Discussion on Office phones within the General Insurance Agent Discussions.
This is something I try to remember every single day. Hope this helps others.
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I can’t believe how many people spend thousands of dollars ...
This is something I try to remember every single day. Hope this helps others.
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I can’t believe how many people spend thousands of dollars on advertising, hoping to get the phone to ring, only to have Client after Client get a voice mailbox!
What a waste!
Did you know that over 45% of people who call because of some kind of advertising won’t leave a message and won’t call back a second time?
Most people are so skeptical they won’t call you in the first place, they throw your ad in the garbage or pass by without thinking twice.
So the very small percentage of people you do get to call are still very skeptical, but may be in pain or are interested in your offer so they’ll take a risk and call you.
Remember, these people are calling for a reason. They want to get an answer now! Forcing them to leave a message after waiting on your answering machine (while you tell them you’re sorry you missed their call,) is not going to happen most of the time.
Even the ones that do leave a message will not be “hot” Clients by the time you call them back because they may now be busy in the middle of something, or have talked to someone else.
When possible, answer the phones live as early as possible, and as late as possible into the evening.
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Any comments on this practice? I have many friends who rarely answer their office phones,
Give me 10 new agents. I'll call each one three times the same day as a prospect looking for health insurance:
8 will never pick up
2 will pick up
Out of the 8 who never picked up, 5 of the 8 will never return the call.
This is all a 100% pure guess - but I'm betting my guess is close.
I know agents who have spam arrest - simply put, anyone new who tries to email them has to go through a verification process and type in a code. They must have run the business prevention department in their previous career.
Of course, when your phone rings you need to stare at your caller ID. When running an insurance business you need to make sure you don't answer any number you don't recognize.
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Give your local Target and Nordstrom a call to find out something simple like what time they close. With Target, you get tangeled into a series of recordings asking you to "Push 1 for...". With Nordstrom, you get a human on the second ring who can quickly answer your question. There's a reason why Nordstrom is so successful.
Give me 10 new agents. I'll call each one three times the same day as a prospect looking for health insurance:
8 will never pick up
2 will pick up
Out of the 8 who never picked up, 5 of the 8 will never return the call.
Oh, I know this problem well!!!!
I'm on the phone over 6 hours a day, lots of calls come in while I'm on the phone. It's hard to keep up.
John - I know you called 3 weeks ago, you are number 2,975 on the call back list. I should get back to you in a few months, in the meantime, don't get hurt......
If Gilligan would ever get off that island, I wouldn't be stuck watching reruns so often, and then I could spend more time returning phone calls.
Of course, things will get better as soon as I finish my Call of Duty 4 game, providing I'm done before the next one comes out.....
As much as I would agree with this, I'm at the point where nothing annoys me more than people who use (abuse?) email, and then can't pick up the phone and make a call. It's simply not a replacement.
As much as I would agree with this, I'm at the point where nothing annoys me more than people who use (abuse?) email, and then can't pick up the phone and make a call. It's simply not a replacement.
I disagree. Some people are busy and would prefer to be emailed. I can answer 5 emails in the amount of time it takes me to make 1 phone call.
Hell, I would say 10-20% of my clients only communicate with me via email.
I think a lot of this boils down to how busy your client/prospect is. A savvy business owner sitting at a desk most of the day prefers an email in many cases.
There could also be geographical and age factors on this as well. It would be interesting to see a poll.
Plus, we both have a record that cannot be disputed.
This is valuable to have for both the agent and the client...
I have gained some of my best clients through email. Clients that have gone to my website that will not answer when I call receive an email explaining that this can be done via email if preferred. I attach a brief pre-screen questionnaire and receive the information back rather quickly in many cases.
I believe I've gained these clients because I didn't continue to harass them over the phone. Email/internet is where this and every other industry is going. More people prefer convenience over the "old fashioned" way. If I was looking to buy something if they make it easy and let me know it can be handled via email, I'm going to respond. I can type faster than I talk...
A lot of clients prefer email, a lot prefer the phone. While I agree you have to answer your email, you also have to answer your phone.
It really isn't an either/or type of choice. It's both.
And yes, answering phones is problematic for those who work alone. It's a hassle, interupts Gilligan and Mary Ann, errr, I mean, it interupts writing the policy you are currently working on.
Email is good to a certain extent but people are getting another email every time they blink. Do you find that your emails ever get overlooked along with all the other crap they are getting sent via email?
Any techniques to reduce this?
Also, I think this applies:
WHY USE EMAIL?
It may seem like a silly question, but you'd be surprised how many agents don't use it. Use it because it’s the easiest, fastest and cheapest way to get your high quality marketing and sales materials into your HOT Clients hands NOW!
People are impulsive, emotional creatures. When they want something they want it now. Don’t make them wait.
Whenever you get a call on the phone, if you get nothing else, collect their email address.
Over 89% of people who use the internet have email addresses, and more are getting them everyday. An easy way to collect the email address is offer them your free report or free information.
Just tell them:
“We have a free report that explains the top 7 ways to protect your home without spending a fortune! Can I email that to you?”
That’s all it takes. Just give them a reason, they’ll love you for it. Once you have their email address it is important to deliver quality helpful information to them on a regular basis, and give them offers to buy from you.
DO NOT OVER USE THIS MEDIUM!
I was talked into signing up for Golf Galaxy’s Preferred Program. I did so, and by the time I got home and check my email that night, I had already received a welcome email. That was fine. But EVERY SINGLE DAY I was getting offers from them.
I hated it.
After a couple days I was totally sick of it and put them on my spam filter so I wouldn’t see them again.
I wouldn't have minded so much if they were giving me quality information, but it was a sales pitch every single email. This is a great example of what not to do.
Office phones
Amazon.com: The Nordstrom Way to Customer Service... 
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