Selling over the phone takes practice. Start using these insurance sales techniques to give your numbers a boost.
There are some perks to selling insurance over the phone. You can reach more prospects in less time. You don’t have to worry so much about how you look. It’s easy to cut the conversation if there’s genuinely no interest on the other side.
But there are challenges, too, that can be difficult to overcome without the proper insurance sales techniques. You don’t have the luxury of body language or facial expressions. Tone can be more difficult to determine. It’s easier to get sidetracked.
Fortunately, if you’re not as versed in telephone sales as you’d like to be, there are some insurance sales techniques you can learn to improve your over-the-phone numbers. As you practice these, remember, the core objective is to build a relationship and establish trust. If you keep that in mind, many of these will come naturally (and quickly!).
6 Insurance sales techniques to make your sales blossom
1. Smile
This first one may sound a little crazy, but the truth is that when you smile — whether or not people can see you — your voice sounds brighter and more confident. Those qualities, in turn, are likely to make your clients trust you at least long enough to hear what you have to say. Positivity draws people in, so sound enthusiastic, energetic, and friendly. And it all starts with a smile!
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2. Listen
Listening might seem like an obvious thing to do, but if you pay attention to yourself, you might be surprised. For example, when you ask a prospect a question, and they respond, are you listening to what they’re saying, or are you formulating a response in your head?
The latter is typical behavior for most people. We could all stand to spend a little more time listening before telling people what we think they want to hear. When it comes to insurance sales techniques, this is crucial. You can’t solve a problem for someone if you don’t know what that problem is. While it may be tempting to talk up your product or service, save it for later. In the beginning, talk less, listen more.
3. Make it a conversation
There’s a reason that so many salespeople are shifting to lunch or happy hour meetings with clients. Such settings are casual, which takes a lot of pressure off, but they’re also conversational. Yes, you are pitching a product, but if a prospect senses that’s all you care about, they’re likely to remain on the defensive.
Remember, the key to all of these insurance sales techniques is relationships. If you engage your prospect in two-way conversation over the phone, you’re much more likely to make a connection that fuels trust, and that’s more likely to result in a sale.
4. Stand on common ground
People are more likely to trust someone to whom they can relate. While you’re listening to the conversation you’re having with your prospect, identify some common ground between the two of you. Do you both have kids? Or maybe you’re both fans of the same sport? Whatever it is, listen for it, and when you hear it, use it as a springboard to make a connection.
5. Be organized
If you don’t have answers to questions at the ready, or if a prospect hears you shuffling papers, clicking mouse buttons, typing, or otherwise scrambling for information, there’s a good chance they’ll tune out. Even if you’re using auto-dialing software or other outbound sales technology, it’s important that you have everything you need at your fingertips. That’s not to say you won’t occasionally have to search for something, but the less bumbling around you do on your end, the more professional you’ll come across. (Not to mention that it’ll save you from going into panic mode, which can be disastrous!)
6. What not to do
Sometimes the most useful insurance sales techniques are the things you don’t do. With such a limited time to make an impact, steer clear of spouting off facts and figures that won’t mean anything to a prospect. Never interrupt someone, even if they’re going a little off topic. (This would be a good thing—you’ve got their attention!) Don’t get too comfortable, especially if you’re doing long sessions of back-to-back calls. (You might even consider standing up and walking around if your hardware allows it.) Don’t use slang unless you think it will help your prospect relate to you.
And finally, the mother of all don’ts—never, ever chew gum while selling insurance over the phone!
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