As a person fascinated by history, I am always on the lookout for knowledge that will enrich my journey through life. Of the most remarkable figures in history, Benjamin Franklin probably taught me the most.
Recently I was taking questions as a keynote speaker the art of selling to the rich And it became clear that one of the biggest challenges for these financial advisors was stepping out of their comfort zones., Most notably, there was a Reluctance to possibility within their social circle – it was out of their comfort zone. It got me thinking about Ben Franklin. How will he handle this situation?
I asked everyone to take out a pen and go to one of the blank pages of their handout. Then I asked them to share with me what makes them uncomfortable with actively marketing themselves to the affluent circles of their community. responses. ranged from Getting into virtual prospecting for sales, fear of rejection, ruining social ties and setting big rich takeover goals.
I then explained that I was going to take them through Benjamin Franklin’s process for making serious decisions—many sales coaches take the liberty of using this as a closing technique, referring to it as the Ben Franklin Close. But it was really his technique to make careful decisions. So, get a pen and paper ready.
At the top of the page, I instructed advisors to write about what made them uncomfortable with prospecting in affluent circles. Next, I asked them to draw a line in the middle of the page, and write the positive in the top right of the page and the negative in the top left. Then I instructed them to list all the positives that might come from doing things that make them uncomfortable on the right, followed by all the negatives that might come from doing things on the left.
What happened happened exactly as Franklin predicted; The positive far outweighs the negative. In other words, the benefits far outweigh the risks. Through this simple act of listing them side by side, it reinforced the “what’s the point – go for it” approach.
What prospecting activities worry you or pull you out of your comfort zone? We all have a comfort zone, but the secret to Franklin’s process is to be brutally honest with yourself. You cannot justify why you are not taking action, there can be no excuse. Admit it, write whatever is on the top of a blank piece of paper, draw a line down the middle, label the right column positive, the left negative, and then start with the positive. List all the good things that can happen as a result of you taking proactive action. Then list all the negatives that could result.
When you’ve finished your positive and negative lists, take your time to review them. Which list dominates? My money is based on Franklin, the benefits far outweigh the risks. Now you are ready to decide whether to expand your comfort zone. I bet you’re rare to begin with.
Keep this paper with you. Refer to it whenever you feel even the slightest hesitation and you will find that you are enjoying life outside your comfort zone. If you’re looking for a fascinating book to read, get a copy of it Franklin’s autobiographyWhich I continue to rate as one of the best self help books on the market.
Matt Ochsley is the author of Building a successful 21st century financial practice: Attracting, serving and retaining affluent clients, www.oechsli.com
