Sometimes The Best Thing You Can Give Away Is Advice
Updated: Sep 6
Most advisors hold their best advice hostage. They save it for after the prospect signs.
I think that's backwards.
The advisors I see who win business show off their expertise long before the client says ‘yes’.
The old sales model
For years, the industry has taught advisors to hold back and not share the good stuff until there's a signed agreement. They protect recommendations like they're trade secrets.
I get the logic. Why hand out what you get paid for? You should be compensated for your time and effort!
But in my experience, prospects don't buy promises, especially not from financial advisors (sorry). They buy confidence, and confidence comes from experiencing your value firsthand, not hearing about it.
Confidence is the thing they are willing to pay a premium fee for.
Give them something real
I'm not talking about a brochure or a capabilities deck (again, sorry). Those can feel incredibly impersonal and self-centric. I’m also not referring to those generic risk questionnaires that seem to always fail at truly understanding risk in a real-world way.
I'm talking about something with teeth.
Something that makes a prospect stop and think 'I didn't know that' and 'nobody's ever shown me this before' and 'if this is what I get before I even sign, what happens after?'
So what could you give away?
Before a prospect books a meeting:
Give them something valuable. A simple insight, assessment or helpful piece of information.
A few ideas:
A tax opportunity analysis
A retirement readiness score
A benefits audit
A business owner planning assessment
A portfolio stress test
An estate planning review
Bonus points if you brand it! How much better does “Your Align Financial Tax IQTM” sound vs. “Tax opportunity analysis”!
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During a prospect meeting:
Prospect meetings should accomplish one goal: understand their most important needs and goals. That’s why I like to hear them called “Learn more meetings”.
Try to understand those needs, then try to understand them more. Once you feel like you get it, confirm it so you’re sure and so they feel heard, then show them how you can help.
When a prospect actually experiences your value, the sales process stops being about you and starts being about them and their need for your solution. You spend less time convincing, less time explaining, less time knocking down objections, and less time defending your fee.
They've already seen what makes you different, so you don't have to tell them anymore.
In fact, stop telling prospects you're valuable altogether. Show them.
Then don’t forget to ask for the business.
The ROI isn't immediate, and that's fine
A common business rule of thumb is that prospects will often pay with their time before they pay with their dollars.
It can take 5-7 ‘interactions’ with you, many of which likely happen before they join the meeting. When you make good use of their time, that’s when they consider trusting you with their dollars.
If you’re given that one chance to win their trust, don’t waste it.
Your sales strategy
The best advisors don't win by guarding their knowledge. They win by earning trust and confidence early, often by giving something real before the engagement starts and also during the first meeting.
Trust the process.
The simplest sales strategy is usually the best one. Help first.
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