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Every great sale starts the same way, with a prospect.
Yet, in an age of digital noise and instant gratification, many financial advisors forget the timeless truth that Jeb Blount keeps hammering home:
“A full pipeline solves most sales problems.”
The Discipline of Daily Prospecting
According to Blount, prospecting isn’t a one-time event, it’s a habit. It’s the oxygen of your sales business. The moment you stop doing it, your sales pipeline starts to suffocate.
He calls it the “Law of Replacement.” No matter how good your closing rate is, some clients will drop off, policies will lapse, or prospects will go cold.
To stay on track, you must continuously replace what you lose and that means consistent prospecting, every single day.
Think of it like brushing your teeth. You don’t wait for cavities before taking care of your mouth, you prevent problems by keeping up the habit. Likewise, top advisors schedule prospecting as a non-negotiable daily activity, not an optional one.
Emotions vs. Motion
Blount also reminds us that salespeople often lose momentum because they let emotion get in the way of motion.
They tell themselves stories:
- “I don’t want to bother people.”
- “It’s not a good time to call.”
- “They’re probably not interested.”
These are comfort-zone excuses.
The truth is that successful advisors act even when they don’t feel like it. Prospecting requires courage, dialing that number, sending that message, walking into that office, despite fear or fatigue.
Blount calls this “relentless consistency”, doing the work even when it’s hard, because the pipeline depends on it.
Balancing the 3 Ps: Phone, Personal, and Platform
Modern prospecting isn’t just about cold calls anymore. Blount emphasizes a multi-channel approach; using the Phone, Personal interactions, and Platform (social and digital channels) to reach prospects where they are.
- Phone: Still the fastest, most direct tool for setting appointments. A 10-minute call can do more than 10 emails.
- Personal: Face-to-face meetings, coffee invites, or even community events help you build trust and visibility.
- Platform: Social media builds awareness and authority. Use it to warm up cold prospects before a call.
Smart advisors integrate all three, calling leads, meeting clients, and staying visible online.
The 30-Day Rule
Blount’s 30-Day Rule is pure gold:
“The prospecting you do in this 30-day period will pay off for the next 90 days.”
If you stop prospecting today, you won’t feel the pain tomorrow, but 30, 60, or 90 days later, your sales will dry up.
That’s why the best advisors protect their prospecting time like a sacred ritual. They know today’s effort is tomorrow’s income.
Fanatical Energy and Mindset
Blount’s greatest lesson is about mindset: you must become fanatical about filling your pipeline. That doesn’t mean being pushy; it means being passionate, focused, and proactive.
Fanatical prospectors don’t wait for leads, they create them. They don’t chase luck, they build consistency. They don’t depend on marketing, they drive conversations.
In the life insurance business, where trust and timing matter, it’s not about finding one perfect prospect. It’s about talking to enough people so that luck and skill can meet halfway.
As Jeb Blount would say:
“The number one reason for failure in sales is an empty pipeline and the number one reason for an empty pipeline is the failure to prospect.”
So pick up the phone, send that message, shake that hand, because your next breakthrough client is waiting for your next brave move.
All the best my friends!!
#acgadvice
