We need a Prospecting or Sales place to post stuff like this.
This is all I ever do everyday I work. I never buy leads and I do just fine. I thought this may help some of you guys. So here it is for free, enjoy.
My 20 Point Day System
How to get points and what the action is worth
1. Making a phone call and asking the person you were trying to call for an appointment. 1 Point
2. Getting any appointment. 2 Points
3. Getting a Qualified Lead a Qualified Lead means you have full name, address, and phone number. 1 Point
4. Doing a fact finder. 2 Points if you get the 2nd appointment for the sales call. 4 Points
5. Doing a face to face sales call, with the amount of premium and face amount known to prospect. 4 Points
6. Making any sale. 10 Points
7. Cold walking and giving the 5 ways and asking for the appointment.
1 Point
8. Giving a "Free Quote" to anyone face to face. 1 Point
9. Going to meeting with any group where you are trying to get prospects. 1 Point
10. Having any meal or coffee with any prospect. 1 Point
11. Meeting with any client to review insurance, and see if the need has changed. 2 Points
12. Mailing out 10 letters, putting out 10 fliers, or handing out 10 cards.
1 Point
13. Getting a call or any reply from letters, cards or fliers you gave, mailed or handed out. 2 Points
14. Showing anyone the kind of work you do. 1 Point
15. Adding and any kind of rider or buy up to any insurance policy already in force. 1 Point
You must make 20 Points per day everyday. It does not matter how you get the 20 points, but you must get 20 Points.
Example 1: You go cold walking, you meet Mr. Big. You give Five Ways Approach to Mr. Big and asking for time to see him. 1 Point Then you set up to see him next Wed at 4:00 P.M. 2 Points. Now you have earned 3 Points from Mr. Big all at the same time.
Example 2: You are putting out 100 fliers. 10 Points While you are putting them out, you talk to prospect and show them the kind of work you do. 1 Point Then you set time to go meet with prospect. 2 Points You have earned 14 Points from that one action taken.
Example 3: You call John Smith on the phone, and talk to him. Then you ask for an appointment. 1 Point You set the appointment for next Tue at 7:00 P.M. 2 Points. Now you have earned 3 Points from John Smith all at the same time.
This post is in reply to #7 telling you to give " The 5 Ways " It may be handy to know what " The 5 Ways " is.
Five Ways Approach
By: Burt Misel, CLU, ChFC
Atlas: Hello, my name is Atlas. Are you the owner?
Mrs. Gatekeeper: No, he is busy, what is this regarding?
Atlas: I'm Atlas and I don't have an appointment, I was just stopping by to introduce myself before my next appointment. {Hand Card}
Atlas: Can you do me a favor?
Mrs. Gatekeeper: Yes
Atlas: Would you go ask Mr. Big if he could spare 30 seconds so I can introduce myself? OR
Mr. Big: Yes
Atlas: Great, I help business owners maximize their profit, would you have any objection to us meeting so I can show you the kind of work I do?
Mr Big: Yes/No -->
Atlas: Great how about ___ at __AM? OR
Mr. Big: What do you do?
Atlas: Mr Big, you're in business today. One day, you will be out of business, one of five ways:
1)Death
2)Disability
3)Retirement
4)Voluntary Sale
5)Bankruptcy
What I do is make sure that no matter how you get out of business, you get out with maximum profit.
With that in mind, can we meet?
Mr. Big: Yes Offer two times and dates for the appointment.
Mr: Big: No Well that is fine Mr. Big, however things do always have a way of changing. With that in mind do you mind if I stay in touch with you?
I just hate it when sales people use the word "great" with that fake air of enthusiasm. I know sales guys who start off every response to whatever the customer says with the word "Great." When I hear it I know I'm dealing with a newbie. Pros don't gush with 'great".
Burt Misel came in the biz in the 1950's. As you may have noticed he wrote the 5 ways, he also wrote it in 1958. So neither he nor the 5 ways is new. I'll bet you have not been in the biz that long. I know I have not. Burt is the " Life Insurance Selling " master.
Have you never read any of his work? Why did you make out like I wrote the 5 ways? Did you not read the whole post and see that it was written by him? You should read he whole post before you make a dumb comments like the new comment. It makes you look foolish for not knowing what you are talking about. If you'd have read it all you never would have even made the comment you made. If you do not know how Burt is, now we all know who is new.
Oops! (didn't mean to use the word "great"), but I do like this language. I'm relatively new to the insurance business & am always looking for good approaches.
I do prefer a more positive approach rather than one based on fear. Many of the insurance people I speak with tell me I should increase the 'urgency of purchase factor' by telling stories about clients who didn't insure in time & then had something happen. I have done that when the conversation made it easy to do without coming off as a scarre tactic, but I tend not to lead with it.
Thoughts on this? I know this string seems to be oriented toward more of a B2B sale and I mainly concentrate on individuals, but I think the urgency factor becomes an issue when closing anyone. The question is "why now?" - especially with something like life insurance. I'm getting better at it, but would appreciate suggestions.
Atlas: Mr Big, you're in business today. One day, you will be out of business, one of five ways:
1)Death
2)Disability
3)Retirement
4)Voluntary Sale
5)Bankruptcy
What I do is make sure that no matter how you get out of business, you get out with maximum profit.
With that in mind, can we meet?
I don't like this pitch and it's definitely old school back from the 50's. First off all, you're in there bringing up very negative things like bankruptcy and death. I also don't agree with you eluding that you can maximize their profits. You're an insurance agent, not a trained business specialist. I also think it sounds canned and read right out of a book and most likely the reponse from the owner will be negative.
I do B to B for a living and I can tell you that pitch wouldn't work well at all. Basically your entire pitch is talking about when the owner loses or sells his business. Again, very negative presentation. I'd much rather concentrate on the benefits of my services and not insinuate that I can maximize their profits.
I do like that you're touting going B to B get get business. But if you took one side of the street with that canned crap pitch and I took the other side with my pitch I'd blow you off the map.
And for what it's worth, if you approached me and said I might go BK one day and you can help maximize my profits while I go under I'd most likely "take your pompous ass and get the hell out of my store."
Listen, everyone put down the sales manuals because they don't work. Those sales books are good for attitude and motivation but they are ineffective in real life sales situations. Most of those books are geared towards selling a product or service where once the client buys it's over. Not in our field. It's not over for 12 months. So you can be as clever as you want, but after you leave the client has to WANT the product for a year or it'll lapse. For example, most of Zig's books are based on him selling pots and pan.
Great - and you can bascially be clever enough and good enough to close people when they really don't want the product. Great for Zig, but how well would he have done if his clients could have returned the pots over the course of the next 12 months no questions asked and his commision blew back? Same with car sales - you can be good enough to close people who had no intention of buying a car that day. But after those financial papers are signed you own it. Just imagine what the car business would be like if anyone could return a car for 12 months? Lord have mercy.
Because of that you simply have to do enough marketing to find clients who are at the right point where they simply want what you're selling. What do I say if a client puts me off? Nothing - I'll contact them a few months later. What do I say if I get hit with a lot of objections? Nothing - the sale is over.
Treat people the way you'd want to be treated. I know when I say no to something then it's frick'n NO! That doesn't mean to come back at me from 3 different angles.
And when you're trying to gain a client stay away from "pitches." Instead just talk with them - not at them.
Well guys Burt is a life member of MDRT and has used this forever and still uses it.
I made MDRT using it buy June of this year. With the 5 ways you are selling buy sells, biz count., DI buy sells, ect. There are only 5 way you can go out of biz, this takes care of all of them. The bottom line is you may can say it will not work, yet it seems that it has worked for thousands and thousands of agents for 50 years. That is very easy to say it will not work you have never tried it. To put down something you have never tried may not be the best idea, when it has worked for so many others
It may be an old idea, however Burt is the most famous agent in the USA today and has been famous for about 45 years. The 5 ways made him famous, and it is keeping him famous He still writes for life insurance selling mag. he is still their number one speaker. He makes more in speaker fees than 20 of us put together make selling insurance. He may have made more that all of us on this web site put together selling insurance last year. The bottom line is he is just like John Savage and the circle talk, it worked 50 years ago and it works today. If you do not want to use 5 ways by all means do not use it. Yet do not tell people that it will not work when it works better than any face to face script in life insurance selling history.
Well guys Burt is a life member of MDRT and has used this forever and still uses it.
I made MDRT using it buy June of this year. With the 5 ways you are selling buy sells, biz count., DI buy sells, ect. There are only 5 way you can go out of biz, this takes care of all of them. The bottom line is you may can say it will not work, yet it seems that it has worked for thousands and thousands of agents for 50 years. That is very easy to say it will not work you have never tried it. To put down something you have never tried may not be the best idea, when it has worked for so many others
It may be an old idea, however Burt is the most famous agent in the USA today and has been famous for about 45 years. The 5 ways made him famous, and it is keeping him famous He still writes for life insurance selling mag. he is still their number one speaker. He makes more in speaker fees than 20 of us put together make selling insurance. He may have made more that all of us on this web site put together selling insurance last year. The bottom line is he is just like John Savage and the circle talk, it worked 50 years ago and it works today. If you do not want to use 5 ways by all means do not use it. Yet do not tell people that it will not work when it works better than any face to face script in life insurance selling history.
What you're confusing is his methods and simply working hard. Burt is obviously an extremely hard worker and what we're trying to get across is there's other pitches while going B to B that are just as effective, if not more effective.
Burt simply found a method that fit his personality and his style of selling and hit the street. What needs to be discussed is you won't be successful unless you find a pitch that fits YOUR personality - not Burts.
Agents die in this business because they don't work hard. I can guarantee you and even would be willing to bet you that if any agent went B to B for a few hours a day, believed in what they were selling and was confident you can almost say anything and get a lot of clients.
The reason I'm against "systems" is supposedly it's a "one size fits all" approach to selling. Basically the concept is "say this word for word and you'll be as successful as me." That's misleading. If I used that pitch I'd feel uncomfortable and that would come across to the owner. I'd tank. Then I'd wonder what I was doing wrong.
I can guarantee that anyone could do as well as Burt if they worked just as hard as him and used a simple: "I'm ________ and I'd like to introduce myself as a local independent agent...." pitch.
I think most of you misunderstood the whole point of the post.
My pitch is the 20 point system, not the 5 ways. 5 ways is just 1 of 15 ways to earn points. I do it all. Yet the 5 ways works very well. The bottom line is go to work and do not by leads. Get your own leads by hard work. Use any ideas in the system, if you do not like one idea do not use it. Yet keep the numbers high and you will do well.
Absolutely 100% agree. Just over a month ago I decided to turn on some shared leads for the winter. They're all shut down now and I'm telemarketing to business owners.
I like the 20 point system - it's very inventive. For me, I need five quality leads per day to make good money. I track my day on spreadsheets and do an assessment of my day each night. On my spreadsheet I have to check off one of two boxes each night next to "five leads generated"
A: Accomplished
B: Failed because I'm a lazy loser
Serious - that's what I have on my spreadsheet. Obviously, I hate checking box "B."
Your 20 point system holds you accountable for the day which is a fantastic thing to teach new agents. It's also a good thing to teach generating your own leads for next to no cost. This business is hard enough without adding expenses to it.
Have you never read Life Insurance Selling. It is the most read mag in the industry. He has wrote for them for like 40 years. I knew who he was 3 weeks in the biz. What little island have you been on that you have never heard of Burt?
App count is not where the money is, app size is what matters.
Maybe within your niche it's true that if they don't roll over immediately you are done and should just get out, but that is flat wrong in my market. Every prospect we see is about as well qualified as you are going to get and we assume they are in the buying mode. I could send just about anybody into those houses and they would sell about 25% just by sticking to a canned script and quoting a price. To get another 25% you have to know how to get the people to tell you what they want to buy. It's not a matter of coming at them from another angle or the stupid "get three no's before you give up" thing, it's a matter of figuring out what it is they DO want to buy. In my market, if you do that, you can get to 50% closing ratio fairly easily.
I definitely have points where I know I'm wasting my time and I'm better off to get out and move on to the next appointment, but it certainly isn't immediately upon them saying the first quote doesn't work for them.
Very true. My statement applies to health insurance. I'm not gonna stand toe to toe with any potential client who says he either doesn't need health insurance or doesn't need it now. I'm out the door in 2 seconds flat.
Saying that, I'm never in front of anyone unless it's a sale. I see people only to help them with their choices, but it's very well established over the phone that I'm coming out to fill out an application. Their time is valuable and so is mine. You think I'm going over plans for an hour at 7pm only to hear "this sound good....you have a card?" Bullcrap on that. I could be home with my family watching CSI.
My line to every client on the phone is this:
"I'll go with whatever method you prefer. I can either take your application over the phone or we can meet. Which would you rather do?"
An overwhelming majority want to do it over the phone. Rarely will someone will say "I'd rather meet with you." People would rather roll around in broken glass then have an insurance agent in their home.
Unless I'm reading this wrong, you can get in for 2006 with $151,000 in premiums? If I could teach my cat to talk he'd write more than that. Pretty low standards to be in that club.
Prospecting/ My 20 Point Day System
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