In this fast-moving world where our attention span becomes ever shorter, the first minute of conversations becomes key in turning your prospects into potential clients. Here are two analogies I...
You are a financial advisor in the United States, an insurance agent in Asia or an estate planner in Canada. You want new clients, ideally within the high-net-worth community. You...
A year ago, I was talking to Mr. Prospect and his wife, who is a foreign citizen, regarding the importance of health insurance. He felt, however, that health insurance was...
If a client or prospect doesn’t understand why they need additional medical insurance policies, I use the following metaphor. I have a bad habit of not bringing an umbrella when I...
The financial services industry is one of the most amazing and rewarding industries that I’ve ever participated in. I saw the difference financial planning could make when I was a 30-year-old...
Prospects won’t buy when they believe a financial advisor is selling. If, however, a financial advisor can guide prospects toward creating a financial plan that accomplishes their goals, they will...
For clients purchasing insurance is not the goal, but a measure to reach their goal. They want to find out what and how to prepare for a happy and regret-free...
Mindset is key to handling objections. To me, objections signify a gap between our presentation and the prospect’s buying decision. Like playing a game of tennis, I imagine the client...
Just because a sale is complex, meaning it involves a high degree of uncertainty as well as a larger number of people in the process, doesn’t mean this potentially large...
My career has been built on simple ideas heard from MDRT Annual Meeting presentations. Let me share a few. Paying the premium is not the problem; paying the premium is the...
About 20 years ago, I was referred to a successful merchandiser working at a reputable garments factory in Hong Kong, China. The merchandiser, whom I’ll call Sunil, was in his...
I first heard this idea at an MDRT meeting in the late 1970s, early in my career. Since then, I have developed and used it with success with my corporate...
What do you say when clients or prospects believe that life insurance is a bad investment? I first ask why they feel that way to get a better perspective about...
When a chartered accountant with an excellent reputation caught my attention in the newspaper, I decided I’d like to add his name to my client list. I sent him an...
By Howard E. Sharfman People in our profession are insecure. We may seem confident and in control to the rest of the world, but we worry a lot — about our...
