Selling FE over the phone

[BarryNY]

There are phone guys selling from some very cool places around the world. Even Lake Tahoe. Not just chained to a desk.
Oh, and no bugs or cat pee.

Correct - When you do telesales...you take your laptop and headset and work whenever and from wherever you want...

 

[WinoBlues]

PS .... Just did a Sagicor app in Arizona. Well, actually I am in CA, she is in AZ. Technically i am in these >>>

 

[Travis Price]

I have read on here how these guys wipe their feet as they bum-rush the door, Tell the prospect to turn off the TV, lock up the kids and cat, Sit there, and shut up. Do the whole 'presentation' in 15 minutes and on to the next sale. They have a magic script that they will share if you contract under them. And you better do as they say.
Nah, we all have our own styles. and I am just not that trainable. I believe, if an agent is to last long term they need to do it their own way. Otherwise, you wind up recruiting people to do what you used to do.





Having a conversation adult to adult. Professional to client.

I agree. I work only in Medicare right now and want to eventually branch into annuities and hybrid LTC after I build a sustainable book. Here's what I noticed.

1) If the client doesn't start the conversation, you have to sell yourself, sell your product, deal with hodgepodge. God that sucks.

2) Leads usually suck that you don't have a hand in developing. Meaning, I hate buying leads. They never live up to my expectations.

3) In my market, there are too many people that sell. I really don't consider what I do selling, in the traditional manner.

4) There's a lot of freedom in not having to make a sale every single prospect because you have three or more people that want to buy that are easier to deal with.

Right now, I close roughly 40% of my leads. That includes people that I'm never able to reach. When I work out a marketing budget, I always base my closing ratio at 25% and the lowest contact rate I think is reasonable.


Lumpy mail, I expect 5% contacts
Regular mail I expect 1% per mailing (I multiple T65 mailings starting 8m out.)

Know your numbers, know your product, and know what YOU want to do.. you'll be happier and it translates to higher closing and referrals.

I end every single sale asking, "Have I exceeded your expectations?" If the answer is yes, I tell people not to keep me a secret. Your friends and family have the same questions and issues you do.

I gotten a few referrals before I ask and then follow up after their policy starts with a welcome package, included a nice branded coffee mug, a hand written thank you letter, a magnet card and three paper cards asking for referrals.

Bob played a major role on how I think about this game. My job is to stay unstressed and help people that I can. That informs any business decision I make.

I love my system, because I don't have to stress about this business; but If it works for you. It works.

 

[Tahoe Ray]

Even Lake Tahoe

I moved to Genoa, NV this summer but still dope. Nobody leaves Tahoe anymore with everyone "working from home". Traffic on a Wednesday? Nah...

FWIW, I spent the entire month of November (2019, back when we could do fun stuff) in Florida. Being able to work for 3-4 hours/day, write apps, and then hang out on the beach and with friends and family is pretty awesome.

Right now, I close roughly 40% of my leads.

That is about what I do with my organic leads as well (a little under) and actually place (fully underwritten products) about 70-75%. 20 leads ends up being 5 or 6 placed.

I'm getting better at referrals and cross-selling too.

 

[Travis Price]

I moved to Genoa, NV this summer but still dope. Nobody leaves Tahoe anymore with everyone "working from home". Traffic on a Wednesday? Nah...

FWIW, I spent the entire month of November (2019, back when we could do fun stuff) in Florida. Being able to work for 3-4 hours/day, write apps, and then hang out on the beach and with friends and family is pretty awesome.


That is about what I do with my organic leads as well (a little under) and actually place (fully underwritten products) about 70-75%. 20 leads ends up being 5 or 6 placed.

I'm getting better at referrals and cross-selling too.

Cross selling isn't my jam yet. Most of my sales are 2, on HI and MAPD or PDP and MS.

When I get around 100 sales a year with 300 in force at fyc, I'll start looking into Annuities. But right now I'm about book building.

 

[Tahoe Ray]

Cross selling isn't my jam yet. Most of my sales are 2, on HI and MAPD or PDP and MS.

When I get around 100 sales a year with 300 in force at fyc, I'll start looking into Annuities. But right now I'm about book building.

Annuities are a no brainer for medicare guys. Especially MYGAs.

 

[somarco]

if you want to involve your client, you best be listening to them. Sometimes that means going off "script". If you can only stick to a script...you're going to be lost.

Truth.

A guy I worked with years ago stuck to the script all the way. If you interrupted to ask a question he got flustered, and had to start the pitch all over again from the start.

He didn't last long . . .

a "Script" is something that someone else made up for you because you don't know what you're doing.

yup!

thinking of running a commercial tv or radio,

You need BIG $$$ for that.

Unless you are running your ads at 3AM

 

[Travis Price]

TV ads have changed dramatically. What used to cost tens of thousands of dollars have dropped to a few thousand dollars with better targeting because of streaming services, like HULU and Google TV.

I don't run TV commercials or anything, but you can run a targeted HULU commercial starting at $500.

 

[myinsurebiz]

. . . to reflect

I agree. I work only in Medicare right now and want to eventually branch into annuities and hybrid LTC after I build a sustainable book. Here's what I noticed.

1) If the client doesn't start the conversation, you have to sell yourself, sell your product, deal with hodgepodge. God that sucks.

2) Leads usually suck that you don't have a hand in developing. Meaning, I hate buying leads. They never live up to my expectations.

3) In my market, there are too many people that sell. I really don't consider what I do selling, in the traditional manner.

4) There's a lot of freedom in not having to make a sale every single prospect because you have three or more people that want to buy that are easier to deal with.

Right now, I close roughly 40% of my leads. That includes people that I'm never able to reach. When I work out a marketing budget, I always base my closing ratio at 25% and the lowest contact rate I think is reasonable.


Lumpy mail, I expect 5% contacts
Regular mail I expect 1% per mailing (I multiple T65 mailings starting 8m out.)

Know your numbers, know your product, and know what YOU want to do.. you'll be happier and it translates to higher closing and referrals.

I end every single sale asking, "Have I exceeded your expectations?" If the answer is yes, I tell people not to keep me a secret. Your friends and family have the same questions and issues you do.

I gotten a few referrals before I ask and then follow up after their policy starts with a welcome package, included a nice branded coffee mug, a hand written thank you letter, a magnet card and three paper cards asking for referrals.

Bob played a major role on how I think about this game. My job is to stay unstressed and help people that I can. That informs any business decision I make.

I love my system, because I don't have to stress about this business; but If it works for you. It works.

 

[WinoBlues]

May be a demographic thing. But do people really watch commercials? Or OTA TV?

I get commercials on a couple of my streaming channels but I only have to watch them long enough to hit the skip button. Or mute them. It is kinda like sending a call to voice mail.