4 Reasons Public Speaking Is Still the Future of Prospecting

Many insurance agents are born talkers. They love being the center of attention. They can be great party guests because they can tell great stories. Some might do seminars, but others don't want to deliver scripted presentations along with compliance-approved slides. Maybe they need another idea that will not get the compliance folks pulling out their hair. How about talking in front of groups on a non-investment topic?

Develop a seminar based on what you do for fun.

We start with an assumption that organizations featuring speakers on a regular basis have difficulty getting a steady flow of speakers. Now let's assume that if you called up a homeowners association and said you would like to talk about life insurance, they would assume your presentation was a sales presentation. (Which it would be.) The association would say "No," because residents probably wouldn't turn up, and the HOA might be assumed to be endorsing you and your products if it featured you as a speaker. How about this approach instead: If you have a really cool hobby, why not talk about it? For example, suppose your passion is restoring a 1967 Ford Mustang. You got it done and have been entering it into car shows for years. You drive it to car enthusiast meets. You belong to the local chapter of the Mustang owners club. Put together a PowerPoint presentation on "How I Restored My 1967 Mustang." Include lots of before-and-after photos. Park the car outside the entrance to the community center. Give a 15- or 30-minute talk that's engaging and humorous. OK, so far, so good you say. You would enjoy doing that, but where's the business connection? How does this lead into writing new business? For four reasons why this strategy works, see the gallery above.

What about those compliance folks?

They might be very concerned when you speak about insurance or investments, but they are likely to be much less concerned when you are talking about dent removal and replacing a windshield. Getting approval should be easier. This might be part of your new prospecting strategy for the rest of the year. Credit: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg