Connecting with 'social proof' part 2

December 10, 2010 at 07:00 PM
Share & Print

Last month I talked about some of the strategies New Hampshire producer Tom Brueckner uses to build the notion of "social proof," instilling trust in his new clients. Here are some more observations.

There is some brilliant psychology in the way Brueckner handles his meetings. Within the first 10 minutes of an initial prospect meeting, Bruckner leaves for two minutes, excusing himself to talk to his assistant. Normally, an advisor would never leave an appointment. Yet this allows the couple to get a sense of the room and who Brueckner is.

When Brueckner returns, the questions are always the same. The prospects ask, "Is your son still in the military? Who is the couple on the wall to the right of us?" The next 20 minutes of the meeting is not about annuities or analyzing a portfolio; it's about Brueckner's kids, his family and his prospects' family.

The next part of the interview he asks questions about their investments, losses, gains and their goals for the future. He makes recommendations and presents the product most appropriate. But about 10 minutes before the end of the meeting, Brueckner again leaves the room for about three minutes, telling the prospects, "Gina, my assistant, needs to see me. I'll be right back."

When he returns, he looks at the couple and says, "OK, so where are we at?" Eighty percent of the time the prospects say, "What do we have to do to get this started?" He closes by starting the paperwork and then books the second appointment to finish signing the application.

Sign up for The Lead and get a new tip in your inbox every day!

More tips:

Kerry Johnson, MBA, Ph.D., is a best-selling author and frequent speaker at financial planning and insurance conferences around the world. Peak Performance Coaching, his one-on-one coaching program, promises to increase your business by 80 percent in eight weeks. To see if you are a candidate for this fast-track system, click on www.KerryJohnson.com/coaching and take a free evaluation test.

NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.

Related Stories

Resource Center