Selling insurance is a competitive business. Even if you have the most comprehensive policies with the best prices, it won’t matter if you don’t master the art of cold calling and selling your plans. Cold calling requires determination, energy, and a lot of preparation. Calling people who are not expecting to hear from you can be stressful and overwhelming. If it isn’t done right, your calls could end with a hang up. To avoid rejection, we have some tips to help you get through cold calling, as well a sample script you can use to start making successful calls.
Plan Ahead
Before hopping on a call, make sure that you are ready and know what you’re going to say and ask. Don’t talk about yourself; instead, focus all of your questions on your client. You want to learn as much about them as possible. The best way to do this is by planning all of your questions in advance.
Start your phone calls feeling optimistic and, once you get a potential customer on the line, be open, happy, and personable. After all, your first impression is everything!
Never Ever Ask “Did I Catch You At A Bad Time?”
Be personable, state your full name and the company you work for so you are in control of the phone call.
If you ask “Did I catch you at a bad time?” odds are the potential customer will say yes and ask you to call back at a later time, with no intentions of ever speaking to you again. You are opening the conversation with a way out for them, so avoid asking this question at all costs.
State Your Full Name & Company
Remain in control of the conversation by stating your full name and the name of your company first. If you leave it to your customer to ask “Who is this?” or ”What company are you with?” then you are put on the defensive. You always want to be the one that is asking the questions and getting to know them. In general, the person who is asking the question is the one who controls the conversation.
Sell The Meeting, Not The Product
After stating your name and the company you work for, state the reason for your phone call. Cold calling is not about trying to sell the product right off the bat; you don’t want to overwhelm your prospect during the first conversation. It is more about getting to the next step of setting up a time to speak again. They did inquire online about insurance, so your job is to find out what their needs are, and see if you can schedule a meeting. Once you have a meeting set, the rest is a piece of cake.
Brush It Off
There are going to be times that you are going to have to deal with rejection, or with people being flat out rude. Don’t let it get to you; you have to learn to just brush it off and move on. If you get told off during a phone call, you have to remain pleasant, because if you’re rude then you’ll end up with a bad reputation. If you get denied, just get on another call and focus on the next lead.
Sample Script
The following is an example of a script that you can use to help you schedule a meeting, and possibly make a sale:
“Hello [Prospect Name]. My name is [Your Name] and I am calling from [Agency Name].The reason I’m calling is because I see that you’re interested in comparing insurance plans and quotes. I know that having the right insurance coverage is a top priority for you. I would like to review your current coverage and compare quotes in your area for free, so we can see if we can get you a great plan with more benefits at a great price. I’m offering this service for free – all I need is a little bit of your time. I suggest we have a 15 minute meeting so I can assess your needs and discuss your insurance options. Do you have your calendar handy?”
