By Lisa Singh
A lot of people want to speak with Robert Mayer, a “lawyer’s lawyer” as CNN’s Larry King calls him. And if you’re not one of them, it’s still safe to say you’d probably like to speak with someone like him—someone successful and well connected. (Advisors grow their businesses through referrals after all.) But there’s someone who stands between you and a person like Mayer, and that someone is his gatekeeper. So, how do you get past that gatekeeper, especially if you’re still a young advisor, fairly new to the industry, without a “big name” to fall back on?
First, don’t trick the person. “Callers who only leave their first name, say the call is private or confidential, or who talk to my assistant as if they’re my best friend really make me cast-and-stone resistant to doing business with them,” says Mayer, author of the recent book, How to Win Any Negotiation—Without Raising Your Voice, Losing Your Cool, or Coming to Blows. On a recent afternoon, Mayer spoke from his law firm in Los Angeles about other ways to get past the gatekeeper, and once you do, how to leave a message that’ll generate a response from the person you want to reach.
Speak with confidence and authority. That way the gatekeeper will assume the message is important, says Mayer. To convey that importance, he says, avoid a monotone voice and keep it short and simple. “When you use big words, the listener will dwell on that. You’ll continue talking and the listener will be a block behind you,” he says.
Call after 5 p.m. If you want to avoid the gatekeeper altogether, why not call after 5 p.m.? By then, he’s left, and with any luck, you can dial straight into the prospect’s voicemail and leave a message, says Mayer.
Compose yourself. Once you’re ready to leave that voice message, make sure you’ve composed yourself. That way you’ll avoid what Mayer calls the deer-in-the-headlights syndrome that may hit you as soon as you hear the beep.
Link to lead. “Before you can lead me, you have to link with me,” says Mayer. He already gets a “gazillion phone calls” from financial advisors who want to sell him something. You can set yourself apart by finding a common link—a friend, school or customer—that you and the prospect share. Here’s one possible message that Mayer says would work for him: “Hi, Mr. Mayer. Your name was given to me by Sam Jones, who recently became a customer of mine. I was telling him about a new product we have, and he said I should really call you …”
Visualize the listener. Think beyond the plastic and cord and cubicle wall you’re staring at, to visualize the person you’re trying to reach, says Mayer. That way, “you’re going to project more of your personality,” he says.
Vary your voice. We’re not talking opera here, but a slight variation of pitch is good. So, instead of hanging equally on each and every word, vary the rhythm a bit and place a little more emphasis on key words, says Mayer. Those words might include “savings,” “return” and “requires action by close of business Friday.”
Do that and Mayer will think, “This advisor isn’t just ‘junk-bonding’ me. He means business. I better call him back.”
November 2006
Increase Your Selling Time
Winning on All Fronts
Strategies for Success
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