“Take information responsibility by getting the right information to the right people at the right time’” — Peter Drucker
In my conversations with managers on the current challenges facing our industry, one particular insight has come to light: Gone are the days when a sales person simply made the sale and walked away. Customers are more sophisticated than ever about financial products and in accordance, what they expect from the sales person has changed. At minimum, sales people must be competent, knowledgeable and provide an expert, third-party opinion. This goes beyond consultative selling. Sales people today have a fiduciary relationship with customers similar to that of a financial advisor or stockbroker. As a matter of course, high achievers are always acting with the customer’s best interests in mind. Sales people on both the retail and wholesale side must rise to the occasion and meet these more rigorous client expectations if they are to succeed.