Of course, there’s more than one way to skin a cat as they say, and we all have our own way of organizing our sales interviews and speaking with clients. Selling insurance over the phone is different than face to face though and many agents are just now making the transition so here are a few pointers we’ve learned that may help you.
This is basic but be sure you clearly identify yourself and call the prospect by their first name. Sometimes we’ll get permission by asking if it’s a good time to talk but we’ve had better success actually by just stating what you are going to cover and how long the call is going to take. It’s very important that whatever length of time you give, that you show respect for their time and stick to it. If the call is going longer than expected, acknowledge you know the allotted time is up and provide the option to continue or schedule a follow-up call.
Be sure to ask open-ended questions so that you can have a conversation and better understand your insurance prospect’s needs, experience and feelings. Use stories to illustrate who you are, your experience, how you’ve helped others like them to help them to be more comfortable with you personally and with transacting over the phone.
This may feel strange but you might try working in front of a mirror, watching yourself speaking. If you are flat, you’ll see it… and the prospect will hear it. If you’re dragging and lack energy, add enthusiasm by standing up or sitting up rather than slumped over or reclined.
At the end of you presentation, go back through the key points and reasons why your prospect should work with you. Be sure to ask if there are any more questions just to be sure there are no misunderstandings.
If all goes well, your prospect will be ready to move forward with the E-application process. You can ask for permission at this time to go beyond the scheduled time to complete the enrollment or you can ask to schedule another call at a later time to complete the process.