Have you ever come back from a sales seminar, class, or professional convention so inspired that you couldn’t wait to pick up the phone, fill your appointment schedule and break every previous DI sales record?
As a disability insurance expert, you have the desire to sell, but you don’t always have a receptive audience of prospects. Unfortunately, an arsenal of business cards, brochures and a well-polished presentation won’t get you out of the garage and down the driveway if you don’t have enough prospects to talk to. Whether you’re a new agent looking to build your book or a seasoned veteran who wants to take sales to the next level, employing the simple technique of forming alliances with other professionals can jumpstart your disability prospecting efforts and your disability insurance quote volume.
Build relationships with other professionals
A great way to reach a lot of prospects and build a steady stream of referral business is to form alliances with other non-competing professionals. Real estate brokers, mortgage lenders, and financial planners (those who don’t offer insurance products), are all potential resources for building alliances. Why? Because their clients need income protection.
For example, consider an alliance with a local business accounting firm. Since they help clients on manage business assets, recommending income protection is a natural transition. In return, agree to refer clients of yours who might be in the market for accounting services. It’s a win-win. You build a solid referral system to generate new prospects and you provide clients with a professional resource, adding value to your DI services.
How to get started
First, compile a list of potential businesses for potential alliances. Like most professionals who work by appointment, demonstrate your respect for their time by calling first and ask about setting an appointment to talk about a mutually beneficial business opportunity.
When you talk on the phone, be prepared and to the point. Tell your potential alliance that you would like to meet to explore the opportunity to refer quality business to one another. If the person is agreeable, set up an in-person meeting to talk further. Remember, it’s a two-way street so come prepared to learn as much as possible about the other business. They will be more interested in YOU, if you show great interest in THEM.
Can’t get by the gatekeepers? Mail out a letter explaining your services and include the benefits of working together and referring business. Suggest the possibility of co-hosting local seminars or workshops in the near future.
The insurance business is a highly-competitive industry. Forming alliances with other professionals can be a great way to reach warmer, qualified DI prospects and referrals.
