How Do You Move them Through the Sales Funnnel?

Alston

Guru
1000 Post Club
The other day when I was driving my car to see one of my elderly clients, minding my own business and mainly listening to the rhythm of my windshield wipers I was kicked in the face by a something I heard on the I love Marketing podcast.

Dean Jackson mentioned his "Before, During and After" concept. Basically what are you doing before the close (sometimes days, weeks or months before), during the close and after the sale?

What made me sit up straight was the realization that I invest too little time, effort and thought in two of those areas.

After thinking about it and talking to a few people in sales, I realized that if you want to eat you have to be good at one of the three or you can't be a sales person. But most of us focused on one and shine brightly in this area, got kind of good at another almost by accident and the third kind of just happens (or doesn't happen).

For example, the mechanic that repairs my bat-mobile (actually and old, green Saab) and has repaired it for years is personable and does a great job fixing cars, but Elvis (that's his real name) has never reached out to me by phone, email, snail mail or text.

What if I liked the work he did, but forgot the name of the business? How would I find him again? If I did a Google search for "auto repair shops in Bridgeport CT", I'd see his competitors and I might select one of them. He'd lose business and my car might not be fixed correctly.

Conversely, what if I get a postcard from him while a friend is visiting? I might hand the post card to my buddy and tell him about my great experience. Or if my friend went to get a drink from my refrigerator and noticed his magnet holding up my a picture of my grandkids? Or if I got a text when I'm out with friends. (Remember I like the guy and he is a good mechanic, so unless he over does it or does it poorly, I would look at any contact favorably.)

I think if he got better at "After" he'd double his business in a few years. I think that if I put more energy and thought into the two I don't do well I'd do much better as well.

My sales funnel is as follows:

Before

Suspects People who might or might not buy what you have to sell.

Prospects People who will buy what you have to sell, but not necessarily from you.​

During is the sales presentation or sales letter.

After

Customers People who bought from you once, but aren't emotionally connected to you and might or might not buy from you again.

Clients Customers who think of you first when they want to buy again and may refer you occasionally.

Fans Clients that don't consider any other options when it is time to purchase again and refer you enthusiastically and frequently.

What do you do best, before during and after? Why? What do you do in that segment that the average sales person doesn't?

What part of the sales funnel do you focus on e.g.: moving suspects into prospects or clients into fans? How? What do you do in that segment that the average sales person doesn't?

Ladies and Gentlemen, please try to stay focused. There will be a few ideas on this thread worth a million dollars if enough veterans contribute and no one hijacks this thread.

Some of us just need to patch a few holes in our sales funnel to double (or 10X) our incomes.
 
You actually confused two things in your thread. You're talking about the sales funnel, but your mechanic analogy doesn't fit a sales process.

Your mechanic solves problems in a way you prefer - probably "on-time and under budget." :)

What problems are you trying to solve for your suspects / prospects / clients?

If you are focused on solving problems that they have, you'll keep them engaged with you and they will see you as a trusted advisor... and probably will move through the "sales funnel" much faster because the process will help them solve their problems.

Bob Ritter’s Blog #86: The #1 Reason Advisors Are NOT Getting Paid What They’re Worth
 
You actually confused two things in your thread. You're talking about the sales funnel, but your mechanic analogy doesn't fit a sales process.

I can see where I was confusing. I'm combining two things, "before during and after" and "suspects to fans." I think that ideally they move in a circle so that "after" becomes a big part of "before" as your clients and fans pre-screen suspects and pre-warm your prospects.

A sales funnel is linear so it doesn't really fit my current paradigm, but it is a term most of us recognize.

The purpose of this thread is to get the best ideas from people who are good at a part of sales process that another agent, like myself, might not be.
 
I can see where I was confusing. I'm combining two things, "before during and after" and "suspects to fans." I think that ideally they move in a circle so that "after" becomes a big part of "before" as your clients and fans pre-screen suspects and pre-warm your prospects.

A sales funnel is linear so it doesn't really fit my current paradigm, but it is a term most of us recognize.

The purpose of this thread is to get the best ideas from people who are good at a part of sales process that another agent, like myself, might not be.

I'm going to take a stab at this. It may not be what you were asking, but I will try.

A referral comes in. I call, get a general idea of their needs and schedule a phone appointment in the next 5 days. Typically includes Medicare 101. (Unless there is a reason, I NEVER do more than 5 minutes on the first touch)

Medicare 101 (which includes a timeline discussion). Determine Follow Up requirements and dates

Thank You card

Follow Up if Part B has been done.

Follow Up that Part B letter has arrived and schedule Med Supp Enrollment

Follow Up that Med Supp letter was received. Confirm the October Phone Appt email

The timeline works. All follow ups are done via email on Fridays.

I send a newsletter out in March. Typically there is a mass email in June when the trustee report gets published. I send 4th of July Cards. First email for AEP is Sept 15 (which they are expecting)

Is that what you are asking?
 
I'm going to take a stab at this. It may not be what you were asking, but I will try.

A referral comes in. I call, get a general idea of their needs and schedule a phone appointment in the next 5 days. Typically includes Medicare 101. (Unless there is a reason, I NEVER do more than 5 minutes on the first touch)

Medicare 101 (which includes a timeline discussion). Determine Follow Up requirements and dates

Thank You card

Follow Up if Part B has been done.

Follow Up that Part B letter has arrived and schedule Med Supp Enrollment

Follow Up that Med Supp letter was received. Confirm the October Phone Appt email

The timeline works. All follow ups are done via email on Fridays.

I send a newsletter out in March. Typically there is a mass email in June when the trustee report gets published. I send 4th of July Cards. First email for AEP is Sept 15 (which they are expecting)

Is that what you are asking?

What is a trustee report? Why do you send emails on Friday?

That is a great before, during and after. I'm assuming that the referral came as a result of doing a good after for an existing client.

That creates a sales cycle instead of a sales funnel, which is ideal IMO.

What do you think you do best?

Are you at capacity -- do you have enough business that you don't prospect or did you just pick an example that started with a referral?

If not, how do you prospect?

When I started in the business I prospected by cold calling people from a list of new home buyers. I had about as much fun as the guy in the circus who walks behind the elephants with a shovel, but I learned a ton. I learned stuff that I wouldn't have learned if I had a steady stream of referrals or Internet leads were available in the 80s.

I knew that I had to prospect and got better at it because I did so many reps, but when I read and thought about selling, I mostly focused on closing better. Some of the books I read mentioned the after phase, but most focused on closing and/or prospecting exclusively.

I became competent at before and during, but gave very little thought to after. It must have been part of my sales training at MetLife or Mutual of Omaha, but I don't remember it being covered in any significant way.

Now that I look back, I realize that although I'm always a competent but not great closer, at times I've been real good at either the before stage or the after stage, but never good at all three at the same time.

And I wonder what my earning potential is if I make sure that I do well at all three from now on.
 
What is a trustee report? Why do you send emails on Friday?

That is a great before, during and after. I'm assuming that the referral came as a result of doing a good after for an existing client.

That creates a sales cycle instead of a sales funnel, which is ideal IMO.

What do you think you do best?

Are you at capacity -- do you have enough business that you don't prospect or did you just pick an example that started with a referral?

If not, how do you prospect?

When I started in the business I prospected by cold calling people from a list of new home buyers. I had about as much fun as the guy in the circus who walks behind the elephants with a shovel, but I learned a ton. I learned stuff that I wouldn't have learned if I had a steady stream of referrals or Internet leads were available in the 80s.

I knew that I had to prospect and got better at it because I did so many reps, but when I read and thought about selling, I mostly focused on closing better. Some of the books I read mentioned the after phase, but most focused on closing and/or prospecting exclusively.

I became competent at before and during, but gave very little thought to after. It must have been part of my sales training at MetLife or Mutual of Omaha, but I don't remember it being covered in any significant way.

Now that I look back, I realize that although I'm always a competent but not great closer, at times I've been real good at either the before stage or the after stage, but never good at all three at the same time.

And I wonder what my earning potential is if I make sure that I do well at all three from now on.

1. The Medicare Trustee report comes out in June. I call it the "Sky is Falling Report". It predicts massive hikes in Part B premiums, deductibles, etc. It gets a lot of press coverage and freaks out seniors.

2. Referrals come from current clients or Financial Planners. I have spent a lot of time developing a network with FPs

3. Oops. I send emails out on Friday because people are happier on Fridays and its consistent. I do all the "work" on Fridays, including follow up with clients and the carriers. Unless there is absolutely no way to get out of it, I don't schedule meetings on Fridays. I have clients who now say "can you add this to your Friday list?"

4. I'm at capacity for 4th quarter. I am not at capacity for Feb thru Sept.

5. I don't really prospect. I network with FPs, I host breakfasts in September called "Health Insurance and Medicare for Next Year", which is really just giving an overview of whats coming up, looking cute and reminding them that I'm brilliant. I will actually be doing a couple of them in late Feb to review Trumpcare. They are also copied on mass client emails. Instead of Christmas Cards/Presents, I do drop ins with cookies or whatever for Valentines Day and I always make sure the gatekeeper gets something, too.

The reality for me is that I am handed people on a silver platter by the person they trust with their money. They know that I want them at 64, 4 months. Most of them send clients emails, copy me, that say "please schedule time with Jenny to review Medicare" Rarely is my sales cycle less than 3 months and most of the time, its 6 months. Sometimes, its years. We do Medicare 101 at 64.5, they tell me they aren't retiring and going on Medicare til age 66. Great. I get permission to add them to the Medicare list, so they get newsletters, emails and cards. Then I ask if I can follow up with them at 65, 6 months. I let them know the date I am going to email them, I send it, then I sell it.

I hate cold calling.
I am OK with calling leads, but I really don't want to. (Plus, I would rather spend $300 on breakfast for 20 FPs. Less time, better return)
I'm great at networking.
I'm great at follow up.

I heard Al Granum speak years ago, then bought the book. I have taken his one card system and with the exception of birthday cards (which I am determined to fix this year) I have it nailed. Follow up and consistancy is key.
 
When I started all I concentrated on was the before & during. over the last 2 years I started little here a little there adding to the after.

For the After

I do a Welcome letter to every new client then 3 Send out card campaign, Including Thank you, Just checking in you have all that you need & a referral card. I also do birthday cards

Email I do newsletter & Holidays, I plan on adding some new email's for cross sell & premium increases in the near future
 
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5. I don't really prospect. I network with FPs, I host breakfasts in September called "Health Insurance and Medicare for Next Year", which is really just giving an overview of whats coming up, looking cute and reminding them that I'm brilliant. I will actually be doing a couple of them in late Feb to review Trumpcare. They are also copied on mass client emails. Instead of Christmas Cards/Presents, I do drop ins with cookies or whatever for Valentines Day and I always make sure the gatekeeper gets something, too.

The reality for me is that I am handed people on a silver platter by the person they trust with their money.
I think that is still prospecting. It is just prospecting taken to another level.

I heard Al Granum speak years ago, then bought the book. I have taken his one card system and with the exception of birthday cards (which I am determined to fix this year) I have it nailed. Follow up and consistancy is key.

Never heard of him, but I just bought one of his books. I guess that proves the value of a referral.

Thanks so much for sharing your secrets.

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When I started all I concentrated on was the before & during. over the last 2 years I started little here a little there adding to the after.

For the After

I do a Welcome letter to every new client then 3 Send out card campaign, Including Thank you, Just checking in you have all that you need & a refuel card. I also do birthday cards

Email I do newsletter & Holidays, I plan on adding some new email's for cross sell & premium increases in the near future

I like the fact that you do three touches after the sale. How do you space them out?

What is a refuel card?

I send a mail merged letter that I usually further personalize by handwriting something on the bottom. Sometimes I send a handwritten note and sometimes I will call a month after the sale. But I often only get one touch in because I don't make the other two a priority like I should.

Thanks for sharing!
 
I think that is still prospecting. It is just prospecting taken to another level.



Never heard of him, but I just bought one of his books. I guess that proves the value of a referral.

Thanks so much for sharing your secrets.

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I like the fact that you do three touches after the sale. How do you space them out?

What is a refuel card?

I send a mail merged letter that I usually further personalize by handwriting something on the bottom. Sometimes I send a handwritten note and sometimes I will call a month after the sale. But I often only get one touch in because I don't make the other two a priority like I should.

Thanks for sharing!

LoL referral I just corrected it

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I send Welcome letter after policy is issued a checking in 30 days after a thank you 60 day mark referral 90 days
 
LoL referral I just corrected it

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I send Welcome letter after policy is issued a checking in 30 days after a thank you 60 day mark referral 90 days

Thank you very much, this was all wonderful even for a P&C agent like me!
 
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