Many agents call and write to me with serious concerns about their careers. They describe finding new prospects and then trying to make appointments with those prospects as nearly impossible. Even when they manage to get an appointment, many do not know how to inspire the emotional reaction required for that prospect to decide to take action.
This is a concern for two reasons. First, our country desperately needs quality agents/advisors to deliver a vital message: People must become more responsible for their own financial futures because governments and corporations will continue to fail them. Second, financial independence can only be accomplished with support from quality agents/advisors who have extensive knowledge of not only the tools available but the best strategies for their use.
When people ask ME what I do for a living, I tell them: "I have information that I know will change you and your family's lives forever, and if you don't know this information then you and your family are in serious financial jeopardy." That is my "elevator talk." It helps me to book a lot of appointments.
But it only works if you are prepared to share amazing information at the appointment. How can you create and develop a personal store of this knowledge? I have prepared a list of Web sites that will help you build the foundation that you need to be invaluable to your prospect. Once you can use it conversationally, it will be easy to use in an interesting way during an appointment.
Center For Retirement Research at Boston College:
http://crr.bc.edu/
Home of the fantastic Social Security Fix-It Book.
Social Security:
www.socialsecurity.gov
Access the Social Security and Medicare Trustees Report here.