Why the ‘when’ matters in prospecting during a pandemic

A seemingly appropriate conversation at the wrong time can be a painful combination

If the last six months have taught us anything, it’s that timing is everything. From the onslaught of the pandemic to the waves of outbreaks in different parts of the country to the market’s volatility around weekly jobless claims and legislative announcements, we’ve seen firsthand that timing has a visible influence over cause and effect — and the behavior that follows.

Back-to-school announcements, college football programs, professional sports and even presidential candidates are fighting the effects of timing as you read this. It’s a factor standing behind most of the major decisions being made in our country right now.

The same applies with our interactions with clients and prospects during this time. One week they’re optimistic about the future and the next they’re calling us in a panic.

The advisers I see thriving right now are not those conforming to the whims of emotional swings or biased news, but those who know that the when is just as instrumental as the how, the what or the why.

Daniel Pink, bestselling author and previous Excell conference speaker, once shared with me that timing is actually more of a science than an art — something that can be learned to make better decisions.

One area of research Pink shares is how much our energy, our moods and our performance are affected by the time of day. If you look at the progression of a normal day, we typically have better moods and higher energy that peaks in the morning, followed by a trough of low energy and mood in the afternoon and then a recovery in our mood and energy as the day closes out.

Why is this important to advisers?

Let’s look at your prospect and client conversations right now. You can put your most compelling self up to bat with the savviest one-liners, but if you’re trying to take a swing when the other person isn’t ready to play ball, you’ve lost interest before you’ve even begun. A seemingly appropriate conversation at the wrong time can be a painful combination. Push too early on a prospect or wait too long to bring something up with a client, and your perceived value goes down drastically.

Here are a few scenarios we’ve seen work really well with advisers in the throes of this unpredictable environment — small adjustments that have had a huge bottom-line impact.

Client reviews. Leverage the authenticity and connection created during this time and at the end of the meeting, close with, “Who do you know who might benefit from a personalized planning and review process like you received today?”

Advisory councils. Whether they’re held virtually or safely in the office, one question has the potential to bring a wave of ideal referrals: “We’re always looking for clients to provide helpful feedback on how we can better ourselves in serving you. How do we get introduced to more individuals just like you?”

Compliment received. After you receive a compliment from your client about how well your team has served their needs the last several months, respond by saying, “Thank you, Mr. Jones. I’m glad you feel that way. Who do you know who might feel the same way you do about that aspect of our service?”

Each of these micro moments has the power to leverage timing for an exponential output. The more you are aware of the “when,” the better you will be at serving your clients in their best interests and growing your business. It’s just simple science.

[More: Positioning yourself post-pandemic]

Ron Carson is CEO and founder of Carson Group, which serves advisers and investors through its businesses: Carson Group Coaching, Carson Group Partners and Carson Wealth. Follow him @RCHusker.