Many prospects make a decision in the first few seconds of meeting a financial advisor about whether they'll hire that advisor. How can you make sure they pick you? The process actually starts before the first meeting. We interviewed a few financial advisors about their successful step-by-step methods for turning lukewarm prospects into trusting clients.

Create a great brochure

Most advisors send a brochure to prospects. The trick is to create one that catches their eye and speaks to their needs,

"Your brochure needs to show how your firm is compelling and different from the competition," says Tim Wesling, CFP, AIF and president of Wesling Financial Services in Alexandria, Virginia. "Out of the millions who call themselves advisors, just over 1,400 of them are fee-only planners, and another 1,400 are accredited fiduciaries. In the Washington D.C. area, there are only two practicing fee-advisors and accredited fiduciaries, and we're one of them. That's a concrete way of demonstrating how we're different."

The brochure also needs to be written from the client's prospective, says Katherine Vessenes, CFP and president of consulting firm Vestment Advisors in Minneapolis. "Instead of writing, 'We provide comprehensive financial services,' you need to address the client's pain and how you'll fix the client's pain.

Even your bio needs to be written specifically for the client. Vessenes suggests sentences like, "Joe Advisor has found one of the toughest things his clients encounter is finding a financial advisor they can trust. I try to treat every client as if they were my mother,' says Joe. 'And my personal mission is to raise the standards of this industry.'"

"This is better than saying what college you went to and what awards you won," Vessenes says. "It gives clients the information they need to know and creates a level of trust that makes them willing to move ahead with you."

Make advance contact

Send a thank-you note even before the initial meeting, letting them know how excited you are for the opportunity to meet them and discuss their needs.

Vessenes also recommends having your receptionist call them to confirm and go the extra mile with plesantries such as giving directions and asking for their favorite drinks so they're on hand for the meeting. "Make the call more pleasant than one from your dentist office to confirm a cleaning."

Greet them as guests

Also enlist your receptionist to welcome prospects warmly with a greeting such as, 'Oh, you must be Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Joe is expecting you.' Serve warm cookies on nice china and their favorite drinks in crystal glasses. "One of the cheapest, easiest ways to impress prospects is with food, beverages and good service," says Vessenes.

Spruce up your surroundings

How you dress and what your office looks like are major first impressions. The ideal office has a reception area with oriental carpets, healthy plants, and nice lighting. It does not have a television blaring in the background or year-old issues of Money on the coffee table. Instead, place a binder of articles you wrote or were quoted in, thank-you notes from clients, and photos of outings such as golf games and dinner cruises that you planned as client thank-you events.

Put your own background on display

Even if you don't mention them in your brochure, place your diplomas, certifications and awards on your office. Richard Salmen, CFP and senior vice-president of GTrust in Highland Park, Kansas frames his in matching cherry wood frames, and places his CFA parchment next to his office door. "It represents 1,000 hours of my life, and that's impressive to someone who knows what that means," he says.

Also put other areas of your life on display if they establish you as a trustworthy person. Wesling displays the medals he won for his Air Force service and the American flag in his office. He also places his Code of Ethics book from the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors front and center on his desk. "These give people comfort and more trust when they see what an advisor is all about," Wesling said.

Use good body language

"People want to be listened to, so as an advisor, I am active in my listening skills," says Wesling. "That means leaning forward, nodding, showing empathy."

Don't use a hard-sell

At the end of every prospect meeting, Salmen tells potential clients they can do one of three things:

1. hire his firm on the spot;
2. take time in his office to think it over; or
3. go home to discuss in detail and get back to him.

"We don't give a hard sell, I want to give them time to think about a relationship with me that will last 20, 30 or more years," he explains. "Couples who want to talk in our office pick us 100 percent of the time; those who go home to mull it over pick us 70 to 80 percent of the time. So it's a good, constructive way to close because it creates very little pressure."

Follow up, don't harass

Following up is always important. A nice touch is a handwritten thank-you note on stationary. "We follow up a week or two later, but we don't hound them," says Wesling.
Salmen agrees, saying it takes some people longer than others to decide. Of the 30 percent of people who left his office without deciding, he follows up within a week by phoine, letting them know they can call any time with questions and concerns. He also sends out quarterly newsletters to clients and prospects alike to update them on company and financial news.

"Financial planning is a process, not a product," says Salmen. "You need to make an extra effort at turning prospects into clients, but you want to make they want to be here, and it's the right fit for both of you."

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