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As many of you may know, I'm beginning a large scale recruiting campaign. I primarily sell health insurance and normally close business over two to ...
As many of you may know, I'm beginning a large scale recruiting campaign. I primarily sell health insurance and normally close business over two to three separate appointments over the phone. I feel like this method works for me and I have a pretty good "gut feeling" on which leads are viable and which aren't. This method requires an individual to be fairly organized and takes a lot of patience.
After speaking to several other agents, it seems like many are closing on the first call and swear by this method. Because I'm trying to get opinions on various information to determine my "official" training regimine, I would like to open the thread up to learn about everyone's different ONLINE health sales methods.
Really just opening up the board for discussion, but I did notice the other thread...
I have some that I will close "same-day", but I just have a method, and I'm normally too busy/lazy to close a deal during the first convo. Talked with an agent I respect quite a bit, and 90% of the cases he close are on the first call.
I would be interested to look at closing ratios over time. It's hard to track because of the leads I thought were dead that call me up 6 months later.
The real question is, are YOU comfortable with a one call close?
Some agents are, some aren't.
As indicated in the other thread, I have done it before (insurance as well as some other stuff when I was going thru a midlife crisis). It really doesn't suit my style.
Folks who are pliable to one-call-closes usually don't stick. If you deal in a product with a 3 day cooling off you can OCC all day long and still make a good living. But if you want long term business with referrals you won't make it with a OCC.
Most folks selling on OCC are selling price, not concept. Someone who buys on price will just as easily leave you when the next deal comes along.
TX is probably a good one to comment. His telemarketers are OCC'ers. He can also address the persistency (or lack thereof) of the OCC client.
It's not when you close that's the issue. The issue is recomming the wrong plan or attemping an app when the prospect has already conveyed that they're not ready - yet you persist with "ways around the objections."
I don't believe in overcoming objections. If my prospects wants to review the quotes or simply is not in the right frame of mind then a one-call close is wrong.
However, there are plently of people - especially singles - who have no problem with choosing the a plan and doing the app.
Just don't burn any bridges. If you come across as pushy or going back at them after they state they're not ready then they'll never deal with you again.
OCC is critical and should be attempted in my opinion, that doesn't mean you have to be slimy and slam people, that we do not do. You still have to do your job as a sales person and TRIAL CLOSE and have a set routine. The chasing game is a loser - you will get some, but overall close rates will really suffer if you simply do not ask for the sale.
A good tool to throw in the mix is the Web Conferencing tool - to "show them" something and then TRIAL CLOSE. It amazes me to this day that people simply do not ask for the sale. I think it requires some mental re programming - it is an odd factor of life apparently.
You can OCC (or attempt) and not slam people or be a boiler room. We do a good job at closing without being a slime ball about it. If you slam people, the business will fall off much faster. The business is going to fall off anyone (particularly Internet) but why make a bad situation even worse.
I will tell you agents who think closing on the first call is Taboo is in for a rough ride as the market gets more competitive, leads get more expensive, and retention shrinks.
I think a balance is truly the key. Some clients you OCC , some you do not - you need to be able to make that distinction.
I'm with Joe - ask for the sale. The worse that can happen?
"I'm not ready yet."
Wow....ok, so you follow up.
I do not follow up with anyone by phone. That, as Joe put it, is a losing game. I refuse to wake up and pound aways at the phones - calling the people who already blew you off before.
I follow up by email and newsletters, and yes - they do come out of the woodwork. However, I'm asking everyone for the app. Especially on shared leads.
I know several carriers who have a love/hate relationship with eHealth and similar shops. High volume, high # not taken, high cancellation, more service issues than from individual brokers.
"One Call Close"
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