At the recent Jolt Conference, I was so excited to finally meet one of our influencers, Dr. Preston Cherry. He shared the art of storytelling for financial advisors, and really it starts with active listening. Dr. Cherry shared some great practices that I think advisors can really implement today when you’re sitting down to meet with a current or prospective client.
One of those practices is taking a pause. You don’t always have to fill the void with more stories and chatter. Give them a moment to respond. He also said, if that makes you uncomfortable, while being silent, think about what’s going on around you. Is the air conditioning going? Is someone blowing leaves outside?
Take a moment to actually listen to what your prospect or client is saying to connect with them. Make sure you have a couple of key stories in your back pocket. For me, I always love to share a personal story about growing up or about a recent trip. Those can really help you be in the moment and connect based on what they’re sharing, so you can give something in return on the same level.
You also want to make sure that when you’re talking to them in those introductory meetings, you’re not drilling them with questions. They don’t want a clipboard, they want a conversation with you; they want somebody who’s going to listen. Otherwise, they would just go to a robo-advisor online.
If you’d like to hear more tips, Dr. Cherry Preston has a podcast that I know you would find valuable. And if you have any questions about how you can connect more with your ideal audience, please reach out to me. I would love to help.
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