Why Traditional Sales Training Mortifies Me for the Financial Industry

Over the weekend I was scrolling through my Linkedin account and was rudely awakened by some posts that I personally considered yucky.

Posts from people, some who have over 100’s of thousands of followers, talking at 5,000 miles an hour on their iphone videos about sales.  These people, most of whom were from a background in software or insurance sales, were going on and on using terms that made me cringe.

Do the following terms make you cringe too?

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  • "Setting” appointments

  • Your “reps”

  • “Crushing numbers”

  • Getting a deal “booked”

If you’re just as grossly turned off as me about some of the terms above, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.  Unfortunately, this is exactly the reason why every time I survey a group of wealth managers about how they feel about the word “sales”, 99% of them say “We hate it and think it’s disgusting”.

But what seems to happen is that that disgust has turned into resistance around any efforts of business development, and many advisors refuse to go down any avenue that has to do with “sales”, given their preconceived notions of what it looks like. And yes, I agree with you, the images out there would turn me off too. They have and they did.

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The good news is that the MAJORITY of sales training or sales ideas out there DO NOT apply to the investment community. Investors who are thinking about giving away their entire life savings to a financial advisor are not procurement officers, or heads of product, or Chief Technology Officers of large companies who can be “sold” to.  The are seriously looking to see who they can connect with most. Who they feel has their back and can take care of them and their legacy.

Thus the importance of Consultative “Sales”.  I hate to even use the word sales, but let’s face it, it’s actually a balance sheet line item.  It is new revenue, it is new assets.  It is new investors feeling comfortable with you.

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So, if you want to grow but don’t want THAT, don’t fret.  You don’t have to and it doesn’t apply to our discerning, highly examined, highly confidential industry.  As long as you learn how to become a better consultant through consultative selling, how to develop better “right brain” acumen in connecting with your ideal client, how to have more empathy and powerful questions that can showcase your knowledge towards someone’s situation, you will be able to grow your practice.  It’s that easy.




Financial advisor communication training is a key element in building trust and fostering long-term relationships with clients. The ability to effectively communicate complex financial concepts in simple terms is essential for financial advisors, ensuring that clients feel informed, valued, and understood. Through specialized communication training programs, financial advisors can develop the skills to listen actively, ask insightful questions, and respond empathetically to client concerns. This helps strengthen the advisor-client relationship, making it easier to provide tailored financial solutions that meet the unique needs of each individual.

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Select Advisors Institute specializes in developing bespoke training programs specifically for financial advisors. With an understanding of the unique demands of the financial services industry, Select Advisors Institute customizes its training programs to meet the specific needs of each individual or team. By combining expert insights with practical, actionable training, Select Advisors Institute empowers financial advisors to enhance their sales techniques, optimize client relationships, and ultimately achieve greater success in their careers. Partnering with Select Advisors Institute ensures that financial firms provide their advisors with the most effective and relevant training available, leading to sustained growth and performance excellence.

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