Storytelling, analogies and power phrases Archives - Page 2 of 5

In this blog category you will find blog posts packed with stories, analogies, power phrases and how to use them to better your practice and to become a successful financial advisor.

How to Build Your ‘Why I Am Here’ Story

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Your ‘why I am here’ story is an essential market differentiator. First of all, not every financial advisor even has one – other than to make money. And out of those who really do have a client-centered reason for being in this business, not all of them are able to express it. So if you have a real reason you come to work every day, and you’re able to articulate it in a way that makes sense to the clients and gives them a reason to work with you, you’re already way ahead of the competition.

That’s why you need a “why I am here” story.

But the ability to articulate your story in a way that makes it stick is essential. You don’t want to get lost in the details. You don’t want to get sidetracked. You don’t want to get interrupted while you’re trying to tell it. And you don’t want to bore the listener!

How to Build Your Story-Benefit Matrix

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Last week I blogged about a useful sales tool called a story-benefit matrix, and why you should develop one for your practice. Just going through the process is beneficial: It forces you to think through a number of different ways your prospective client will benefit by working with you – and gives you an opportunity to help tell an illustrative story that will cement that case.

It’s basic “soft-skills” at work.

But it’s helpful to understand how to build one yourself, so let me help you with that.

Why You Should Create a Story-Benefit Matrix

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Recently, in my post ”Never Underestimate the Power of a Good ‘Who I Am’ Story,” I mentioned the concept of building a good “story-benefit” matrix. I wanted to take a little time and drill down that concept.

Many salespeople are familiar with the concept of a features-benefit matrix – a handy little cheat-sheet that helps sales and marketing people translate product features into benefits for the customer.

Here’s how a features-benefit matrix works in a nutshell.

8 Stories to Help You Build Trust and Open Accounts

/ by Don Connelly / Storytelling, analogies and power phrases / 0 comments

As you might know already, I’m a big believer in telling a story.

As I write this, it’s presidential campaign season. The candidates are all about telling their stories. They want to get their preferred narratives out there, in front of voters. Successful candidates are very well rehearsed on these stories. They constantly make references to these stories, in the effort to brand themselves, differentiate themselves from other candidates, and inoculate themselves against attacks from competing candidates and their staffs.

Why?

Because it works!

It works in financial services, too.

In fact, it works so well that I don’t want you to have a single story defining you. I want you to have at least eight! And I want you to know them cold.

The Clock: A Great Sales Idea to Overcome Irrational Pessimism

/ by Don Connelly / Investing Wisdom, Storytelling, analogies and power phrases / 0 comments

You may have heard me talk before about my good friend and successful Advisor, Mark Dick. He once said to me that ‘dividends are tangible evidence that good companies don’t use smoke and mirrors because dividend checks don’t bounce.’ That is a strong power phrase that gave me a great sales idea.

Listen to the audio episode or read the transcript below to learn what the clock sales idea and how to use it.

Don’t Underestimate the Power of a Good “Who I Am” Story

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Human beings are storytellers. We tell stories because we respond to stories. It’s been so since the dawn of history.

In western civilization, we have received many of our great stories, myths, legends and cultural archetypes from stories memorized and passed down from generation to generation around campfires, dating back to pre-literate times.

Three Situations when Analogies Can Help Allay Clients’ Concerns

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As their advisor it’s your job to stop clients from worrying unnecessarily and making bad decisions. You need to find a way to check their behaviors and reassure them that they should follow your lead.

Analogies are a great way to allay clients’ concerns and get across why what you say makes perfect sense. Here are three situations where it will pay you to use analogies to keep things on track.

The Right Story at the Right Time Can and Will Tip the Decision in Your Direction

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When you meet with prospective clients, they will very possibly have concerns. They may be worried about investing per se, undecided about whether now’s the right time to invest, or unsure if you are worth your fees.

Don’t see their concerns as obstacles but as an opportunity to build trust. If you suspect they feel anxious, step in tell them an “I know what you’re thinking” story to reassure them they’re doing the right thing. This is a story designed to take away some of your prospect’s concerns.

Here are some situations where a good story can help persuade prospects to hire you as their advisor.

Using Analogies in These 3 Situations Can Help Turn Prospects into Clients

/ by Don Connelly / Storytelling, analogies and power phrases / 0 comments

It’s your job to get prospects off the fence. You need to persuade them that hiring you to manage their investments is the right thing to do. Before they make that decision, however, they need to understand what it is they are buying, and why they need to buy it. Because “people don’t buy what they don’t understand.”

This is where analogies can help push the balance in your favor. They make the unfamiliar familiar.

An analogy is “a comparison between one thing and another, typically for the purposes of explanation or clarification”.

Analogies can help you put forward an argument so that prospects see things in a new light – and conclude, of their own accord – that it makes sense to do business with you.

Here are three situations that warrant the use of analogies.

Why You Need a ‘Why I Am Here’ Story

/ by Don Connelly / Storytelling, analogies and power phrases / 0 comments

We all know that everyone likes a good story, a fact that’s backed up by science. When we hear a story that resonates with us, our levels of the ‘feel good’ hormone oxytocin rises. This motivates us to work with others and has a positive impact on our social behavior.

Stories can also help to build connections and create empathy with prospects and clients.

So, it’s no surprise that story form is great for illustrating to prospects that you are there for the right reasons – that you’re not in this business simply to make money but to add value to people’s lives.

Here are a few ways developing a ‘Why I Am Here’ story will help you grow your business.

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