"Well, I want to think it over..."

[honestagent]

Don't you just love this phrase?!?!?

I posted this same question under senior products for my MAs and I'm looking to sell some life too. Hence, why I am also posting this question here as well.

I don't get this too often, but lately I have been and I'm looking to hear back from those who are willing to share their 2 top rebuttals for this notorious phrase.

Thanks much in advance.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

That's a tough one and one reason I sell over the phone. Personally I relate. My wife and I have a rule about sleeping on all major decisions.

Pushing people into action before they're ready to commit is just a lapse ready to happen.

 

[honestagent]

And you know something, I feel this way too. And I left them the info., card, and that's it. I did for them the way I want to be treated - yet of course I made no money!! But it has to be right for them and they have to feel comfortable; the worst is doing bz. with someobody who does not feel comfortable. That's why I was wondering if there are 'smooth' ways to handling that without coming across as a hard sell, especially if you have a great product. Of course I know other agents who do the 'hard sell' and have been successful and unsuccessful with it.

With MAs and the OEP closing in 2 weeks, that's why I was asking.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

I think it's one of those things that comes out in the wash. You're gonna get sign-ups, people who say no and people who say they want to think about it. Scheduling enough appointments so you make a living off people who say yes is the way to go.

I sold home improvements for three years. 75% of my appointments said no or "I want to think about it." It is what it is. I made $60,000 a year on the ones who said yes and that's all I cared about.

 

[Bob_The_Insurance_Guy]

I agree totally.

The consumer is too sophisticated to fall for any of the "hard sell", and as professionals, we need to stay away from this.

Tom Hopkins, J. Douglas Edwards, and many others have offered advice on how to handle this objection. In all honesty, I have yet to meet someone who has had it work for them.

Whenever I hear that, I think to myself, "Thank you very, next!"

 

[NHB_MMA]

This is a tough one. Because it truly is understandable that people would want to think about an important decision. Sometimes they truly do. I saw people about 10 days ago, presenting the idea of a couple modest WL policies for him and her and they needed to "think about it". They seemed like good people and I didn't hound them. Behold, I got a phone call four days later before I had said I would follow-up and they said "We want to do this". Now the apps are sitting in my briefcase to be delivered Monday or Tuesday into office. But we all know that is the exception to the rule.

You can usually get a vibe from the client as to how interested he is. If there are things he doesn't like about your plan, he'll "need to think about it" and you know it's going nowhere. The ones that suck are the ones that you think have gone well and "need to think about it". And if they've been shopping around that really sucks, because one of the other guys might be an aggressive shark and might get the business before you get a chance to make another pitch.

Pending on what you're selling, consider taking the app without premium. Suppose you're doing 500K of life coverage. Try to get the app without premium, so you can get them a final determination on what they're premium will be, and that IS important if they've been shopping around. Try to get a paramed scheduled ASAP!!! If they like you, have had to get the blood drawn (take time from their schedule), and the next company talks about the paramed, maybe they'll say "let's just go with [honestagent]".

 

[johnrocks]

selling med supps there is not a lot to think over per se since all plans are the same such as a c f d etc. but i have found out from 10 years in the car business that i want to think it over sometimes is simply an excuse to crawfish their way out of a selling situation just as going into a store and telling a salesman that "I'm just looking" is also a ruse. when i was a car salesman i would try and isolate the objection by asking questions what do you want to think over is it me or the company the car the color whatever just trying to bring forth an objection. any objection that they say i can overcome such as price color payment etc.(even if they would have said me I would have gotten another person and split the deal) so anyway i just ask what do you want to think over sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't but this is a numbers game and above all leave on a positive note send a t.u. card call back in few days

 

[James]

I always try to get the App filled out, I never give an exact quote during the initial interview if they buy or not. "John, I have to fill out this App and work on the underwriting but I wouldn't think your premium would be more then XX amount but I'll do my best to beat that price", now I surely give them a high price I know I can beat. I don't need money then, I'm not sending in the App before I have the other documents needed such as the Med Record and having the Paramed Schelduled and if needed an MVR report. Yet though, the money thing is great, give me a small amount now and I give you this "Conditional Reciept" binding coverage for you, if they are smart they'll write me a small check! If not that's okay but they have no coverage and passing up on free coverage even if in the end they back out. In fact I generally don't do the App on larger cases till the Paramed is done, generally I do it at the same time. Plus securing all documents possible and submitting everything together if "possible" does speed up the underwriting process.

 

[L5tc]

LTC Sales and the "lock in your health" close

I don't do it but I know someone who does this extraordinarily well. "well the important thing is to lock in your health the underwriting will take awhile and that will give you time to think about it."

Now does that really work or are the LTC clients very much prepared and already know what they want? I have no idea. The conditional receipt is a good tool to "lock in your health."

Personally I would NEVER sign any app for ANY salesman first time but that doesn't mean I'm not buying and whomever pressured me less has a good shot at my business. But that's me.

 

[johnrocks]

all i know is the nice guys in the cars business would sell 5-8 cars a month and the high pressure salesman who i would not buy a soda from would consistently sell 20-30 cars a month all single sales no fleet