Prospecting Calls: What If There Is No Pivot?

What if we could adjust your approach to prospecting calls to reduce the likelihood it feels like a sales call? Many advisors we work with have a straightforward path in mind when making prospecting calls:

• Introduction and small talk
• Pivot
• Explore opportunities
• Schedule a meeting

In our advisor workshops, the pivot is the easiest target for improving results. As one advisor recently recalled:

"The conversation seemed to be going great until what felt like 'an abrupt pivot,' and the prospect turned completely cold."

Instead of trying to smooth out the advisor's pivot, we smoothed out their introduction and small talk in such a way that eliminated the pivot altogether. By definition, small talk is small—unless you do it in such a way that opens the floodgates and allows you to go deeper.

Consider the difference between these two questions:

1. "How's your summer going?"
   This tends to lead to a superficial response like "Great! You?" That leaves you saying something similarly superficial and struggling to find a way to pivot to a more substantive conversation.
2. “What are you looking forward to most this summer?"
   This might lead to a far more interesting response such as, "Spending time with my grandkids." Think of how many places you can go next! Who doesn't want to talk about their grandchildren? Within minutes, you’re taking detailed notes as you’re judiciously building the family tree. No pivot required.

Bottom line: Be intentional with your approach to small talk to smooth out prospecting calls and avoid abrupt, off-putting pivots.