When I ask financial or insurance professionals what their biggest challenge is, the first answers are usually "not getting in front of enough qualified prospects," "not managing my time well," or "being disorganized."
But many times, they'll tell me that they're really "bad at sales" or "bad at closing."
When this is the case, it's obviously a huge problem, so you want to figure out what's affecting your confidence in this area.
Here are six of the usual suspects.
1. Fear of Rejection
When someone says no, it can feel like they are rejecting you personally.
If it happens often, it can paralyze you from asking for the sale with confidence—and prospects notice the lack of confidence.
But your goal is to help and serve them rather than to sell them; there is no rejection.
Either they want the help you're offering, or they don't. It's just information.
2. Too Much Attachment to the Outcome
When you desperately need a sale, you send out desperate and needy energy, which your prospect will almost always subconsciously pick up on.
Some advisors call this "commission breath."
Something will feel off for them, and they won't agree to work with you.
You can't stop needing a sale, but you can stop projecting that need by focusing on what they need.
3. Imposter Syndrome
When you're offering a prospect or client a product or service you haven't offered before, or speaking with a client who is a "bigger fish" than the ones you usually deal with, you might have thoughts about not feeling "qualified" enough.
Prospects will pick this up in your energy, or you'll end up sabotaging your own sale by not being bold enough.
If you believe in your offering, speak boldly about it—no matter who is in the room with you and how little you think you know.
4. Worry About Being "Salesy"
This is a big one for many advisors.
They don't want to come across as being pushy or manipulative, and they confuse challenging prospects to do the right thing for themselves and being firm with being salesy or aggressive.
