Despite that fact that, at one point, I resented my parents for giving me a curfew, and was annoyed by their incessant need to make me eat vegetables, I can proudly say that my parents taught me well. They taught me everything from how to ride a bike to how to dress for an interview. And without even knowing it, they also taught me how to properly market new disability insurance clients.
I’m sure there are a million more tips to add to this list, but here are five sales techniques that (almost) everyone learned from their parents.
- Knock before opening a closed door –If a door is shut, there’s usually a reason. A door is a barrier, put in place to keep someone out. But, if you knock, it might open. When prospecting, you don’t show up to a stranger’s home or office and barge in with a thirty-minute presentation and expect results. You send an email, you connect on LinkedIn or you make a phone call. You knock first.
- Always tell the truth – You know that special power your parents had where they could always tell when you were lying? Consumers have that, too. Consumers can do enough online research to tell if what you’re selling them is too good to be true. Be honest about the disability insurance underwriting process, the potential medical exams, the premium, etc. Nobody wants to work with a liar.
- Elbows off the table –In other words, mind your manners when working with a client. Whether it’s putting your phone on silent while meeting with a client or making sure you never call too late, manners and proper business etiquette will go a long way.
- Just one more bite – Your client might only want a life insurance policy, but if you think they would benefit from more coverage, whether it’s disability insurance or long-term care insurance, it will never hurt to encourage them to take just one more bite of protection.
- Now what do you say? – Always, always say thank you, even if your client decides not to go forth with a disability insurance or long-term care insurance policy. How your client feels about their overall experience working with you could make them your best reference or your worst Yelp review.
You didn’t have to be a momma’s boy or a daddy’s girl to learn the valuable life lessons that affect your ability to make insurance sales. Are there any other tips your parents taught you that apply to prospecting? Share them in our comments and make sure to subscribe to the blog in the top right corner of this screen.
