Planning and Advice

Careful timing: Take it slow and steady with prospects

(July 2004) How many meetings should you plan to have with a prospect before asking them to do business with you? Traditional sales training taught advisors to ask for the sale from the very first call, using a litany of trial closes and sales techniques. Today, asking for the sale prematurely is worse than waiting […]

By Dan Richards |July 29, 2004

3 min read

Eight ways to get the most from your suppliers

(July 2004) As most business people will tell you, there is no such thing as a free lunch — the person doing the paying is looking for business from the person doing the eating. This old adage, however true, is a bit trickier to apply to the financial services industry. Free lunches are sponsored so […]

By Deirdre Moore |July 7, 2004

3 min read

Taming time (Part 1 of 2): How to prospect and generate referrals efficiently

(July 2004) Top advisors and their team members say that finding time to prospect and generate referrals is one of their biggest challenges. Those who are successful have developed a process to follow which ensures they are maximizing their resources and receiving all the new assets possible. Here are a few “big picture” thoughts and […]

By Joanne Ferguson |July 5, 2004

2 min read

Taming time (Part 2 of 2): Use this tool to organize and track your prospecting activities

(July 2004) Are you generating a flood of referrals through both alternative and traditional means? To take the next step, use the following worksheet (both customizable and printable) to help you organize and track your prospecting activities on a monthly basis. PRIORITIES FOR MONTH _________________________________________ YEAR _________________________ * Write down who you will contact this […]

By Joanne Ferguson |July 5, 2004

1 min read