Finding Business Opportunities

(for Other People)

Cooperate (verb): 1: to act or work with another or others : act together or in compliance 2: to associate with another or others for mutual benefit.

Eszylfie Taylor is the energetic, inspiring, and humble founder and president of Taylor Insurance and Financial with offices on each coast. Among his numerous accolades, he counts being a life and qualifying member of “Million Dollar Round Table,” and a Top of the Table producer. He’s also a winner of NAIFA’s Top 4 Under 40 Advisors award.

During this week’s episode, Eszylfie explains that unlike most other professionals, he sees business opportunities they miss—not because he’s smarter—but because he’s looking in a different place with a different mindset.

What makes Eszylfie’s way of finding business opportunities so different?

When meeting with clients, he looks for (or, more accurately, listens for) and finds business opportunities not for himself, but for other business owners.

These opportunities, he says, are something that other sales professionals—and not just those in the financial industry—miss time and time again.

On its surface, the notion of finding business opportunities for businesses other than your own may seem counterproductive. But it’s precisely what Eszylfie practices, advocates, and teaches in his personal training program for financial advisors and agents, The Taylor Method.

Why would he do that?

Building business for others is a win-win-win

The ideal client is one who will never leave you. An ideal client like this doesn’t simply walk through your door, ready-made, pledging lifelong fidelity. You need to create these types of clients.

For Eszylfie, the secret is to build deep and lasting relationships with the people he serves. He wants to be so connected that, as he says, “You can’t shop me!” While it’s true that a run-of-the-mill client can buy insurance anywhere from anyone, Eszylfie wants to make it virtually impossible for his clients to leave him.

He does it by striving to be essentially all things to all his clients . . . but he does it with a lot of help.

“There’s nothing that you’re going to need that I’m not going to do or get done for you.”

Eszylfie has spent 21 years building a vast network of people (11,000 at last count) representing a multitude of different resources, talents, relationships, and businesses not primarily for his own personal gain, but because it helps him to serve his clients.

His logic is rock solid. If you had someone who found you your lawyer, mortgage broker, roof repair guy, contractor, spouse—are you going to walk away from that person?

“You’re thinking about things that go beyond my immediate need and what you’ll get out of it.”

Ask Eszylfie to describe his work, and he’ll tell you it’s building relationships—it’s all about providing his clients with what they need, even if it’s something he doesn’t provide as part of his own business services. As a result, his clients get what they need (win #1), and in return he creates loyal clients who know, like, and trust him (win #2).

He also gets the gratitude of the people to whom he refers his clients, which comes back to him multiple times over as referrals (win #3). Again, his logic is firm—if you were benefiting from new business that someone made a point of sending your way time and time again, wouldn’t you do the same and reciprocate in kind?

The power of reciprocity is a prime reason why Luke and Josh steadfastly preach the importance of providing your clients with something of value: you need to give before you can get.

Key Points

• If your client’s need is dire enough, and you can satisfy that need, then they’re in no position to tell you “no.”
• No product will be perfect, but if what you have is better than what they have, you’re golden.
• Don’t sell products. Build relationships.
• Have a servant’s heart.

Action Item

• Before meeting with your next prospect, “set the table.” Be specific and upfront about why you want to meet.
• Don’t diminish, skip over, or neglect the fact-finding process. Find out, ask questions, lean in, and learn.

Connect | Resources

Website: Taylor Insurance and Financial Services

Website: The Taylor Method

Connect: Search “Eszylfie Taylor” on Google and on all social media sites