“I get these calls all the time. What makes you different than the other agents/marketers/ IT people, etc.?”
If you spend any time on the phone prospecting, you’ve probably had this challenge thrown at you. I know I have. And it’s often in the first 5 seconds of the call, virtually as soon as I explained why I was calling.
It’s not an unreasonable question, but it can definitely throw you off balance — especially when it’s shot like an arrow.
You’ve probably dealt with prospects that won’t leave their incumbent agent in spite of whatever cost, service, or coverage improvements you were able to deliver.
I’ve heard one producer say that even after saving a prospect thousands of dollars they doggedly refused to pull the trigger and change agents.
Ouch! Continue reading →
Is there someone on your sales team who seems to have all the luck? You know, that guy who’s always telling excited stories about how he landed a great referral or turned a new account into a multiple win by picking up the insurance for the brother-in-law’s fast food franchise?
Well, I hate to break the romantic spell, but those kind of “lucky” breaks don’t just come from clean living and good karma. In fact, it’s not about luck at all. It’s the way those salespeople pay attention and keep asking astute questions. Continue reading →
These kinds of things happen all the time. But when it happens to someone you know well, you pay more attention.
A producer friend I’ll call Ruth was getting ready to renew the business insurance for Don, a loyal and long-standing client of hers.
This isn’t one of those horror stories about losing an important account or the hardball tactics competitors might try to win business.
It’s actually about how you can help someone in serious emotional pain even when you haven’t a clue what to do. Continue reading →