How to Approach New Insurance Leads Over the Phone

All sales reps who genuinely want to build rapport and relationships with their clients know that cold calling is the hardest part of the process. Many sales experts think that cold calling is a waste of time, or the last resort, preferring to use other ways to generate leads. But if you’ve been in telesales for any amount of time, you understand that, in some circumstances, cold calling is the only option. Andrea Sittig-Rolf, a well-known proponent of the cold-calling lead generation technique, believes that cold-calling is all about getting the appointment or meeting you’re seeking with a potential client, where building rapport gets easier with face-to-face interaction. So, to get to that point, here are 5 ways to prepare for and follow through on making the perfect cold call:

Do Your Research

It may sound somewhat creepy, but regardless of how you get your lists of potential leads, it’s your job to do your research on each and every person or business on that list. Do a Google search, find social media profiles (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.), talk to other insiders in your field…do whatever you need to so that you know something about these individuals BEFORE you make that first cold call. That will help you automatically find something in common with them. You don’t have to spend a ton of time on doing the research, but make notes of all the information you find and keep them handy, whether as information on your lead sheet or storing it in your automatic dialer software program.

Build the Best Script

Whether you purchase your script from a script company or you formulate them yourself, scripts are a great way to give your agents a common approach. They help alleviate any stress or nervous chatter that your agents might experience. Having a script also helps your agents drive their phone conversations in the right direction. The best agents and agencies can take pre-written scripts and tweak them to make them more personal for the customers they’re trying to reach. By preparing scripts ahead of time, you cut down on missed opportunities and wasted time.

Get Positive and Get Calling!

Attitude is everything (cliché, but true). If you work in telemarketing and you have a horrible attitude, it will affect everyone around you and every caller will feel it in your conversation. This is a hard business to be in! If you have what it takes to push through the difficulties, and you can maintain a positive outlook, your calls will be positively affected. Remember – you’re offering customers something they need, a solution to a problem they have. They should be the one asking to meet with you! While attitude is everything, confidence is the key to communication.

Anticipate and Handle Objections

Objections are a normal part of sales, whether in person or over the phone. Every person you talk to can and will make excuses as to why they can’t buy in or take a meeting right now, but it’s up to you to expect their excuses and know how to respond. If you can deftly handle their complaints and swiftly move the conversation in a positive direction, their objections can’t stick. It’s like a boxing match – if you can anticipate your opponent’s next move, you can take the advantage.

Repeat the Process Daily

These steps are great, but they won’t do you any good if you are only committed to them half-heartedly. Keep them up! If something needs to be changed, make the changes. Changing your approach doesn’t always feel good, but the world of insurance sales is ever-changing, so its agents must be too. Just because something worked in the past doesn’t mean it will stay that way. Repeat the good and remove the bad. Plus, if you’re using a phone dialer system, you can house and customize everything there – scripts, contact information, and more.

Ready for the Perfect Cold Calls? If you’re looking for a system to help you prepare for and make the perfect cold calls, contact us at Call Logic. We can help you plan and execute any size call campaign, using whatever phones you have at your facility. Our system is also fully TCPA compliant, so you and your agents are covered legally. Give us a call or sign up for a free demo today!