Selling insurance is an intricate business. It
requires a certain type of skills to succeed. Learning how to succeed at
selling insurance requires more than sales techniques; there are a lot of
considerations that go into the business aspect of insurance sales.
Referrals
are important sources of business. Prospecting for new business, like any other
skill, can be trained and developed into a habit. Here are some powerful
prospecting tips.
Ask for referrals
When it comes to asking
for referrals, timing is important. The most effective time to ask for
referrals is right after you've made the sale or provided a valuable service to
your customer. Asking for referrals prior to closing the sale should be avoided.
Once the sale has been completed, your customer will be on an "emotional
high" and far more receptive to the idea of providing you referrals.
Strike while the iron is HOT
Prospects, like food in
your refrigerator, are perishable and therefore need to be contacted quickly.
Develop the habit of contacting your referrals within two business days or
sooner. Have a system to keep track of your referrals so they don't end up
falling through the cracks. It's critical to have a computerized client contact
management system to record your remarks and track future contacts and
appointments. Relying on your memory alone would sometime cost you dearly.
Schedule a minimum of two hours
a day for phone calls
Make your phone calls in
the morning while you and your referrals are both fresh and alert. Treat your
prospecting time with the same respect you would give to any other important
appointment. Avoid the temptation to try and sell your product or service over
the phone. Your objective for every phone call is to create interest, gather information
and make an appointment. If your prospect asks you a question, get in the habit
of going for an appointment rather than giving a quick response.
Qualify your prospects
Not every prospect will
be interested or qualified financially to purchase your products or services.
No need to waste time chasing low probability prospects. What is needed is to
quickly qualify the prospects and move on.
Don't take rejection personally
Selling is a numbers
game. Rejection is to be anticipated as a natural aspect of the qualification process.
Learn from rejection by using it as a valuable feedback mechanism. Salespeople should
not take rejection personally.
Prospecting
for new business is no doubt the most challenging aspect. Daily prospecting for
new business is the key to long term financial success. By integrating these
prospecting tips into your daily business routine, you'll be able to surely
succeed in your sales efforts.
