It really is indisputable – everyone could use what you\u2019re selling. So why do some of your conversations with prospects feel\u2026 hard?<\/strong> If they want financial advice, shouldn\u2019t each conversation be seamless and easy? And why is it so darn hard to get your website traffic to convert? Aren\u2019t they eager to get your help? After all, you\u2019re pretty awesome at what you do.<\/p>\n There\u2019s the thing: You\u2019re speaking French\u00a0and they\u2019re speaking Italian.<\/p>\n You show up to a meeting and rattle off a bunch of impressive things\u2026 in French. They answer in Italian, you listen, and then start speaking in French\u00a0again.<\/p>\n Later, they go onto your website, check out your Twitter profile, and browse your blog. It\u2019s all French. They run a few of the words you use through Google Translate, but it all seems like too much work. They don\u2019t understand or connect with you. They don\u2019t become a client.<\/p>\n Advisors need to speak Italian.\u00a0 No one says, \u201cI want financial advice\u201d, \u201cI want retirement income planning\u201d, \u201cI want to speak with NAPFA-Registered Personal Financial Advisors\u201d, \u201cI want someone with sound fiduciary procedures\u201d – yet these are all things you say about your business.<\/p>\n They say… I want to feel secure.<\/p>\n \u2026I want to save up for my kid\u2019s college. It\u2019s not about you. It\u2019s about them. You need to speak their language.<\/p>\n When you start to learn French, you\u2019ll begin to see holes in your current messages. You\u2019ll notice the value in your service is not about how you\u2019ll help them re-allocate their assets, or make them accountable with a budget, or report back on their progress. It\u2019s about \u201cI\u2019m going to get you the results you\u2019re looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n How do you know what they\u2019re looking for?<\/p>\n When you meet with someone new, ask broad questions that will get them talking. Your first task is to listen to their language. Ask one of these, to start:<\/p>\n \u201cTell me about your financial situation as it is today. What\u2019s up?\u201d You\u2019re listening.<\/p>\n They\u2019ll say things like \u201cOh, my finances are fine. I earn a good\u00a0salary, but I\u2019m actually hoping to buy a vacation home soon.\u201d Or \u201cYa know, my parents are both pretty sick and it\u2019s putting some strain on my finances this year. I\u2019m pretty nervous about my savings and cash flow not being enough.\u201d<\/p>\n How do you respond?<\/p>\n Use their language. It\u2019s still about them, not you. Care about the person and what they\u2019re saying. It\u2019s time to show them you can relate to their situation.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what you want to convey: This will get them talking again. You want to start hearing about the solutions they\u2019ve already tried and failed at. You want to open the conversation to finding out WHY their previous solutions (or attempts at finding a solution) didn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n Understanding why other solutions didn\u2019t work is the key to transitioning into a sale.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy didn\u2019t (that solution you tried) work?\u201d They\u2019ll say, \u201cOh it was too difficult to figure out on my own.\u201d Or \u201cI couldn\u2019t keep on top of it. I\u2019m too busy at work to monitor that kind of stuff.\u201d Or \u201cI couldn\u2019t even get started, I was so confused.\u201d<\/p>\n They\u2019ll give you their X.<\/p>\n Then if you can solve X, sell it.<\/p>\n (If you can\u2019t solve X, don\u2019t try to sell it. Trying to sell your services where they\u2019re not needed will bring you right back into the language translation issue. You\u2019ll sound like you\u2019re speaking Italian again. This won\u2019t work. Instead, send them to someone you know who can help. #Referrals #HeckYeah)<\/p>\n If you can solve it, sell it.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, I know it\u2019s tough, because you don\u2019t have X, but I can solve this.\u201d<\/p>\n At this point you\u2019re already helping them see a very specific situation in which you\u2019ll be useful to them. They\u2019re feeling pain, they told you about it, you listened, then you related, and now you\u2019re transitioning into a little bit of action.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s your closing line:<\/span> \u201cLet\u2019s solve your X. Is there any reason you\u2019re not ready to do this?\u201d<\/p>\n They may say \u2018money\u2019 – \u201cCan I afford you?\u201d You need to talk about fee structure and offer to send a follow-up email, or similar. Anything else? \u201cNope.\u201d Boom. You’re in action.<\/p>\n Go speak Italian.<\/strong> It\u2019s as easy as 1, 2, 3\u2026 uno, due, tre.![\"BLOG](\"https:\/\/www.blueleaf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/BLOG-how-to-sell-anything.001.png\")
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\n\u2026I want to retire at 64.
\n\u2026I want to invest my play money in hot new technology companies.
\n\u2026I want to meet someone who \u2018gets\u2019 me and cares to help.<\/p>\nAPPLY IT in 3 Steps<\/strong><\/h3>\n
1 – LISTEN<\/h3>\n
\n\u201cHow do you feel about it all?\u201d
\n\u201cWhat things are you looking to improve?\u201d
\n\u201cWhere would you like to be in 20 years?\u201d<\/p>\n2 – RELATE<\/h3>\n
\n– Repeat their circumstance: \u201cI can definitely understand (what you\u2019re talking about).\u201d
\n– Reiterate the change they desire: \u201cSounds like you want to (do this).\u201d
\n– Continue the conversation: \u201cDid you try (this common solution)?\u201d<\/p>\n3 – TRANSITION<\/h3>\n
\n\u201cWhat didn\u2019t you get out of (that solution you tried)?\u201d<\/p>\n
\nThey may say \u2018spouse\u2019 – \u201cI want my spouse to be in on the decision.\u201d You need to schedule another meeting.<\/p>\n
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