Coming Aboard from N.C.

[degsey69]

Don't be so fast to jump into that kind of referral trickery. Tlak to producers about getting referrals, not to marketers.

I'm sure there are some producers out there that ask for referrals. I have yet to meet one. Especially one that would hide the asking in veiled question.

The very best producers that I have ever had the opportunity to learn from do not ask for referrals. They get plaenty, but they do not ask for them.

Myself, I do not ask and haven't ever. Well, change that, I probably did when I first got started because I was told by some full of shat marketer that it was a good idea. I do know the quickest way to lose a friend is to send an insurance hawker over to their house.

I would estimate that 25% of my business is referrals, so it is a very important part of the business. My take is that referrals are earned, not given.

I am a producer and the question is not trickery, I wish I was a marketeer, it seems that they dupe a lot of good insurance people into parting with good cash for nothing but a lot of good words, hype, webinars and leads that you can get from a phone book.

If you do not ask for referrals you don't get any, if you get 25% of your business by referrals by not asking then all I can say is you are not doing much business.

The difference between being successful or not is being either pro active or reactive. The first works, ask the question, do not be shy. The tip I gave for refferals helps focus the clients when referrals are asked for.

I do know the quickest way to lose a friend is to send an insurance hawker over to their house.

jdeasy is hawking insurance how you do your business, because I doubt you would get any referrals if that is how you look at the way business is conducted in our industry.

I am in my 29th year in the industry, the basics are the basics, trained properly referral gathering is very effective. For example if it takes 10 calls to get 3 appointments to get one sale, then to continue with people to talk to you need to replenish the 10 leads to call so you need 3 or 4 referrals from each presentation to keep the supply coming in.

I'm sure there are some producers out there that ask for referrals. I have yet to meet one.

jdeasy the more I read your post the more b*** s*** I see coming out of it. You have not contributed any positive information for a new agent in the FE market to progress forward, instead you pour cold water over it and tell people what a hero you are.

 

[gmcarter]

Okay. I'm back from my 220 mile round trip. Summary of 2nd day. No sale, but I did set 4 appointments with people that couldn't meet with me today. I think my first two days have gone well even though I didn't write any apps yet. IT'S COMING THOUGH. Thanks for all the advice. I appreciate the differing opinions about referrals. I guess my question for you that are debating it is this: Are you treating the client the way you would want to be treated? I did ask for referrals today, and I simply asked if there were any friends or relatives that they think would like to see what I have just shown them. No one gave me any referrals.

 

[degsey69]

Okay. I'm back from my 220 mile round trip. Summary of 2nd day. No sale, but I did set 4 appointments with people that couldn't meet with me today. I think my first two days have gone well even though I didn't write any apps yet. IT'S COMING THOUGH. Thanks for all the advice. I appreciate the differing opinions about referrals. I guess my question for you that are debating it is this: Are you treating the client the way you would want to be treated? I did ask for referrals today, and I simply asked if there were any friends or relatives that they think would like to see what I have just shown them. No one gave me any referrals.

Silly question, but why are you spending over 2 hours traveling when you have a huge aged population in Wilmington, which is much closer to you, where selling FE is going to be easier?

I like what you are doing you are very motivated and never stop asking for referrals, inspite of jdeasy's remarks (he buys 12 leads a week and works them, very reactive type with I will only sell you what you want mentality, would make a good car salesman.)

Keep on going and if you need any advice let me know.

 

[Todd King]

I'm going to take the middle ground on this "referral" thing.

Yes, you should be asking for referrals! But you have to ask in the right way. You can't just simply ask, "Hey, do you know anyone?" You have to get more specific in order to help them think of someone.

Secondly, JD is correct that referrals are "earned". You can't simply go around asking someone to refer you when you've not established some kind of report with them where they know that you do a good job helping people. Most of the time when you go on an appointment and have not made a sale, you'll not get any referral there! Why? Because you haven't shown the client what you actually can do for people. They almost have to see it work first hand before they will refer you out.

 

[jdeasy]

I am a producer and the question is not trickery, I wish I was a marketeer, it seems that they dupe a lot of good insurance people into parting with good cash for nothing but a lot of good words, hype, webinars and leads that you can get from a phone book.

If you do not ask for referrals you don't get any, if you get 25% of your business by referrals by not asking then all I can say is you are not doing much business.

The difference between being successful or not is being either pro active or reactive. The first works, ask the question, do not be shy. The tip I gave for refferals helps focus the clients when referrals are asked for.



jdeasy is hawking insurance how you do your business, because I doubt you would get any referrals if that is how you look at the way business is conducted in our industry.

I am in my 29th year in the industry, the basics are the basics, trained properly referral gathering is very effective. For example if it takes 10 calls to get 3 appointments to get one sale, then to continue with people to talk to you need to replenish the 10 leads to call so you need 3 or 4 referrals from each presentation to keep the supply coming in.



jdeasy the more I read your post the more b*** s*** I see coming out of it. You have not contributed any positive information for a new agent in the FE market to progress forward, instead you pour cold water over it and tell people what a hero you are.

You simply do not know aht you are talking about.

But just to play along, how much personal production do you do and specifically, how much FE production do you do?

 

[gmcarter]

Silly question, but why are you spending over 2 hours traveling when you have a huge aged population in Wilmington, which is much closer to you, where selling FE is going to be easier?

I like what you are doing you are very motivated and never stop asking for referrals, inspite of jdeasy's remarks (he buys 12 leads a week and works them, very reactive type with I will only sell you what you want mentality, would make a good car salesman.)

Keep on going and if you need any advice let me know.

I was given 27 leads to work in Fayetville. They were from 6 months to 4 years old. (DIdn't know that until people started telling me when they filled them out). One lady's husband said she filled it out, but has been dead for 3 years. THAT WAS AWKWARD!

 

[degsey69]

You simply do not know aht you are talking about.

But just to play along, how much personal production do you do and specifically, how much FE production do you do?

You know I do not want to get drawn into how much do I produce or how much do you produce silly school boys practices, but I will tell you a little bit more on how I operate.

I sell all lines of business except for securities, so when I am with a client I am not specifically looking for FE, I complete a personal needs analysis and identify risk for the client and an appropriate solution for this with the products I have available to me, whether it be life health, long term health care, retirement and yes I have a P&C license as well.

To me marketing just for FE is narrow minded, however I will use FE as an angle for an interview to start a PNA.

TRK3031962 is completely correct in what he said, that refferralls are earned and if you do your job well and you ask for them you will get them, it is an art that needs practicing until you can not get it wrong.

Not much is said about service calls on life business, all clients deserve an annual call and policy review, this is referral gathering time as well.

jdeasy I am sorry that you give advice on this forum with your narrow minded attitude, just go buy your leads and hawk your insurance policies but do not count your self as an insurance sales professional.

When people ask me what I do for a living I say with pride 'I sell life insurance for commission only' and then tell them 'that a meeting with me could possibly change their lives and when can I call.'

gmcarter keep on meeting those people and talking about their needs the figures dictate that you will get sales.

 

[Sales71]

On the P&C side I do not ask for referrals. I just let the client recommend me if I have done a good job for them. I get referrals all the time and boy its sweet and easy. Some clients no matter how nice or did a very good Job will never Recommend you.

 

[degsey69]

On the P&C side I do not ask for referrals. I just let the client recommend me if I have done a good job for them. I get referrals all the time and boy its sweet and easy. Some clients no matter how nice or did a very good Job will never Recommend you.

To clarify I do not ask for referrals for P&C only life.

Wheres the guy with the funny hat avatar?

 

[gmcarter]

You know I do not want to get drawn into how much do I produce or how much do you produce silly school boys practices, but I will tell you a little bit more on how I operate.

I sell all lines of business except for securities, so when I am with a client I am not specifically looking for FE, I complete a personal needs analysis and identify risk for the client and an appropriate solution for this with the products I have available to me, whether it be life health, long term health care, retirement and yes I have a P&C license as well.

To me marketing just for FE is narrow minded, however I will use FE as an angle for an interview to start a PNA.

TRK3031962 is completely correct in what he said, that refferralls are earned and if you do your job well and you ask for them you will get them, it is an art that needs practicing until you can not get it wrong.

Not much is said about service calls on life business, all clients deserve an annual call and policy review, this is referral gathering time as well.

jdeasy I am sorry that you give advice on this forum with your narrow minded attitude, just go buy your leads and hawk your insurance policies but do not count your self as an insurance sales professional.

When people ask me what I do for a living I say with pride 'I sell life insurance for commission only' and then tell them 'that a meeting with me could possibly change their lives and when can I call.'

gmcarter keep on meeting those people and talking about their needs the figures dictate that you will get sales.

Great comment. I think your perspective is a good one. I want to make lots of money do it with integrity, and feel good about what I've done at the end of the day.