Top producers use simple, visual messages to supercharge sales
"This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?" -Public service announcement, Partnership for a Drug-Free America, 1987
Remember that PSA on television? Of course you do. In fact, I'm certain that upon reading it you immediately pictured the freshly cracked egg tumbling into the hot frying pan, sizzling and crackling upon impact. That simple, visual message was perhaps one of the most powerful anti-drug messages ever shown on television. You haven't forgotten it, and it came out 24 years ago.
But what if our friends at the Partnership for a Drug-Free America had chosen to explain the concept this way, with an accompanying EEG?
"Within seconds of entering the body, drugs cause dramatic changes to synapses in the brain. Drugs of abuse affect the brain in such a dramatic way that the brain must try to adapt. One way the brain compensates is to reduce the number of dopamine receptors at the synapse." -Genetic Science Learning Center, University of Utah.
Not too memorable, is it?
Unfortunately, many producers make this mistake when explaining the solutions they propose. They go into product details too early in the sales process. Remember that people first decide to buy emotionally, and then justify their decision logically- not the other way around. It's best to start with the picture, tell the story, and explain the math later to show how the plan comes together. You don't lead with logic- you
prove with it.
Financial planning strategies and products can be difficult to grasp. Top producers understand this. They all have a series of effective stories, visuals and ideas to explain relatively complex concepts. Such techniques are not meant to replace a thorough explanation of the product; to the contrary, they enable their clients to comprehend enough about the plan or product to ask intelligent follow up questions and make a wise decision. Here are some actual examples:
- - Before we talk about the tools, or products, we must first talk about the job that needs to be done. I've got the toolbox, and pretty much every tool is in there. Once we understand the job, we can go over to the toolbox."
- - "I call this kind of planning the investment interstate, because it's fast and furious, and looks great when you're cruising along making 15-20%, but when it crashes it all comes to a stop, doesn't it? Would you agree there are some wrecks happening on the investment interstate today?"
- - "In this annuity there are two accounts. Let's say they're pails of water. Now, let's talk about what happens when it rains. The water levels in the pails rise. One has a handle, meant for you to carry it away. The other has a spigot, so you can take some when you need it."
What do these ideas all have in common?
- - They are visual. As such, they can be replicated anywhere: on a white board in your office, a pad of paper, a cocktail napkin. And visual ideas appeal to the part of the brain that makes buying decisions.
- - They are familiar. Everyone has seen a water pail, an interstate highway, or a toolbox. When you use familiarity, it's easier for your audience to picture the concept quickly.
- - They are simple. Complexity is the enemy of understanding. Too many producers get enamored with their own knowledge of their craft. The customer, however, doesn't care what you know unless they can picture what you can do for them.
Take a thorough inventory of your workshops, appointments and events. Are you tactically, thoughtfully using the power of the picture, like the top producers do? If not, implement the technique immediately, and practice it on people you know. You should see a positive impact on your closing ratio.