What’s your prospect’s mindset?

January 31, 2012 at 07:00 PM
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 Q. As part of my sales process, I want to remind prospects why they decided to look into purchasing this product. Do you have suggestions on how to use this approach when calling to set the appointment?

Connecting prospects' current state of mind to what they were thinking when they initially inquired about LTCI is very effective. I asked Rob Cohen, regional sales director for ACSIA, a LTC Global company, for some approaches and suggested scripts to use when setting the appointment.

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Get them into the moment and establish instant empathy. Assume they've had long-term care experiences.

I understand. It's a tough issue to speak about. Everyone I speak to has had a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, in-law or other relative who needed even informal care at home by the family, someone coming in to look after them or care outside the home. So was it your family or your in-laws that had most of the experience?

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When you get an answer, just ask a few questions about who needed care. Also ask what the ailment was and what kind of care they needed. Then empathize and validate.

I'm so sorry to hear that. Now I understand why you (and your spouse) decided to address this. You're so smart to be addressing this while your health is hopefully at least stable.

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Begin health qualifying within a minute or two of starting the call. Don't ask permission to qualify health; it weakens you and your position.

Because almost one-third of the people I speak to unfortunately wait too long to address this and don't qualify for health reasons, I need to ask you a few health questions to make sure I don't waste your time. How has your health been?

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Ask—don't tell—about any consequences of health issues. It's appropriate and necessary to make them feel at least a little uncomfortable and vulnerable so they will see the need to address the issue.

What do you see as a possible consequence of your (high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, etc.) down the road?

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Ask questions beyond the normal health-qualifying queries so you establish concern and vulnerability. Do this after finding out about any health issue­—even blood pressure, cholesterol, osteopenia, etc.—regardless of whether they seem concerned about the issue at first.

Does it run in your family? If yes: No wonder you're addressing this, after seeing it in your family, before you have any complications. If no: Wow. After not seeing this in your family, did that help you realize that your health can change unexpectedly at any time?

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"Begin health qualifying within a minute or two of starting the call."

Margie Barrie is Vice President of the 3in4 Need More Association and a principal at Hagelman Barrie Sales Training Solutions (www.hbltci.com). Responses and questions can be sent to [email protected].
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