Conversational Selling: Build Trust, Win Clients, and Grow Your Advisory Business

Learn how top advisors use conversations and stories to create meaningful, productive, and long-term relationships with clients

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Transform your client relationships, one conversation at a time.

In Conversational Selling, The Covenant Group President and CEO, Norm Trainor, opens a window on the tactics used by high-performing advisors to attract and engage clients. The tactics are distilled into six core principles that:

Attract the ideal client
Build trust

Get to “yes” faster
Generate high and sustainable returns

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The Six Principles of Conversational Selling

What separates top-performing advisors is their consistent application of the six principles:

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Conversations First

Where relationships matter, conversations and stories matter even more.

Focus Wins

The narrower your focus, the greater the opportunity.

Open, Don’t Close

If you know how to open, you don’t have to close.

Micro-Decisions Matter

Buying is not a single decision, but a series of micro-decisions.

Play the Long Game

Elite performers think, plan, and act with a longer-term time horizon.

The Decision Equation

Every decision is driven by three forces: value, confidence, and risk.

See the Principles in Action

Through in-depth and colorful interviews with highly successful advisors, you’ll see how top performers apply these ideas in their work with clients to successfully resolve business and life situations.

Selling is more than transactions—it’s a shared story. When your story aligns with your client’s, you build trust, deepen relationships, and create lasting growth.

Tom Grochmal

CEO & FOUNDER, TRIMTAB

Christopher Dewdney

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER

Dean Harder

FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, THE OYRI GROUP

Jason Boudreau

PRINCIPAL & FOUNDER, VELA WEALTH

Vincent M. D'adonna

FINANCIAL REPRESENTATIVE, STRATEGIES FOR WEALTH

Praise for Conversational Selling

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"Timeless principles for a new sales paradigm."

Adam Elliott

President & CEO, iA Private Wealth

“Norm Trainor continues to offer incredible value through his well-thought-out approach to coaching and practice management. His work continues to evolve while standing the test of time.”

Josh Becker

Strategies for Wealth

“Norm was a leading sales coach when I met him 45 years ago. He has continued to develop his state-of-the-art systems since then. This book is a must-read for all sales professionals.”

Paul Brown

IDC Worldsource

“A masterclass in authentic client engagement. Norm distills decades of wisdom into practical strategies that elevate selling from a transaction to a meaningful dialogue. His insights on clarity, intention, and the power of stories resonate deeply with anyone committed to building trust and creating lasting impact. This book doesn’t just teach you how to sell—it inspires you to lead with purpose and connect at a human level.”

Michael G. Flux

Connor, Clark & Lunn Private Capital Ltd.

“This book is a must-read for those who want to deepen client relationships, deliver greater value, and accelerate sales by opening the right cases with confidence and precision.”

Nick Pszeniczny

Executive Chair, Advice Canada & Financial Horizons

“Norm Trainor is a remarkable facilitator of change. Norm understands from deep experience the process of engaging people and helping them move towards better outcomes.”

Stephen R. Hafner

CFA, Newport Private Wealth Inc.

“This is an excellent resource for anyone looking to define the profile of their ideal clients and develop long-lasting relationships. It offers practical solutions that deliver true value to clients.”

Pierre Vincent

Senior Vice President, Individual Life Insurance

About the Author

Norm Trainor is President and CEO of The Covenant Group (TCG), which he founded in 1995. Known as “The Business Builder,” he has spent decades studying what separates top-performing advisors from the rest and turning those insights into practical, results-driven frameworks.

Through TCG, Norm works with financial services organizations worldwide to help advisors and entrepreneurs grow through stronger relationships, better conversations, and disciplined practice development. He is an international speaker, best-selling author, and named one of LifeHealthPro’s “20 Most Innovative People in Insurance.”

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