Sales Success Using a Planning Approach
March 27, 2018 | by the National Care Planning Council
The Life Resource Planning System is based on service to the community. In order to adopt this planning system, you must have a desire to serve others by helping them solve their problems. To make this work, you must always have this thought in the back of your mind – "That service first will always result in your being paid back financially many times over for what you do."
It has been our experience using this mindset that you will be rewarded as it really does increase your sales and grow your business. And the rewarding result of this sales philosophy is that you receive a profound satisfaction from helping others first and letting the business flow as a result of this. Most of your competitors likely do not adopt this philosophy when trying to sell their products or services. Using a planning approach, you will have an edge on your competitors.
Here are the key principles of the philosophy behind using a planning approach to becoming more successful.
1. The planning approach makes you unique with your competitors and will likely give you an advantage over them
2. You must have a willingness to serve others, representing their best interests, and receive satisfaction from doing it
3. Don’t sell your products or services but sell the following.
- your knowledge,
- your capabilities,
- your personal values,
- your sincerity,
- your desire to serve
4. Emphasize the uniqueness of your service so that potential clients will recognize your value.
- show a sample plan,
- display your knowledge of the unique aging senior niche that you serve,
- explain the senior service network concept as a unique approach
5. Develop rapport and trust.
- meet with clients personally,
- have a sincere mindset that you are there to help them (they will perceive this),
- show them what you have done for others,
- tell them what you have done for others,
6. Use a senior resource network to establish your credibility and as a unique one-stop shopping service that your clients will use,
7. Dig deeply enough to uncover their problems whether they are aware of them are not.
8. Give them extensive, written planning presentations that reflect quality, investment of effort and detail.
9. Only provide advice that you are licensed to provide.
10. Use your written planning presentation to educate them and thus allow them to discover for themselves what actions or strategies they want to use instead of your telling them.
11. Don't recommend solutions, actions or strategies or force them to make decisions that are in conflict with their desires or not in their best interest.
12. Allow product or service sales to occur naturally as they fit.
13. Don't force product or service sales if they don't fit.
14. To avoid conflict with government licensing entities, always make product or service recommendations an activity not related to the planning process and disclose this issue to your clients – put on a different hat to make the sale
15. If additional fees or commissions are involved, be open with your clients, disclose any potential conflicts of interest and give them alternatives.
16. Make clients feel good about the decisions they make and you will feel good as well.
If you are not already using a planning approach based on these principles, we encourage you to try it. If you give it a good try, you will find that it can be very rewarding.
