Cold Calling 101: Professor Richard Deckard

Hi Mr/Mrs Smith, my name is Rick and I'm calling specifically about your homeowner's insurance which is set for renewal in a few weeks.

-I specialize in 1st year renewals throughout South Florida(think that's where you are) and typically save my customers/clients about 20-30% on their current premiums.

***************

What if it's a 2nd year renewal? 3rd? Etc? Do you not specialize in those?:skeptical:
 
Hi Mr/Mrs Smith, my name is Rick and I'm calling specifically about your homeowner's insurance which is set for renewal in a few weeks.

-I specialize in 1st year renewals throughout South Florida(think that's where you are) and typically save my customers/clients about 20-30% on their current premiums.

***************

What if it's a 2nd year renewal? 3rd? Etc? Do you not specialize in those?:skeptical:

Say what?

I have a list of several hundred 1st year renewals that I am calling, why would I say anything different?

I understand your post but I am left bewildered. I cold call about 10 hours a week while I am studying for my P&C, so far the producer I work with has closed about $20k-$25k in premium monthly on my efforts. I think it is working pretty good.

I have several different targeted lists, whichever one I am calling I am an "expert" at dealing with those folks. I specialize in high value, 1st year renewals, BoPs, Commercial Trucking, Commercial Transit, you name it and I am going to try and be an expert in it or I simply won't dip my toe in those types of businesses I truly know little to nothing about.

I'm sure you didn't mean it exactly the way I spit it back. Good luck to you, nothing but the best.

Bottom Line on the Edit: If you are not specializing in whatever will benefit or interest your targeted list, no reason to make the phone call. You are not going to call and say "Mr/Mrs Smith, I don't know jack about your life or anything that goes on in your world but I want to write your home policy anyways."

-That might not work so well :biggrin:
 
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Richard,

I appreciate your lengthy information I did read through it and it section 3:

Step 3-You must get out of your comfort zone and start thinking like people who have money. Where do they go, what do they do, what do they buy, who is most likely to afford your service or product, you must be able to answer those questions if you are going to make it. I understand it feels scary but if it were easy then everyone would make 6 figures and we know that isn’t happening but maybe the top 5-10% in this business. The good news from my experience so far is about 80% of the licensed agents out there WILL NOT do any of the things we push in here. You have to start thinking like the people you plan on catering to. You must appear to them like you live in their world. I am fortunate to have an SO that works in fundraising and non profit. They do not try and go after poor people for donations, no money in it.



I believe this is where I am having the most problems. I don't want to cold call the lawyers doctors and other financial planners that i have on my list. I can call mechanics property managers and comic book stores all day but im nervous to even dial the DO,MD,PC,AttorneyatLaw etc.

Any advice on this does this just fall back to "Fake it until you make it"?
 
As I make the turn to full time producer at my agency I wanted to simply share a few more notes and some of this is a repeat of earlier info. Before I do that I encourage you to focus on the parts I bolded in the OP(orig post). I understand it is wordy but the bolded statements are pretty easy to read and digest.

Whether you want to hear it or not your best bet is to aim high. Try to market to the top 25% in whatever region of the country you reside. Understand if you tackle personal lines in rural parts of the country that you might not make much more than some of your friends down at the super market. I can't change those situations.

But if you live in a section where there is a lot of business plus people like South Florida, SoCal, NYC, CHI, Major cities in the MidWest and the South please zero in on this. Your time is best spent trying to penetrate the higher markets.

Commercial: $25k-$100k in premium yearly per business. Close one of these a month and you won't have a lot of problems. Close one every other month to go with some of the personal lines you manage and you are still on your way to success.

Personal: The guy with the boat on the water and a McMansion, sorry to burst your bubble but I am convinced this market is pretty under worked for whatever reason. I guess it's easier to knock on teachers and police officers doors but they cannot line your pockets with what you truly want.

On a side note I do want to help the teacher and police officer but if they are not going to allow me to price their home and auto plus at least let me show them what a small investment of a couple hundred a month does over the course of their lifetime...I'm not as interested in meeting if they are not open to a full game plan.

Saving/Investing money is not cool with the Under 50 crowd I find.

A story for you...the other day I went to go to my favorite little burger n craft beer bar at the mall only to find they had closed their doors with no announcement to anyone including staff, so sad.

As I was standing there I noticed a fairly short Vietnamese man standing next to me shaking his head. I asked him if he knew anyone who worked here and suddenly I was in the middle of a real conversation with the owner of the nail salon next door. He told me he moved to USA in 1987, worked his way thru life and bought that business 3 years ago.

I told him that it was a shame he no longer could send folks who might be waiting for their nails to go have a bite to eat and come back, that option no longer available. He looked at me and said "You understand" and I nodded and said I certainly do. Next thing he started telling me who was in charge at the mall, management, key folks, told me he would introduce me to whoever he could...he never even asked what I do. He handed me a card that I knew he didn't give to everyone, had his personal information on it. I will go back and visit him this week and tell him more about me, but it was essential I allow him to tell me his story, he now views me a little different when he sees me coming.

I hope you can read that and digest it.

Cheers!
 
As I make the turn to full time producer at my agency I wanted to simply share a few more notes and some of this is a repeat of earlier info. Before I do that I encourage you to focus on the parts I bolded in the OP(orig post). I understand it is wordy but the bolded statements are pretty easy to read and digest.

Whether you want to hear it or not your best bet is to aim high. Try to market to the top 25% in whatever region of the country you reside. Understand if you tackle personal lines in rural parts of the country that you might not make much more than some of your friends down at the super market. I can't change those situations.

But if you live in a section where there is a lot of business plus people like South Florida, SoCal, NYC, CHI, Major cities in the MidWest and the South please zero in on this. Your time is best spent trying to penetrate the higher markets.

Commercial: $25k-$100k in premium yearly per business. Close one of these a month and you won't have a lot of problems. Close one every other month to go with some of the personal lines you manage and you are still on your way to success.

Personal: The guy with the boat on the water and a McMansion, sorry to burst your bubble but I am convinced this market is pretty under worked for whatever reason. I guess it's easier to knock on teachers and police officers doors but they cannot line your pockets with what you truly want.

On a side note I do want to help the teacher and police officer but if they are not going to allow me to price their home and auto plus at least let me show them what a small investment of a couple hundred a month does over the course of their lifetime...I'm not as interested in meeting if they are not open to a full game plan.

Saving/Investing money is not cool with the Under 50 crowd I find.

A story for you...the other day I went to go to my favorite little burger n craft beer bar at the mall only to find they had closed their doors with no announcement to anyone including staff, so sad.

As I was standing there I noticed a fairly short Vietnamese man standing next to me shaking his head. I asked him if he knew anyone who worked here and suddenly I was in the middle of a real conversation with the owner of the nail salon next door. He told me he moved to USA in 1987, worked his way thru life and bought that business 3 years ago.

I told him that it was a shame he no longer could send folks who might be waiting for their nails to go have a bite to eat and come back, that option no longer available. He looked at me and said "You understand" and I nodded and said I certainly do. Next thing he started telling me who was in charge at the mall, management, key folks, told me he would introduce me to whoever he could...he never even asked what I do. He handed me a card that I knew he didn't give to everyone, had his personal information on it. I will go back and visit him this week and tell him more about me, but it was essential I allow him to tell me his story, he now views me a little different when he sees me coming.

I hope you can read that and digest it.

Cheers!

Golly gee! A lot of us are just uneducated, dumb ol' country boys. You might have try not using all them
thar big words.
 
Golly gee! A lot of us are just uneducated, dumb ol' country boys. You might have try not using all them
thar big words.

110,000 sit weekly in Knoxville to watch a football game, right?

Nashville hurting for business?

Memphis(500,000+), Clarksville is a little area with over 100,000 people last I checked.

I never called anyone dumb either but if you want to Volunteer that be my guest :laugh:

Good Luck to you in Tennessee, It's a beautiful state and one to be proud of.
 
110,000 sit weekly in Knoxville to watch a football game, right?

Nashville hurting for business?

Memphis(500,000+), Clarksville is a little area with over 100,000 people last I checked.

I never called anyone dumb either but if you want to Volunteer that be my guest :laugh:

Good Luck to you in Tennessee, It's a beautiful state and one to be proud of.

Not sure but I believe you missed my point Professor.
 
110,000 sit weekly in Knoxville to watch a football game, right?

Nashville hurting for business?

Memphis(500,000+), Clarksville is a little area with over 100,000 people last I checked.

I never called anyone dumb either but if you want to Volunteer that be my guest :laugh:

Good Luck to you in Tennessee, It's a beautiful state and one to be proud of.



Sure sounded like you called people from Tennessee dumb to me, Professor. In a lot of cases...you're right. There are some really stupid people from Tennessee...like my ex-wife. You can't judge the whole state by the hillbillies.:laugh:
 

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