The Initial Prospect Meeting
Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 2:16 pm
The Same Old Way of Meeting with a Prospect:
Here are the topics brought up by most insurance agents in their first meeting with a prospective client, and in parentheses the client’s mental response.
--I have been in the insurance business 38 years. (So what?)
--We have 5 employees who belong to the local Rotary Club, Kiwanis, and the Chamber of Commerce. (How does this help me?)
--Our agency president sits on 16 boards of directors – community involvement is important to us. (And my insurance costs three times what it did five years ago. Why should I care about your president and his downtime?)
--My agency has 22 employees, and was started in 1910 by my Great Grandfather. (I repeat, so what?)
--We are the largest agent for State Mutual Infidelity Insurance Company. (I had coverage with them ten years ago and they screwed me.)
--We specialize in providing exceptional service to our clients. (Does anyone specialize in providing lousy service?)
--We have a claim department dedicated to giving quality service to our clients. (See my comment above.)
--Nobody understands insurance like we do. (You are either lying or stupid. Which is it?)
--I will work hard for you to get you the best coverage at the best price. (If I had a nickel for everyone who said that?)
I once sat through five presentations by five different agents as I was helping a client decide on participants in a broker selection process. At the end, I could not tell you anything that differentiated one agent from another.
Selling insurance does not have to be that way.
The Best New-Prospect Approach
You got in the door because the prospect called you. You have created marketing gravity to a place where prospects seek you out. You did not cold call or even warm call. You were invited in.
When you arrived for the first meeting with the prospect, you established rapport, and then immediately focused on the prospect’s needs.
You: “What types of risks do you retain versus the risks you insure?”
The only possible reaction by a prospect is, "What do you mean?”
You: "Well, risks are classified by the probability of loss versus the severity of a loss. Some losses you should insure. Some losses you should retain. Should I go on?"
To which no true prospect would say no.
~~~Excerpt from my book Six Figure Insurance Commissions~~~
Here are the topics brought up by most insurance agents in their first meeting with a prospective client, and in parentheses the client’s mental response.
--I have been in the insurance business 38 years. (So what?)
--We have 5 employees who belong to the local Rotary Club, Kiwanis, and the Chamber of Commerce. (How does this help me?)
--Our agency president sits on 16 boards of directors – community involvement is important to us. (And my insurance costs three times what it did five years ago. Why should I care about your president and his downtime?)
--My agency has 22 employees, and was started in 1910 by my Great Grandfather. (I repeat, so what?)
--We are the largest agent for State Mutual Infidelity Insurance Company. (I had coverage with them ten years ago and they screwed me.)
--We specialize in providing exceptional service to our clients. (Does anyone specialize in providing lousy service?)
--We have a claim department dedicated to giving quality service to our clients. (See my comment above.)
--Nobody understands insurance like we do. (You are either lying or stupid. Which is it?)
--I will work hard for you to get you the best coverage at the best price. (If I had a nickel for everyone who said that?)
I once sat through five presentations by five different agents as I was helping a client decide on participants in a broker selection process. At the end, I could not tell you anything that differentiated one agent from another.
Selling insurance does not have to be that way.
The Best New-Prospect Approach
You got in the door because the prospect called you. You have created marketing gravity to a place where prospects seek you out. You did not cold call or even warm call. You were invited in.
When you arrived for the first meeting with the prospect, you established rapport, and then immediately focused on the prospect’s needs.
You: “What types of risks do you retain versus the risks you insure?”
The only possible reaction by a prospect is, "What do you mean?”
You: "Well, risks are classified by the probability of loss versus the severity of a loss. Some losses you should insure. Some losses you should retain. Should I go on?"
To which no true prospect would say no.
~~~Excerpt from my book Six Figure Insurance Commissions~~~
