Clients Who Like To Talk....

[theleadingagent]

ALOT!!!.....

I recently began running appointments in a small town in the sticks and while most the people are super nice and friendly, they seem to have no concept of time.....especially the retired folks

So they talk .... ALOT!

Like they could be good telemarketers because they don’t pause, ask questions to keep the convo going, etc

I try to get in and out within an hour

I had an appointment with a lovely couple but I promise I’ve never heard anyone talk so much as the elderly people of this small town.

In my mind I’m thinking...”they do realize I’m here for business right?”

Is this what retired people do?

And they seemed shocked when I say I have more families I have to get to. I know I work slow sometimes but not that slow.

I’m embarrassed to say how long they had me hostage to their conversations. Let’s just say I ended up using their bathroom (which I never do) and damn near asked them for a plate for the road lol! thankfully I didn’t have any appointments till after work (for 9-5ers) but I Finally had to tell them I had an appointment immediately afterwards I needed to get to.

 

[Golfnut2112]

Good Luck!! I had the same experience back in the early 90’s while I was dabbling in long term care insurance for around a month. I could never stop them from talking, sometimes for 2 hours and usually left without the sale. I came to the conclusion that they didn’t give a damn about LTC and just kept talking so they didn’t have to hear what I had to say. I then switched to annuities and securities and for some reason never had that problem since, I do have a few talkers but it’s easy to get them back on track

 

[theleadingagent]

^Bruh! I’m glad it’s not just me.

And it was hard to interrupt because he was talking about his dead relatives, his love for his wife, selecting the right people to be in your life, what he liked about Trump, etc.

I mean if I wasn’t doing business I wouldn’t have minded talking but when I’m in the field I have a one track mind with a mental stopwatch (like a taxi meter)

And I have a bit more patience for buyers....

Non buyers - not so much

What’s the age range/target market for annuities and securities?

 

[goillini52]

ALOT!!!.....

I recently began running appointments in a small town in the sticks and while most the people are super nice and friendly, they seem to have no concept of time.....especially the retired folks

So they talk .... ALOT!

Like they could be good telemarketers because they don’t pause, ask questions to keep the convo going, etc

I try to get in and out within an hour

I had an appointment with a lovely couple but I promise I’ve never heard anyone talk so much as the elderly people of this small town.

In my mind I’m thinking...”they do realize I’m here for business right?”

Is this what retired people do?

And they seemed shocked when I say I have more families I have to get to. I know I work slow sometimes but not that slow.

I’m embarrassed to say how long they had me hostage to their conversations. Let’s just say I ended up using their bathroom (which I never do) and damn near asked them for a plate for the road lol! thankfully I didn’t have any appointments till after work (for 9-5ers) but I Finally had to tell them I had an appointment immediately afterwards I needed to get to.

Some of those old people are lonely and guys like you give them somebody to talk to.

One time I waited for over 30 minutes for his old woman to take a breath so I could talk insurance. She never did, so I closed my briefcase, got up and left without saying a word or even looking at her. She was still talking after I shut the door. I won't let them waste more than 10 minutes of my time anymore.

 

[theleadingagent]

Ahahaha! I wish I could have seen this.

My previous sales career I would walk away mid sentence And have zero guilt

I’m seemed to have lost my edge here especially when they start talking about sentimental topics

I wish I could invoice them say $60 for every 15 min

 

[somarco]

Phone sales is one way to handle this issue. If the conversation is productive I will give them as much time as possible. Otherwise the call is over in 5 minutes or less.

 

[DHK]

If you can't listen to people to find out what's important to THEM... and then use that information to tie it into what you're selling... it *could* be you with the problem.

But if they're just droning on about whatever... then you need to be able to redirect and refocus the purpose of why you're there... and if you're not going to be talking about your business purpose then you have to leave.

Hold up your hand and simply say something like:

"Ma'am, I hate to interrupt you, but I'm going to. I'm here because you indicated that you wanted to talk about insurance. Now, I do want to help you with what's on your mind for that, but if we can't talk about how I can help you, then I have to leave and talk to other people. This is my job and I have to be working, not in a social hour. Please tell me, what was it about insurance that you were hoping I could do for you?"

 

[shonceman]

ALOT!!!.....

I recently began running appointments in a small town in the sticks and while most the people are super nice and friendly, they seem to have no concept of time.....especially the retired folks

So they talk .... ALOT!

Like they could be good telemarketers because they don’t pause, ask questions to keep the convo going, etc

I try to get in and out within an hour

I had an appointment with a lovely couple but I promise I’ve never heard anyone talk so much as the elderly people of this small town.

In my mind I’m thinking...”they do realize I’m here for business right?”

Is this what retired people do?

And they seemed shocked when I say I have more families I have to get to. I know I work slow sometimes but not that slow.

I’m embarrassed to say how long they had me hostage to their conversations. Let’s just say I ended up using their bathroom (which I never do) and damn near asked them for a plate for the road lol! thankfully I didn’t have any appointments till after work (for 9-5ers) but I Finally had to tell them I had an appointment immediately afterwards I needed to get to.

That reminded me of a referral I called on as a young agent, out in the country near the woods, my last call of the day. We got down to business pretty fast, wrapped up with a couple of instructions and cordialities, and I got up to leave. Just as I put my hand on the doorknob, he thought of a question. My answer led him into the wildest rabbit trail I had ever experienced!

With one hand on the doorknob and the other holding my briefcase, I stood transfixed, occasionally giving a quick response so as not to appear impolite, but never able to deter him from regaling me with story after story. A full 40 minutes later I realized my feet were tingling from standing still for so long, and I had lost all feeling in the hand holding the briefcase!

I finally said, “Hey, I hate to cut you off, but it’s getting late and my wife’s gonna wonder what I’m up to!” I quickly exited only to realize that I had forgotten to leave a brochure that I felt he should have. I retrieved one and stepped up on the porch.

As I reached to knock on the door, I could hear him inside talking to someone on the phone, “Man! I finally got rid of that insurance guy! I thought he’d never leave! Talked my ear off!” I turned back toward my car. He never got his brochure.

 

[shonceman]

That reminded me of a referral I called on as a new agent, out in the country near the woods, my last call of the day. We got down to business pretty fast, and wrapped up with a couple of instructions and cordialities, and I got up to leave. Just as I put my hand on the doorknob, he thought of a question. My answer led him into the wildest rabbit trail I had ever experienced!

With one hand on the doorknob and the other holding my briefcase, I stood transfixed, occasionally giving a quick response so as not to appear impolite, but never able to deter him from regaling me with story after story. A full 40 minutes later I realized my feet were tingling from standing still for so long, and I had lost all feeling in the hand holding the briefcase!

I finally said, “Hey, I hate to cut you off, but it’s getting late and my wife’s gonna wonder what I’m up to!” I quickly exited only to realize that I had not given him a brochure that I felt he should have. I retrieved one and stepped up on the porch.

As I reached to knock on the door, I could hear him inside talking to someone on the phone, “Man! I finally got rid of that insurance guy! I thought he’d never leave! Talked my ear off!” I turned back toward my car. He never got his brochure.

As you can see from the above, I’m a storyteller myself! One thing I learned early on was that I didn’t need to respond to a client’s story with my own story (like I just did in this thread! LOL!). I thought by doing that I was being relatable. What I learned was they want to talk about themselves, and aren’t that interested in hearing about me. If I respond with a story, they just feel compelled to top it with another of their own (or two or three)! So, a simple response like “That’s interesting”, then turning right back to where we were in the sales process seems to curb the rabbit-trailers and keep us on track.

 

[theleadingagent]

If you can't listen to people to find out what's important to THEM... and then use that information to tie it into what you're selling... it *could* be you with the problem.

But if they're just droning on about whatever... then you need to be able to redirect and refocus the purpose of why you're there... and if you're not going to be talking about your business purpose then you have to leave.

Hold up your hand and simply say something like:

"Ma'am, I hate to interrupt you, but I'm going to. I'm here because you indicated that you wanted to talk about insurance. Now, I do want to help you with what's on your mind for that, but if we can't talk about how I can help you, then I have to leave and talk to other people. This is my job and I have to be working, not in a social hour. Please tell me, what was it about insurance that you were hoping I could do for you?"

Ok I’m going to use that first sentence especially

One of people in reference started talking a lot during the application and after the app was completed

The other was an elderly woman that realized I was leaving - because they weren’t buying - and so I guess her loneliness kicked in and she started rambling non-stop. I got up to leave, even walked to the door and she was STILL talking.