Become What People Want
Let’s talk about becoming what people want. Do you know what people want? People want a beacon of anti-stress.
Watch the video or read the transcript to learn how you can become that for your clients.
Everybody’s life in this country has become ‘beat the clock’. They’re looking for someone; they want to feel good walking into your office. They want a five-minute break from the stress in their lives.
No wonder older people take long walks on the beach and long bicycle rides through the woods. They’re getting away from it all.
Do you know what clients miss?
Clients miss the neighborhood grocery store. Did you have one of those where you grew up, a corner store, where you could walk in and the guy knew your name, and knew your siblings and knew your parents? That’s what people miss.
Everything is a hustle. I just want to remind you: People don’t want ETFs, managed accounts, mutual funds, stocks, bonds, annuities. That’s not what people want! People want to educate their kids, pay their taxes and retire.
So let me just give you an example of being what people want.
You explain to people – “Mr. and Mrs. Client, Mr. and Mrs. Prospect, I don’t want you to think of me as your financial advisor. I want you to think of me as an airplane pilot.”
When they look at you not understanding, you say very simply:
“When you fly, there are three things you want to do. You want to take off and land safely, you want to take off on time and you want to get where you’re going. That’s all you want.
Well, I’m going to be your pilot. I’m going to do that for you. I’m going to get you where you want to be, on time, safely.
But there are two rules that govern our relationship.
Number one, I didn’t build the airplane, XYZ mutual fund company, or money manager built the airplane. So if en route, we encounter mechanical difficulty, which we will, when earnings drop, dividends get cut, when rates go up and bond prices down, there’ll be mechanical difficulties, don’t blame me. Blame the person that built the airplane.
The other thing is this: As your pilot I’m not paid to predict the weather, I’m paid to react to weather. So at times I’ll say, look out the left – there’s a very placid scene. Other times I’ll say fasten your seatbelts, there’s rough weather but we’ll get through it.
I’ll get you where you want to be on time and safely. And the point is this, Mr. and Mrs. Client: You go to the airport tomorrow, there are two planes flying to Los Angeles. One has a pilot, one doesn’t. Your choice – hop on!”
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The video podcast “Become What People Want” first appeared on Don Connelly 24/7 in the Storytelling section of Tools of the Trade library.
