When I was considering working with a financial planner some
years ago, I identified three of the top money managers in my network and asked
to have a phone interview.
I expected them to show up with information about
themselves, their firms, other people they represented that I might know, and an
analysis of my potential profile and investment suggestions they had, given
where I was in my career. And they did.
Almost.
Two of the managers gave a brief pitch about themselves,
their investment strategy and where they saw the market going. Then they got to
the most important part of the conversation: me.
The third manager talked about himself, his 30 years in the
business, what he had accomplished, how he was ranked against other wealth
managers, his awards, and a list of satisfied customers. All of this
accompanied by a giant PDF he had sent with the details and certificates of
achievement. It was impressive, for 10 minutes, and I was sold. After another
20 minutes, I wasn’t MORE sold and, in fact, was growing tired of the
self-promotion.
When the time came for this uber-investment whiz to discuss
the market, he began looking at some reports his assistant had prepared (he had
not read them in advance). And then he whiffed.
He did not have any sense of what sort of strategy would
make sense for me. The reason? He had no information about me. He hadn’t asked
a single question. He was more interested in telling me about himself.
In other words, the one thing I was most interested in, “How
should I invest my money?” is the one thing he was not prepared to discuss. He
said he would get back to me with “a plan.”
To be a truly great sales person, the primary focus is “how
do I help the client.” If you are in front of a client, you got there because
you met the table stakes of being worth talking to. It’s OK to credentialize
yourself a bit before asking questions to understand the client’s interests. But in
the interview, you’re not selling yourself; you’re selling what you can do to
make the client more successful based on your talent and experience. It’s never
about you, even when it’s about you.
The current state of affairs: the crisis of COVID-19, the
economic downturn and the collapse of the oil market, highlights this more than
ever.
Everybody has been impacted in some way or another,
including service providers. And top service providers know this is the time to
jump into action and show clients they are ready to help.
Contrary to what the pundits on the business channels are
saying about this being a “business opportunity,” trying to “sell” in a crisis
stinks of self-interest and opportunism. In times of trouble the best
companies show up and say, “We’re in this together. What can we do for you?” Yes,
the crisis presents an opportunity: to build relationships and show our
clients it’s always about them.
