Getting to Trust in Record Time

When you first meet a prospect, lots of questions are swirling through your head:

• Does this person have a need for my services?
• Does this person have a sense of urgency about solving that need?
• Can this person afford what I’m selling?

The prospect has a few questions, too:

• Why am I here?
• Is this person trying to sell me something I don’t want to buy?
• Is this someone I can trust?

Given the questions you and your prospect have about each other, it’s crucial to answer them quickly so you can get down to business. The biggest question, of course, is trust. Can you win the person’s trust now so you can both move with confidence into fact-finding?

One strategy is to deal with trust right up front. Say something like:

You’re probably curious about my professional background and approach to finances. We’ll cover that in a minute. But first I want to cover something most people find very important: trust.   I want all my clients to feel comfortable with me and know that I have their best interests at heart. That’s why I qualified for membership in the National Ethics Bureau. NEB does professional background checks on financial professionals to make sure they are properly licensed and haven’t violated any laws or regulations.

[Hand client NEB’s Approved Member brochure. Then open it and point to inside right panel.]

All NEB members have passed NEB’s Ethics Check System™ . . . which means we have a verified record of business ethics. Here you can see the eight separate checks I passed in order to qualify for membership. 

But don’t take my word for it.

[Point to NEB phone number at bottom of inside right column.]

If you call NEB’s Verification Hotline, they will go over my background with you and answer any questions you may have. Or if you prefer, you can check me out on their web site.

[Point to web address on bottom of back panel.]

OK, let me tell you a little bit about my background and approach to finances.

 [Continue with presentation.] 
 
Having this brief conversation right up front will really help you become a trusted advisor:

• First, it wins your prospect’s confidence. If you had something to hide, you wouldn’t be saying these things (or handing out such a brochure).
• Second, since a third-party checked you out and you passed muster, you must be trustworthy.
• Third, since you are trying hard to establish trust—not just sell a product—it tells the prospect you care about them. Prospects like that.

So the next time you meet with a prospect for the first time, go right to the heart of the matter: use your NEB membership to build consumer trust.