Is your prospective client really not interested? Here's what to do if you're unsure

This 1 aspect of prospecting makes a lot of financial advisors second-guess themselves:

• Deciding whether to continue a conversation with a 'closed off' prospect.

The problem? Advisors often assume the prospect is completely uninterested.

But that's often not the case. 

For example...

• "No thanks" can mean the prospect doesn't yet understand the value you offer. So, ask them: "No thanks to what exactly? I’d appreciate your input!"

• "No thank you" might mean that now isn’t a good time. Try asking them:
"All good! Does it make sense for me to stay in touch? If so, when might be a better time to reach back out?"

• "I already work with an advisor" doesn’t mean their finances are optimally set up. You can say: "Good! How long have you been working with them? And what led you to start working with them?"

Key lesson: Don't give up on prospects too soon. If you do, you could miss out on turning a qualified lead into a future client.

PS - here's the "rule of thumb" I recommend: 

Unless the prospect tells you to leave them alone, keep following up. If they explicitly say they aren't interested, respect that and end the conversation. But if you're assuming they're not interested, ask more questions to find out for sure.