You have leads. Now find out how to follow up on leads and close the deal.
Getting leads in the insurance industry is a challenge. Because of that, lead generation gets a lot of attention. While that attention is undoubtedly deserved, there’s more to closing a deal than generating leads. That’s why it’s vital to know how to follow up on leads and have a solid strategy to help.
Don’t get me wrong. Lead generation is where things begin, and you need good strategies for finding and attracting leads. But leads are just one part of the equation. You might have 100 leads per day, but if you aren’t following up with them and they aren’t buying, then it doesn’t matter how many leads you have.
For that matter, you’re better off having a small number of qualified leads you can follow up with than hundreds of leads that are little more than names and numbers from the phone book. Among other things, insurance sales is about matching the right prospect with the right offer.
If you want to know more about generating leads, feel free to look at these articles here and here. Right now, though, let’s talk about how to follow up on leads so you can move closer to a done deal.
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How to follow up on leads: 5 tips for a winning strategy
Here’s some good news. If you’re reading this and thinking about how to follow up on leads, you’re already ahead. Now let’s get into some tips and ideas for following up.
1. Don’t wait. Your leads are not sitting by the phone waiting anxiously for you to get in touch with them. They have busy lives, and if they’re interested in an insurance policy, they’re going to do something about it while it’s on their mind. If you wait too long, there’s a good chance another insurance agent will be happy to have them as customers.
2. Make it personal. Call scripts are great. They give us a roadmap and help us along if we need some direction during a call. But even the strictest scripts can be personalized. Furthermore, your prospects expect a personal touch. That could mean different things. It might be putting together an insurance bundle for their specific needs, or it might be scheduling a time to meet with them one-on-one. For that matter, it might just be acknowledging that shopping for insurance can be confusing.
3. Hold off on the sales pitch. There’s no mystery in the fact that you sell insurance, and your lead is interested in buying insurance. That’s what led you to the point of talking to them. So don’t jump right into the sale pitch. Take a few minutes to build a relationship, get the details of what your prospect is looking for in a policy, and learn more about their needs. The more you know, the more accurate a quote you can provide them with.
4. Offer excellent customer service. This should always be your goal, but it’s a critical component for any strategy around how to follow up on leads. What is excellent customer service? For the most part, it’s pretty simple. Treat your prospects and customers like friends. Follow through on your promises, be respectful and polite, be honest, and never say anything negative about other insurance companies. While that might seem like it wouldn’t matter, it can plant the seed in your customer’s mind that you might also think poorly of them.
5. Be ready with referrals. For any number of reasons, your leads may not be the right customer for you. They could be looking for a type of insurance you don’t offer, or they might be out of your geographic range. Similarly, they might need an insurance-adjacent service, such as auto body repair. It’s always good to have a few people and companies you can refer your prospects and customers to. That establishes you as a resource and an upstanding business person.
Of course, for any of this to work, you have to be organized. Click the link below and we can help you with that. In the meantime, be sure to stay on top of following up with your leads and you might be surprised at how much your conversion rates improve.
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