HR Is Not Your Friend
Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 11:36 am
For the umpteenth time this month I have been asked for insurance sales advice. The writer states, "I realize that I need to get to the Human Resources/Personnel department, but I am always stopped at the reception desk."
That brings me to one of my rules of insurance marketing - HR is not your friend.
Frankly, the human resource department is almost never where insurance or benefit decisions are REALLY made. I've found few HR people who are real decision makers - they can say "no" but they can not say "yes" without approval from someone else.
Salespeople need to market to decision makers. Never sell without the decision maker in the room. You are wasting your time if you do.
You need to work with decision makers on a peer basis; you are their intellectual equal. Decision makers must see you as a valued resource.
If you are working with a decision maker's subordinate, you are not the decision maker's equal. You are a vendor. Vendors deal with underlings and are judged on price.
That brings me to one of my rules of insurance marketing - HR is not your friend.
Frankly, the human resource department is almost never where insurance or benefit decisions are REALLY made. I've found few HR people who are real decision makers - they can say "no" but they can not say "yes" without approval from someone else.
Salespeople need to market to decision makers. Never sell without the decision maker in the room. You are wasting your time if you do.
You need to work with decision makers on a peer basis; you are their intellectual equal. Decision makers must see you as a valued resource.
If you are working with a decision maker's subordinate, you are not the decision maker's equal. You are a vendor. Vendors deal with underlings and are judged on price.