Convincing Your Clients to Sacrifice for a Reward They Can’t Visualize
I am convinced the hardest thing in the world to sell is advice, especially when the reward for following said advice is so far down the road it can’t be visualized. “Trust me” is an understatement.
Convincing others to settle for delayed gratification is a challenge you face every day.
You must establish such a high level of trust with people that they allow themselves to be helped. You have to make them comfortable enough to tell you their goals and their dreams. You have to enable them to see themselves attaining those goals.
You have to convince them that sacrificing today is a small price to pay for the reward of fulfilling their dreams. You have to turn them into believers. The belief must be so strong, the reward so great, that nothing gets in the way of achieving the goals; not down markets, not paper losses and not the crisis du jour. How do you do that?
You do that by turning mountains into mole hills.
You make all the obstacles an investor can encounter minor compared to the joy of achieving financial independence. You constantly remind them why they invested and why they chose you.
You don’t oversell and you don’t overpromise. You set up a plan designed to weather any and all storms and you get your clients on board. You make the difficulty of succeeding worthwhile. And you must do all this in such a way that they remember your message. What does everyone remember? Everyone remembers a great story.
When you need to make real something that people can’t visualize, you do it by fashioning a compelling story.
You draw a clear picture of what’s coming down the road. You paint a word picture detailing the impending obstacles and explain how together you will overcome these obstacles. You make attaining the vision worth the sacrifice. The key, of course, is to get people to focus on the destination, not the journey.
From time to time I get asked an interesting question. Who motivates the motivator?
The same can be asked of you. Tumultuous markets are standard fare for you. You can’t escape the pressure of negative news. When you are watching events unfold, your clients are watching you. They take their cues from you. Your resolve must be maintained no matter the situation. You cannot lose sight of your client’s goals. How do you stay focused and committed to the long haul?
Every day nearly everything in your world changes, market, economies and events. If you are swayed by current events, your outlook will change. You will eventually lose your enthusiasm. The media do not generate revenue by pumping out good news. I urge you to focus on two things that never change.
No matter the situation, your clients will always have goals.
Retirement age doesn’t wait for anyone. College tuitions must be paid. Good markets come and go. Client goals do not. As well, you’re open for business every day and you have your own goals to achieve. You can’t wait for ideal conditions. Focus on those two facts.
Create your own vision. Build your own story. Your reward awaits, as does your client’s reward. You can’t always visualize the reward, but you can believe in the sacrifice if the vision is strong enough.
None of us can see down the road. We just have to believe.
