While there are common elements in the preparation of all prospect and client meetings, there are some specific considerations you should give when preparing for each type of meeting.
Prospects, unlike existing clients, have little or no experience in working with you. You are, for the most part, an unknown.
Of course, they may think they know something about you, by virtue of how they were referred or introduced to you, word of mouth and anecdotally. But ask yourself, what do they really know about you, and how accurate is this supposed knowledge?
Accordingly, your preparation for first meetings with prospects needs to take into consideration any inaccuracies and gaps in their knowledge of you, what they truly need to know about you, and the questions they may not ask, but are important questions, nonetheless.
Prospects, as different from existing clients, want to know about you – who you are and what you have to offer them. They want to know about your experience, your business, and the value you can bring to them. I find that an agenda, at least, is an excellent tool for the other person to understand who you are, your experience, your value, what they expect, and what you will cover. You could also consider embedding success stories of existing clients into your positioning.
And remember, often the most important questions that prospects have are not even asked.
Improving an adviser’s meeting preparation effectiveness and operating rhythm are both important elements of the GROW Adviser Capability program.
Keep an eye out for my next article:
“An alternative way to prepare for client reviews”
So what do you need to say, and importantly do, to both position yourself as you want to be positioned and demonstrate the value you will bring to the prospect?
What are the key elements you prepare for prospect meetings?
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