Advisors, Start Your Meetings With These Questions. Financial Advisor Training.

Summary

In this video, Dave Zoller from Streamline Financial shares a powerful technique for financial advisors to start client meetings effectively. He introduces a simple yet profound opening question, 'So what's on your mind?', which encourages clients to share their most pressing concerns. Followed by two crucial follow-up questions, 'And what else?' and either 'What's the real challenge here?' or 'What do you really want?', these inquiries deepen the conversation, helping advisors understand the client's needs better. The final question, 'How would you like me to help?', ensures a clear understanding of the client's expectations. Zoller's approach, inspired by Michael Stanier's 'The Coaching Habit', has been a cornerstone of his firm's client engagement strategy for years.

Takeaways

• 😀 Start with a simple question: The video emphasizes the effectiveness of beginning meetings with the question 'So what's on your mind?' to initiate a meaningful conversation.
• 🔍 Encourage self-disclosure: By asking open-ended questions, financial advisors can invite clients to share their most pressing concerns and needs.
• 📝 Take notes: While clients speak, the advisor should write down key quotes, problems, and needs to better understand the client's situation.
• 🔑 Follow-up with 'Ah' question: The follow-up question 'And what else?' helps clients delve deeper into their issues and become more self-aware.
• 🤔 Identify the real challenge: Asking 'What's the real challenge here?' prompts clients to consider the underlying problem beyond their initial concerns.
• 🎯 Focus on the desired outcome: The question 'What do you really want?' guides clients to articulate their ultimate goals or desired outcomes.
• 🤝 Clarify how to help: The question 'How would you like me to help?' ensures that the advisor understands the client's expectations for support and action.
• 📚 Source of inspiration: The questions used are inspired by Michael Stanier's book 'The Coaching Habit,' which contains crucial questions for coaching clients.
• 📈 Tailor the approach: Depending on the conversation's flow, the advisor may choose between two questions to help identify the client's real needs.
• 👍 Seek feedback: The video encourages viewers to try these questions and share their experiences in the comments for further discussion.
• 🌟 Continuous improvement: The channel is created by advisors who are actively growing their business, offering practical advice for other advisors to improve their practice.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video script?

The main purpose of the video script is to share a method for financial advisors to start their first meetings with prospective clients effectively, using a specific set of questions that encourage deep and meaningful conversations.

Who is the speaker in the video script?

The speaker in the video script is Dave Zoller, who runs a wealth management firm called Streamline Financial with his business partner Tim.

What book does the speaker reference for the questions used in the video?

The speaker references 'The Coaching Habit' by Michael Stanier as the source of the questions used in the video.

What is the first question that the speaker suggests using in the initial meeting with a prospective client?

The first question suggested by the speaker is 'So what's on your mind?' which is meant to quickly start a real conversation and get to the heart of the matter.

Why does the speaker believe the first question is effective?

The speaker believes the first question is effective because it invites people to share what's most important to them and it has never resulted in a dead-end answer in his experience.

What are the two follow-up questions that the speaker uses after the first one?

The two follow-up questions are 'And what else?' which invites the client to go deeper, and either 'What's the real challenge here?' or 'What do you really want?' to help identify the exact help they need.

How does the speaker use the follow-up questions in the conversation?

The speaker uses the follow-up questions to encourage the client to become more self-aware of their problems and to clarify their desired outcomes or the real challenges they face.

What is the final question the speaker suggests to close the initial conversation with a prospective client?

The final question suggested by the speaker is 'How would you like me to help?' which prompts the client to make a direct request for assistance.

Why is it important for the speaker to ask 'How would you like me to help?' at the end of the conversation?

It is important to ask 'How would you like me to help?' because it ensures that the advisor does not assume how best to assist the client but rather understands the client's specific needs and preferences.

What is the speaker's invitation to the viewers at the end of the video script?

The speaker invites viewers to try out the questions shared in the video, share their experiences in the comments, and provide any alternative methods or questions they use to open meetings.

How can viewers provide feedback or share their own methods after watching the video?

Viewers can provide feedback or share their own methods by commenting on the video, and the speaker promises to respond to those comments.