1. The Direct Ask
This was the most popular. You've made your presentation, showing how the investments or policies tie into the client's needs and goals outlined in the financial plan. This is followed by asking, "Shall we proceed?", or "I recommend we do the following." This is a closed-end, yes-or-no approach.
2. A Series of Agreements
This is a variation on the trial close approach. You want to be confident that your prospect is following your line of thinking and that your prospect hasn't zoned out. Along the way you ask questions like, "Does this make sense to you?", and "Are you comfortable with that?" The expected answer is "Yes" in all cases. If you get a different answer, you can slow down and address the client's concerns. When it comes to asking for the order, the logic is, "A series of yes answers is rarely followed by a no answer."
3. The Next Step in the Process
You are a professional. You probably have a big firm behind you. Your prospect is talking with you because your client assumes you aren't learning as you go along. Your firm has helped hundreds of thousands of people in similar situations. You (and the firm) have a process. You simply say, "Implementation is the next step in the process." The prospect realizes there's a plan put in place beforehand.
4. Signing Paperwork
Another advisor divides the sales process into talking and acting. Presenting the proposal is talking. The prospect is listening. The next step is taking action. The advisor says, "To get started, we need to complete some paperwork…" The advisor gets the client started on completing the forms needed for opening an account.
None of these strategies is adversarial. You are looking for the client's agreement, involvement and decision to proceed.
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Bryce Sanders is president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc. He provides HNW client acquisition training for the financial services industry. His book, "
