Building Trust

[Crabcake Johnny]

I agree with the statement "anyone can sell" just like "anyone can play the piano."

You can give anyone piano lessons they'll play...but at various levels. Lessons and practice help oustanding players become phenominal. It helps good players become great and it helps horrible players become tolerable.

If you're horrible you might become tolerable but you'll never play professionally even with years of lessons.

Anyone can indeed sell and reading books and becoming a student of the game takes people with a "sales personality" to great levels. But someone without a sales personality can read all the books they want and only end up "tolerable."

You have that piano student who lives and breathes the piano. They look foward to the lessons and always practice on their own. Then you have students who dread the lessons and never practice on their own.

Likewise you have salesman who deep in their heart don't like contacting people or giving presentations. Everytime they're on the phone or face to face with prospects they are innately uncomfortable. They don't relate well to others, never let their prospect finish a sentence and are only waiting for people to stop talking so they can start again. Those people can read 5 books a day if they want. Won't help.

 

[James]

I agree with the statement "anyone can sell" just like "anyone can play the piano."

You can give anyone piano lessons they'll play...but at various levels. Lessons and practice help oustanding players become phenominal. It helps good players become great and it helps horrible players become tolerable.

If you're horrible you might become tolerable but you'll never play professionally even with years of lessons.

Anyone can indeed sell and reading books and becoming a student of the game takes people with a "sales personality" to great levels. But someone without a sales personality can read all the books they want and only end up "tolerable."

You have that piano student who lives and breathes the piano. They look foward to the lessons and always practice on their own. Then you have students who dread the lessons and never practice on their own.

Likewise you have salesman who deep in their heart don't like contacting people or giving presentations. Everytime they're on the phone or face to face with prospects they are innately uncomfortable. They don't relate well to others, never let their prospect finish a sentence and are only waiting for people to stop talking so they can start again. Those people can read 5 books a day if they want. Won't help.

I'm not arguing with your statement about people's ability to sell, but how many people that fail actual fail because of their selling abilities? I think very few if any, most fail because the lack of such things as planning or activity! That was my point, selling isn't the hurdle most should worry too much about. What is that Nike Commercial, "Just do it". Peyton's arm isn't what stands him out in the end, in fact his arm and Montana's arm or many of the greatest of quarterbacks arm don't compare to many that will never achieve the level of success.

Personally I think most would benefit from understanding planning, goals and activity then they would in a study of sales. Not to say one should not study sales it just isn't the main reason why they will end up failing and leaving the field itself.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

I agree. An 8 hour days solves a lot of problems. Someone with pure sales talent might be able to work 4 hours a day and pull in $1,500 a week. Somone with less talent might need to work 6 hours to pull in that same amount.

Things go downhill when you combine average talent with laziness.

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

James...Re Peyton...He has a great supporting cast and loves what he does.

Those two things don't hurt you in the insurance business either. And I suppose having a Father that was successful in the business doesn't hurt either!

 

[James]

I agree. An 8 hour days solves a lot of problems. Someone with pure sales talent might be able to work 4 hours a day and pull in $1,500 a week. Somone with less talent might need to work 6 hours to pull in that same amount.

Things go downhill when you combine average talent with laziness.

One reason why I like my strategy of paying myself hourly, I suggest for all or most to do it the same way. Kind of a mind game but none the less I find it motivational. Plus it relieves a lot of stress, not saying there is anything different outside of perceptions, yet perception is reality.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

The real problem is salesmen like to externalize their problems: "the product is bad - commissions are bad - the leads are horrible etc..."

This is easy because if you're not the one at fault then you don't suck - the job sucks.

I saw that with almost every agent I ever hired. If an agent puts in a good solid 40 hour week and simply works very hard yet doesn't do well then they're forced to say "I suck." But there's a way to aviod that. Just work a little. Just work a few hours a day, don't get a lot of leads then if you don't have a great week you get to say:

"Wow! This really sucks. I'm really glad I didn't put a lot of effort into that! Whew!"

Imagine you have a killer test coming up and you just know you'll fail so you don't study that much. You take the test, fail and say "That test was nasty. I'm glad I didn't waste too much time studying!"

My favorite sales line: "THERE'S NO BAD TERRITORY, JUST BAD SALESMEN."

 

[James]

The real problem is salesmen like to externalize their problems: "the product is bad - commissions are bad - the leads are horrible etc..."

This is easy because if you're not the one at fault then you don't suck - the job sucks.

I saw that with almost every agent I ever hired. If an agent puts in a good solid 40 hour week and simply works very hard yet doesn't do well then they're forced to say "I suck." But there's a way to aviod that. Just work a little. Just work a few hours a day, don't get a lot of leads then if you don't have a great week you get to say:

"Wow! This really sucks. I'm really glad I didn't put a lot of effort into that! Whew!"

Imagine you have a killer test coming up and you just know you'll fail so you don't study that much. You take the test, fail and say "That test was nasty. I'm glad I didn't waste too much time studying!"

My favorite sales line: "THERE'S NO BAD TERRITORY, JUST BAD SALESMEN."

So you tell me, how many fail if they apply themselves compare to those that don't? Most all that apply themselves will succeed to one degree or another, but those that don't apply will surely fail. I call it the "Fear Factor of Success", not only do people fear failure they also fear success.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

This is my typical conversation with pretty much everyone I've ever trained:

Agent: "I don't know about this John. I haven't closed a deal yet."

Me: "Ok, how many leads did you get last week?"

Agent: "About 12."

Me: "Ok, so you worked about 5 hours last week?"

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

So you tell me, how many fail if they apply themselves compare to those that don't? Most all that apply themselves will succeed to one degree or another, but those that don't apply will surely fail. I call it the "Fear Factor of Success", not only do people fear failure they also fear success.

Well, money for leads is a factor leading to failure. Aside from that I can't see how you fail - espeically if you're getting a 20% advance with health insurance:

$8 per lead - close 1 out of 10 = $80 cost
$8 per lead - close 1 out of 20 = $160 cost
$8 per lead - close 1 out of 30 = $240 cost
$8 per lead - close 1 out of 40 = $320 cost

Averge premium is $3,500 X 20% = $700.

So you'll net between $620 and $380. You just need leads.

Agent: "I'm not getting enough leads."

Me: "Ok, get more."

Agent: "Ok, I'll do that."

A week goes by.....

Me: "So did you get more leads?

Agent: "Not yet."

 

[James]

Why I'm a strong supporter of creating ones own leads. If you can do that then money isn't the issue, well not as directly related as in buying leads.

I go by the rule of 250, an old rule directly in connection with COI. Then you have the ladder system for those that can sell High Wealth Client. Or you have the referral or network for those like me that don't excell in the High Wealth enviroment.

Or as you suggest just lay down your money and take the risk that one can sell.