Scroll down for a discussion on Anyone Making A Living Coldcalling? within the Employee Benefits Forum.
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Originally Posted by scrabble
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You are actually selling in my state ...
What products are you selling and what carriers?
I am appointed ...
I am appointed with BC/BS, Humana, UnitedHealthOne, Assurant, Unicare and Aetna currently.
Do you recommend any different companies? I've heard that Humana, BC/BS and Golden Rule are the three most competitive for small group in Indiana.
Humana is only competitive in the souther part of the state. The closer you get to KY the better the rates.
It sounds to me that you are selling individual policies which is the first step to selling group.
What you need to do is when you get a census in quote all those carriers. Then compare and contrast. This is the only way you can learn about market conditions with the carriers.
After looking at price then you need to tackle plan coverages. Once you understand that aspect then you need to educate yourself on underwriting.
Then once you have this knowledge its going to help you with the cold calling.
Cold calling if it's fun for you, is "doable" but if it's not fun, it's next to impossible to get buy and x 1000 if you dred it or hate it. There are a few guys still left out there that have no problem making 5 hours of calls and day, and actually look forward to it. Yes, theses guys are successful.
There are a few guys still left out there that have no problem making 5 hours of calls and day, and actually look forward to it.
I'm not calling you a liar, just saying I have yet to ever meet one of these people after talking to hundreds of agents. Most people who claim to like cold calling have never done it, how could you actually enjoy the activity filled with this much rejection? That being said, I use it as a strategy and have had some success at it. I don't like making the calls (but can tolerate it), but like the results.
I'm not calling you a liar, just saying I have yet to ever meet one of these people after talking to hundreds of agents. Most people who claim to like cold calling have never done it, how could you actually enjoy the activity filled with this much rejection? That being said, I use it as a strategy and have had some success at it. I don't like making the calls (but can tolerate it), but like the results.
Actually, I'd go a step further. Anyone who enjoys cold calling would almost have to enjoy rejection. I cannot see that person being successful.
I notice the two previous comments are from members with products to sell.
Anyone on the groundfloor looking up have anything to contribute. I'm not looking for spam as much as I am relative experiences.
No offense, and thanks for the replies.
Yes, you can make a living cold calling.That's all I do. Can you make a living cold calling for an hour a day? NO!!!! I could sell even more cold calling if I would quit sabotaging myself, and getting lazy.
I don't think there are very many agents who really look forward to, and genuinely enjoy getting up each morning picking up the phone and "cold calling". That said, when done properly and with the right products cold calling can be very productive and not the horrible endeavor that most agents perceive it to be.
Being extremely well organized is one of the keys to successful cold calling. Knowing who and where you want to call for that day before you pick up the telephone makes a huge difference.
Learning how to use the phone properly, knowing how to transition the phone call into a conversation and having a phone presentation, not just a "script", will make it so much easier. Carefully choosing the words you use can make a tremendous difference.
As an example I ask if they recall the name of the insurance company they currently have as opposed to saying "who do you have your insurance with". People will want you to know that they know who they have their insurance when you ask if they "recall". If you ask "who do you have your insurance with" they may not be willing to tell you.
Maintaining control of the conversation is more important than most agents realize. I get asked all the time what I say when the prospect says "I'm not interested". There is very little that can be said. The secret is to not let them say that. If they say it the agent has lost control and now the prospect has control. Once the prospect has control the agent starts struggling to regain it. Very seldom is that successful.
One maintains control of the call by the timing of what they say, how and when they say it.
Using the phone is a learned, well practiced art. It is the first and most important step in the sales process. Those who master it are very successful. Those who are simply reading a "script" are going to struggle with every call and hate it.
I have not purchased a lead in at least six to eight years. I generate my own leads and make sales "cold calling" from a list. The senior market probably lends itself to successful cold calling more than other kinds of insurance.
I would rather spend time on the phone than to go on "appointments" to "drop off valuable information". I close over 95% of the appointments I go on. I don't make the appointment unless I feel that I have over a 90% chance of making a sale.
My goal is to write one Med Supp app per day. To do that I really only need one appointment per day. Many times my appointment will result in writing both husband and wife. That's two apps that day.
One app per day, five days per week, fifty-two weeks a year will generate approx $70,000 to $75,000 in commission income. And, my ROI is almost 100%.
Yes, I "love" cold calling.
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I don't think there are very many agents who really look forward to, and genuinely enjoy getting up each morning picking up the phone and "cold calling". Yes, I "love" cold calling. . .
Wow, expert advice Frank. Thanks for the clear perspective.
One app per day, five days per week, fifty-two weeks a year will generate approx $70,000 to $75,000 in commission income. And, my ROI is almost 100%.
Yes, I "love" cold calling.
Pleasing methods versus pleasing results. Success in unnatural, therefore, it most likely won't be obtained following our natural likes and dislikes. - from Albert Gray's The Common Denominator of Success (I'm paraphrasing)
If you don't give a person an opportunity to tell you NO, they can't tell you YES.
I agree completely.
My point is, cold calling will generate tons of NOs. Generally salespeople are individuals that crave being accepted and loved. That is why they take rejection so hard. Thus my statement, any salesman that loves engaging in an activity designed to elicit a no is wired differently. Thus my statement. It is one thing to be good at cold calling and engaging in the activity because it leads to success. It is another thing to love cold calling, regardless of the success or failure it generates. I cannot see the second person being successful, they like rejection too much.
It is one thing to be good at cold calling and engaging in the activity because it leads to success.
Those agents may still not look forward to it but they will be successful. I have been doing it successfully for a long time. However, there are still days when I may dust my office in the morning to delay picking up the phone.
Originally Posted by VolAgent
It is another thing to love cold calling, regardless of the success or failure it generates. I cannot see the second person being successful, they like rejection too much.
Unless they have a well practiced telephone presentation, you are correct, it is going to be very difficult for them to achieve a great degree of success.
Those agents may still not look forward to it but they will be successful. I have been doing it successfully for a long time. However, there are still days when I may dust my office in the morning to delay picking up the phone.
Unless they have a well practiced telephone presentation, you are correct, it is going to be very difficult for them to achieve a great degree of success.
Exactly my point, you don't enjoy cold calling. You enjoy the results that come from successfully cold calling.
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