6 tactful ways to ask for the order

“C’mon. Are you going to buy or not? I don’t have all day.”

Agents and advisors often have problems closing the sale. We are great at getting to know prospects, and then developing and presenting a plan. What happens next is where problems develop. Often there’s a pause. The prospect says: 

• “Very interesting. Let me think about it.”
• “I’ll talk with my wife/husband/trustee/parole officer and get back to you.”
• “I’ll let you know.”

We don’t want to pressure them into a decision because:

• It doesn’t work
• If it does, we’ve made a sale (which might be undone) but lost the long-term relationship.

Other ways to ask for the order

While developing a training seminar on “Closing,” I surveyed and interviewed lots of successful financial advisors. Of the many responses that came back, six stood out. You will notice they share certain similarities. These will be highlighted later:

• Are you ready to address the issues?
• Are you comfortable enough with the recommendations to proceed?
• What do you think? Can we proceed with the plan?
• Can I have your business?
• Can you see yourself benefitting from the strategy?
• I want to work for you. I need the go ahead from you.

Similarities

It’s likely you picked them out already:

• They are closed ended questions.
• The uncomfortable answer is “No.” (Read them over again, answering “No.” How does it feel?
• Every example included the word “you.”

Next steps