Phil M Jones has spoken in nearly 60 countries and worked with over 800 organizations. His podcast, Words with Friends, is in its fourth season, and he’s the bestselling author of Exactly What to Say and Exactly How to Sell, with over 1 million books sold. Phil has crafted a fool-proof list of questions that convert by getting to the root of a prospect’s needs and gently prodding to reveal as much relevant information as possible so you can close more sales.

Listen as C2P’s Founder & CEO, Jason L Smith, sits down with Phil for an exclusive Rainmaker Multiplier On-Demand Podcast to share vital insights and specific questions advisors can use to close more sales.

Everyone’s looking for a witty one-liner, magic words, or an infallible script, but Phil is on a lifelong mission to help people close more sales with the words they choose when talking to clients. He focuses his work on three categories revolving around growth—acquiring new clients, attracting clients to return more often, and convincing clients to spend more money.

Being a holistic financial planner isn’t about closing more sales in a traditional sense. Instead, it’s about uncovering obstacles, empathizing with their needs, and making customized recommendations to relieve their pain points.

Close More Sales with Questions that Convert

Closing more sales often relies on knowing what to say and how to make it count. It’s being intentional with your word choices as well as the tone and timing of your delivery. Preface simple questions with, “Help me understand…,” instead of, “Tell me about…,” and suddenly, you’re not the one doing the selling; they’re talking themselves into hiring you. There’s no easier way to close more sales than that!

• Help me understand why you believe that it might be a good fit for us to work together.

Questions like, “What is your experience…,” allow you to garner a lot of information quickly—asking, “…and what else?” allows the client to work out their greatest fears in real time, further proving their need for a financial planner.

• What experience do you have working with a financial professional?
  • What was that experience like?
  • What 3 things have you liked best about working with them?
  • If you could change one thing, what would it be?
  • What would the consequences be if you fail to get that under control?
    • …and what else?

Emotions, especially when you’re talking about love and legacy planning, are key to triggering conversions and closing more sales. It’s important that you make the prospect aware of the financial and emotional cost of not working with you. They should understand that this price can be far greater than your planning and service fees.

The results of not having an inheritance plan structured the right way could be catastrophic for their loved ones. Failing to manage taxes year-to-year can result in a major increase in lifetime taxes.

Everyone sees themselves as open-minded, so give them the opportunity to opt-in. The following line of questioning is more likely to get to a yes than asking in a more direct way.

• How open-minded would you be…
  • to get together and talk this through properly?
  • to jump on a 20-minute call to see if this is a good fit?
  • to having a meaningful Discovery Call so we can get some real numbers and insights?
  • to me being your financial planner?

Maybe is the enemy of decision. At this point in the sales process, you want to start nudging them toward a decision, one way or the other. Asking if there is any reason you are not a good fit allows you to discover if there are any lingering doubts. Following up with, “Would it help if…,” enables you to address those doubts.

• Could you see any reason why I wouldn’t be a good fit at this stage?
• Would it help if…
  • we got together again to go deeper on this and see what a plan would look like?
  • I put this in a plan, so we have something well documented?
  • you had the benefit of being able to connect with us periodically so we can measure progress?
  • you had one fixed monthly payment?
  • somebody else took care of this for you?
  • you knew that you had my support long term as well as being able to figure this stuff out on your own?

At this stage in the journey, they either don’t think they need a financial planner or are unsure if you’re the right one for the job. This is where you will say something like:

“You guys need to amongst yourselves to make sure that you’re on the same page and feel confident about our services, and I doubt you want me in the room for that. If you’d like to sleep on it, we can schedule our next meeting, or I can pop out and give you a few minutes while I return some calls.”

This way, even if they don’t decide today, you have a date set for a decision to be made. To learn more about how C2P can help you close more sales, click here to schedule a free 20-minute consultation.

Financial Professional Use Only

The information provided in this presentation is not intended as investment advice or legal advice. The information provided is for informational and training purposes only. The information in this presentation was accurate as of the time the material was created. Tax laws and rulings can frequently change. Please discuss the client’s current situation with an accountant or tax advisor.