Australians have always had an aversion to being sold to. Being a salesperson here is not a revered position and people tend to avoid conversations if they know it’s a sales pitch.
But selling becomes a service when you can offer a solution to a problem.
Many advisers hold solutions to enormous problems faced by the majority of Australians: how do I manage my cashflow? What should I do with my super? What other investments should I be making? How do I financially protect my family?
These are questions that are being asked every day by numerous Australians.
Unfortunately, only two in 10 are seeking advice on these questions. As Noel points out in his blog, the early days of financial planning were a lot about sales skills and how to close a deal. Today, there is a strong focus on technical capability and fee transparency.
It’s all good and appropriate. However, as an adviser you should never lose sight of the fact that you do need to sell solutions to common questions and scenarios Australians have.
Selling solutions is a lot easier than selling the product.
All you need to do is:
- Identify the problem you are best equipped to solve (is it cashflow, investing, risk?)
- Create an ongoing dialogue in a variety of channels about how you are solving these problems on an everyday basis
- Continue to use real life examples of how the problem was solved using an ongoing advice solution
This new form of sales is called content marketing, and its benefits will include an ongoing stream of people who need you to solve their problems. Creating solutions to big issues in this arena can negate the need to justify your fees. If you can fix a real problem with an ongoing solution, I would hazard a guess that most clients would be more than happy to pay.
