Screening calls are a standard a part of the prospecting course of for monetary advisory corporations, notably those who obtain a lot of inquiries, and will help decide whether or not a potential shopper is likely to be a great match. On the identical time, these calls could be awkward for each the prospect and the advisor, because the prospect is likely to be requested to debate private details about their funds with somebody they’ve by no means met earlier than, and the advisor has to ask probably thorny questions, resembling whether or not the prospect meets the agency’s minimal asset necessities. And so, given the excessive stakes of screening calls (as not solely do they function a primary step for a prospect to turn into a shopper, however in addition they assist the advisor save time by screening out unqualified prospects), making ready a prospect and asking considerate screening name questions in the course of the interplay could make the method extra productive and fewer awkward.
A method to assist alleviate the potential anxiousness related to a screening name is to arrange prospects prematurely. For instance, advisors utilizing on-line software program instruments to schedule screening calls might present prospects prematurely with a extra detailed description of the assembly (together with a listing of questions that might be requested) and will explicitly be aware the agency’s asset and/or price minimums (which might enable prospects to display themselves out earlier than scheduling a gathering fairly than discovering out they’re unqualified in the course of the name itself). On this approach, the prospect might be much less prone to be stunned by any questions in the course of the assembly, and the advisor can verify that the prospect meets their minimums fairly than convey up the difficulty with out warning. As well as, offering questions prematurely (giving the prospect time to consider their solutions) will help maintain the screening name on observe, which is especially necessary as a result of they’re designed to be quick, usually scheduled for under 15-20 minutes.
Some questions an advisor would possibly ask the prospect throughout a screening name is how they assume the agency could possibly be useful for his or her wants (to assist the advisor make sure that the prospect actually needs monetary planning companies and suits the agency’s preferrred goal shopper profile if it has one); whether or not they have ever labored with a monetary skilled earlier than (to gauge whether or not they’ve labored with an advisor up to now and to assist get a way of the prospect’s expectations for the connection); if they’ve any questions concerning the advisor’s onboarding and planning processes and confirming that the agency’s asset and/or price minimums work for the prospect (to get a way of the prospect’s readiness and desired timeline to get began with a planning relationship).
In the end, the important thing level is that screening questions could be helpful instruments not just for monetary advisors but in addition for prospects – as a result of figuring out whether or not the connection might be a great match with out having to spend an hour or extra is useful for each events concerned. And whereas screening calls could also be uncomfortable and awkward, letting prospects know what to anticipate will help ease these emotions by promising respect, directness, and knowledge. Which might assist get what might turn into a long-term relationship off on the suitable foot!
