In other words, if you don't know the specific psychology of how to read and connect with people, you will probably fail at the consultative approach. The good news for you is, learning that psychology is simple and easy.

To begin – read the person. That's where you'll find the first stumbling block. Between DISC and True Colors and Social Styles and the other personality type programs, many financial advisors have learned a lot of unusable information. Bottom line – if you can't figure out what your prospect's personality, values and communication style is in a matter of seconds, you're going into the game with your head tied behind your back.

Here is how this disadvantage affects your consultative conversation. Let's say you get an appointment with Bill, the owner of a local technology firm:

You: (as you shake hands) Hello Bill, thanks for agreeing to see me. How did you get into this business?

Bill: I managed a software firm in Silicon Valley until 2003. Was asked to come in as a third partner and in 2005 I bought out the other two.

You: Are you married?

Already, you are heading down the wrong path because you failed to notice the big red flags announcing what Bill is interested in. You are now beginning to waste his time. The red flags are:

1. His title – owner
2. His use of short sentences
3. That he's been a manager
4. That he bought out his former partners

Those things tell you that Bill is a Driver. That his mission in life is to control things. He is a bottom-line thinker and he gets things done. He does not care about relationships, and he doesn't want to talk about his family. Unless he indicates otherwise, he wants you to get to the point and to prove your credibility early.

If you're a keen observer of people, you could determine those things in the first half minute of conversation. But – you should have known those things before you finished shaking hands, simply by reading the lines (or lack of lines) on Bill's face. By reading his face, you would have seen that he is a bottom-line Driver. It also would have told you how to ask questions, what kinds of references to use and how to appeal to Bill. (The only resource for this skill set is our book Face Values.)

In the consultative conversation, the value you bring is in the appropriateness and relevance of your questions. If you always ask the same questions, you risk failing with 75% of the people you talk to. If you can't read your prospect quickly and accurately, you risk failing with 75% of the people you talk to. In other words, if you can't read your prospect, you could quickly show yourself as inappropriate and irrelevant.

Bottom line – if you can't read your prospect, you can't succeed at the consultative conversation. Now, how does this relate to the Boomer market?

The Boomer MarketBoomers are the perfect target audience for the consultative conversation. They reject most sales approaches and appreciate true consulting. They love talking about themselves and their values because they see their lives as having purpose and value. So, if you can get their attention and effectively build rapport, you'll be on solid ground.

However, be forewarned – if you attempt to force-feed stock questions to them, you will see it backfire and blow up in your face. Bottom line – want to work with Boomers, learn everything you can about them. That does not mean their demographics. It means how they think, what they value, their prejudices, how they are different from their parents.

Word of warning. As you look around the industry, you'll see new publications and conferences on marketing and selling to Boomers. Just for fun scrutinize the credibility of the people speaking. I fear that you'll find a lot of speakers eager to repurpose old content and call it marketing and selling to Boomers. As a result, you'll probably find that too much of the information is vacuous or irrelevant. Personally, I find that offensive. This is a group of people unlike any that has come before.

Perhaps in a future article I'll explain the process of how their "sub personalities" developed and how that made them who they are today.

Think of everything you know about Boomers and see if it's going to help you by taking this little quiz.

Boomer Quiz

True or False:

1. Boomers prefer to follow.
2. Boomers prefer a logical, factual presentation.
3. Boomers and Seniors share the same values.
4. Boomers trust experts and established institutions.
5. Boomers comprehend logic just as well as they did at age 20.
6. Boomers are a homogeneous market.
7. Boomers prefer reps from large firms.
8. Boomers believe in following rules.
9. Boomers find comfort in finding the right way to invest.

See "Your Reward" for the answers.

In Conclusion

That little quiz will indicate what you know about Boomers. What about Consultative Selling?

• Success at depends on your ability to quickly and accurately read the person in front of you.
• It is based on appropriate and relevant questions.
• Asking stock questions will alienate you from 75% of the people you talk to.
• It's not a selling system – it's a consulting conversation.
• It's the best way to engage Boomers.
• It is perfect for people who want to develop long-term, loyal clients.
• It's also perfect for people selling products or services with a high value.

Your Reward

Look back above at the box with the Boomer Quiz. All the answers are False. How did you do? The information on Boomers comes from our book titled Inside the Mind of the 50+ Senior Market. If you want to learn how to use consultative conversations with Boomers, hit the link to my personal email address ([email protected]). I will give you a $15 discount on either our book Face Values or our new book on consultative selling Magnetic Connections. *This offer expires on May 1, 2006.