There is a certain art to the second and third appointments. That’s not to say that there is not an art to the first appointment but it is different in the following appointments. This could be why those appointments are where the advisors lose the client the most. Here are eight tips to make sure this doesn’t happen to you:

1. Less Jargon. Financial jargon makes sense to us as financial advisors but not necessarily to our clients, skip the lingo and put stuff in layman's terms for a smoother appointment. 

2. Don’t present all the financial plans you build. It’s important to build various plans for your prospective clients but that doesn’t mean they have to see them all. Pick the top few and discard the rest.

3. Remember their goals. When showing financial plans, we want to tie them to the goals of our clients. They don’t care about what’s on the paper if it doesn’t get them what they want. Keep in mind their goals and connect that to the plan while presenting.

4. Have an agenda. You don’t like to waste time and neither do your clients. Start the second meeting with an agenda and go through it with them to make sure you are all on the same page before going further.

5. Ask about their feelings. Instead of asking them if they understand or if it’s okay, start asking them how they feel about what you’re discussing. It’s about them and their emotions so make sure to pay attention to that.

6. Don’t hide your fees. There is no reason to be hesitant about sharing your fee as long as you are providing value to your clients. Hiding fees makes you seem untrustworthy and suspicious, just be upfront.

7. Write a story. Everyone has stories about themselves, their family, or someone through the grapevine. These are a great way to connect with your clients. If you have a story that relates to what your client is feeling, share it with them and let them know you understand what they’re going through.

8. Book the next meeting immediately. If your client wants that 3rd or 4th meeting, book it while you’re still talking with them. They likely will forget half of what you discussed within a day and this ensures they can’t forget to call and schedule next steps.
   

It takes time and practice to perfect the art of second and third meetings but it is worth it to know you helped someone be happy with their financial planning or retirement. These tips and tricks have helped me bring on $5mm in the month of May alone. If you want to learn more specifics or more about our meeting process, listen to our podcast HERE.