Feed Back on Scripts

[mziarnik]

I just opened a new P&C agency and need to start getting some activity. One of the ways I plan on doing that is through cold calling/also will try door knocking on weekends for personal lines. Anyway I've been looking for scripts and haven't found much that I felt was helpful. SO i created a script both for commercial cold calling as well as for personal lines cold calling and looking for feedback from individuals who have experience and generated some success.

Commercial scripts
Hello, (Prospect)….My name is.......from..............., hopefully you’re having a great day…….(Prospect) Our agency has been able to help business in your industry save upto 40% on their business insurance from prior years. (Prospect) if we could save you a similar amount on your business insurance would you like to learn more about what we can do for you?



Hello, (Prospect) …..My name is ...... from......., hopefully you’re having a great ……………..(Prospect) We’ve been talking to people in the area about their auto and home insurance and many people say their insurance rates have gone up significantly over the past few years. As they become our clients they are surprised to know we can save them 25…30 even 40% from what they were paying before. (Prospect) if we could develop an insurance plan for you that would provide you a similar savings would you become our client?

Again just looking for feedback. I will be focusing on both personal lines as well as commercial p&c.

thanks in advance
Mark

 

[DHK]

I have a lot of posts in this section of the forum... and I'm going to nitpic this one.

(Prospect) if we could save you a similar amount on your business insurance would you like to learn more about what we can do for you?

Uh... you have it backwards in this sentence. They can't learn more about you unless they allow you to run a quote. You can't run a quote until you learn more about them.

And let's be honest here: You have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA if you can save them what you say you can save them.

I would adjust this and say something along the lines of:

"While we've been successful in helping other businesses save money on a properly structured policy, I really don't know if I can deliver the same kind of results for you. However, I think it would be worthwhile for me to stop by for 10 minutes, show you what we do, and get the information needed to compete for your business. When would be a good time to stop by for 10 minutes to introduce myself?"

Take a special note of that word "compete". In an industry and with products that seem to be commodities... asking to compete for someone's business opens a different door in their mind.

As they become our clients they are surprised to know we can save them 25…30 even 40% from what they were paying before. (Prospect) if we could develop an insurance plan for you that would provide you a similar savings would you become our client?

"If I could deliver this... would you marry me?" You're asking them to commit before you can deliver. STOP this, or say something like "Would you be willing to consider being our client?"

BTW, all of these posts are based on PRICE. If you LIVE BY PRICE... you'll LOSE BY PRICE. I'd find a service angle instead.

http://www.insurance-forums.net/for...ld-call-pitch-opinions-t71174.html#post936091

 

[mziarnik]

DH...
Yes they are on price, its not that we don't provide or see a value in things like this but if I talk to someone and says hey I'd like to be your agent, but it might cost you 250$ a year to do, they would be like thanks but no thanks. People have been gotten accustomed to hearing about how they can save xx amount a year.....so if you can show me a way to cold call without using a savings a pitch, please by all means let you know.

I have looked not only in the forum about scripts, but on line and really came up with nothing which is why I created my own.

I'm not sure if your still selling P&C, but if you are and if you have or are cold calling do you have scripts you've used?

I'd be open to hearing what you have to say if you want to feel free to contact me privately or send me an email to my full name at yahoo.com if you wish to...I appreciate your time and feedback.

Thanks
Mark

 

[DHK]

I've never sold P&C. I'm a L&H guy with a planning angle. However, I have sold banking services... and I study a lot on cold-calling and other personal marketing techniques.

Using that word "compete" is huge with products that may be perceived as commodities - such as banking & P&C insurance. In addition, you need to study the definitions of coverage in your policies and use that to your advantage. After all, an insurance policy in force that doesn't cover a specific definition... and if it should happen... that policy just won't be good enough.

I think I posted the wrong link above. This one was the one I meant to reference:

http://www.insurance-forums.net/for...ent-simple-call-script-t71820.html#post947513

If you're charging a $250 broker fee per year... you may need to quantify that value. Why should they pay that fee when they can go elsewhere and not pay it? What do you deliver that no one else does? Can you make it 'real'? Meaning, if you deliver a comprehensive analysis and shop the market for the best coverage at reasonable rates... do you have a sample of that kind of work to show your prospective client?


Most of the scripts that I post on here I simply make up based on the questions being asked. The idea is to be the authority and to offer yourself as a valued resource.

Another script I recently came up with was this:

I work with families (or retirees/business owners) who are friendly, responsible, and serious about their money (or business), to answer their questions about personal financial planning (or retirement income or business financial planning) in topics like: debt elimination, retirement planning, funding college, life insurance protection, home payoff strategies, and much more. (or list appropriate topics for retirement & business owners.)

This isn't meant to structure the conversation, but a person who is serious will engage me in a conversation by asking me a question - like: "You can help with college planning?" And then I can expand on it by saying "Yes, in both funding it and maximizing financial aid opportunities." And then it's up to me to close for the appointment after a short conversation by saying "If I could help you with (what we've been talking about) and do it without taking any additional money out of your pocket... would that be worth sitting down and talking about?"

This doesn't have a lot of sizzle, but it fits my basic personality better. Plus, I'm not guaranteeing anything, except to be a resource to help them find answers... which is what a good advisor does. I don't always know when I call or knock on someone's door if they can be a good client or not... but if they respond to a simple approach like above, then they are friendly, responsible, and serious about their money.

 

[mziarnik]

Dh...
Critiques are great. ..I was looking for something I could plug n play...which was why I commented out here. ...doesn't seem like there are any scripts that I could find...

 

[njinsuranceguy]

I just opened a new P&C agency and need to start getting some activity. One of the ways I plan on doing that is through cold calling/also will try door knocking on weekends for personal lines. Anyway I've been looking for scripts and haven't found much that I felt was helpful. SO i created a script both for commercial cold calling as well as for personal lines cold calling and looking for feedback from individuals who have experience and generated some success. Commercial scripts Hello, (Prospect)....My name is.......from..............., hopefully you're having a great day.......(Prospect) Our agency has been able to help business in your industry save upto 40% on their business insurance from prior years. (Prospect) if we could save you a similar amount on your business insurance would you like to learn more about what we can do for you? Hello, (Prospect) .....My name is ...... from......., hopefully you're having a great .................(Prospect) We've been talking to people in the area about their auto and home insurance and many people say their insurance rates have gone up significantly over the past few years. As they become our clients they are surprised to know we can save them 25...30 even 40% from what they were paying before. (Prospect) if we could develop an insurance plan for you that would provide you a similar savings would you become our client? Again just looking for feedback. I will be focusing on both personal lines as well as commercial p&c. thanks in advance Mark

You're on the right track here. Just needs a little tweaking. Instead of saying "our agency has been able to help businesses save up to 40%", make it more exact and real and say, "we just helped XYZ company to reduce their commercial insurance costs by 40% and we would like to stop by and share exactly how they were able to achieve these results. Would you have 20 mins next Tuesday at 10am?" Or you could finish with a question, "are you open to new ideas on how to cut your commercial insurance costs?"

It turns from wanting to sell them to sharing valuable information. People love to know how other people are doing something they can't.

Think of all the campaigns out there right now. There are life and auto insurance ads running all over tv where they say "John, a 52 year old in good health just received a 100,000 insurance policy for $12 a month". They're running these ads because they work. That little change in what you say will make a huge difference.

It's important to note that you are not promising them anything because you have no idea if you can help them. In fact, you're not even trying to sell them, you're only trying to share how another company achieved these amazing results. They will insert themselves into the thinking that they will achieve similar results just like people do when watching those life insurance ads.

Give it a shot. Take some of your most successful results and offer to share them with other business owners. Good luck!