FE Gold!! (mined Gems from the FE Forum)

[Justin Bilyj]

Addressing hidden objections
Addressing hidden objections
Thought this would be a good topic. After I get a rapport with my prospects I always ask what their largest concerns are. We take a lot for granted as agents and falsely assume our clients understand the process. Here are main concerns bought up by my prospects that they would have never voiced had I not asked:

1) "I really don't want to take a physical." You'd be surprised by the number of your prospects who assume they need to take a physical. If this isn't addressed you could be losing a deal over nothing.

2) "I know underwriting takes months." Another misconception by some people is underwriting takes forever.

3) "I really don't want to apply and get declined." Even perfectly healthy people are very apprehensive about applying for coverage.

4) "I don't want to switch doctors." One of the 1st things I do with any prospect is run a network search. "Let's make sure your doctors take the plan" alleviates a lot of concern.

5) "You're gonna sign me up, then drop off the face of the planet like my last agent." It's important to go over your services. I send E-newsletters to all my my clients and go over my newsletter with my prospects. When they know I'll be in monthly contact with them fears about getting "slammed" are gone.

6) "I know there's a hidden fee in here somewhere." MANY clients are greatly confused about how we're compensated. If they think there's a fee coming that could be a major reason for no returned calls. I always go over the fact that I'm compensated by the carriers, never by my clients directly.

The bottom line is if you're not addressing these items with your clients you're likely losing a lot of deals.


Addressing hidden objections
Addressing hidden objections
If you've even had one of those prospects where you had a great conversation, could really save them money and they never answered the phone again go review 1 through 6. It's one of those.

You need rapport first because you can ask about their concerns, but once you have a relationship its' easy to ask "So what kind of concerns do you have about switching carriers?" People might think that's opening up a can of worms and could kill the deal. That's not the case.

Most sales people who lack self-confidence are scared to let clients talk. They are mistakenly taught that they have to control the conversation which they construe as making sure the client says as little as possible. Mistake. You should be steering the conversation, not dominating it.


Objections
Objections
I do not want to do bank draft... No one is getting into my account.

You know, that's exactly how I feel, and that's why we set this up so your bank sends us the money. We can not get into your bank account.

And think about this, what if something did happen to you and you were in the hospital and then maybe a nursing home recovering. No one knew to catch your plan and it lapsed, especially when you need it the most. So, let's let your bank take care of it for you.



Objections
Objections
"I have money in CD's / bank for funeral..."

Feel, felt, found...

I understand how you feel, Mr Jones felt the same way. He had money in several CD's, but when he examined the costs of a funeral for him and his wife, and compared it with the money he has saved, he found that having a burial policy for the two of them would relieve alot of financial stress; especially for Mrs. Jones. The CD's and money saved were originally meant for extended living expenses, healthcare and travel to enjoy their retirement... not to pay for a funeral. So having a good policy in place meant peace of mind to know that his savings wouldn't be depleted and Mrs. Jones could still live comfortably without him.


Objections
Objections
The idea is to cover all of the objections in your presentation. Ask the questions along while you are explaining features and benefits. Qualify your prospect about those potential objections. Ask if anyone else is involved in making decisions. I look for people who are Ready, Willing and Able to purchase. If you have qualified your prospect properly and showed them value that exceeds cost by one cent, it is a sale.


Responses to Client Objections
Responses to Client Objections
Client: "I want to think about it"

Me:
I certainly understand
and when considering something like this there are really two things you need to think about.....
First, would __$/month change your standard of living in any way what so ever?
(if this is a yes then adjust pricing, if no continue...)
Second, if you were to die tomorrow, would your family need all the help they could get?
(obviously a yes response)
Ok, SO if this will not change your standard of living and you know that ______benny will need this money, which one of these plans would you like to leave to _____ (close on benny)?


Client: "I cant afford it"
Me:
I understand, can you tell me how much to much is it?
OR
I understand, about how far apart are we?
Great, If so then if I can take care of most of your needs in that price range can we get it written up today?


I know how you feel, others felt the same way until they found out...



As far as getting the banking info over the phone, most new agents who don't have the proper training, will struggle with this. For ex., you don't say "we'll take it out of your bank acc't. each month on the 5th". Some people will get nervous hearing this, they don't tell u they r nervous about this, and start to back peddle on you when u think u were getting a sale. Much better to say "your bank will send this off for you each month on the 5th". And even for this to work, you have got to lay the foundation beforehand.

There's a lot more on this topic I could share with u but I'm not since I don't want to educate any of the tele-sales competition reading this post. This is just one reason some FE Co.'s get into tele-sales and then their agents are struggling....they don't provide good training on tele-sales fine points.

Whether face 2 face or tele-sales you need to paint mental pictures and use emotion. For ex: Ms. Jones down the road when the good Lord calls you home, whose responsibility is it to have that money on hand to pay for your funeral and other expenses, yours or your children? Ms. Jones almost always says it's her responsibility. Then say "I understand, but why wouldn't you just leave it for your children and family to worry about". Ms. Jones will then say something to the effect that it's her responsibility, her children have their own lives/problems, etc.

What's happening here is instead of you telling Ms. Jones why she needs this policy, Ms. Jones is telling you why she needs this policy. And that's exactly what you want to happen. Ms. Jones is telling you and HERSELF why she needs this policy. Ms. Jones will buy easier if she sees for herself that she needs the policy, not you telling her she needs this policy.



* I already have insurance
That is great Mr Client, is it life insurance or final expense insurance? because you know Life insurance is set up to replace lost income, while Final expense is there to pay your funeral expenses. Also, most FE Insurers will pay their claims to your beneficiary within 48hrs, some insurance companies take weeks! Did you know that? Do you think the funeral home will wait for weeks to be paid? No, your family suffering that burden of the payment.
-----------------------
How long ago did you get this policy? wow, 15years ago, and it is 3,000.

have you had to bury anyone recently? How much did that cost? Were you aware that average funeral today is around 7,000. Mr Client I am not sure about you, but if I died today my wife couldn't write a check to cover the remaining 4000, yet alone 7000



* I am on a fixed income
Yes, I know exactly what you mean Mr. Client. Actually the majority of my clients are on a fixed income, and that is why they called ME first. They know, or have heard that X company offers products that fit nicely into fixed incomes.

There is no obligation to hear to what X Company has to offer you, and I think you will be surprised to find that it fits nicely into your monthly budget.



* Mail me something
You know Mrs Client I would love to mail you something to look over, however when I originally started helping folks like yourself I decided I was going to be different. I made the decision to offer a service that my mom would be proud of, and you know Mrs Client I think if she were still alive she would be proud.

Do you want to know what I decided to do Mrs Client?

That simple decision was to be the best at offering my clients the absolute best in customer service. In doing so, we moved away from mailers. After all you don't like junk mail do you.

Mrs Client, if I were to mail you something. What is it that you wanted to look over?

I am glad you asked that question, because it means you are sincere in taking care of your loved ones when you pass.



Is 3 weeks enough time for you to think about it?

Great! while you are thinking about us we need to think about you.
I have to ask you a bunch of health questions, they will call your doctor get your medical records and IF you qualify they will send me a final policy in about 3 weeks.
I will bring it back and go over it with you and your children then, If you decide to take it you will start to pay for it then. Do you have your Drivers Lic. handy?



Already got my cemetary plot and coffin picked out did the pre-paid funeral at the funeral home

<did they tell you that doesn't cover the ceremony?>
<that's great, but I'm thinking you might want something to pay the medical bills>
<is that really going to be enough?>
<you do know that social security won't keep mailing 2 checks to the house when one of you pass, don't you?>

 

[Justin Bilyj]

Sometimes there's a need.
_Sometimes there's not a need.
_Sometimess there's a need that is not recognized by the client unless you talk with them for a few min.

You might say:

_Ms. Jones, I'm glad, for your childrens' sake, that you already have your cremation paid for. But there will be other expenses...you know...things like your final phone bill, final utility bill, lots of other small expenses that no one really thinks about.

Why don't you just do like everyone else is doing? (What's that?) she says. Well, everyone else is taking out a small $2k plan, some a little more than that. They want to make sure that NO ONE in their family has to struggle and pay part of their funeral. They really LOVE their family.

Ms. Jones, It sounds pretty good doesn't it? Traditional - burial expenses, yada yada yada
Income replacement - what happens when you lose one of the SS checks for good, how are you going to transition from one income to the lower? Sell six months, one year (or more) worth of the lower of the two SS checks.
Inflation - cost of funeral/cremation doubles every 10 years (roughly)
Legacy - leaving a gift to a grandchild (college?) or relative (medical bills?) or their favorite charity or church in their memory.
Ancillary - all the stuff that adds up at the end like medical bills, phone bills, restaurant tabs , etc.

Most FE salesmen don't use the extra ideas to make a sale. It is not "creating a need" that wasn't there, it is solving a problem that "will be there" or a need that hasn't become a need yet, but will. Isn't that part of our jobs to prevent future problems from even being problems


I Want To Think About It
– Absolutely, I want you to think about it...and to be honest with you Mrs.
____, the company has to think about you as well
– So let me tell you what most of my clients who wanted to think about it
did. Let's go ahead while I'm here and apply for the benefit
– We'll just get 1 month's check from you
– And while you're thinking about it, if you should decide this is not what you
want to do, you'll have from the time the policy arrives, and at least 10
days from the day you receive your policy, to get every cent of your
money back


I Thought You Were Going To Mail Me Something. Just Drop It In The Mail.
– You know Mrs. Jones; we don't allow that as it's impersonal. We like to
meet you face to face, put a name with a face and see if you even qualify
for the State Regulated policy
– Plus… we wouldn't like to be known as some distant agent in some distant
city, if God forbid we had to pay the $20,000 cash benefit to your family
– I can't stay long but let me rearrange my
schedule and get over here on _______ or is _______ better?


I Have Insurance
– Great, let me ask you, do you have the old kind or the new kind?
– Prospect – "What do you mean?"
– Agent – "Got a minute? Let me explain"


I Have Too Much Insurance Already… I'm Insurance Poor
– Wow, sounds like you're paying an awful lot for insurance, money that you
probably shouldn't be spending. Do you have a quick minute?


I'm Really Not Interested
– (Laughingly…) That's OK Mrs. _____, but I'll try to be interes‐TING!
– My company just asked me to go over this with you real quick as you did
send the card in. And I'll leave you some info
– I appreciate your time, as I do get credit just for going over it with you
– Can I come in real quick or should I come back tomorrow or Thursday when
I'll be enrolling more folks in this area?


I Don't Like People Just Showing Up At My House Unexpectedly
– I understand _____, and I'm the same way... but we're kind of old
fashioned I guess
– We like to meet our customers face to face. (Smiling) Can't be too careful
who you let in your home these days without a trust factor involved
– We wanted to respect your privacy as you didn't list your phone number
(or if they are on do not call list)
– So I'm just here to go over what you requested real quick, but I can't stay
too long because a lot of your neighbors are also wanting to enroll. Got a
quick minute?


I Don't Like People Just Calling Out Of The Blue… I Thought They Would Mail Me
Something (See #2) and…
– I understand ______, and I'm the same way. But we're kind of old
fashioned I guess. We didn't just want to come right to your home
unannounced because that wouldn't be fair
– So my company asked me to call you since I'm in your area on Wednesday
and Thursday
– I just want to drop off the literature that you requested. I'll be kind of in a
hurry but if I have time, I'll try to go over it with you
– Is morning or afternoon usually better for you?


I Don't Like People Who I Don't Know Coming To My Home
– Oh OK… I understand, actually I'm kind of like that myself. I'll tell you
what, how about I give you my office address and you can come here
– Or should we meet at the Senior Center lobby which is 1 block from your
home?


That's Too Expensive
– I understand Mrs._____. Let me ask you, as you recall, I mentioned my job
is to get you the most coverage for the least amount of money
– OK, what can you comfortably set aside each month to take the final
expense cost burden off of your children?
– (Let them answer, then say) Mrs. ____, I know you told me $45 per month,
and I appreciate that.
– But, how about we just go with $37 per month for the $8,000 of coverage
for now? Then we can possibly increase up the road if you like. I really want
you to be comfortable and not drop this valuable coverage and possibly
lose your equity


I'm Shopping Around
– Excellent, that's great and you should, but guess what? I want you to know
that I already did that
– I don't work for any 1 company, I work for you and we're constantly
shopping for the best coverage and best price so we know who the best is
– What companies have you looked at?
– Can tell you a little about them and why you may or may not want to
consider them?
– Please keep in mind; we also want to have the strongest companies that
have been around for a very long time with impeccable customer service
and claim paying history


I'll be Busy for the Next Couple of Months. Call Back In 3 Months
– Sure, OK Mr. _____. I definitely will. Actually, you know what? Can you do
me a favor Mr. ____? (wait for answer)
– Look, I'm enrolling 4 families in your neck of the woods on Thursday and
Friday
– Can I just drop off the brochures real quick while I'm over that way? This
would save me a lot of time and (laughingly) also satisfy my manager
– I'll leave you a business card, put a name with a face and be on my way
– Oh… and if I have time, I'll try to go over it real quick with you. Thanks, this
really helps me out


I Don't Remember Sending In Any Card
– That's OK _____. Most people don't. Quite honestly, it can be hard to
remember
– With all the piles of mail people get these days, it's hard to remember what
you got yesterday let alone 2 weeks ago
– We tried to get here sooner, but with the overwhelming response for
family plans in this area, we just got a little behind in
our enrollments
– If a door approach – Is this your writing? Wait for answer
– If a phone approach – Are you at 123 Main Street and is your date of birth ‐
April 17th? Wait for answer
– Yep that's you. OK, my company asked me to rearrange my schedule and
get you this information…


Objection #1: "I'm happy with who I work with now"

"I'm glad to hear that __________, and I'm not here to come between the relationship you have with your current broker. Instead, I'm only interested in making sure you have access to the best new vehicles to fit where you are in your life now. You see, the issue with most insurance is that people tend to buy it and forget about it. And the problem with that is that life, situations and responsibilities change and in most cases the insurance coverage gets neglected.
Let me ask you this: When was the last time you had someone look at your existing coverage and compare it to what's now available based on where you are in your life today? Well here's what I'm prepared to do for you – I'll compare your current coverage and your current needs with what's available today, and if you have the best coverage at the best rates, then I'll tell you so. And if I have a better vehicle at a better rate, and it makes sense to you, then you can decide what to do. Either way you'll win. Is that fair enough?"



Objection #2: "It won't happen to me"

"__________, when was the last time you totaled your car? (usually never). But you still have it insured for that loss, don't you? You see, that's the thing about insurance – we buy it to protect us in advance in case something happens that we couldn't afford to cover. If we never use it, we're grateful, and if we have to use it, we're thankful. Either way, insurance gives us both protection and peace of mind.
Now _________, if (the situation that you're insuring for now) did happen, how happy are you going to be that you have coverage for it? (probe here – "How would that affect your wife? What would that give her in terms of time with the kids, etc?")
_________ the little bit of premium you pay now provides you and your family (or business) with a great deal of comfort and security. It's the right thing to do and I think you know it. Let me ask you this: What kind of (monthly/quarterly) payments are you trying to stay within – perhaps I can adjust your policy or length of term to make this work for you…"



. Remember, sometimes the real objection is two to three questions deep. Here's an example of how you can respond when you're following up with a prospect. You: "Mr. Prospect, based on our initial meeting, is it safe to say that you can see the advantages as well as the ROI that you would realize from our services?"
Prospect: "Yes. I definitely see the benefits."
You: "We've been attempting to get together and discuss what would need to happen so that you can start enjoying these benefits, but it seems that something always gets in the way of our meeting. I know you're very busy, but I'm sensing there may be something else that's getting in the way of taking the next step toward working together. Is that true?"
Prospect: "Well, actually…"
Now let the truth be known! Here are a few of the obstacles that can fly under your radar unless you dig deeper. Perhaps he:

• Is scared to make the wrong decision
• Has had a bad experience with another purchase
• Is reluctant to admit he doesn't have the money
• Fears for his job security
• Isn't the only decision maker who must be involved
• Has decided to use another company
• Doesn't want to hurt your feelings by saying "no"
• Simply wasn't motivated by a reason compelling enough to make this a priority and cause him to want to explore what you have to offer in greater detail

Notice the question I ask doesn't put the prospect on the defensive because I'm not accusing him of doing anything that would make him wrong. I'm not offending him by pointing my finger and playing the blame game. For example: "Every time we plan to meet, you keep rescheduling with me"; "You told me that you were going to call me but you never did"; "You said we would be able to get together for a few minutes"; "I told you I was going to call you on Friday at 2:00 p.m., but when I called you weren't there."
Instead, make it about you. Beginning a statement with "I'm sensing…" acknowledges how you are feeling. Then, ask the prospect for help in determining whether your feeling is, in fact, valid. This approach gives the prospect the space and permission they need to share the real truth, objection, or more of what is going on without feeling pressured.


If a prospect asks the price too early in the sales process its good practice to say something along the lines of: "Before we can discuss prices we both need to be absolutely sure that we are right for you. So, if it's all right with you, we'll come back and discuss the price in detail when we both know what you need." As with any objection, it's important to understand the basis of their objection. For example, if a prospect says, "It's too expensive" an experienced sales person will drill-down to find out why they are making this statement. Precision questions can achieve this such as:

• How do you know?
• Compared to what?
• Compared with whom?

If a sales person asks "why?" this will only encourage the prospect to reiterate all the reasons why they believe you are expensive, which installs this belief at a deeper level making it harder to overcome.

 

[Justin Bilyj]

What I always do with a smokescreen objection like that is to take it away from them to try to get to the real objection.

Client: I can't start any new payments right now because gas is too high.

Me: I hear you there! Gas IS high. (give it a little breathing space...)

Let me ask you this Mr. Jones...if gas wasn't high...is there anything else that would keep you from deciding that this plan is the best option for you?

You are likely to hear the true objection now:
We want to look around (shop)
I'm covered at work
I don't know anything about you or your company
My friend said AARP is cheaper
We are truly broke

It could be anything. But the true objection is what you have to deal with.

If he keeps coming back to the price of gas then you need to calculate how many miles he drives per week. Figure out how much more he will have to spend at current prices as compared to when he was comfortable with gas prices and help him over that hurdle. This will ONLY work if gas price really IS his true objection (not likely)

So Mr. Jones, you are going to be spending $15 per week more on gas than you did before. And The premium on the amount of coverage you want is $75

If you really would like this coverage why don't we look at your other insurance premiums you pay and I can usually help you tighten up in those areas?

Look to see if he is paying on cancer plans, term plans, accidental plans, low deductibles on auto or homeowners or any other area that you can show him savings.


take it away upfront:

"Usually when I say the words life insurance, people immediately tell me they already have coverage and they're not interested in talking further. Would you mind putting that thought on hold for 60 seconds while I tell you why I called, then you can decide whether or not we should talk further?"

After you get those 60 seconds, you better have "lower the boom" question that gets them to question their coverage and agree to a meeting. If you have a good question and "lower the boom" enough times each day, you'll make sales.

P.S. Life insurance is a different sale than P&C or Health since it's not a product perceived as "need to have". Just about everyone is "all set" with the status quo and most people are drastically under insured. You have to get them to see that in a non-confrontational way, that's the challenge.



Say this; "It has been my experience that when someone tells me they want to think about it, it is because of 1 of 3 reasons:

1. They don't see the benefit of the product I'm offering, or
2. I haven't done a good enough job explaining how it can help them, or
3. they don't feel that they can afford the premium right now,

Would you mind SHARING with me which one of these best describe you?"

I find it very funny that an experienced agent would tell you to pack up your gear and leave, after leaving your info of course. It may be a small objection that you can easily fix, but how will you know if you don't ask. These guys are order takers, oh, I mean educators, and they simply don't know the basics of closing, so let's tip-toe around it. Objections are somtimes a way for people to say they need more information from you. Learn to close, and you can sell anything you want, and be sucessful at doing it.


When I hear an objection I agree with them and then I pretend I never heard their objection and keep right on closing.

If I hear one type objection, then hear a DIFFERENT type objection a few minutes late, then hear another DIFFERENT type objection a few minutes later I know the different objections I'm hearing are not the REAL objection.

If I hear the SAME objection 3 or more times with no other type of objection then I know that's the REAL objection.

Now that I know the REAL objection I can focus my efforts with laser precision rather than with a scatter shot effort not knowing what the REAL objection is.

This type of closing, for me, doesn't really increase chargebacks, because after the sale I spend another 10 min. salting the biz down. I always say "Now Ms. Jones if you don't feel comfortable with your decision today I want you to take your check back. I don't want you to do anything you're not happy about." They NEVER take their check back...and that was over a 7 year period of face 2 face FE sales. Of course I now do FE tele-sales and use the same procedure.


Did you ask them if they were available later that day? How bout the next day? If they don't budge, you either can move on and door knock that lead or call them later on down the road to fill in your schedule, get someone else to try, or just level with them and ask them, "I was wondering if you would help me out, I was instructed to deliver the information to you and it would only take 15 minutes, is there any way you could fit me into your schedule"?


What will I say, if they say:

1.I want to think about it
2. I can't afford it
3.I want to check with other companies before I decide

Close for "I want to think about it"

Close 1 -" I want to think about it" Most people will simply ask the client what they want to think about. Don't do that. Put yourself in their shoes.Here's a couple of closes:

1. I understand how you feel. I have found through experience that clients who say "I want to think about it", want to do so because of 1 of 3 reasons.
1. It's not the right coverage- (this is where your trial closes come in) Say " You said that you like the benefits of this policy, is it the policy that you are concerned about? If they say yes, deal with that objection.If they say no, say
2.OR,I haven't done a good job explainingthe benefit's- Say: Is it me, did I cover all of the questions that you have about your insurance needs.
3. Or, they are concerned about the premium fitting into their budget. Say: Is that what it is? If yes, say " We can work to find a policy that does what you want, at the premium that is comfortable for you".

Find something that will work.

If you have more guts than me you could say to I want to think about it: "Great, I can save you ton's of money;I will come back to see you the day before you die; When will that be?

Another great question to ask to get a potential client to think about doing it now:

Ask, "If you always thought you were right about something, only to find out that you were wrong, when would you want to find out"?


If they are saying "just drop it off", that's an incredibly good lead. Go DROP IT OFF...and stay awhile!
If they are saying "mail it", that's pretty good too. Just be sure to FOLLOW UP with a home visit or (phone call at least).
The "give me a quote over the phone" is good too, especially if you sell over the phone. It's the last step before filling out the application.
These aren't objections in the least. They indicate interest.


People that say "send it out" or "drop it off" typically understand you can't send something or drop something off without some background information.

Just tell them it's not a "one size fits all" and that they have to qualify.


if they're baseless objections and get snarky when you try to explain why you need to ask questions, etc., screw them. They're most likely tire kickers.

People who actually recognize a need for it will answer differently and be more receptive, most of the time, assuming you don't sound like an ass over the phone.

Otherwise, if all else fails, just door-knock them as opposed to calling.


I only do face to face and schedule my own appointments, so that is the only place I can give advice.

I really don't get that objection very often. I start the call by saying, "Mr. Jones, this is JD with my company. The reason I'm calling is because we are thepeople that you sent in a request for information to about our final expense life insurance and I'm the guy that takes care of that in your area. I'm going to be in your area tomorrow and I need 10 minutes of your time to go over that, is 10:00am OK for you?".

Anything else said goes from that. if they say yes, I verify the address and say, "I'll see you at about 10". The next one I set for 11:30 and so on.

I never schedule more than one day out. If they do say they want it mailed, I will say something like, "we only get you the info on the plans you qualify for, I need 10 minutes of your time to do that, what you do with the info is up to you". If they will not schedule the lead goes in the trash and I move on. I NEVER give rates over the phone, NEVER. I do not do any qualifying over the phone. If they want to do a bunch of that over the phone, they need to call a telemarketer and deal with it over the phone. That ain't my business model and I will not change my model for the exceptions.

If they will not agree to meet with you about it they are not serious anyway. They are simply tirekickers.

As I said, I very rarely get that objection. There are some that keep insisting on having the info mailed. You have to develop a pretty good BS meter in this career. If my meter tells me they are timewasters I simply tell them that we do not mail any more info than we have already mailed.



1. Just mail me something: "We already mailed it to you and you filled it in and mailed it back to us. That's why I'm calling you back. Were you checking into benefits for yourself or someone else"? (You need to stay in control). Keep asking questions without too much pausing. Most of the time they will start to engage you in conversation, which is what you want, to bond with you, to do the warm up dance with you.

If they don't start melting down in the next 5 min. I'm asking for referrals before I get off the phone and starting on the next lead. However, a small % will start melting and warming up to you in 5 min. and some of these will result into a sale, making that extra 5 min. worthwhile. If you've been in FE very long, and you can close, you'll see that some of the prospects who give you the strongest objections UP FRONT turn into soft butter 20-30 min. later and turn into an easy lay down.

2. Just drop it off: OK, should I drop it off today or tomorrow? Ok, what time is best for you and I'll see if I have an opening in my schedule for you. Now, before I drop the info off I'll need to find out which info to get together for you. Was the info for you or someone else? Etc., etc.

When you get to the house with the info at the agreed upon time, just proceed as if this was a normal appointment you scheduled. Don't say "I'm here to drop this info off". Proceed as if they had agreed to an appointment when you were on the phone earlier.

3. Quote over the phone: Well..Ms. Jones..we don't even know if you qualify. Then deflect the question and change the subject. Ms. Jones will usually just follow your lead in the conversation. Now you can start the warm-up as if she never even said "give me a quote over the phone".

Whenever you hear an objection you just agree with the prospect then march forward in your presentation as if you never heard the objection. Doesn't make much sense but try it and see the resullts for yourself.


1. You are mailing to too poor of people.

2. Regardless of what is said set the appointment anyway. Don't qualify on the phone.

3. You do not offer a government program but the one that exists is very small. Your job is to make them aware of what the government benefit is and the best way to cover the balance.

What you are experiencing is regular old FE objections. A LOT of the replies are unsellable garbage. And the same people that waste your time on this drop will mail the card in again the next time you drop too.

I keep a "do not mail" field in my database and I purge those known time wasters from my mail drops in the future.


A good thing to learn is how to get in their door and get them to show you their current policy. More often than not it is not what they think it is. It could be term or have increasing payments or it might be graded when they qualify for a level.

Until you see their existing policy, you don't know what they have and they surely don't. If they don't have or can't find the policy, call the company and have the client give them permission to discuss it with you, right over the phone. Find out what they have and then show them how you can save them money and get them a better policy, and maybe even put some cash in their pocket.

Get them to like you. "People buy from those they like".


For instance: If you show up and they say "I didn't think anyone was coming", just acknowledge the objection "I understand Mr. Smith. I can get a little disgruntled myself when that happens, especially if it is one of my relatives. I'll only be a few minutes. At the end of the day you'll either be interested or you won't. Is that fair enough?"

You could of actually stopped at "a few minutes" to see if another objection was coming then continued. Remember you want objections. It's going to take an average of 5 before you get a sale.

I like to tell them that "this is a not a I want to think about it presentation" and "are they capable of making a decision?". After all if they need to talk to someone else then you are wasting your time which is a one-legged appointment. (I find this and ask after the warm-up) (again I use the phrase "is that fair enough?")


If they say "they do not remember filling the card in" you say "most of the people I speak with each week don't remember either...you know.. we get so much mail nowadays". (No Pause) Anyways the card says your adress is_____, and your age/b'date is__________, and your wife's/husband's name is________ and their age/b'date is_______. (No Pause) Was this FREE information for both of you or just one of you?

Don't use the word "insurance" this early in your dialog, you'll use it later on when you start talking rates. I say the same thing no matter which state I'm calling to...selling FE over the phone using a digital recorder.

"State approved plans" sounds so much better than "insurance" when you haven't even warmed the prospect up yet.


In 11 1/2 years of selling just FE full-time I've NEVER heard "what's a state approved plan". NEVER.

If I did hear such a question I would say "these are state approved plans that are regulated by the State Dept. of Insurance".

Is this something free that I get?....I'd say well of course the information is free...but the plans are not. If they hang up that's no problem. They were just one of the "no's".


I just wanted something to get them talking and have the ability to ask questions and fact find. I think it's a solid quick intro script.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hello Mr. Jones. This is _________ here in _________, I'm calling to follow up on the burial insurance information that you requested. Where you needing coverage on yourself, a family member, or both?

(I didn't request any information!)

Most of the people I speak with each week don't remember either...you know…we get so much mail nowadays". (No Pause) Anyways I have your address as_____, your age is __________, and you could use $10,000 in protection. (No Pause) Was this FREE information for just you or did you have someone else in your household that needed coverage also?

(fact finding time)

I think we need to get together to take a closer look at your situation.

If it looks like I can help, I'll tell you, if not, I'll tell you that too.

If it's not much of a concern, we don't have to go any further. Is that fair?



did you say, "there are many programs available, which allows me to tailor fit each person's situation with the company that offers the best price, would you mind me asking if I could have 15 minutes of your time to figure out what that would be" type of deal? (your not asking if you could have 15 minutes, but if they mind you asking about it [wink])...

 

[rousemark]

Wow ... Seems like such a massive amount of information to digest when you put it all in one place.. When I saw the comments on "I want to think about it, it reminded me of teh time I was working wiht an agent and the client said, "I want to think about". The agent laid his pen down and said, "That is fine.. I'll wait" .. He leaned back in his chair crossed his arms and starred the client in the eye, saying nothing. We sat there in silence for what seemed an eternity. The client finally said, "Oh hell, give me the pen."

 

[xrac]

Emptyeternity, in my opinion the FE forum is the most valuable forum on this site. You just made it more valuable because of your hard work. Thanks! I don't know how I deserved mention because I am a rank amaetur but thanks for that too.

 

[Justin Bilyj]

Emptyeternity, in my opinion the FE forum is the most valuable forum on this site. You just made it more valuable because of your hard work. Thanks! I don't know how I deserved mention because I am a rank amaetur but thanks for that too.

thank you, i thought i saw some of your posts jump up, its the names I remember of the top of my head. I guess I could include Rick (greensky) since he busts balls for all the spammers and con-artists on those threads lol...

 

[Mark]

You did a great job on this thread! Thanks for putting all the time and effort into doing this.

 

[b61mack]

Your fingers have to hurt! We appreciate the time you put into this post.

 

[TDFnCali]

Yeah, great stuff man...awesome!! KUDOS!!

 

[Justin Bilyj]

Attached below is the 77 page document that has everything above on. It is printable and readable, and will become a good book to study only because by it not being organized, it forces the mind to take notes (participate) and draw conclusions (integration). I think by it would be a disservice by cleaning it up...