Competition between financial planners is very intense. They are given lofty goals for attracting new accounts and for increasing the assets managed for their existing clients. Daniel Davis, a new financial planner, was finding the situation very stressful so he turned to a professional coach to help him achieve the goals set for him.
An effective financial planner must be an excellent at sales, relationship building, math and prognosticating in addition to knowing and studying the financial opportunities and regulations for his or her client. Not surprisingly it is difficult to find an individual with all these qualities.
Davis enjoyed all aspects of being a financial planner yet realized he was lacking the skills he needed to be a great salesperson. He sought help from a professional coaching program.
Assigned to work out of banks located in Meijer and Kroger stores in Macomb County, Mich., Davis realized he needed a professional coach.
Coaches understand it is quicker to redirect than it is to change them. Davis had a tremendous heart for helping other people. If he were to be successful he would have to focus on a servant’s heart as the driver for his salesmanship.
In the grocery stores Davis was required by the bank to approach people in the store to let them know financial services were available at the bank. His personality did not allow him to handle this task comfortably.
Davis saw this act as impolite, rude, and obtrusive to the shopping experience. He would break out in a cold sweat just thinking about walking the aisles in search of victims/customers. However it was a mandatory requirement by the bank.
His coach redirected Davis’s vision of this difficult, for him, marketing process. Playing to his servant’s heart his coach inquired whether or not he would be able to walk up to short people and help them reach boxes or cans off the top shelf or to help the elderly place heavier items in their shopping carts.
“Of course I can,” he exclaimed. “I do that all the time. I enjoy it.”
“Excellent!” his coach replied. “Do they thank you for the help?”
“Normally they do.”
“And then what do you say, Davis?”
“I say something like, ‘Have a nice day.'”
The conversation continued and Davis realized that instead of simply providing good wishes he could say something to the effect of “it is my pleasure. By the way I work at the bank at the front of the store and help people make solid financial decisions.”
This approach was well within his comfort zone. He did not see it as intrusive — instead it was just normal relationship building.
Davis says coaching “provided the necessary tools to achieve more than I had first thought possible. The consistent coaching prevented me from losing sight of my various goals and more importantly made me aware of abilities.”
