Sales people often unknowingly trigger alarms in their prospects. These alarms are the defense mechanisms that kick in when someone feels pressured or manipulated. Have you ever wondered if you’re triggering these alarms without meaning to? In this month’s Stump The Guru show explore how small changes in your approach can make prospects feel more comfortable and open to a genuine conversation, rather than putting them on guard. I've made it my life’s mission to create th...

It’s easy to get caught up in showing your prospect how valuable your solution is. But the truth is, trust has to come first. Without trust, your value doesn’t matter as much. Building trust is the foundation for every successful sale. In this month’s Stump The Guru show I will be diving into why trust-building should be your first priority, and how focusing on it can naturally lead to demonstrating value. I've made it my life’s mission to create the clarity that is missing ...

Have you ever had a prospect suddenly go silent on you? It’s frustrating, but what if the best way to re-engage them isn’t through more sales tactics? "Falling on your sword" means taking responsibility and being open about the situation without pressure. It’s about reaching out in a way that invites them to reconnect without feeling sold to. In this month’s Stump The Guru show I will be exploring how this approach can reopen the door to meaningful conversations. I've made i...

Rejection is a tough pill to swallow, but here’s the thing: It’s not the end of the road. Instead of viewing rejection as a personal failure, what if you saw it as part of the natural process of building trust? Rejection can be a sign that you’re doing the right things, engaging in real conversations, and letting prospects make informed decisions. In this month’s Stump The Guru show I will be exploring how reframing rejection can help you stay focused on the long-term relationship. ...

It’s natural to want to educate your prospects, but could you be overdoing it? Providing too much information can leave them feeling overwhelmed and unsure about the next step. The goal isn’t to teach them everything you know; it’s to create clarity and trust. In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I talked about “Are You Over-Educating And Losing The Sale?”. I've made it my life’s mission to create the clarity that is missing in the traditional sales process, through decades of working ...

Sales scripts are often promoted as the key to success. But let’s be honest—scripts can sound robotic and insincere. If you’re relying too much on a script, you might be missing out on connecting with your prospect on a human level. In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I talked about “Are You Using A Sales Script?”. I've made it my life’s mission to create the clarity that is missing in the traditional sales process, through decades of working with thousands of busines...

A sales roadmap is often presented as a step-by-step guide to closing deals. But here’s the thing: If your roadmap is focused only on the destination—making the sale—you might be missing something crucial along the way. The journey is about creating trust with your prospects at every step, not just rushing to the finish line. In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I talked about “Do You Have A "Sales Roadmap"?. I've made it my life’s mission to create the clarity that is...

Objections are a common part of the sales process, but here’s a thought: What if trying to “overcome” them is actually working against you? When we push against objections, we’re not connecting with the true concerns of our prospects. Instead of seeing objections as hurdles to overcome, let’s see them as opportunities to listen and understand. In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I talked about "Should You Be Overcoming Objections?". I've made it my life’s mission to create...

We often assume that more information is what our prospects need. But what if that’s not the case? In reality, giving too much information too soon can overwhelm them and drive them away. What they really want is clarity, confidence, and trust in you—not a firehose of facts. In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I talked about “Is Information Really What Your Prospects Want From You?”. I've made it my life’s mission to create the clarity that is missing in the traditional s...

When you're challenged by a prospect, your first instinct might be to defend yourself. But what if that’s not the best response? Defending yourself can create a barrier between you and the prospect, making it harder to build trust. Instead of pushing back, what if you leaned in with curiosity and understanding? In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I talked about “Are You Defending Yourself When Challenged?”. I've made it my life’s mission to create the clarity that is miss...

As a highly competent advisor with years of experience, it’s easy to assume that your accrued expertise is all you need to successfully acquire new clients at a steady pace. You have a respectable book of business that you’ve built over the years delivering dependable advice and tremendous value. Clients are happy and your business is relatively stable. With all of that, it’s easy to assume new potential clients would instantly recognize and appreciate your expertise and decide to hire you. I...

For a long time, referrals were the “I’ve made it, I’m good at what I do, I don’t need to market myself,” safe zone for many advisors. As referrals started coming in, there was a sense of relief that you could keep your foot on the brake and not have to worry about stepping on the marketing pedal to accelerate your practice. But waiting for your phone to ring for a referral is no longer the safe zone as it once was, unless you are happy depending on an unpredictable and passive model to grow ...

What could be worse than having a qualified prospect who you can help, slip through your fingers and vanish? You did everything right in the initial conversation. You were friendly, gave them great information, and you didn’t pressure them to move forward. But at the end they say: “Thank you so much for your time. Let me think about it, and if I’m interested, I’ll get back to you”. In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I talked about “Are Prospects Slipping Through Your Fingers?”. I've m...

Our instinct to gaining a new paying client during the sales conversation, subconsciously directs our thinking to keeping the sales conversation constantly moving forward -- so we don’t lose momentum, ending in losing the potential client. So, when an initial sales conversation with a prospect runs out of steam, and feels like it should reach some kind of conclusion, we often fill that awkward moment with: “Do you have any other questions I can answer for you?”. That prompts them to respond a...

Being an expert often comes with what I call “the curse of mastery” – when someone tells you about their problem, you immediately begin trying to solve it – because you can. The curse of mastery also comes with this belief: solving problems for your prospects up front, is how you prove your value by showing them you know your stuff. But the truth is, trying to solve their problems by providing information and insights in your initial sales conversation, could be the one thing that stops them ...

How many times have you had an initial consultation with a new qualified prospect, where no matter how well you explained your process, they just wouldn’t take the next step with you? For most advisors, it’s far too many. Somewhere in the conversation the momentum is lost, they don’t return your calls, don’t respond to your emails, and you never figure out the root cause of why they decided to “ghost” you. In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I talked about Why Your Prospects Won’t Take the N...

A funny thing happens when you have an initial conversation with a potential client. When they start sharing their challenges with you, you probably can’t help yourself but to do what I call “free consulting”. Free consulting is when you provide information and education to prove you know your stuff. It assumes they’re making their decision to hire you based on your competence – proven by the information and education you provide to them. I've made it my life’s mission to create the cla...

As an advisor, the last thing you want is to be labelled as a stereotypical “sales person”. But when your prospects don’t give you enough information in your initial conversation, you begin educating them and fall into “free consulting” mode. You’re a fiduciary, you have their best interest at heart, but they keep you at bay shopping around, seeing other advisors. In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I spoke about “Is The Hard Sell Obsolete?” I've made it my life’s mission to create the clari...

Your prospect won’t allow you into their world unless they perceive you as being selfless in your intentions. But unless your advisory practice is a non-profit entity, being selfless in your intentions is completely at odds with your need to make the sale. How do you reconcile this paradox? In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I spoke about “Does Being Too Friendly Come With Downsides?” I've made it my life’s mission to create the clarity that is missing in the traditional sales process, thro...

Many advisors have been conditioned to believe that their prospects must like them first before they’re willing to become a paying client. If you eavesdropped inside a typical initial conversation between an advisor and their prospect, you’d probably hear a lot of chit-chat about trivial things, that may not relate to their challenges. The problem with rapport-building on its own is that your prospects can sense you may have a hidden agenda behind it. In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I sp...