Insurance Agent Forum

[Survivor]

How do you refer to your customers?

For instance, if you had a client that was 10 years older than you named John Smith, what do you call him?

John? Mr. John? Mr. Smith?

I just feel that there must be some psychological effect of calling in different ways.

How do you do it?

[GreenSky]

Originally Posted by Survivor

How do you refer to your customers?

For instance, if you had a client that was 10 years older than you named John Smith, what do you call him?

John? Mr. John? Mr. Smith?

I just feel that there must be some psychological effect of calling in different ways.

How do you do it?

I tend to use the first name most of the time. If I call a lead, I tend to say, "is this John?" or "I'm trying to reach John Smith." After that, it's "Hi John, this is Rick from ..."

Because I sell primarily health insurance and lots of seniors, the products tend to be commodities rather than complicated financial advice. Of course, I'm giving advice but I try to keep the information simple.

By the way, if the name isn't John Smith I'm screwed! I don't know what to call them. And women's names? Forget it. I have a file cabinet full of John Smiths.

Rick

[djs]

It all depends on how they introduce themselves. If they introduce themselves as Mr. Smith, then I use Mr. Smith (I actually get this more from women, Mrs Smith). If they introduce themselves as John Smith, and they are dressed casually, I use John.

I then proceed to forget their name during the course of conversation, and never use it again. Bad salesmanship, but better than the wrong name!!! Yeah, okay, I make an excuse to look at my schedule / papers and read the name.

Dan

[al3]

Originally Posted by GreenSky

I tend to use the first name most of the time. If I call a lead, I tend to say, "is this John?" or "I'm trying to reach John Smith." After that, it's "Hi John, this is Rick from ..."

I agree with Rick. First names seem to work fine for me.

Al(ice)

[Alston]

Until recently I always used Mr. and Mrs. when meeting prospective clients for the first time even when they were younger than me. I would wait for them to tell me that they would rather be called Joe or Mary.

However, I've noticed lately that when I use the Mr. or Mrs. title on the phone, it is taken as a clue that I'm a telemarketer and I get more hang-ups. Now I call everybody by their first name, but it goes against my upbringing. With all this gray hair, it should feel more comfortable, but it doesn't.

[al3]

Originally Posted by Alston

With all this gray hair, it should feel more comfortable, but it doesn't.

Seriously. Have a professional color your hair (don't do it yourself). I do. Works wonders. I won't go into detail but a little bit gray shows 'dignity.' A whole lot of gray shows "old foggy."

You will look good, feel good, and your sales will increase. Does this look like a 60 year old man? Well I will be... on Dec. 1.
http://www.insurancesolutions123.com/files/acanton.jpg

For those of you old enough to remember the old Dow slogan: "Better living through chemistry."


Al(ice)

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

First name. It took a while to get used to it, but now I feel corny calling someone Mr. or Mrs.

Of course, if I was talking to a goat, I may refer to him (her?) as Mr. or Mrs. A cat? Hard to say. A dog? Definitely first name. A lion? Mr. or Mrs.
Bobby Knight? Probably Mr. Knight or perhaps Bob. Or maybe Master Chair Thrower.

[loudee]

Originally Posted by al3

Seriously. Have a professional color your hair (don't do it yourself). I do. Works wonders. I won't go into detail but a little bit gray shows 'dignity.' A whole lot of gray shows "old foggy."

You will look good, feel good, and your sales will increase. Does this look like a 60 year old man? Well I will be... on Dec. 1.
http://www.insurancesolutions123.com/files/acanton.jpg

For those of you old enough to remember the old Dow slogan: "Better living through chemistry."


Al(ice)

You look great for sixty. What's the secret


Lou

[al3]

Originally Posted by loudee

You look great for sixty. What's the secret


Lou

I don't think there is a secret. Perhaps there is a 'method.' For the past 35 years I have (in no particular order):

Practiced meditation via the Relaxation Response originated by Maharishi Yogi and the TM movement.... ten to fifteen minutes a day, usually right after lunch.

Have a very dry martini (Beefeeter on rocks, a hint of vermouth) each week night before dinner... two on Friday (we eat later), nothing on Saturday, a Jack Daniels Sour Mash on the rocks on Sunday night. (A bit of alcohol is good for your heart, so I'm told.)

At my tennis club (I don't play tennis!) I work with light weights (20 to 30 lbs) for 15 minutes and then walk one mile and jog one mile on weekdays (around 5 PM), nothing on Saturday, run two miles but no weights on Sunday. I try not to miss a day. I think it is more important than anything else I do.

Read the local paper and the WSJ each weekday, the Sunday NYT, and The New Yorker and Newsweek and the various free insurance mags during the week.

Try my best to keep my weight under 155 (for my 5-6 height).

Stayed married to same wife of 26 years. [pix is about 8 years old]

Eat very little red meat, very little fat, and watch my sodium intake.

Take few minutes out of each day to pet the three cats and play with the dog (which is supposed to lower BP.)

Take a 20 minute nap around 3 PM when needed (I set the stove timer to wake me up!)

Chant the Maha Mantra for ten to twenty minutes each day, usually when jogging or walking.

I try to avoid stress by keeping things in good working order or getting new ones... computers, furnace/AC, cars, house, etc. Less stress to prevent problems than to fix them.

Take a week each year to travel on my own (without wife) to wherever I feel like going (wife happy to have house alone without me... or she will go away somewhere.)

Keep 90% of my money in simple-to-understand, conservative risk-adverse, non-volatile investments. Return is low, but so is stress. (Lesson learned the hard way after losing $50K in the 1986 crash.)

I (loosely) follow the religious and philosophical principles of Bhakti Yoga as taught by A.C. Bhaktivendanta Swami Prabhupada in his translation of the Bhagavad Gita. I am not of this body, and death is not to be feared as it is simply leaving one's body for a new beginning.

Most important... I never forget that health is more important than money... and never allow myself to think of myself as 'old.' Sixty is the new forty! I never stop learning, traveling, loving... I try to accept change... and I never say never.

YMMV.

Al

[James]

"Ho" and "Bro" works for me.

[djs]

Originally Posted by loudee

You look great for sixty. What's the secret


Lou

Thats easy, take the picture when your 40!

[arnguy]

I say "Sir" or "Madam" as is appropriate in each case!

[2112Greg]

First names pretty much only. Occasionally as a term of endearment (or something), I'll refer to a client I know well enough as Mr or Ms something.

Whenever I deal with seniors, sometimes I'll use Mr or Mrs, but it just depends.

99% of the time it's their first name...

[fostever]

"Friend, May I share a thought with you today?" He he

[The New Guy]

By law, I must refer to the inmates by their number.

[2112Greg]

And BTW, I NEVER refer to my clients as 'customers' - I cringe whenever I hear another agent doing so, as well.

Auto repair shops have 'customers' - insurance brokers have 'clients.'

Just a thought...

[somarco]

"Ho" and "Bro" works for me.

James Imus???

[al3]

Originally Posted by 2112Greg

And BTW, I NEVER refer to my clients as 'customers' - I cringe whenever I hear another agent doing so, as well.

Auto repair shops have 'customers' - insurance brokers have 'clients.'

.

I'm sure someone I know here thinks mine are... victims!

Al(ice)

[SC Local LAH Agent]

First names, and use them often.