Advisors share their secrets of success

Partnering with others. Determining the quality of life you want. Solving your client’s biggest problem.

Those were among the ideas that three top advisors presented during a National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors webinar on “Transferable Sales Ideas from the Best in the Industry.”

More or less

One simple choice can change the course of your life, and that choice frequently can be boiled down to a matter of “more or less.”

That was the word from Doug Grady, a director with FinFit Life and author of The Ripple Effect.

Grady described the More/Less Method as “a method of distinguishing choices we can do more of do less of to achieve the quality of life we want more or less of.”

“You need to do just a little more in a certain area or a little less in a certain area,” he said.

“We engage in activities and we do certain consistent behaviors that minimize, hamper or hinder our professional, personal or spiritual growth. The flip side is, what am I doing that need not be done, that I could be doing less of or not at all?”

Grady illustrated the More/Less Method this way.

 

 

“What do you need to do more of or less of to achieve what you want?” he asked. “How do I create conditions for more of what I want or less of what I don’t want? Nothing happens until we make one simple choice.”

Joint work leads to success

When Hunter Gimbel first entered the life insurance business, he was great at getting appointments but wasn’t so good at closing. He knew he needed help – and he asked for it.

Gimbel is CEO and managing partner of Gaber Group in New York.

“Especially if you are a young advisor, it’s easy to call people but then what do you say? I always approached other people who are successful and offered to do whatever they needed if they would mentor me. I am great at setting meetings for other successful people. I wasn’t the greatest at closing but I could set appointments.”

“If you can partner with someone, you will have a greater chance of success.” Hunter Gimbel, CEO, Gaber Group

Gimbel said he identified two groups of prospects he wanted to work with: physicians and Wall Street executives. He sought out more experienced advisors who were familiar with those niche markets and who could mentor him in working with them.

“The best thing you can do is set up as many meetings as possible but bring in a joint work partner - someone who has done it and has more experience than you and can guide you and help you improve.”

Gimbel said one of the biggest things for an advisor to focus on is “you might only have once chance with a prospect.”

“If you can partner with someone, you will have a greater chance of success.”

Value leveraging

Most advisors focus solely on marketing and fail to focus on how to create an amazing offer and sales process, said Caleb Guilliams, founder and CEO of BetterWealth.

“If we provide a great service, how can we amplify it?” he asked. The answer – value leveraging.

Value leveraging is the combination of creating value and maximizing that value, he said.

Determining value depends on answering three questions:

1. Who is your ideal client?
2. What problem do they have?
3. How do you over-deliver to solve that problem?

Guilliams presented four ideas to leverage your value and take your service to the next level:

1. Other people’s audiences. Leverage other people’s influence and audiences through joint partnerships, social media, virtual stages (such as YouTube) and physical stages (such as conferences). “Who can benefit from your service, where do they gather and how do you reach them?” he asked.
2. Video email. Guilliams said he has sent more than 4,000 video emails to clients and prospects since he has been in the business. “I can save more time, be more authentic and have the wow factor.”
3. Website. Guilliams described his website as “the meeting before the meeting.”

“How can we create something on a website that gives people a little bit of context before they meet with us?” He advised giving your website “paths where people can read or watch something that educates them.”

4. Virtual studio. With more meetings taking place remotely, Guilliams said, it is wise to invest in good lighting and audio.

 

Susan Rupe is managing editor for InsuranceNewsNet. She formerly served as communications director for an insurance agents' association and was an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor. Contact her at Susan.Rupe@innfeedback.com. Follow her on Twitter @INNsusan.

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