According to recent studies, meetings are one of the top-five time wasters. Although meetings are meant to be productive and educational, oftentimes, a clear message is not delivered.

For financial advisors, a successful first meeting with a plan sponsor may seem to be hit or miss. However, by developing a repeatable, successful method, you can create clarity and assurance for the plan sponsor, while increasing your close ratio.

Success starts with an early arrival at your meeting. You want to make sure you can get into the room to set up your equipment, if you have any. This includes making sure your laptop, projector, etc. are up and running properly. You should give yourself enough time to review your notes to make sure that you are prepared to speak as soon as the meeting begins. Practice the first few sentences out of your mouth, so they sound nature.