Insurance Agent Forum

[SME]

I agree with John on this. Go with the ones that you can get. I prefer a soft sell approach personally. I don't call them again if they don't return my call after 2 messages. I don't like to be bothered so I assume no one else does either. But everyone is different. I don't think that my sales approach would work for other people. To each his own.

[newmindfashion]

SME,
I agree with that completely. I don't like to be bothered and I find sales tactics and techniques to be a turn off. In short, I prefer to work with people who have the same approach I do.

Extra salesy types don't get my business. Period.

[newmindfashion]

Disclaimer: I'm not implying that the original poster was necessarily being salesy in his approach. Its simply an approach that some use and some don't.

[Frank Stastny]

Al,

You may very well be right.

If you are very successful using that approach, the letter you posted, then you are truly unique among the successful agents I have known.

I have posted the way I sell several times in different threads. You are more than welcome to respond to it.

Thank you for your thoughts, they are very insightful.

[NHB_MMA]

I tried to reply to this the other night and it wouldn't let me.

Al, I would have never invested the time you did in this exchange, but you are 100% right. As you said, when the painter hangs up on you, it's understandable, but someone in the industry?

This business is tough as hell. I have sympathy for anyone else in it, at least anyone with honesty and integrity. When I run into a competitor, I view them as part of the brethren first, a competitor second. Those that treat others in the industry with rudeness are low-lifes. I would even be nice to NASE reps, unless they actually know what they're doing.

Now, being rude to someone you can actually potentially network with and gain some business from? This clown is a joke. I have no idea how he fell through the cracks and made it in this industry, but he was definitely put on this earth for something along the lines of cleaning toilets. And he actually has his CLU designation, has been in this industry for decades, and still treats someone in the industry this way? An absolute asshole.

This guy is one of those that makes his living from college funding through life insurance policies, from what I can gather from his web site. I know of a couple other guys that do this in this area and the sales promotional material looks similar. It's probably an abused market, I would suspect. I mean, the number of people that have the money to actually fund such an insurance product properly, yet keeping assets off the FASFA is actually a meaningful concern is a pretty small niche I would say. Most people that could properly fund a permanent policy like this are not going to qualify for financial aide and half of those that would far into the very small area where this really does make sense to do are as undisciplined in their spending and budgeting as the rest of us, and thus not able to do it.

[healthagent]

I was always taught when cold calling that you never know what has happened to you prospect before you called them. Did they just get some bad news? Did they just get into a huge fight with their wife or kid? I don't take anything personal.

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

Along those same lines...in 1980, when I was trained at "Career Success School"...I don't remember much since the Phillies were in the World Series and that was a bigger priority to me at that time.

But I will NEVER FORGET two things that I was taught.

A phone call is ALWAYS an interruption to the other person. He/she is not sitting there waiting for your call. Whatever they are doing or thinking at that time...it is an interruption. They were not waiting by the phone thinking," I hope an agent calls me. I hope an agent calls me." A call made 30 minutes later could yield completely different results.

And...I was taught to ask the adult female," Do you work outside of the home," as opposed to 'Do you work?" Just a little thing.

[NHB_MMA]

Originally Posted by CHUMPS FROM OXFORD

And...I was taught to ask the adult female," Do you work outside of the home," as opposed to 'Do you work?" Just a little thing.

What you say and how you say it can make a huge difference.