We’re closing in on the final quarter of the year, the perfect time to formulate a plan to finish the year strong. Many disability insurance sales professionals attribute their success to following a process that includes setting goals and following through on incremental steps to achieve those goals. If you haven’t adopted a goal achievement process, there’s no time like the present. Below are a few tips.
Review your disability insurance sales goals.
Check out our previous articles on goal setting, How to Foolproof Your DI Production Plans in Four Easy Steps, and Mid-year Check-in are Your DI Sales Goals on Track. Reviewing goals at least weekly is essential to achieving them. Use this quick, three-step goal tracking method:
- Document the goal using specific language and ALWAYS include a date. Example: Sell six disability insurance policies to existing clients by December 15.
- Document how you will achieve your goal. Example: Talk to 10 existing clients about disability insurance by September 30.
- Review and adjust your performance. For example, if you only talked with seven existing clients by September 30, bump up your October goal by three.
Make your goals public.
Public declaration of your goals can be a powerful motivator for many people. Think about the weight loss programs that promote sharing the wins and losses of the scale. Post your sales goals so that everyone can see them. List some key metrics, such as the number of sales calls you plan to make each week. Then, keep track of how you did. It doesn’t have to be elaborate; it can be as simple as hash marks on a white board. As a team, discuss each person’s goal progress at every staff meeting, or informally during the workweek, and encourage each other. Ask your co-workers to ask you how you’re doing on key metrics.
Prioritize your time.
Decide where your time is best spent. It may be easier to make a sale to an existing client, especially within the next 90 days. For example, you may want to spend 50 percent of your time with cross-selling existing clients; 35 percent of your time with warm prospects that are likely to convert to new business this year; and the remaining 15 percent of your time with new prospects, not likely to buy until next year.
Enlist expert help.
As you make the final year-end push, remember to use the resources available from DIS. We’re happy to assist with all aspects of the sale, and we’ll even sell the policy for you via our all-new DI Sales Concierge Program. Call us today!
