Now this is my rule and one I think we all can live by. If one proposes it is easy to make 100 grand or more (or whatever the amount), please post your financial information to prove it, if not it just sounds like BS or trolling of a spam monster!
I think cold calling depends on the person and the attitude...I also think there is an art to it. Meaning I see people in my office that are really good at it. They may not havestarted out that way but hey practice will eventually make you perfect. if you have a bad attitude about it from the begining then it will never work out for you. _________________ ~Monique~
Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 7:35 pm Post subject: Cold conversing
I think the best way to get leads is to check in directories,then you can either choose an area and then start calling people from that area and introduce yourself and which company you are from.Then afterwords ask them if it was ok to book an appointment with them,if they allow,then its better because they will be expecting you.Instead of just going straight to someone who doesnt know you.This saves you from face to face rejection.But if you are rejected on phone,then it doesnt kill your moral that bad.
Oh my, this is an interesting discussion. I actually enjoy cold calling 'a little' I have worked up a nice presentation and seem to communicate with about 1/3 of the people I call. Anyone want to make more money in insurance then you need health and life and annuities, and senior products. It makes it easier to make that first contact. Anyone wanting to double your income as an independent agent I'd be happy to share what I'm doing as I joined UandIWin four months ago. Also, don't try to sell anyting on your first contact. Very important. Jen
I don't cold call about life insurace, but if I did, I would say something like this:
"Hi, is John available?
"Hi John, this is Mike calling, I'm an insurance broker, did I catch you with a moment?
Response: Yes, No, What's this about?
If no, ask for a good time to call back.
If yes or what's this about?, proceed:
"I'm a life insurance agent here in Chicago and there have been some changes in the industry that have caused the rates to steadily drop over the last couple years. Do you currently own life insurance? What type? How long?"
Get the prospect talking, see if there is any interest, then ask if they would be interested in seeing some options? _________________ Register Now to have your Insurance queries solved.
I can see that you are "VERY opinionated about cold calling".
Your opinions sound like they come from someone who is very inexperienced in selling insurance. You also sound like you resent others for trying to motivate you and that you aren't very good at cold calling.
Please share with us what kind of insurance you sell and how long you have been an agent.
Your opinions would have a lot more validity if you offered viable alternatives to cold calling that you have used and the degree of success you have had with them.
I think your evaluation of agents who cold call is also is totally inaccurate and bordering on being rude. Again, you sound like an angry new agent who is not having very much success. If I am wrong, please share your credentials with us.
Simply saying that "cold calling sucks" really doesn't tell us very much.
I can say the same thing about prospecting in general. There are days that I can even say that being an insurance agent sucks
Being nervous is ok. In fact, you will probably continue to be nervous for a month or so. It will just take a lot of time and practice to get use to cold calling. Remember to be confident and sound ethused about your offerings. It is also a good technique to stand up, your voices sounds better and more authorative. All this works best if your customers are somewhat looking for insurance. A good lead list works best. I should know, I have been selling leads for more than 4 years. I now know how much difference a good leads list makes. The agents come back again and again. With all my studies and research, I have been able to know what makes a good an effective leads list. On top of all this, I have previously been a telemarketer since 1994. _________________ Register Now to have your Insurance queries solved.
Selling "leads" and being a telemarketer is a far cry from selling insurance.
I am somewhat confused, you talk about both a "lead list" and "leads". Which are you selling? A list or direct mail "leads". I put "leads" in quotation marks because I do not consider a direct mail reply card as a "lead".
It is simply the name, address and phone number of a person who, for a couple of minutes, was thinking about or somewhat curious about the subject of the card. Often those cards do not say anything about wanting to sell the person insurance. They will say misleading things like, "Return this card for valuable information about...".
If the person who returns the card thinks they are going to get information in the mail, that is hardly an insurance "lead".
I would be very interested to know what your definition is of a good "leads list", and what you consider a poor "leads list".
Anyone who says making anything over $30,000 per year selling insurance is "easy" is trying to sell something. Some "get rich quick" scheme to sell insurance in your underwear or is an agency trying to lure the unknowing with expectations of grandeur.
There is nothing easy about selling insurance if the agent wants to be successful. It's hard work. The highs are among the highest when it works and the lows can be three feet lower than whale s**t.
Everyone is constantly looking for an "easy" way to sell insurance. It doesn't exist. Experienced agents who have "paid their dues" do find it easier than someone new. However, they worked their butts off to get to that point.
I think if your company practices cold calling, you should try to aviod the producers doing it themselves. It changes the relationship between the agent and the insured, it make the agent look desperate for business, and helps make the sale a price driven sale. Try marketing your company or yourslef instead, and see how different the feel of the sale is when the client calls you. _________________ -tentel
tental,
your advise is the best I've heard, yet. Selling insurance is more about the agent than the product. If you understand your clients needs, you will know what product to purpose. Then and only then does the sale come in. From my experience, leads and knowing what there about and what works or doesn't is part of the learning process.
I personally have done much cold calling for life and health with mixed sucess. I like personally calling as opposed to using telemarketers just because it starts out with me building trust with the client before I ever go to see them, I can also feel out what their needs are so that I can have some idea what products to present. (A lot of times if you present the prospect with too many choices the become overwhelmed and dont choose anything.}
Usually I cold call small businesses with 5 or less people working there and concentrate on places that get paid by the job such as auto repair and body shops, hair salons, small restauraunts, gas stations, contractors, etc.
As far as individuals, I use targeted lists that are scrubbed bi-weekly against the DNC list.
Where I have had the greatest sucess with cold calling is in the seinors market. The only drawback (if you want to call it that ) is that the calls tend to be much longer, a lot of them enjoy talking to anyone about anything. Enjoyable to me but not very time efficient.
