MDRT ideas: Master connecting with prospects

How you communicate with prospects can make a difference in whether or not they become your clients. Try these ideas from MDRT members from around the world to better connect.

Your legacy, your pick
If you don’t have a will, the government is waiting to make one for you. I remind people that everything we have worked for all our lives will go to two of three places when we die: our family, our government or to charity. The good news is that with planning, you get to pick the two that mean the most to you.
—Darren Ulmer, CFP, CLU, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 15-year MDRT member

First impression
Meeting a highly successful client means we need to build rapport and trust fast. I have my assistant forward them my personal webpage and a recent interview or article that a reputable media outlet like Channel News Asia has done about me. This exposure gives the client a better impression about the work I do and how I can differentiate myself from others. By the time I see them, the battle is already half won.
—Jovin Su Phing Yeo, CFP, AEPP, Singapore, 21-year MDRT member

Talking over clients’ heads
When you first get into this profession, you think, Clients and prospects I’m going to visit with are going to be impressed because of what I know. I found, however, that people would leave saying, “Wow, you really know your stuff,” but they wouldn’t take action.

My father, 47-year MDRT member H. Richard Dobson Sr., CFP, said to me, “You have a lot of wonderful knowledge, but you need to hold that back in reserve. What your clients and prospects need to see from you is understanding, not bowling them over with technical information. You need a big dose of simplicity.” Consider your audience. Whether you’re talking to one person or 1,000, it’s up to you to adjust the words you use to what that audience understands. Communication has nothing to do with markets, underwriters, companies, policies or any of these things. It’s you as a human being helping and describing to another person how you can help them. They must view us as someone who understands them, and who they can understand.
—Richard Dobson Jr., CFP, Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA, 22-year MDRT member

You’ll find more ideas in the May/June 2024 Round the Table article “The dreams box and visualize success.”