Insurance Skill Course Overview

You have heard the old adage, “All dressed up but no place to go.” Theequivalent of it for financial advisors is, “Fully credentialed but no one to see.”Even if you are the most qualified advisor with the best products and services,if you do not have prospective clients to see, you will starve. Prospecting is tofinancial advisors as blood is to the human body. It is arguably the lifeblood ofyour practice; the better you can do it, the greater the likelihood of achievingyour goals.

You have heard the old adage, “All dressed up but no place to go.” Theequivalent of it for financial advisors is, “Fully credentialed but no one to see.”Even if you are the most qualified advisor with the best products and services,if you do not have prospective clients to see, you will starve. Prospecting is tofinancial advisors as blood is to the human body. It is arguably the lifeblood ofyour practice; the better you can do it, the greater the likelihood of achievingyour goals.

As critical as prospecting is to a financial advising practice, many advisorsstruggle to do it well. Consequently, this book is devoted to unleashing theprospecting machine within you.

Chapter 1 explains the context of prospecting within the overall selling/planning process. Then it looks at the psychology of prospecting from theadvisor’s point of view. It also examines the psychology of the buying processfrom the prospect’s point of view, discussing some of its effects on prospecting.This discussion provides the foundation for the principles that follow.

The rest of the book explains the prospecting process and the marketingactivities required to prospect effectively and efficiently. Target marketing—what it is and how to do it—is the focus of chapter 2. Chapters 3 and 4 discussvarious prospecting techniques and preapproach methods, which often overlap.

Chapter 5 leads you through the process of approaching prospects to setappointments. In addition, it addresses the task of qualifying prospects. Goalsetting and time management are discussed in chapter 6. Chapter 7 examineshow service is tied into prospecting. The text closes with a discussion ofpractice management and ethics.