The intro meeting isn’t just another conversation—it’s your opportunity to build trust, establish credibility, and set the stage for long-term relationships.
It’s where right-fit clients realize you’re the Advisor they’ve been looking for.
Miss the mark, and they’ll keep searching. Nail it, and they may be more likely to move forward.
Let’s dive into six steps to building and executing the perfect first meeting designed to convert right-fit prospects into long-term clients.
Related: How to Build Your Client Base as a Financial Advisor
How to Nail Your Intro Meeting and Win More Clients in 6 Simple Steps
1. Know Your “Why”
Every great meeting starts with clarity. Before you step into the conversation, define what success looks like.
Ask yourself:
- What’s the ultimate goal of this meeting?
- What do I want them to walk away knowing?
For example, your “why” might look like this:
My goal is to guide the prospect through a conversation that builds trust and provides the confidence to decide if we’re the right fit.
When you know your purpose, every question, comment, and insight will have more impact.
2. Shape the Emotion, Not Just the Conversation
People don’t make decisions based on logic alone—they make them based on emotion. Your job is to shape that emotion.
How do you want the prospect to feel when they leave your office after that first intro meeting? What do you hope they tell their friends and family about you?
The best Advisors leave their prospects saying things like: “That was the first time I felt in control of my financial future. I finally know where I’m going.”
If a prospect leaves feeling overwhelmed or indifferent, they won’t take the next step. If they leave feeling empowered, they will.
Related: Top 10 Ideas & Insights Every Advisor Needs to Know to Master the Human Side of Advice
3. Ask the Right Questions
The most powerful moments in an Advisor’s intro meeting don’t come from the answers you give. They come from the questions you ask—the ones that make a prospect stop, think, and realize something they hadn’t considered before.
A good framework starts with no more than ten essential questions. If you had time for only one, what would it be? Every question should align with your purpose and help the prospect connect the dots between their situation and your ability to guide them forward.
Great questions lead to great conversations—and great conversations lead to strong client relationships.
4. Set the Stage with a Pre-Meeting Email
Your meeting’s success starts before it even begins. A pre-meeting email—sent 3-7 days in advance—can help to remove uncertainty or anxiety your prospect might be feeling.
Include a brief outline of what to expect and how they can prepare. A short video or introduction to your process can also go a long way in easing any hesitation they may have.
By the time the meeting starts, they should already have a sense of who you are, how you work, and why this conversation matters.
5. Think “Structured” Over “Scripted”
Even the best conversations can lose direction without a roadmap. Whether or not you share it with the prospect, having a simple agenda keeps the meeting on track and helps you hit the right points.
Three to five key topics are all you need. The goal isn’t to rigidly follow a script but to maintain a structure that makes the conversation productive and engaging.
6. Reinforce Trust with a Thoughtful Follow-Up
The meeting may be over, but the decision-making process isn’t. A well-written follow-up email can be the difference between a prospect who moves forward and one who fades away.
Most follow-ups are generic and transactional. The best ones are personal and thoughtful, while also showing that you were really listening.
Instead of summarizing what you said, reflect back what they shared. When a prospect reads your email, they should feel like you truly “get” them.
Turn Conversations into Commitments With RFG Advisory
A great intro meeting isn’t about delivering information. It’s about creating a connection, guiding a prospect toward clarity, and making it easy for them to take the next step.
At RFG, we help growth-minded Advisors scale faster, convert more prospects, and build something bigger than themselves—without the operational drag that slows most businesses down.
If you’re ready to have more conversations that turn into clients, let’s talk.