Think you’re pretty good at doing your homework before meeting with potential clients?
More likely, you are merely scratching the surface—or at the very least are spending way too much time to find the right information to help you have a successful meeting.
Could your business be better with access to better information?
That was an underlying theme behind a Wednesday keynote presentation at the 2021 Annuity Distribution Summit in Lake Las Vegas hosted by the National Association for Fixed Annuities.
The speaker was Sam Richter, one of the foremost authorities on sales intelligence and digital reputation management, and he took the NAFA audience from “Google kindergarten through high school” in 90 minutes.
In his presentation, titled, “Every ‘Yes’ Begins with a ‘KNOW,’” Richter offered tip after tip to help advisors hone their search skills and shave many minutes off the time it takes to glean truly helpful information about prospects and potential prospects off the web.
“We all have access to big data,” Richter said, adding that the key is how we act on it and use it to grow business. He emphasized the principle that people are passionate about themselves, and if you can get them to talk about themselves while you sit back and listen, they are bound to provide information that will help you build a relationship.
His favored technique? How he opens conversations with people he’s meeting for the first time.
“Before I meet with people, I like to do a little bit of homework. You’re a busy guy, and I don’t want to waste your time… And guess what I found?”
That’s his conversation-starter. Pretty simple, but nevertheless it’s been very effective. The trick is finding that nugget of information to pay off his opening lines.
That’s where learning the nuances of internet searches comes in. Much of Richter’s presentation revolved around how to optimize Google searches by using tools and filters most people don’t know about. From the benefits of using the “+” sign and the capitalized word “OR” and even the how using “-” (minus) sign can be a valuable filter that removes bad or unwanted search results, Richter wowed the crowd with how using readily available tools can quickly lead you to targeted search results that provide keen insight into just about anyone you might be meeting.
In addition to Google, he shared information about getting the most out of Facebook or LinkedIn and how to use a handful of other very useful but lesser-known sites to find ideal prospects or dig up information about a one’s charitable donations, political affiliations, personal interests and more.
The whole idea is to help you quickly build a connection with a prospect—be it a key plan sponsor contact, a HNW plan participant or a business owner—that can move you to the top of their “maybe” pile.
“All this information is at our fingertips. You can differentiate yourself by doing a little homework,” Richter said. Find the nugget, ask them to tell you about it, then be quiet and let them talk about themselves.
“If you ask good questions, be quiet and let them talk, they’ll share with you what’s going on in their world.”
To learn more about Richter’s techniques, visit his website—which perhaps ironically, can easily be found with a simple Google search of “Sam Richter.”
Veteran financial services industry journalist Brian Anderson joined 401(k) Specialist as Managing Editor in January 2019. He has led editorial content for a variety of well-known properties including Insurance Forums, Life Insurance Selling, National Underwriter Life & Health, and Senior Market Advisor. He has always maintained a focus on providing readers with timely, useful information intended to help them build their business.
