A Prospect’s Wake-Up Call Happens on Their Timeframe, Not Yours
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I’ve been stubborn about my health for decades. Okay, I’ll admit stubborn is too nice of a word.
Stupid is more accurate.
Before you tell me to speak more nicely, hear me out.
I’ll be 40-years old soon. I recently talked with a friend similar in age who had to make a life change to protect his health. This prompted me to get a gigantic blood test.
At the testing center, the phlebotomist went over my order. The doctor sighed and then unenthusiastically said, “Hmm. You’re getting a lot done today. This is gonna take a while.”
Well…thanks.
But that was right. I had never seen so many vials of my own blood before – let alone any blood.
After a while I received my results. Everything was the opposite of where it should have been; markers that should have been low were high, and vice versa. Concerned, I tracked my blood pressure over the next few days. It was consistently high.
The signs were clear – and this time I chose to do more than read them. That was the wake-up call I needed to take my age and health more seriously.
I went to two different doctors. I took their suggestions to heart (pun 100% intended). I changed my lifestyle. This included eating better, strength training and swapping carbs for cardio.
Deep down, I knew these healthy changes were ones I should’ve made years ago. But nothing was “wrong” with me back then. I didn’t have the insight to test my blood levels – or take my doctors seriously. I felt fine and therefore continued to feed my body unhealthy food without properly exercising.
It took an external event to trigger an internal realization. Only then did I act.
How in the world does this relate to your business and clients? Much like I didn’t heed the advice of doctors or older, wiser colleagues, you can’t just tell someone they need a financial advisor.
You could “draw their blood” (review their budget and plan) and they’ll still just say “thanks” and carry on with their lives.
You can educate them and show them results. but they won’t act until they want to. This won’t happen until they envision a future that’s harder to stomach than their current, comfortable reality.
Returning to the doctor’s office, I thought about what my life would look like in 10 years. I saw two possibilities. At 50-years old I would either be sick, tired and rundown, or vibrant, energetic and upbeat.
When I presented myself with these two options, it was easy to choose which future I wanted.
Deciding to take your future seriously from a health or financial aspect is an internal decision. It cannot be forced by doctors or financial advisors. That’s not to say that we should sit and wait until these prospects walk into our office at age 40 and say they need help.
The blood test I took was through an online provider called WellnessFX. They give you the order, you show up to the testing center and they add your results to an app on your phone. It’s color coded and explains everything. I’ve been on their email list since 2014 and I’ve read a number of their articles. When I reached the decision on my own that it was time for bloodwork, they were top of mind.
Don’t take the waiting game literally. Proactively build relationships with prospects. Continue to show up, deliver content and establish yourself as the expert. Then, when they need you, they’ll turn to you.
On Twitter, one of my followers said: “I’ve been using Snappy Kraken for ~2 yrs; just got a VM from a prospect I hadn’t seen in 5+ yrs re coming in to update his plan bc he’d gone through my retirement-readiness email resources…all from SK.”
Five years ago, the prospect didn’t need the services or resources that advisor provided. But the advisor knew eventually they would. The advisor stayed on the prospect’s mind with consistent communication like emailing resources. When the prospect realized they needed to update their plan, that advisor was their go-to.
A colleague shared another story of a client capitalizing on timing. This was an advisor who’s been with us for about a year and a half. They consistently launched different campaigns and added two new financial planning clients. According to the client, these individuals had been on their email list for years, but only recently reached out, specifically noting that it was because they've enjoyed the content they have been receiving.
Fortune favors the bold, but it also favors the consistent. Keep showing up for your prospects. You never know where they’re at in their internal journey to making a decision to better their future. If they aren’t engaging yet, it’s not because you may not be right for them.
It’s about their timeline, not yours.
When they’re ready to make a transformation in their lives, will you immediately come to mind for them? Have you invested the time and effort to keep a connection with them? If not, they’ll turn to someone else.
Angel Gonzalez is co-founder and chief marketing officer at Snappy Kraken.
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