Lorne was demoralized because he thought he was losing his touch as a “salesman.”

In the past, he had found that a simple sales approach, focusing on the financial products he offered, resulted in healthy sales.

But today’s clients are not looking for products; they’re looking for solutions. And the way to engage those clients is to focus on the process of solving their problems.

Lorne needed to understand that all clients’ decisions are based on three concepts:

> Values. People will act if they think the result will support core values such as family, financial security and lifestyle.

> Confidence. People will decide on something only if they have confidence in the outcome, and that you can get them to the finish line.

> Risk. People will do business with you only if they can see that your product or service will reduce their risk.

Once Lorne understood his clients’ values, gaining their confidence and showing that he could reduce their risk, he was soon back at the top of his game.