By Sandy Schussel

Too many financial advisors use “junk” words with clients and others that negatively impact their effectiveness. If you’re using any of the words or phrases below in your communications with clients, prospects, your team — or anyone — stop saying them.

1. Actually 

“Actually, the reason I’m calling is … I was actually just thinking …”

“Actually” is a filler word that makes you appear less confident. It can also come off as condescending when responding to someone about something they heard. If you have an opinion that differs from theirs, own it.

2. Just 

“I just want to say … I was just wondering …”

The word “just” is a minimizer. We use it because we’re afraid to say what we want to say.

3. So

“So, today we’re going to … So, the reason I brought this up …”

“So,” at the start of a sentence, is redundant and is another one of those words that make you appear less confident.

4. Hedges

“It’s just my opinion, but ... The way I see it ... I may be wrong, but … “

It might be scary to say what you think and give your advice. But that’s what your clients are looking for. Stop hedging. Speak your truth.

5. Precatory language

“I hope you will … You really should … It would be a good idea if …”

Precatory language is a wish or desire that doesn’t rise to the level of a command or request and doesn’t have to be acted upon. Replace precatory language like “I hope you will sign this as soon as possible …” with more powerful language, such as “I need you to sign this today and get it back to me. Is there any reason you won’t be able to do so? Great, then we’re in agreement.”

Remove every weak word, hedge and precatory request from your interactions to increase your impact — and your bottom line.

Sandy Schussel is a performance acceleration coach who has been working with financial advisors for more than 20 years, helping them break through to higher production levels.

What common presentation mistakes lose clients?

By Adam Slonim

For some financial advisors, pitching to a prospect is like a fashion show. They put on a splashy presentation about how many clients and credentials they have, and make it all about them. It’s meant to impress, but the client is left out of the presentation.

The splashy presentation problem

What does a prospect really hear when a pitch starts off with, “Let me tell you about what we do and how we go about it.” They may hear that the financial advisor cares more about growing their client list than the client. They might also hear that you as a financial advisor have so many clients that you won’t be able to give that much attention to them.

How to fix the problem

It’s very common to think that it’s about credentials. When you pitch to prospects, remember that they only want to hear how important they are.

Presentation before rapport problem

A second common mistake is that it’s all about the presentation. We think a 45-minute or an hour presentation is going to knock them over. In the years I’ve been doing this, there are few presentations that are so brilliant and incredible that they can replace weeks of rapport building.

How to fix the problem

Build rapport with the prospect by learning about them and their boundary conditions. It’s the environment in which they operate and includes their needs, challenges and opportunities they have.

There’s a fundamental difference between presentation and pitch. Pitching is a process that includes rapport.

Adam Slonim is a business coach and founder of the Blended Learning Group, which assists organizations with leadership through emotional intelligence, communicating with purpose and sales capability.

Reach greater career heights with coaches, champions and cardinals

By Jill J. Johnson, MBA

Successful people often talk about a mentor who guided their career. While mentors are invaluable, there are three other types of people who also can have a profound impact on your success. If you are open to the opportunities, you can benefit from a wide range of people who inspire and guide you.

1. Coaches

In today’s business world, coaches go by many names, such as consultants or trainers. Whatever name they go by, they enable people to function at elite levels. The key thing that makes a coach different from a mentor is they are paid to make you think, give you advice, refine your expertise and teach you advanced skills. A coach’s experienced eye sees the changes and adjustments that will make the difference in your ability to attain success. They teach you how to leverage your skills for even greater rewards. They transform leaders through their ability to teach profound business and life lessons.

2. Champions

There are some people in your professional life who will reach out to assist you in a very different way than a coach or a mentor. Champions are the people who can open doors for you simply because they recognize your talent and potential. These types of distinguished businesspeople are so widely regarded that their recommendation is virtually an endorsement that moves you to the front of the line. They don’t expect anything back except that you follow through on the opportunity at an exceptional level of performance.

Champions give you a chance to prove yourself. They can bring you to a whole new professional level and open up the world for you.

3. Cardinals

Then there are those people who fly into your life and show you possibilities that will change the course of your future. These cardinals also can quickly fly away. Nevertheless, the brilliance of what they have added to your view of the world totally changes how you see your future.

You will connect with a cardinal through chance encounters, as a result of a random opportunity that comes your way or perhaps at an MDRT meeting. These events have the potential to change the course of your entire life. The insights these cardinals share with you will resonate at a profound level, and you will leave the encounter knowing with absolute certainty that your future possibilities have changed for the better.

By traveling on your professional journey with others, you can travel farther and faster. Allowing others to inspire and champion your talent will open you up to a world in which you can learn from virtually everyone you meet. By doing so, you will exponentially enhance your potential for success.

Jill Johnson, president and founder of Johnson Consulting Services, is a highly accomplished speaker, and an award-winning management consultant and author.

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