As most of you may have witnessed, I've butted heads with many on this site about promoting the importance of sales training and the utilization of a system of selling.
I have come across a great quote from someone I think we all respect, that I'd like to share.
"If you don't have a selling system of your own when you are face-to-face with a prospect, you will unknowingly default to the prospect's system. The prospect's system never says: 'Sold.' It says: 'Salesperson loses.' "
David H Sandler
New bees usually do not have a selling system of their own and repeatedly fail. They ask for advice and receive sometimes vague, sometimes priceless guidance.
While they may be able to discern the gold nuggets, it's usually difficult to accurately translate the advice properly and then successfully apply it in the real world.
There's a major problem if a large amount of new agents fail and quit in 90 days. And it's easy for the lifers to say "it's not for everyone" but how does one find out if it's for them if they don't have or take a fair chance?
As most of you may have witnessed, I've butted heads with many on this site about promoting the importance of sales training and the utilization of a system of selling.
I have come across a great quote from someone I think we all respect, that I'd like to share.
"If you don't have a selling system of your own when you are face-to-face with a prospect, you will unknowingly default to the prospect's system. The prospect's system never says: 'Sold.' It says: 'Salesperson loses.' "
David H Sandler
New bees usually do not have a selling system of their own and repeatedly fail. They ask for advice and receive sometimes vague, sometimes priceless guidance.
While they may be able to discern the gold nuggets, it's usually difficult to accurately translate the advice properly and then successfully apply it in the real world.
There's a major problem if a large amount of new agents fail and quit in 90 days. And it's easy for the lifers to say "it's not for everyone" but how does one find out if it's for them if they don't have or take a fair chance?
Just some quick advice, I think we all have heard and read enough about your sales topics. It gets real old
.....There's a major problem if a large amount of new agents fail and quit in 90 days. And it's easy for the lifers to say "it's not for everyone" but how does one find out if it's for them if they don't have or take a fair chance?
Why is there such a high failure rate. Here are some of the things that come to my mind:
(1) Lack of training. Most of the training provided is product training not sales training. There is almost no sales training with some exceptions.
(2) No mentors. Some skills are more taught than caught. To be a plumber my son spent six (6) years working with an experienced journeyman before he was given the clearance to be on the job without a journeyman's oversight. Contact the MDRT about there mentorship program and you will find that there is no help there for you.
(3)Predatory companies. These companies prey on the consumer with shoddy, overpriced, misleading offerings and they prey on the agent by over promising and under delivering. Some of these companies intentionally wash out the agents so they can keep the production and renewals they have attained. This is the business model for many companies. I can name a bunch can you?
(4)No system. There I said it! Robinaro are you happy? One needs to adopt a system or process and follow it religiously. It can be a system of ones own devising or something like Sandler or Goodman or OCS or whatever. Once most agents burn up their contacts then they fail because the have no way to keep the pipeline full.
Why is there such a high failure rate. Here are some of the things that come to my mind:
(1) Lack of training. Most of the training provided is product training not sales training. There is almost no sales training with some exceptions.
(2) No mentors. Some skills are more taught than caught. To be a plumber my son spent six (6) years working with an experienced journeyman before he was given the clearance to be on the job without a journeyman's oversight. Contact the MDRT about there mentorship program and you will find that there is no help there for you.
(3)Predatory companies. These companies prey on the consumer with shoddy, overpriced, misleading offerings and they prey on the agent by over promising and under delivering. Some of these companies intentionally wash out the agents so they can keep the production and renewals they have attained. This is the business model for many companies. I can name a bunch can you?
(4)No system. There I said it! Robinaro are you happy? One needs to adopt a system or process and follow it religiously. It can be a system of ones own devising or something like Sandler or Goodman or OCS or whatever. Once most agents burn up their contacts then they fail because the have no way to keep the pipeline full.
</IMG>
Nice points, and for the record, I'm not looking for validation, just wanted to create awareness to this problem so that others can benefit from it.
Training can help a rookie but it won't make them successful. All the training in the world does not noticeably affect the success or failure of an agent.
If training was the key, no one with NYL or Mega would ever fail.
We all agreed prior to this post that it's not one thing that makes you successful.
Of course not, but John has great insight, you're virtually guaranteed to fail without training. Which possibly would a newbie want? A guarantee to fail or a chance to survive and thrive?
Also, I've had many trainers over the years, some great, and some must have had a relative in the president's chair. There are many who add value. And I don't mean the motivational speakers who say "attitude is everything" and "I think I can." I mean the coaches and leaders who educate and instruct you so you avoid the costly errors that they and others have made through trial and error to get to where they are. And in turn get you where you need to be and where they would like you to be. Great trainers like to see people succeed because it's a reflection of themsleves.
Also, everyone should realize that a good trainer can instruct you as to all of the pieces of the puzzle and how you put them together for success. It's your (the trainees) responsibility to follow through.
Sometimes training entails simply basic knowledge. Write an Assurant app - husband primary age 63, wife age 55. You just lost 10% commish. Why? Assurant drops commish to 10% at age 62.
Putting the wife primary would have landed you 20%.
Forget to ask your GR client if they ride a motorcycle? 20% rating - client says "you never told me about that" and you're baked.
Write an effective date for tomorrow as a newbie - APS request and UW drags on for 5 weeks - finally approved and the client is double-drafted - pissed and cancels.
Training? Call the client to see about moving out the effective date.
About to write a great Aetna deal - client has HBP no other issues - except no creditable coverage. Errr - need creditable coverage for anything treated for the past 6 months to be covered for the next year. At least inform the client that there's no treatment for 12 months.
Training is invaluable - can avoid stepping on a lot of land mines.
You think a new agent can put this together on their own? You their their GA or RSD is gonna teach them this stuff? Lol.
Get with an override hungry GA in a state like CA or FL - pushing CoreMed? Isn't it nice for a new agent to know what's available and what products are the most competitive?
------------------------------------ Health Insurance Agents: Training, Support, Discounts, E&O for $440 www.ihiaa.com
Sometimes training entails simply basic knowledge. Write an Assurant app - husband primary age 63, wife age 55. You just lost 10% commish. Why? Assurant drops commish to 10% at age 62.
Putting the wife primary would have landed you 20%.
Forget to ask your GR client if they ride a motorcycle? 20% rating - client says "you never told me about that" and you're baked.
Write an effective date for tomorrow as a newbie - APS request and UW drags on for 5 weeks - finally approved and the client is double-drafted - pissed and cancels.
Training? Call the client to see about moving out the effective date.
About to write a great Aetna deal - client has HBP no other issues - except no creditable coverage. Errr - need creditable coverage for anything treated for the past 6 months to be covered for the next year. At least inform the client that there's no treatment for 12 months.
Training is invaluable - can avoid stepping on a lot of land mines.
You think a new agent can put this together on their own? You their their GA or RSD is gonna teach them this stuff? Lol.
Get with an override hungry GA in a state like CA or FL - pushing CoreMed? Isn't it nice for a new agent to know what's available and what products are the most competitive?
We can agree that training about the nitty gritty of the business is golden. I would distinquish this type of training though from the hundreds of seminars and systems where you pay big bucks to go the conference room at the Airport Hilton and have someone tell you that you need to do yet another "paradigm shift" that month. And when that type of fluffy stuffs wears off and doesnt really get you anywhere, what do the training folks say. "You just didnt follow the system. I can give you the training but only you can apply it" Would like to have nickle for every half-baked trainer who has explained away things with that line. Their training is that only you are responsible but when you point out any weakness or BS in their system, funny enough, only you are responsible again.
Again, if the Fluffy Ones are on the level of granularity where they have real, battle hardened knoweldge about how to get cases through then that could be a different matter. Otherwise, I don't want to pay to have "trainers" have other attendees go around the room and share what they think and we will all put it up on the whiteboard and prioritize the post-its.
Winter
------------------------------------ Spending Our Way to Prosperity
Sometimes training entails simply basic knowledge. Write an Assurant app - husband primary age 63, wife age 55. You just lost 10% commish. Why? Assurant drops commish to 10% at age 62.
Putting the wife primary would have landed you 20%.
Forget to ask your GR client if they ride a motorcycle? 20% rating - client says "you never told me about that" and you're baked.
Write an effective date for tomorrow as a newbie - APS request and UW drags on for 5 weeks - finally approved and the client is double-drafted - pissed and cancels.
Training? Call the client to see about moving out the effective date.
About to write a great Aetna deal - client has HBP no other issues - except no creditable coverage. Errr - need creditable coverage for anything treated for the past 6 months to be covered for the next year. At least inform the client that there's no treatment for 12 months.
Training is invaluable - can avoid stepping on a lot of land mines.
You think a new agent can put this together on their own? You their their GA or RSD is gonna teach them this stuff? Lol.
Get with an override hungry GA in a state like CA or FL - pushing CoreMed? Isn't it nice for a new agent to know what's available and what products are the most competitive?
A little from the trenches insight can be worth a lot. I'd rather not have the headaches.
A system of selling?
One needs to adopt a system or process and follow it religiously. It can be a system of ones own devising or something like Sandler or Goodman or OCS or whatever. Once most agents burn up their contacts then they fail because the have no way to keep the pipeline full.
Linear Mode
