🚀 Introduction
Every adviser wants more sales, better consistency, and fewer dry spells — yet most never realise the secret isn’t in the product… it’s in the process.
In this powerhouse Wealthy Adviser Club session, Terry Blackburn breaks down the six-step sales process that has helped new advisers, seasoned brokers, and entire firms increase conversions overnight.
Whether you’re selling mortgages, protection, or estate planning, this framework turns conversations into conversions — every single time.
“Sales isn’t about being pushy. It’s about following a process that works — over and over again.”
⚙️ Why You Need a Sales Process
Let’s be honest — most advisers think they have a process.
But when you listen to 10 of their calls, no two are the same.
That inconsistency kills conversions.
Terry’s worked with hundreds of advisers — from brand-new brokers to six-figure producers — and the difference between the top 10% and everyone else comes down to one thing:
They follow the same process every single time.
No winging it. No going off-script. No skipping steps.
Sales is like acting — you wouldn’t walk onto a movie set and ignore the director’s script.
Your process is your script. Follow it, and you’ll perform better every time.
📈 The 6-Step Sales Process
Here’s Terry’s tested framework for consistent, high-converting appointments:
1️⃣ Be Likable → 2️⃣ Ask the Right Questions → 3️⃣ Summarize the Situation → 4️⃣ Present Simply → 5️⃣ Pull the Rug → 6️⃣ Close with Options
Let’s break it down 👇
1️⃣ Be Likable — The First 30 Seconds Matter Most
People buy from people they like.
They won’t listen, trust, or commit if they don’t feel good about you.
Your first impression sets the tone for everything that follows.
✅ How to Build Instant Likability:
- Smile — even on the phone, it shows in your voice.
- Make eye contact, relax your posture.
- Find common ground quickly (football, family, hobbies).
- Mirror their tone — be a chameleon.
“Everything in sales either moves you closer to the deal or pushes you further away. Nothing is neutral.”
And here’s a pro tip Terry swears by:
If you’re young or sound inexperienced, call yourself a Senior Adviser.
That one word — senior — instantly boosts credibility.
Key takeaway:
Likability isn’t optional. It’s step one because clients must like you before they’ll listen to you.
2️⃣ Ask the Right Questions — Emotion Over Information
Great salespeople don’t pitch — they diagnose.
Most advisers make the mistake of asking surface-level questions:
“What’s your budget?”
“What amount of cover do you want?”
Those are logic questions.
They don’t trigger emotion — and emotion is what drives buying decisions.
💬 Ask Questions That Evoke Emotion:
- “If your income stopped tomorrow, how long could you keep your home?”
- “What quality of life would you want your family to have if something happened to you?”
- “How would that impact your partner and kids?”
These questions dig deeper. They make clients feel the problem — and when emotion rises, resistance falls.
“Clients don’t want a lump sum. They want the peace of mind that money gives them.”
Remember: people buy emotionally, justify logically.
3️⃣ Summarize the Situation — The One-Minute Game-Changer
This is one of the most overlooked steps in the industry.
Most advisers ask great questions but forget to summarise the client’s situation before presenting.
That’s a huge mistake.
🔁 Example:
“So, just to confirm, John — you’ve got £200,000 left on your mortgage, no cover if anything happens to you, £7,000 in savings, and statutory sick pay from work. Once that’s gone, there’s no income protection in place. Is that correct?”
When the client says “Yes, that’s correct,” they’ve just confirmed they have a problem.
That single “yes” builds psychological commitment — making it much harder for them to back out later.
You’ve now reactivated their emotion and positioned yourself as the professional who understands them.
4️⃣ Present Simply — Stop Talking Yourself Out of Sales
The biggest mistake advisers make?
Overcomplicating their presentation.
They explain waiver of premium, deferred periods, underwriting…
…and the client switches off.
Keep it simple. Focus on the problem and the solution.
“Based on what you said about wanting your family to stay in the same home and keep the same lifestyle, this policy gives them exactly that security — even if you couldn’t work.”
That’s it.
Your presentation isn’t about features — it’s about relevance.
The more you say, the more chances you give them to hesitate.
💡 Terry’s rule:
“If they say they need to think about it, it’s because you made it too complicated.”
5️⃣ Pull the Rug — Create Desire Through Scarcity
Here’s the most underused (and powerful) step: pull the rug.
Once you’ve presented your recommendation, don’t close straight away.
Add one subtle line that triggers FOMO — the fear of missing out.
💬 Example:
“This is the plan I recommend — but not everyone qualifies for this product. It depends on health and underwriting, so I’ll need to submit it to confirm eligibility.”
That small phrase does two things:
- Increases perceived value — not everyone can get it.
- Triggers desire — people want what they might not be able to have.
FOMO works — that’s why brands run “48-hour sales” all year long.
In sales psychology, scarcity drives action.
“When you tell someone they can’t have something, they want it even more.”
6️⃣ Close with Options — Never Give Just One Choice
Most advisers end with:
“This is what you need. Do you want to go ahead?”
That forces a yes/no decision — and “no” is always easier.
Instead, offer two or three options and ask:
“Which one works best for you?”
“Would you prefer this or that?”
Now the client’s brain moves from “Should I buy?” to “Which one should I buy?”
That’s an assumptive close — and it works.
🧩 The Psychology:
- One option = Yes/No decision.
- Two or three options = Value-based decision.
Terry’s data shows this simple change can double close rates overnight.
“When you offer three options, most people choose the middle — that’s just human nature.”
🧠 The Sales Rollercoaster & How to Fix It
If your sales results swing from record months to dry spells, your problem isn’t leads — it’s consistency.
A repeatable process removes those ups and downs.
“The difference between average advisers and top performers isn’t luck — it’s discipline. They follow the process every single time.”
🎯 Quick Recap: The Six Steps to Sales Success
| Step | Description | Why It Matters |
| 1. Be Likable | Build instant rapport | People buy from people they like |
| 2. Ask the Right Questions | Focus on emotion, not logic | Emotion drives buying |
| 3. Summarize | Confirm their problem | Builds psychological commitment |
| 4. Present Simply | Clarity beats complexity | Reduces objections |
| 5. Pull the Rug | Add scarcity | Increases desire |
| 6. Close with Options | Give choice, not pressure | Doubles conversions |
Follow it every time — no shortcuts, no skipping steps — and you’ll close more, faster, and easier.
🏆 Final Thoughts
Sales success isn’t luck, talent, or timing — it’s process.
When you follow the same steps with consistency, energy, and discipline, results compound.
“You can’t control every client — but you can control your process. And your process controls your income.”
Stick to the six steps, stay sharp, and watch your conversion rates climb.
💼 Join the Wealthy Adviser Club
Want to learn all six steps in detail — with live examples, objection handling, and tonality training?
Join The Wealthy Adviser Club, where hundreds of top advisers train directly with Terry Blackburn.
Get access to:
- Weekly live sales sessions
- Full “Six-Step Sales Process” video breakdown
- Killer questions training and tone-of-voice workshops
- In-person quarterly events and international retreats
👉 Join The Wealthy Adviser Club — Learn the process. Master the psychology. Close like a pro.