Insurance producers need to get really good at TWO THINGS in order to be successful.
These two things are …..
1. Numbers
2. Relationships
Here’s something I say all of the time:
“Prospecting is a numbers game while selling insurance is a relationship game.”
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PROSPECTING
Sure, there are things we can work on like putting together better scripts (quality) when cold calling, but I’m talking here about Quantity. Prospecting is about numbers. Often, it’s about premium savings, lowering costs, reducing claims, lowering the Ex Mod, lowering out of pocket expenses, lowering deductibles and SIR’s, how many cold calls you make in a day or a week, how many seconds it takes you to leave a voice message, how many minutes you spend prospecting on social media, etc. It’s about numbers! And, frankly, when you’re calling on a prospect you literally have just a few seconds to grab their attention so that they will meet with you for 30 minutes. What do you say in those critical initial seconds? Likely something that has to do with NUMBERS. So, yes, prospecting is a numbers game.
SELLING
Although “numbers” might get you through the door, relationship is still King. Numbers are important, but my guess is that there have been plenty times when your quotes have been less expensive but you still didn’t win the business. Why does that happen? Because, selling insurance is a relationship game! Your prospect has a relationship with the current producer and agency servicing team. If you can’t get the insured to be willing to fire the incumbent agent … you literally can’t win. Literally! They may have met you with, given all their documentation to you, patted you on the head and told you that you’re exactly what they’re looking for, but if your “prospect” isn’t willing to hand the incumbent producer a pink slip, you wasted hours and minutes (more numbers!) with a “suspect” and not a “prospect.” The insured used you. Plain and simple. Why would they do that? Because they didn’t like you enough or trust you enough ……. at least not as much a they like and trust their current insurance provider. And that, my fiends, is why selling is a relationship game.
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You can be the best agent at PROSPECTING on this side of the Mississippi, but if you can’t get anyone fired, you’ll starve. And then you’ll get fired.
You can be the best agent at creating and developing RELATIONSHIPS, but if you can’t set appointments with prospects, you’ll starve. And then you’ll get fired.
This is why the best insurance producers hone their craft at both prospecting and relationship-building. Why? Because, everything rises and falls on the Numbers and the Relationship.
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PS: Send me a DM if you’re looking for help with prospecting and appointment setting. That’s what I help producers do!
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