you because you have a cool gadget or service. They buy from you because of how they think they’ll feel after making such purchase. Building the trust and confidence in your professional relationships is so critically important. Without trust, a financial professional will flounder and wonder why nobody buys.

Are you nurturing each of these phases and giving your prospects a reason to become your clients? Once they become your client, are you reinforcing each of the KLT factors to strengthen your relationships?

Financial Professionals: Schedule a 30-minute consultation with Chris Kowalik of ProFeds to see if this proven, step-by-step system is right for you.