The insurance business, like any other business, relies on sales. But, like any other business, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about increasing your sales. Here are some things to keep in mind when you are considering strategies for building your insurance business.
Consider What Drives Your Clients
The first part of a successful sales pitch is knowing what it is that motivates your clients. For some people, it is the fear of being sued in the event of a car accident. For other people, concern about dying and leaving their loved ones with no means of support can be a strong motivating factor. So before picking up the phone, take a moment to reflect on who you expect to be on the other end of the line, and plan your sales speech accordingly.
Online Insurance Leads
One of the best ways to dramatically increase your sales is having a digital marketing strategy. Whether you are a local insurance agent or focus on the larger national market you can take advantage of online leads. People search for quotes and even information about questions they have about insurance. Creating pages and optimizing them via SEO is a great way to drive sales and increase your bottom line.
Resource: How to Generate Insurance Leads Online
Make the Sale Palatable
It is a simple part of human psychology that the same item, presented in different ways, will incite a different reaction. For example, if you tell your potential clients that they will be paying an annual premium of several hundred dollars, you will notice that at least some of them shut the presentation down right there. On the other hand, if you break the premium down into a daily rate, the number seems much more affordable, and you will have greater success in your sales endeavors.
Put Some Letters behind Your Name
Rightly or wrongly, it is a simple fact that many of your clients will listen more closely to you if you have some advanced degrees or certifications behind your name. Consider getting some additional training, whether it’s a college degree or just a few certifications. Regardless of whether you actually use the things you learn in your sales pitch, just the fact that you have the education will lend credence to your discussion. Clients will pay more attention to you and trust you more—and that means a better chance of increasing your sales.
Don’t Neglect the Human Side of Things
Most people can tell when you are only talking to them because you want something from them. Selling insurance is no different. If you only call someone in order to sell them a product, you can expect that they won’t care to listen very long.
On the other hand, if you invest the time and effort into building genuine relationships with your clients, you will find that they are more likely to purchase insurance from you. Not only that, they will be more likely to send business your way. People like to send their friends and families to insurance agents they trust, and the best way to build trust is to engage with your clients on a personal level.
Don’t Be Bothered by Rejection
At its core, selling insurance is just like any other sales job. That means that you are going to experience rejection, quite possibly a lot of it. But that’s just fine! Don’t let your first (or second, or twentieth) rejection dampen your spirits. Remember that it is a numbers game: for every certain number of calls you make, you will make a sale. So, a rejection is just getting you one step closer to that sale. Keep your head up, and keep making those calls.
Resource: Tips for Handling Rejection
Conclusion
Selling insurance can be a tough, yet very rewarding, job. By following the above advice, you will soon begin to see your business growing.