Membership Workshop Minutes #3 – The Right & The Wrong Membership Enrollment Questions

Over the last 5 years, I have asked NAIFA Board Members at all levels; Can you give me a demonstration of how you enroll a new NAIFA member?

These seem to be a standard, winging it I should add.

Script 1 – Do you consider yourself to be a professional? (Pause – wait for NAIFA prospective member to answer. If Yes say …) If you believe you are a professional doesn’t it make sense to belong to a professional organization?

If someone laid that kind of a script on you, how would this question make you feel, without first knowing the benefits of being a NAIFA member? Whose reasons is the person asking the question interested in? Are they asking the question because they are interested in discovering the potential NAIFA member’s reasons for joining the association?

Script 2 – Do you believe our industry is under attack? Do you believe that in order to defend against the attacks from Washington DC that include the DOL, you need to be a member of a strong organization to defend our industry against attack?

Script 2 is not that dissimilar from Script 1 and they are both based on FEAR and compounding the fear that may already be on the mind of the prospective NAIFA member.

I’m not disputing the integrity of Board members that are asking the above questions or the validity of the questions.

Will the above questions move a prospective NAIFA member towards pleasure or pain? People do far more to gain pleasure than they will do to avoid pain. Remember what Dr. Frank Luntz offered in his “Words That Work” presentation at the 2016 NAIFA Performance + Purpose Conference in Las Vegas? Focus on Achieving The Positive … not eliminating the negative! Would you rather work with an advisor who …? 87% want help to achieve their goals and 13% want help to eliminate fears.

It is all about timing and as Stephen Covey said; “Seek first to understand” the prospective NAIFA member’s reasons for joining NAIFA … help move them towards their goals, not yours!

“I appreciated Simon’s high energy presentation, which is designed to find out why others should join by finding their issues and delivering NAIFA solutions. The questions to ask potential members can also be used with clients.”
Neil Wilkinson
Financial Decisions Group
NAIFA Iowa Leadership Rally / Membership Workshop – July 22, 2016

NAIFA Board Members need to show up strong and focus the prospective NAIFA member on the prospective NAIFA Member’s reasons for becoming a NAIFA Member.

I’ll cover The Right Membership Enrollment Questions in the next edition of Membership Workshop Minutes.

For past Membership Workshop Minutes, click here for;

Membership Workshop Minutes #2 – 90% of Prospective NAIFA Membership Sales are about YOUR TRUE WHY

I would like the opportunity to present The Membership Workshop at your State or Local.

Click here for The Membership Workshop Overview; https://leadingadvisor.com/financial-advisor-speaking/speaking-topics/#naifamembershipworkshop

Please contact Laura at 1 877 248 6012 or email lreilly@leadingadvisor.com to schedule a Conference / Webinar Call with your State or Local Board so that I may introduce the highlights of The Membership Workshop.