5 Best Financial Advisor Sales Training Programs

Successful financial advisors recognize the importance of maintaining a steady stream of new clients in order to keep their businesses running smoothly. Developing sales skills is essential for bringing in new business and encouraging clients to entrust you with their financial goals. If you're not a natural salesperson or you simply want to level up your game, you may consider investing in professional sales training. The best sales training for financial advisors should be designed to produce results in a way that's tailored to your personality type and sales style. If you're ready to connect with more clients, SmartAsset's SmartAdvisor platform brings leads to you.

Benefits of Sales Training for Financial Advisors

Completing a sales training program requires both time and money, so it's important to ensure that you're getting a solid return for your efforts. The best sales training for financial advisors devotes attention to the following:

• Developing intuitive skills to help you better understand what clients need and how to meet those needs.

• Fostering better communication, both with clients and the team members you work alongside.

• Building confidence in your skills so that you're able to approach selling without feeling intimidated.

• Tracking industry developments and changes so that you can more effectively serve your clients.

• Cultivating a unique value proposition that allows you to stand out from the crowd and keep pace with the competition.

• Setting realistic goals for your business growth and developing clear strategies for achieving them.

Sales training isn't a requirement for financial advisors, but it may be worth considering if you're not generating as many new leads as you'd like or you feel as if your business is stagnating. A sales training program can offer a fresh perspective and introduce ideas for acquiring new clients that you might have otherwise overlooked.

Best Sales Training for Financial Advisors

If you're considering sales training for the first time, sifting through the options may be a little overwhelming. To make your search easier, we've rounded up some of the best sales training programs for advisors.

1. Financial Advisor Success Training (FAST) Program – Susan Danzig

Cost: Schedule a free consultation

Susan Danzig's FAST Program is designed for advisors who are ready to create a personalized plan for attracting clients while weatherproofing their business against changing economic conditions.  Some of the key focal points of the training include attracting clients, boosting visibility and earning more referrals from strategic partners. The core activity of the training is creating a personalized 90-day marketing plan for scaling your business.

When you purchase the program, you get access to 12 weeks of virtual group training which is designed to be interactive. There are five training models complete with workbooks, templates and scripts, along with 25 on-demand videos.

2. The Taylor Method – Eszylfie Taylor

Cost: Varies

The Taylor Method is designed to teach financial advisors the skills they need to sell solutions to their clients. The essential elements of the training center on effective prospecting, handling objections and offering clients solutions that are designed to close the deal. If you've struggled with any of those things, the Taylor Method could help you to crack the code so you can get more clients.

There are two different training plans: self-serve and hands-on. There are two tiers for each option each with different price points, so you can choose the one that aligns best with your budget. At the low end, you'll pay a one-time fee of $197 for the Essential self-serve package, while the Advanced hands-on package is priced at $5,000 per year.

3. Financial Services Sales Training – RAIN Group

Cost: Schedule a consultation

RAIN Group "works with global and regional financial services firms to expand key accounts, lead persuasive conversations with clients and build a culture of business development to improve sales performance." The Group's sales training uses a behavioral approach to counter the biggest challenges associated with reaching new clients.

If you're interested in learning how to differentiate your business from other advisory firms, establish social proof and master cross-selling, you might consider training with RAIN Group. Training is available on-site or off, with courses taught by virtual instructors.

4. The Sales Accelerator – Anthony Iannarino

Cost: $997 for one year

Need help setting and achieving sales targets? Ready to exponentially increase growth and revenues for your advisory business? The Sales Accelerator offers over 30 hours of training for new and experienced advisors who are interested in improving their sales skills. When you pay the $997 fee, you'll get a full year's access to the course, which is self-paced.

You can learn around your schedule with access to video lessons, workbooks and scripts. Course enrollment also includes live events hosted by the program creator, Anthony Iannarino.

5. Advisor's Academy – David Scranton

Cost: Schedule a consultation

Advisor's Academy offers sales training for financial advisors who are ready to increase sales while streamlining the process. When you join the Academy, you'll get access to David Scranton's Turnkey Sales Process which is designed to help you accurately categorize prospects so that you can offer appropriate solutions to their needs.

Training is available on a weekly basis through webinars and role-playing scenarios. The training format emphasizes learning how to react in different situations, while also teaching you how to run your business more efficiently so you can focus on revenue-generating activities.

How to Choose a Sales Training Program

When searching for the best sales training for financial advisors, it's helpful to have some criteria that you can use to evaluate different options. As you compare sales training, consider the following:

• Program length: Some training programs run longer than others and it's important to think about how much time you can realistically commit. The program that you choose should be flexible enough to fit your busy schedule.

• Format: The format can also make a difference, as not everyone learns in the same way. For example, training that’s workbook-based may not be an ideal fit if you’d prefer to learn through videos or virtual events.

• Cost: Sales training can easily cost several hundred dollars and some programs may require you to spend $1,000 or more. It's wise to think about how much you might be willing to spend on sales training and what kind of return you're expecting for the money.

• Transparency: A good sales training program should be able to answer any and all questions you might have upfront. That includes questions about how the program works and what kind of results it's generated for past participants.

• Reputation and legitimacy: If someone is making big claims about the kind of results they produce for their students, then it's worth your time to fact-check their validity. Testimonials and reviews from advisors who've completed the training can shed some light on its reputation and the reputation of its creator.

Last but not least, consider the approach of the program itself and what types of sales strategies are encouraged. No matter how highly-rated a training program is, it may be a mismatch for you if the tactics that are promoted don't align with your personality type or values.

Bottom Line

Sales training can be a stepping stone for finding success as an advisor, but it's essential to choose the right program for your needs and goals. Comparing different sales training for financial advisors and understanding what it is you hope to achieve can help you find the program that's right for you.

Tips for Growing Your Advisory Business

• Prospecting can take up a large part of your daily schedule as a financial advisor. If you'd like to focus your time elsewhere, consider using an online lead generation tool like SmartAdvisor. With SmartAdvisor, you can get qualified leads delivered to your inbox so that you have more time to focus on serving your clients.

• Digital marketing can be an effective way to cultivate your brand image and connect with new clients. Creating content for social media platforms and cultivating an email list are two examples of ways to leverage the potential of marketing your business online.

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