Understanding Sales in New Zealand

In an industry often defined by products, performance, and process, it is easy to overlook the single factor that determines success more than any other: human behaviour.

This book brings that focus back to where it belongs.

Understanding how people think, feel, and make decisions is not a "soft skill"-it is the foundation of effective advice. Nowhere is this more evident than in New Zealand, where cultural nuances, natural scepticism, and a strong preference for authenticity shape how clients engage, respond, and ultimately decide.

After absorbing the learnings from the likes of Mike Barnes, Tony Vadler and Matt Church, Glen Hatcher has spent years observing this reality firsthand.

As a practising financial adviser and an executive within mySolutions, he operates at both the frontline and the broader industry level. This dual perspective gives him a clear understanding of a challenge many advisers face, but few can articulate: traditional sales approaches are often misaligned with the modern Kiwi client.

What makes this book valuable is its practical clarity.

Rather than offering theory or generic overseas models, it breaks down how New Zealand clients behave-and more importantly, how advisers can adapt. It challenges the idea that success comes from pushing harder or becoming more persuasive, and instead presents a structured, consultative process that guides clients naturally toward a decision.

At the centre of this is a simple but powerful shift.

Clients do not want to be sold to. They want to feel understood. They want clarity, confidence, and the space to make decisions on their own terms. When advisers respect that-and structure their engagement accordingly-the entire dynamic changes.

The concepts in this book-building trust before questioning, creating desire before recommending solutions, and supporting clients through a consistent process-are not just ideas. They are practical tools that improve both client experience and adviser outcomes.

Perhaps most importantly, this work reinforces that effective advice is not about delivering information.

It is about guiding people.

In a rapidly changing industry, where transactions are becoming automated and commoditised, the advisers who succeed will be those who understand this distinction. They will be the ones who move beyond selling and focus on structured, meaningful engagement.

This book provides a clear pathway to doing exactly that.