As an experienced final expense insurance agent once said to me when I was just starting out, this industry is not something that “sells itself.” End of life insurance is not sexy, it’s not fun or enticing, it’s not trendy. However, as those of us who sell preneed and final expense insurance know, end of life insurance can be a huge blessing by dissipating the large burdens that come as a result of a loved one’s death.
Good agents know how important end of life insurance is to families and individuals. Good agents believe in their product, they have it themselves, and they would talk about it in the same way to their mother as to their 320th client. Here are some other things good agents do to build relationships to create sales.
Converse, Don’t Schmooze
You are not a used car salesman in a floral suit jacket. Your client should not feel like they get a “sales pitch” from you every time they see you. Even if your intention is to persuade them to purchase preneed or final expense insurance, the client should feel like they’re having a personable conversation with you.
Your first and foremost goal with a potential client is to build a trusting relationship with them. They should feel like they can be honest with you, that you have their best interests in mind. Salesmanship is a balance of moving someone to make a purchase but respecting their boundaries and answering their questions as well. It is not a job for the faint of heart!
Respecting the “No”
So many sales trainings and programs teach you to “never take no for an answer!” This attitude is one of the reasons why salesman have a negative name among the general public, and it is not effective in the final expense and preneed insurance field. When a potential client says, “no,” that answer has to be respected because you are building a long-term relationship with this person. My own attitude is that “no” means “no for now.” The only thing that is constant is change, which is why I keep in touch with potential clients in a non-pressure way. I never want someone to feel suffocated or bombarded with salesmanship. Those feelings will cause them to avoid you and will influence their attitude toward the whole funeral insurance field in a distasteful way.
Share Resources
Successful salesman are experts in what they are selling. Final expense and preneed insurance are not things that most people already know about. If you are emphasizing the importance of your product (end of life insurance), you need to be knowledgeable about it. Offer resources to potential clients like websites, books, people to talk to, documentaries, statistics, whatever will inform them more about about the product will be helpful to make your sale.
Though I wish I could encapsulate the three magic moves you could make to always close the sale, these tips really take a persistent and dedicated sales person to follow. However, if you are focused on building relationships with potential clients, good results will follow.
