I had a financial planner call on me several years ago. His first comment as he walked into my office was, “I’m not here to sell you anything.”
I remember thinking to myself at the time, “What a refreshing approach.”
The gentleman went on to say that what he really wanted to do was to get a feel for some of my personal financial goals. Then at our next meeting, he would present me with some options regarding things I could do to make sure I achieved those financial goals.
When this person returned for our second meeting, we spent a great deal of time getting to know each other better. As it turned out, we had some mutual friends and some common interests. I was starting to really like this person. He then showed me the results of his analysis of my financial goals, which among other things revealed a gaping hole in my financial provisions for my family if I were to die suddenly. He pointed out that the situation could be remedied, at least temporarily, with a $100,000 term insurance policy. He then went on to tell me about a number of other products that were of interest to me.
Well, I felt so good about this person and what he was telling me that I suggested we meet again the following week when my partner was coming to town, because I knew my partner would be every bit as interested as me. Notice here who is asking for the appointment—not the salesperson, but an excited prospective buyer. This man wasn’t trying to sell me; he was simply letting me buy.
At this point, I was happily saying to myself, “I have finally met a salesperson I can trust; a salesperson who really has my best interests at heart.” Then, as this person was packing up his briefcase, he said to me, “By the way, I’ve already got the paperwork filled out for this $100,000 term insurance policy. Why don’t you just sign it, and we’ll get the ball rolling.”
When I heard that statement I was stunned. This person had spent the better part of two rather lengthy meetings doing a very good job of convincing me that I could trust him and with one sentence, he told me he was more interested in my money than he was in me. The bottom line was, I no longer felt I could trust him. After he left, I called his office and canceled our next appointment and I never saw this person again. Had he stayed focused on our relationship and not tried to close me before I was ready, both my partner and I would have spent a fair amount of money with him.
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