Over the past 16 years, we have written more than 100 articleson being stubborn.

Yet most agents, advisors and planners stubbornly refuse tobelieve it's holding them back from achieving all the success theydesire in this great financial services industry.

Instead, all we hear every day is; “I need more sales leads.”“I’m just not in front of enough people.” Ninety-nine out of 100 ofthe 1.5 million agents, advisors and planners in the United Stateswants to believe that if they see enough people they will be aroaring success.

What's really happening

However, let's look at what's really happening.

Is there any question that most companies and IMOs do a good jobof product training? There are lots of people offering training onthe tried-and-true sales ideas, such as income tax reduction,annuity split funding, wealth preservation, estate planning andpension maximization.

There are plenty of hot, new sales ideas out there guaranteed tomake you a fortune, such as infinite banking, tax-free retirement,Social Security planning, etc. Plus, there are plenty ofindependent marketing organizations offering lead generationsystems that feature dinner seminars, direct mail, free reports,newspaper ads and fax blasting.

Finally, there are the sales trainers offering courses on 101closing techniques, overcoming objections, overcoming callreluctance and conducting successful client seminars. And yet 99percent of agents, advisors and planners today are still strugglingto make a net income of only $60,000. Only 1 percent of today'sagents, advisors and planners are consistently earning asignificant six-figure income after expenses.

How to conduct a good, thorough fact-finding interview

While all of the above training is helpful, and/or needed, whatmost agents, advisors and planners really need the most isn’t beingtaught by the vast majority of our companies, industryschools, IMOs or sales trainers.

What most agents aren’t being taught, is how to conduct a good,thorough fact-finding interview, which is the missing ingredientfor an outstanding successful career in the financial servicesindustry.

We know that you have heard it time and time again from us. Thequestion is: When are you going to really listen and takeaction?

Continue reading...

The ability to conduct a good, thoroughfact-finding interview is:

• How you become the trusted advisor that people want tosee;
• How you truly help people;
• What separates the average producer who earns $30,000 to$60,000 per year, from the top producers who earns $100,000 to $1million or more per year;
• The difference between earning an average income of $1,000 ofcommissions per case, to earning $5,000 or more of commissions percase;
• The difference betwee needing to set 20 or more newappointments per week, to only needing five or less newappointments per week;
• The difference between working 60 hours or more per week, andworking less than 40 hours per week.

Why isn’t fact-finding being taught today?

There are a multitude of reasons for this lack of fact-findingtraining in our industry. There are very few people in thisindustry who truly understand the value of this training. Mostcompanies and IMOs see this type of training as toocostly and time consuming.

Most companies, agents, advisors and planners are more concernedabout making a sale than really helping people.

But, the main reason fact finding isn't taught today is becauseit’s hard, if not impossible, to convince most agents, advisors andplanners that they don’t know what they don’t know! What mostagents, advisors and planners don’t know is people are much moreskeptical today and see through the hype and old fashionedinsurance marketing and sales techniques.

They want real help.

So, if you want to earn more than a mediocre income selling lifeinsurance and annuities, you must help people to see you as theirtrusted advisor instead of just another pushy salesperson. And, howcan you become their trusted advisor if you don’t ask questions andreally listen to them, to truly understand their concerns, whatthey need and what they really want?

"People buy based on emotions and justify their decision basedon logic."

If you want to make your career much easier, more fun andprofitable, then stop being stubborn. You must learn how to conducta good, thorough fact find.

Uncover emotions and motivations

Good, thorough fact finding involves more than just gathering thefacts about what your prospects have (or don’t have) andthen making a quick recommendation and sale. You also need to askthe emotionally based who, what, where, when, how and why questionsto uncover your prospect's attitudes, opinions and unspokenfeelings. You need to uncover their emotions and motivations tohelp them to want to set better priorities, and want to takeaction.

People don't buy based on their needs, they buy based on theirwants.

You can stubbornly ignore the problem and keep struggling alongyear after year like everyone else! Or, you can fix the problemright now and make your life much easier, more fun and moreprofitable!

The choice is entirely yours.

Related:

23 ways to sharpen your salesperformance

The 3 questions every prospect isasking

Ask powerful questions to increase clientinteraction