Even some 'big guys' don't get it!

[Golddoor]

I have two transmission shops near my home and I stopped by each of them a few months ago doing B to B and one shop the owner was a complete A-Hole. Practically ran me out and told me not to come back. Well the other transmission shop a block a way was very professional and told me that they wasn't interested but would hang my flyer up on the bulletin board. Well about a month later my transmission went out on one of my vehicles and take a guess which shop got to do the $2700.00 worth of work?

I also had a lady, whom my wife takes our golden retrievers to to get groomed a few times a year, go off on me when I called her doing telemarketing last week. She told me to go to hell and not call back as soon as I started to tell her why I was calling. I then called her back and told her that we bring our dogs up to her shop to get groomed and that since she was so unprofessional and hung up on me that we would be taking our dogs to her competitor down the street.

 

[J.R.]

I'm doing my cold-calling routine. OK, some folks are not in, and some folks are not interested, but hardly anyone hangs up.... and I never expect others in the financial biz to EVER cut the cord.

So this guy comes up on my GoLeads list:
http://www.innovativecollegefunding.com/bio_ronadams.htm
and I call him. His secretary answers and I give my name and why I'm calling and she says "We're not interested. We have insurance." I say "Whom do you have coverage with?" She hangs up.

OK, so I'm a glutton for punnishment. Remember this is a small town (28,000 people) and I know half of them having been here for 25 years. I find the guy's website and I write him the following short note:



I got a one line note back from him. "Don't bother to call back." I was really stunned. I mean here is a nationally known financial planner who hangs up on others in the financial community. So I wrote him this note:



I don't know about you folks, but I never hang up on anyone. I do my best to find out who they are and SELL them!!! I'm just totaly wigged out that a major financial planner would 'dis' a fellow community member (my home is about a 'long fly ball to center'... from his office!)

I understand when the painter or the gardener hangs up. They don't usually have sophisticated business experience. But a financial planner who has had a 6-page article in Senior Advisor?

Honestly folks. Don't 'dis' other sales people. Get them on YOUR side and see if you can be a referral source for them!

Do you remember this song (below)? What ever happened to the Orlons? Probably the same thing that will happen to the guy who hung up on me! What goes around, comes around!

-Al

I love the picture of the guy in front of the bookcases. I love a good library, but that is very funny given his occupation.

I am curious, do you normally keep on pressing the issue when somebody says they are not interested? Im not trying to rag on you, just find out your plan of attack. I noticed my stress level went down A LOT once I changed my original pitch and simply thanked the person for their time if they did not convey interest.

 

[Guest]

I'm curious, do you normally keep on pressing the issue when somebody says they are not interested?

No. Never. I ask who they have coverage with. I then ask if they are happy with the plan they are on. If they say yes, I say "Well when you get a big rate increase try to remember 'insurancesolutions123.com' and I'll help you make a chagne. OK?" And that's that.

If they say they are not happy, or that they are on COBRA and they want to engage, I let them go on, maybe ask if they have considered a different group or indiv. plan. If they say they have no time to discuss it I ask if they would like me to call back.

If I can get a real person on the line I can usually interest them in saving money, etc. My problem is that no one is ever at their office! Or I get people who are not interested in getting healthcare but want to discuss the politics of it, etc. Sometimes I'll let it go a few minutes but most often I give them the 'other call' I need to take and I'm off.

Hardly anyone ever hangs up. Maybe once a week, if that and it's almost always someone who is not fluent in English (I stopped calling Mexican restaurants as their English is not too good and my Spanish needs a lot of improvement.)

Al

 

[Newby]

AL3, I agree with you 100%. People don't realize they run off customers for their own business just by being rude to people who they perceive as "unuseful" to them.

I try to live by the idea that you judge people by how they treat the ones that can do nothing for them.

The guy's an ass.

 

[J.R.]

No. Never. I ask who they have coverage with. I then ask if they are happy with the plan they are on. If they say yes, I say "Well when you get a big rate increase try to remember 'insurancesolutions123.com' and I'll help you make a chagne. OK?" And that's that.

Interesting approach to use. Seems open and inviting. Are you trying to pre-qualify on the 1st call?

Hardly anyone ever hangs up. Maybe once a week, if that and it's almost always someone who is not fluent in English (I stopped calling Mexican restaurants as their English is not too good and my Spanish needs a lot of improvement.)

I experienced a similar experience until I stopped using the term la Migra in my pitch. Sometimes I can even throw in a good joke if the timing and personality are a match

 

[somarco]

Al -

I love your 12 step program. Great idea.

Overall a very good letter which is something I have come to expect from reading your "stuff". My preference is for shorter, 1 - 2 sentence paragraphs rather than lengthy ones.

Makes for easier reading.

Your encounter reminds me of a lady I "met" last week. Internet lead. Called a couple of times. Finally connected about 10 days after her submission.

She bought already.

Really? What plan?

Aetna.

Good company. Which plan?

PPO 2500.

You are aware of the limit on Rx?

Yes.

(No she isn't. Has no idea). Why did you settle on that plan?

It was less than COBRA and it had dental.

Almost anything is less than COBRA. So, your dentist is in their network?

No he isn't. I have to run. Thanks for calling.

So, I sent an email comparing the Aetna coverage with a similar plan including dental. Showed her (in the email) how the two plans compare (without revealing my carrier) and how my plan had better benefits for $130/month less.

10 minutes later I get a response. Tell me more, she says.

After a week and probably 30 emails (and two phone conversations) she asks for the app.

She get's a better plan. I get a client that will pay me $800 over the next 12 months.

All because she answered my question & I gave her something to think about.

Churchill said, never, ever give up.

I don't.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

I couldn't be happier if someone hangs up on me. No time wasted - onto the next call.

 

[Frank Stastny]

I add a scan of my handwritten signature and a .jpg of my picture (something I learned from John P.)

I'm still working on the language here. I think it is still a bit too long and maybe a bit too 'in your face' but I don't want tire-kickers or lookie-loos. I want clients who are 'motivated' for change. My feeling is that if they are not 'ready' today, they will not be ready tomorrow...

I talk to a lot of people who may not be ready "today", but for a lot of different reasons are ready "tomorrow".

I think you are right about it being "too long and maybe a bit too 'in your face'". As in an understatement even. I personally wouldn't respond. It sounds like you only want people who are sitting there with their check book in front of them waiting for you to tell them the amount. It really doesn't sound like you want to provide service nor "work" for the business.

If I tried to sell Med Supp insurance like that I would die on the vine. Most prospects don't know that they "need help" until I point out the differences between what they currently have, that they may think they are happy with, and what I can offer them.

If you want my business I would expect you to work for it, not send me to a website and expect me to spend all that time doing the research. If I was going to do that, then I wouldn't be interested in talking to an agent. Generally people who do that on thier own make a lot of mistakes.

Isn't that what "selling" is. Helping educate people to let them know that there are better options for them?

Just because we have all these new advances in technology doesn't mean that they are better than the tried and true methods of selling. I believe people still like dealing with real people, not a computer screen.

Why do you "scan your signature"? If you are making it a personal letter isn't it a little tacky to print your signature? I sign every letter I send out, it really doesn't take that long.

I think not having your signature is better than printing it. It tells me that you probably didn't even see the letter and are just "dumping letters" to hundreds of people hoping you get one back. I pitch letters that are suppose to be personal with a printed signature.

Are you really sending that letter out to people or is it just a draft that you are asking us to look at?

Sounds like you are trying to be an "underwear" agent.

 

[Frank Stastny]

Al -

I love your 12 step program. Great idea.

Overall a very good letter which is something I have come to expect from reading your "stuff". My preference is for shorter, 1 - 2 sentence paragraphs rather than lengthy ones.

Makes for easier reading.

Your encounter reminds me of a lady I "met" last week. Internet lead. Called a couple of times. Finally connected about 10 days after her submission.

She bought already.

Really? What plan?

Aetna.

Good company. Which plan?

PPO 2500.

You are aware of the limit on Rx?

Yes.

(No she isn't. Has no idea). Why did you settle on that plan?

It was less than COBRA and it had dental.

Almost anything is less than COBRA. So, your dentist is in their network?

No he isn't. I have to run. Thanks for calling.

So, I sent an email comparing the Aetna coverage with a similar plan including dental. Showed her (in the email) how the two plans compare (without revealing my carrier) and how my plan had better benefits for $130/month less.

10 minutes later I get a response. Tell me more, she says.

After a week and probably 30 emails (and two phone conversations) she asks for the app.

She get's a better plan. I get a client that will pay me $800 over the next 12 months.

All because she answered my question & I gave her something to think about.

Churchill said, never, ever give up.

I don't.

I really like your approach. I also "agree" with a prospect and then ask a very telling question. If you tell them up front that they have a crappy plan then it immediately puts them on the defensive. That is a really nice smooth approach.

You were in control of the situation from the beginning and stayed in control. You really worked to get her business and showed her that the plan she thought she was happy with was not the best one for her

 

[newmindfashion]

Gotta side with Petrowski on this also. There's just too much business out there to get bogged down on one a--hole and not enough hours in the day as it is.