Strategy #2: Boost your self-confidence. Control your mental focus. Control the questions you ask yourself through internal dialogue. For example, what questions do you ask yourself before calling on a high net worth client or prospect? You might ask: “Are they already working with an advisor? Could I help their situation? Why would they want to work with me? Am I experienced enough?”

Following are examples of negative self-talk. None of these will put you in a position of having unstoppable self-confidence. “They probably wouldn’t work with me. They are probably happy with their current advisor. What do I have to offer them that they don’t already have? The big one I always hear is how can I be unique? How can I add value?”

Instead of focusing on negativity, ask yourself some positive questions like: “What am I going to like best about this new per son I’m about to meet? How can I help them? What am I going to like best about calling on them? How am I going to be able to connect with them? How can I show them that I am passionate about what I do? I want to make sure that I really connect with them.”

Asking yourself questions like these prior to meeting clients gives you a lot of confidence because you are controlling your mental focus. Whenever facing a similar situation, I always ask myself what is the worst thing that can possibly happen? I say that with tongue firmly planted in cheek because our brains paint pictures that are not based in reality.

 

Think about this. You call somebody intending to ask them for an appointment. What’s the worst-case scenario when you call that person? They are going to say, “ no.”

 

Or maybe once in awhile a prospect may get rude and give you a little more angry conversation about not calling them again. Taking that situation, what is the worst than can happen? A) Are you going to get shot? Are they going to put you in jail? Are they going to fire you or are you going to quit the business? Of course not. All you got was a simple “ no” and we make it so complicated because our imagination runs away with us.

 

Another of my favorite worst-case scenarios is asking for referrals. If you ask the client for a referral what is the worst he or she could say?? I will think about it? I can’t think of anyone right now? That is the worst-case scenario, but many advisors will sit there and struggle for hours and hours, days and days, maybe years and years before asking for a referral because they are just not confident about asking.

 

“What is the worst that could happen?” is a great question because the truth is, there is not one client, not one prospect, not one thing you are going to do in your career, that will ever make or break you. I want you to remember that and really work on controlling your mental focus. Look at consequences and change your mental focus. Look at both the positives and negatives. Start better controlling your internal dialogue and realize when you are running a pattern of negativity that you need to ask yourself a series of positive questions to get yourself into a confident position so you can go ahead and take action.