Not too long ago, I was asking my advisor about life insurance coverage options during a phone call. He sent me the options via email and I replied a few days later. He never got back to me. More than being frustrated or upset, I felt let down because I was expecting him to answer my questions and worries about his products (not immediately, mind you, but at some point). Let's just say I didn't make a purchasing decision with him.
On the flipside, had he gotten back to me very quickly (and possibly repeatedly), would I have perceived him as pushy? Would the communication have been too much?
We live in a technologicasl world, where every second counts. So why subject your prospects or clients to frustrations, or make them jump through hoops, when you can make their lives so much easier? (And your life, too, really.) They will not only become loyal clients; they will become brand ambassadors who recommend you to family and friends. And isn't that what we're all striving for — good referrals?
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A brief report from Elite Freedom Formula on EliteLeadsEliteAdvisors.com has gathered 33 of the most common selling mistakes that insurance agents and advisors make when talking to prospects or clients. Here, we have gathered about 10 of those and what to do instead.
Mistake No. 1: Not sending an email reminder
We all live very busy lives, and sometimes appointments drop off the calendar. Send your clients a short reminder with the date, time and any other pertinent details, such as the dial-in information or a link to the presentation or resources that your prospect might need.
Having everything in one email reminder a day or two before the call, will help your prospects organize themselves and make the process easier.
What to do:
Send that email reminder a few days — or even a few hours — before your meeting.
Mistake No. 2: Talking too much
To talk or not to talk, that is the question. In the example at the beginning, I was wondering that had my insurance advisor had gotten back to me repeatedly and in a short amount of time, would I have had perceived him as pushy. While I will never know now, since he didn't even reply to my questions via email, the question still stands: how much is too much communication with your client?
What to do:
When in doubt, consult your references, your experience, and ask your clients, up-front, about how they prefer to be contacted (via phone, email, text, social media, "snail mail"), how often they want to be contacted, and always offer a way out.
Need a tangible example? Think about when you go to a fancy restaurant to enjoy a meal. Do you prefer your waiter or waitress to come by your table 5,000 times, or only once during the meal? Do you like it when the waiter takes away your plate, even when you're not finished, because the next course is coming out, or do you like to take your time and linger? These are the basics of great customer service and nowadays, service is all about being tailored to each individual.
For a quick reference, check this article.
Mistake No. 3: Being late
A few months ago we wrote an article titled "10 bad work habits you might be doing right now (& how to stop them)," which included this bad habit: "There's an app for that and it's called a good ol' watch." The importance of timeliness is relevant here, too.
While there are unusual situations that acceptably trigger tardiness — getting in a car accident, say, or Fido leaping out of your fenced yard — being consistently late signals that you have a problem.
What to do:
Get a watch, put a notification on your phone, jot down the date and time in your planner, do whatever it takes to remind you of the call and, for the love of pumpkin spiced lattes, don't be late anymore! There's no excuse.
Mistake No. 4: Not asking enough questions
Think about dating: What kinds of questions do you ask your potential partner to get to know their idiosyncrasies? Well, getting to know what your client needs is somewhat similar, except in a non-romantic kind of way. I mean, it's not like you're going to ask your prospect what his or her favorite color is …
What to do:
Have a list of set, standard questions that you ask all prospects. Leave no page unturned. If you don't understand one of their answers, rephrase the question and ask them again. It is better to have more information than you need than to have to schedule another call to capture information you need. Being thorough in the first place will save you time, and will also help avoid any misunderstandings that might arise from being forced to assumptions.
Mistake No. 5: Not moving the prospect emotionally
Have you seen the many, many, many TV ads about diamonds for this holiday season? Anyone would think that Valentine's Day would be the best month for diamond stores to sell, but it seems that they want to change that, given the 2015 holiday advertising terrain. One thing that is common in all these ads is the emotion: Show her that you care. Show her how much you appreciate her. Show her that diamonds are, indeed, a girl's best friend. Show her that chocolate diamonds are beautiful, yet not edible …
The common thread in all these ads is the emotion that they try to convey. Insurance is no different. We have written extensively about this subject.
What to do:
When people really feel your genuine enthusiasm and passion for something, they will get caught up in the emotion. For more tips on how to accomplish this, read this article.
Mistake No. 6: Talking product, not problems
I attended a presentation at the NAILBA 34 conference earlier this year, when the speaker asked the audience: Why isn't the industry focusing on the problems that it solves for clients? Why is it instead marketing the many product features?
Solving a problem is memorable. For example, "There's an app for that" was a great reply to the many daily struggles that some of us face. Apple came up with the catchy phrase for one of its early TV ads.
