Originally Posted by lacy_amy
Al-Thanks for the great advice. Would you say this is the best "opening line" when calling? What do you have the most success with? When you call a small business who do you typicly pitch to?
There is no "best" opening line.
You tailor the open to what YOU are comfortable with.
You tailor the open to whom you are speaking to.
If I'm calling from a list of new Chamber of Commerce members (which I do often) I'll say something like "Bill, I got your name from the new-member list of the XYZ chamber. My name is Al and I'm also a relatively new member. I own a brokerage that specializes in health, life, disability and long-term care for small business owners, their employees and their families. Do you folks have a group health plan or an individual plan?"
I am comfortable leading with how I got their name. Other sales people are not comfortable with that and want to lead with a pitch question.
The only lead I think is not effective is "I'm XYZ, how are you today?" When I get a call and the voice at the other end says that I know I'm dealing with a script-reader and I say "I've got cancer and my house has been foreclosed on. What do you want?"
(And if someone told me that, I'd ask them what their plans are, what assets they have left if any, and suggest they get on Medicaid or a county health plan... perhaps borrow on any life policies they might have, or if they are terminal they might think about a life settlement if possible. I'd ask if the family needs financial advice and/or some suggestions. Try to remember that you are in a "helping profession" not a "sales profession.")
Of course, if a young person answers and you can tell it is not the boss, I say "My name is XYZ and I specialize in employee benefits. Who is the person who has that nightmare at your company, is it you?" Of course it isn't but they will be flattered and tell you whom to speak with. If they say "would you like their VM" I usually just go for their name and fax number, which I'm usually given... and I send something. (Why not email? It has never worked for me. YMMV)
If I'm calling from a referral, of course I lead with that.
It will depend on your personality. Some guys are better at "shock jock" than I am "Mr Jones, there are 5 ways you will end your business (list them). Do you have coverage no matter which happen?" I'm more passive then that, but others may not be.
My whole point is that there is NO BEST way to open a dialogue anymore then there is a "best" opening line with a babe in a bar (although when I was younger I had a lot of success with a great big smile and "My name is Al and I'm independently wealthy
" That always worked better than "Hi, I'm Al. You have great boobs." However I did have a friend who would walk up to a woman and say "Hi, I'm Barry, would you sleep with me?" He looked like Robert Redford and he got a surprising number of numbers that way. I looked more like Woody Allen with bad hair (if that's possible) so I had to use my personality, charm, and education. If a girl looked and dressed like she was a middle manger (had on a suit) I might say (always with a big smile) "Can I ask you a question? Do you agree with Einstein's theory of quantum physics?" All you young guys who grew up with the net and could ask girls out via text or email missed out on a valuable lesson in sales! I knew one guy (when I was 20) who was a fireman and said he was less scared about running into a burning building than walking up to a girl at a club and asking her to dance! You want to build up courage? That was one way to do it (and if you didn't you would be sleeping alone... a lot! Yeah, ask me how I knew that!!)
There are a ton of good lines to use in person. Say I'm in line at the grocery store and there is a mom and her 10 year old daughter behind me, I'll turn around and say "Are you sisters? You look so much alike." When she says, "I'm the mom" I apologize profusely but they always say "You made my day." I then look into their grocery cart and say "I see you are not stocking up on cat food like so many people I've spoken to recently. I guess your 401K didn't become a 200.5. I insure people against financial loss so I know the drill." Either they engage or they don't. Most don't, but enough do so that I try to never miss an opportunity to let someone know what I do... and most importantly that I can be a resource for help. And never give your card without getting theirs... or a phone number and name. Otherwise you've just wasted the couple of cents the card cost you to print. Mine are somewhat expensive so I don't want to waste them. Here is my card, if you are interested:
http://files.me.com/acanton77/7ycfgr )
It's the same on the phone. Find your comfort-zone market... and call it. I often try to cold-call tech firms because I'm still a closet geek (no Winter, that is not like being a closet queen... although sometimes it is not hard to make the assumption!) I ask what tech stuff they are into and discuss something relevant.
I find the key to phone conversations is to not make it about you but about THEM. Ask them what they do and how they market and how their biz is. Tell them you can refer them to your book if that is appropriate. Speak on the phone as if they were there in person in front of you at a mixer and holding a drink. I always try to ask "Are you looking for new [customers, accounts, clients, patients, etc.] or do you have all you can handle right now? I ask because my clients often ask me where to go for [fill in]." If that does not engage them you have a complete idiot on the phone and its best to move on.
Most guys try to get an appointment on the phone. I don't. I just try to get permission to send them via fax or email something about myself and info on something that might help them with their biz... so that I can follow up later. (I have a report I stole from John P. on saving money on health insurance, as well as a ton of sales fliers from carriers... recently I've been sending one on John Hancock's whole-life WITH their
LTC rider... a plan I very much like... and my upscale market seems to as well...(it ain't cheap!)
I look at the the initial phone contact as a means to engage people, not sell them or even make an appointment. I just try to get them to like me and to see if there is any pain. John P. told me when he was my coach that if there is no pain... there is probably not going to be a sale (in health.) He is right about that. In life and
LTC and disability I often have to educate them about even the possibility of pain... and either they get it or they don't.
I break one rule. I stay on the phone as long as the prospect wants... because I want to build a rapport... if not for a sale than for a referral. For me talking on the phone is easy because I'm well-educated and well-read and I can talk about a wide variety of subjects without sounding like an idiot. My secret? Two things:
1. Turn off the TV and spend an hour each night reading the Wall Street Journal (especially the Weekend Journal on Friday and Sat.) front to back (skim) every day for 90 days and you will be able to do the same thing as I can. But don't read the editorial page... most of your customers are NOT going to be as right-wing as the WSJ is and your job is not to be their political mentor. Learn what is going on in the world around you... art, science, music, literature, etc.)
2. If your city has a weekly
Business Journal, (check drop-down menu at top) subscribe to it (yeah, it is expensive) and read it each week so you know what is going on in your area. It's also a good prospecting tool. Companies and people making money are people who need your services.
Folks, here is a lesson in life (no matter what you do): No education is a waste. Show me a person in business (today) who knows a little about a lot and I'll show you someone who is most likely to be successful. Again, YMMV.
A lot of guys here debunk the value of a college education, but I'm not one of them. If you have a degree, use it. Let people know you can't be a "total" idiot because you have a diploma.
And if you never went or finished college... GO at night or mornings. You will lean things that will make you a more interesting (and likable) person and even meet prospects.
Sales is all about talking to people. If you can't talk about anything other than insurance, you are not going to be successful in areas where the average IQ is higher then a maple tree. Stupid people don't want nor do they buy insurance. That means you have to sell to smart people. You can't do it if you are not smart yourself.
If a guy is a gardener, you need to know flowers. If a guy owns a sail boat, you need to know about boats. If a guy has an office with history books, you need to know some history. People buy from people they feel are as smart or smarter than that are. They don't buy from insurance company reps (because most have an IQ way lower than your average maple tree!)
Oh, Jeez Louise. I did it again. I just rambled on like a blithering idiot. Sorry. In defense I'll "invoke" Blaise Pascal who wrote to a friend saying
"I have made this [letter] longer, because I have not had the time to make it shorter." (Yes, it is often attributed to Mark Twain, but most scholars debunk that myth. Who cares? If you are speaking with an English teacher, it might be useful to know. You see what I mean? No knowledge is totally worthless... although some of the right-wing political pandering posted here come rather close... unless you live in Alabama of 1958... and even in Alabama there are fewer and fewer towns who hold on to that era.)
Al
Preserve your memories
Calling Small Business' Directly
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