How do you explain your business results--especially when a prospect says no?
I have a new side mission: empowering parents of college-aged kids with OCD. I know that I can build lists more quickly with paid traffic than with organic traffic. While I've had success with Facebook ads in the past, Facebook does not allow you to target by medical condition.
Then I clicked on a YouTube ad for company that creates and manages YouTube ads. I scheduled a call to learn more.
Here's how the sales rep lost a $6K sale at hello. Without asking anything about me, he opened the call by telling me all of the reasons Facebook ads don't work.
I felt like saying, "Yes they do!" However, I wanted to learn more about YouTube ads, so I asked lots of questions and listened to what he had to say.
He might have thought the call was going well. He might have been surprised when I didn't buy. He might have told himself a story. "She thinks it's too expensive." "She's not committed." "She's indecisive."
Nope. None of those stories is true.
He lost the sale because he was more invested in proving himself right about Facebook ads-- that he was not even selling-- than in learning about my business goals.
He had nothing to gain by bashing Facebook ads. In fact, I could have told him why Facebook ads were not a good choice for me as I reached out to families trying to free themselves from OCD.
Don't bash your prospects' wealth-building beliefs or tell them that they are wrong. There are many ways to build wealth. Get curious about your prospects. What worked for them in the past? What didn't work?
A prospect might say, "I buy life insurance for the death benefit." You could ask, "What is your plan for funding long term care? What if I could show you that you can use life insurance for that, too?"
Here are two other reasons advisors who want to work with doctors lose the sale at hello.
When you meet a doctor for the first time, use the doctor title. Don't default to the doctor's first name as is the custom in the business community. When you use the doctor's first name, you communicate that you do not understand how things work in the world of medicine. You will quickly be invited to us the doctor's first name.
Second, make sure you're using the right words correctly. I frequently see the phrase, "we work with doctors and dentists" on advisors' web sites. Dentists ARE doctors. So are veterinarians, podiatrists and psychologists. So are Maya Angelou and Jill Biden.
Pay attention to all of the details all of the time. They all matter. They all contribute to your business results.
To your success,
Dr. Vicki
Vicki Rackner MD FACS
Principal Engaging Doctors Helping financial advisors attract, engage and serve doctor clients
PS Thank you for your well-wishes for my father. This past week I spend time with him in his Florida home as he navigates his uneventful recovery.
PPS Do you have questions about working with doctors? Click here to schedule brief conversation and laser coaching.