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You’re coming to the end of an initial conversation with a potential new client, and everything seems to be going well.
You’ve invested time with them to understand their issues and provided information and education to address their needs.
But as the conversation naturally closes, there’s an awkward moment, an empty space, where you and your prospect don’t know what to say next.
They haven’t indicated they want to move forward, and you’re careful not to put pressure on them to make a decision. But at the same time you don’t want to leave things hanging in limbo.
The temptation here is to fill that void by saying something to end the conversation like:
How about I follow up with you next week to see if you have any more questions?
This is the moment when they say: “Sure no problem, follow up with me next week”.
Then you are stuck in what I call the “black hole.”
The black hole is the empty space where they haven’t committed to move forward, and you’re forced to chase them to find out where they stand.
This is a place you never want to be.
Chasing them lowers your authority and doesn’t create trust.
What usually happens is, once the conversation with you is over, their mind shifts to other things in their life, away from their financial concerns (like making dinner or responding to their emails, etc.).
How do you avoid the black hole and create a bridge to the next scheduled conversation?
When you feel the conversation is coming to a close, try this bridging phrase in a calm voice:
It might make sense, if you’d be open to it, for us to schedule another conversation together, so that I can answer any questions further you might have over the next week or so... would you be open to that?
If you say this with sincerity and openness, and they are a fit for you, most likely they’ll agree to scheduling another conversation with you.If they aren’t open to scheduling a conversation with you, that tells you something about how serious they are about working with you.
By having a scheduled calendar relationship with your potential clients in your sales process, you’ll avoid ever having to chase again.
Ari Galper is the world’s number one authority on trust-based selling and is the most sought-after sales conversion expert for Financial Advisors. His newest book, “Unlock The Sales Game” has become an instant best-seller among Financial Advisers worldwide – you can get a Free copy of Ari’s book here and, when you click the “YES” button in the order form, you’ll also receive a complimentary client growth consultation with Ari or one of his trust-based consultants. Ari has been featured in CEO Magazine, Forbes, INC Magazine and the Australian Financial Review. He is considered a contrarian in the Financial Services industry and in his book, everything you learned about selling will be turned upside down. No more chasing, no pressure, no closing.
Read more articles by Ari Galper
Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.
