Holiday Party Conversation Starters

With holiday parties just around the corner, now is the perfect time to master our holiday party conversation starters so we can answer the most common question: “What do you do for a living?”

In the September 23, 2013 Investment News issue asked a variety of advisors how they respond to the question: “What do you do for a living?”

Out of the eight that were quoted, two began with: “I am a CFP®” and “I am a professional”. Three began with: “We are, We believe or We help.” And only one began by asking if he could first ask a question.

So what are the most effective elevator speeches or holiday party conversation starters? The first step is to be clear on who you serve (your ideal client), why you serve them and what value you provide. Next you need to create starters to ensure your message resonates with the person you are talking with. For example, if you are talking with a retired couple and you specialize in working with this niche by creating a plan for them that ensures a bright financial future, you need a conversation starter.

In this case, when asked: “What to do you do for a living?” you could respond by asking: “Do you know how retired couples are faced with a variety of decisions on what to do to ensure their financial future is bright and that they don’t outlive their money? I help them design a plan to ensure they make the best choices for a bright future.”

So why is this approach more powerful than “I am” or “We believe”? First, when we begin with “I am” or “We believe”, the other person either tunes us out or puts their defenses up because they think they will be sold, persuaded or convinced to do something. Instead, when we ask a question, we engage the prospective client and encourage them to participate and tune into a conversation with us. We dramatically increase our odds of continuing the conversation which allows us to learn more about them and determine if a follow up meeting makes sense.

So before you get your party attire on, take a minute and write out your new holiday party conversation starters and then practice them. Master your starters until you have a winning dialogue that will engage prospects in a conversation. This will dramatically increase your odds of getting to know your prospective clients, as well as provide an opportunity to continue your conversation discussing what you do and the value you provide