It’s natural to want to educate your prospects, but could you be overdoing it? Providing too much information can leave them feeling overwhelmed and unsure about the next step. The goal isn’t to teach them everything you know; it’s to create clarity and trust. In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I talked about “Are You Over-Educating And Losing The Sale?”. I've made it my life’s mission to create the clarity that is missing in the traditional sales process, through decades of working with thous...
Jun 27, 2025•31 min
Sales scripts are often promoted as the key to success. But let’s be honest—scripts can sound robotic and insincere. If you’re relying too much on a script, you might be missing out on connecting with your prospect on a human level. In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I talked about “Are You Using A Sales Script?”. I've made it my life’s mission to create the clarity that is missing in the traditional sales process, through decades of working with thousands of business owners all over the world...
May 22, 2025•36 min
A sales roadmap is often presented as a step-by-step guide to closing deals. But here’s the thing: If your roadmap is focused only on the destination—making the sale—you might be missing something crucial along the way. The journey is about creating trust with your prospects at every step, not just rushing to the finish line. In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I talked about “Do You Have A "Sales Roadmap"?. I've made it my life’s mission to create the clarity that is missing in the traditional...
Apr 17, 2025•27 min
Objections are a common part of the sales process, but here’s a thought: What if trying to “overcome” them is actually working against you? When we push against objections, we’re not connecting with the true concerns of our prospects. Instead of seeing objections as hurdles to overcome, let’s see them as opportunities to listen and understand. In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I talked about "Should You Be Overcoming Objections?". I've made it my life’s mission to create the clarity that is m...
Mar 27, 2025•29 min
We often assume that more information is what our prospects need. But what if that’s not the case? In reality, giving too much information too soon can overwhelm them and drive them away. What they really want is clarity, confidence, and trust in you—not a firehose of facts. In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I talked about “Is Information Really What Your Prospects Want From You?”. I've made it my life’s mission to create the clarity that is missing in the traditional sales process, through d...
Feb 20, 2025•30 min
When you're challenged by a prospect, your first instinct might be to defend yourself. But what if that’s not the best response? Defending yourself can create a barrier between you and the prospect, making it harder to build trust. Instead of pushing back, what if you leaned in with curiosity and understanding? In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I talked about “Are You Defending Yourself When Challenged?”. I've made it my life’s mission to create the clarity that is missing in the traditional ...
Jan 16, 2025•31 min
As a highly competent advisor with years of experience, it’s easy to assume that your accrued expertise is all you need to successfully acquire new clients at a steady pace. You have a respectable book of business that you’ve built over the years delivering dependable advice and tremendous value. Clients are happy and your business is relatively stable. With all of that, it’s easy to assume new potential clients would instantly recognize and appreciate your expertise and decide to hire you. In t...
Dec 20, 2024•21 min
For a long time, referrals were the “I’ve made it, I’m good at what I do, I don’t need to market myself,” safe zone for many advisors. As referrals started coming in, there was a sense of relief that you could keep your foot on the brake and not have to worry about stepping on the marketing pedal to accelerate your practice. But waiting for your phone to ring for a referral is no longer the safe zone as it once was, unless you are happy depending on an unpredictable and passive model to grow you...
Nov 14, 2024•23 min
What could be worse than having a qualified prospect who you can help, slip through your fingers and vanish? You did everything right in the initial conversation. You were friendly, gave them great information, and you didn’t pressure them to move forward. But at the end they say: “Thank you so much for your time. Let me think about it, and if I’m interested, I’ll get back to you”. In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I talked about “Are Prospects Slipping Through Your Fingers?”. I've made it my...
Oct 25, 2024•25 min
Our instinct to gaining a new paying client during the sales conversation, subconsciously directs our thinking to keeping the sales conversation constantly moving forward -- so we don’t lose momentum, ending in losing the potential client. So, when an initial sales conversation with a prospect runs out of steam, and feels like it should reach some kind of conclusion, we often fill that awkward moment with: “Do you have any other questions I can answer for you?”. That prompts them to respond alon...
Sep 26, 2024•28 min
Being an expert often comes with what I call “the curse of mastery” – when someone tells you about their problem, you immediately begin trying to solve it – because you can. The curse of mastery also comes with this belief: solving problems for your prospects up front, is how you prove your value by showing them you know your stuff. But the truth is, trying to solve their problems by providing information and insights in your initial sales conversation, could be the one thing that stops them fro...
Aug 23, 2024•27 min
How many times have you had an initial consultation with a new qualified prospect, where no matter how well you explained your process, they just wouldn’t take the next step with you? For most advisors, it’s far too many. Somewhere in the conversation the momentum is lost, they don’t return your calls, don’t respond to your emails, and you never figure out the root cause of why they decided to “ghost” you. In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I talked about Why Your Prospects Won’t Take the Next...
Jul 18, 2024•32 min
A funny thing happens when you have an initial conversation with a potential client. When they start sharing their challenges with you, you probably can’t help yourself but to do what I call “free consulting”. Free consulting is when you provide information and education to prove you know your stuff. It assumes they’re making their decision to hire you based on your competence – proven by the information and education you provide to them. I've made it my life’s mission to create the clarity that...
Jun 20, 2024•27 min
As an advisor, the last thing you want is to be labelled as a stereotypical “sales person”. But when your prospects don’t give you enough information in your initial conversation, you begin educating them and fall into “free consulting” mode. You’re a fiduciary, you have their best interest at heart, but they keep you at bay shopping around, seeing other advisors. In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I spoke about “Is The Hard Sell Obsolete?” I've made it my life’s mission to create the clarity ...
May 23, 2024•28 min
Your prospect won’t allow you into their world unless they perceive you as being selfless in your intentions. But unless your advisory practice is a non-profit entity, being selfless in your intentions is completely at odds with your need to make the sale. How do you reconcile this paradox? In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I spoke about “Does Being Too Friendly Come With Downsides?” I've made it my life’s mission to create the clarity that is missing in the traditional sales process, through...
Apr 18, 2024•24 min
Many advisors have been conditioned to believe that their prospects must like them first before they’re willing to become a paying client. If you eavesdropped inside a typical initial conversation between an advisor and their prospect, you’d probably hear a lot of chit-chat about trivial things, that may not relate to their challenges. The problem with rapport-building on its own is that your prospects can sense you may have a hidden agenda behind it. In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I spoke...
Mar 21, 2024•30 min
When there is an abundant supply of advisors in your local market, it becomes harder for you to differentiate yourself. As a result, it’s easy to let your guard down and adjust your fees downward (or add more pre-sale “meetings” to your sales process), out of fear you might lose a new client opportunity. But if you allow yourself to become commoditized in this way, you open yourself up to being “shopped” against other advisors. In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I spoke about “How To Know If Y...
Feb 22, 2024•19 min
The life blood of your practice depends on you bringing in new paying clients, consistently. So, why is it that so many of your new client opportunities end up disappearing on you? You’ve done everything “by the book”. You’ve built a relationship, provided value, education, and given them plenty of room to make a decision without any pressure…then poof, they’re gone. In this episode of Stump The Guru Podcast, I spoke about How Can You Recover Lost Prospective Clients . I've made it my life’s mis...
Jan 18, 2024•24 min
Are you overcompensating by going heavy on relationship-building in your sales process? Building deep trust with your prospects in your sales process does not require you to build a relationship with them. That's a BOMB in the entire traditional selling industry. If you have a very clear process on how to create trust in your sales process, based on their deep issues, then you don't have to spend your energy getting them to like you and become their friend first. Real relationships happen AFTER ...
Dec 07, 2023•24 min
Let me be blunt ... The number one goal is not to promote your product, brand or solution – but rather focus in on, and understand the problem your prospect is trying to solve. It is only then, when you have demonstrated your genuine concern for the problem your prospect is trying to solve, that you have the trust needed to offer a solution. Traditional selling methodology suggests a sale is lost at the end of the process. That you didn’t nail your close, or you mishandled an objection. I beg to...
Nov 16, 2023•29 min
You’re coming to the end of an initial conversation with a potential new client, and everything seems to be going well. You’ve invested time with them to understand their issues and provided information and education to address their needs. But as the conversation naturally closes, there’s an awkward moment, an empty space, where you and your prospect don’t know what to say next. They haven’t indicated they want to move forward, and you’re careful not to put pressure on them to make a decision. ...
Oct 12, 2023•28 min
Are you tired of chasing prospects who seem interested in what you're offering, only to end up going silent or ghosting you altogether? It's a frustrating experience that can leave you feeling burnt out and disheartened. But here's the thing: what if I told you that some prospects may be giving you a "smoke screen" – a misleading impression that they're interested when, in fact, they're not? In selling, it’s crucial to be able to recognize these smoke screens and avoid wasting your time and effo...
Sep 21, 2023•24 min
The life blood of your business is your ability to bring in new clients, consistently. Why is it that so many new client opportunities end up disappearing? You’ve done everything “by the book.” You’ve built a relationship, provided value, education, and given them plenty of room to make a decision without any pressure…then poof, they’re gone. Why does this keep happening if you honestly could have helped them? In this episode of Stump The Guru Podcast, I spoke about How To Reengage A “Lost” Sale...
Aug 24, 2023•31 min
What could be worse than having a qualified prospect slip through your fingers and vanish? You did everything right in the initial conversation. You were friendly, gave them great information, and you didn’t pressure them to move forward. But at the end they said: Thank you so much for your time. Let me think about it, and if I’m interested, I’ll get back to you. Do you let them go, or do you chase them and hope they’ll have a revelation that you’re the one for them? It’s a dilemma, because you ...
Jul 19, 2023•30 min
It's commonly accepted in the sales world that chasing prospects is an essential part of the game. However, this approach is rooted in a macho sales image that suggests that giving up on a prospect is equivalent to admitting defeat and failure. But let me tell you, that's far from the truth. The real objective should be getting to the truth if you are a fit or not, not simply making the sale. To truly succeed in sales, you need to have a complete understanding of where your prospects stand. With...
Jun 22, 2023•27 min
With typical traditional selling, when you get an objection, you’re supposed to overcome it. We’re taught that by all the gurus. The problem with that is if they’re giving you an objection that they believe is true and you try to overcome it with them, you break trust with them instantly. The sale is over right at that moment because you’re trying to overcome something that they believe is true. You lost the ability to connect with them. The new sales thinking mindset is different. It’s about di...
May 25, 2023•26 min
You’ve probably heard this over and over: “If you hear an objection, immediately overcome it and move towards making the sale.” That’s a very one-sided approach to a moment that could get really awkward quickly. Objections are challenges raised by prospects. They put pressure on you, and they can bring your conversation to a halt, or help it grow. In this month’s Stump The Guru show, I spoke about how to diffuse your prospect’s objections. I've made it my life’s mission to create the clarity tha...
Apr 20, 2023•38 min
Building trust during the sales process between you and the buyer is more important than selling and pitching your solution. By focusing on your buyer's needs in a conversation using specific languaging , you can bring out their truths, thereby deepening your connection with them. It is a hard sell to persuade, pursue, and convince people today. No one wants to receive another sales pitch. In this month's Stump The Guru show, I spoke about how you can stop the pitch and start a conversation inst...
Mar 23, 2023•30 min
The secret to avoiding falling down this rabbit hole of chasing is to let go of the sale in your mind. Letting go of the sale simply means being genuinely comfortable with waiting for your prospect to take the next step in the conversation and doing nothing to intervene until they do. Your only goal in an initial conversation is to listen to your prospect’s problem, expand their awareness and understanding of it, and discover whether it’s a priority for them to solve it. In this month’s Stump Th...
Feb 23, 2023•35 min
Are you overcompensating by going heavy on relationship-building in your sales process? Building deep trust with your prospects in your sales process does not require you to build a relationship with them. That's a BOMB in the entire traditional selling industry. If you have a very clear process on how to create trust in your sales process, based on their deep issues, then you don't have to spend your energy getting them to like you and become their friend first. Real relationships happen AFTER ...
Jan 19, 2023•42 min
