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After a year of banging on doors of lead cards and burning gallons of gas, I decided 2 weeks ago to transition to phone-based qualification for final expense business.
At first I was a little worried, but now I'm loving it, namely for several reasons:
1) No more aimless driving around in circles hoping to see people. Now I can do all that from home.
2) No more setting appointments with unqualified prospects (ahhh...) -- They were just "curious" about the quotes? Not ready to do business TODAY? Please send me info types without interest? I'm telling them all no as I'm getting off the phone with them -- no I don't send brochures, no I don't think you want to really do business, etc..
Very empowering to completely work a lead knowing they're tire-kickers or lack character to do anything about their situation -- my goal is to axe those types in 5 minutes or less.
3) I only set appointments with people who know what they'll pay, what the coverage is, and who are ready to get qualified. Basically I'm there to get a check and an app signed. So no more listening to sob-stories of unqualified leads anymore who I'll never sell for whatever reason.
So, bottom line, I call people, introduce myself and why I'm calling, start a conversation about death and finances, then ask them if they're willing to move forward if I satisfy their biggest concerns. And I tell them they can blow me off on the phone if they don't like what I'm offering.
Then I qualify like I would in person. I ask them all the health questions, I ask them if they bank locally to get a discount, and I ask them what level of premium they're comfortable paying.
Then, when they know all that, I set the appointment to see them in person.
If they want brochures, literature, etc..., after ALL I just went through, I tell them, "No I've just told you everything you need to know and would get, and frankly, I get the feeling you're not really interested in moving forward, are you? Before I hang up the phone, you know exactly what I can do for you, I have been totally honest up to this point -- what I want to know is do you want to do business or is it over?" There I've drawn the line and know if they're game-players or want to solve their emotional problem with having no/not enough coverage.
I write this because the general consensus is that, in Frank's definition, "Giving Good Phone" selling FE just doesn't work. Well, it is for me -- wrote 8 apps last week. Wrote another today. Got 2 appointments for 3 apps tomorrow (hope they stick). I did have one no-show me today -- but I'm going to try to see her tomorrow.
Much better (and enjoyable) way to do business. For me at least.
At first I was a little worried, but now I'm loving it, namely for several reasons:
1) No more aimless driving around in circles hoping to see people. Now I can do all that from home.
2) No more setting appointments with unqualified prospects (ahhh...) -- They were just "curious" about the quotes? Not ready to do business TODAY? Please send me info types without interest? I'm telling them all no as I'm getting off the phone with them -- no I don't send brochures, no I don't think you want to really do business, etc..
Very empowering to completely work a lead knowing they're tire-kickers or lack character to do anything about their situation -- my goal is to axe those types in 5 minutes or less.
3) I only set appointments with people who know what they'll pay, what the coverage is, and who are ready to get qualified. Basically I'm there to get a check and an app signed. So no more listening to sob-stories of unqualified leads anymore who I'll never sell for whatever reason.
So, bottom line, I call people, introduce myself and why I'm calling, start a conversation about death and finances, then ask them if they're willing to move forward if I satisfy their biggest concerns. And I tell them they can blow me off on the phone if they don't like what I'm offering.
Then I qualify like I would in person. I ask them all the health questions, I ask them if they bank locally to get a discount, and I ask them what level of premium they're comfortable paying.
Then, when they know all that, I set the appointment to see them in person.
If they want brochures, literature, etc..., after ALL I just went through, I tell them, "No I've just told you everything you need to know and would get, and frankly, I get the feeling you're not really interested in moving forward, are you? Before I hang up the phone, you know exactly what I can do for you, I have been totally honest up to this point -- what I want to know is do you want to do business or is it over?" There I've drawn the line and know if they're game-players or want to solve their emotional problem with having no/not enough coverage.
I write this because the general consensus is that, in Frank's definition, "Giving Good Phone" selling FE just doesn't work. Well, it is for me -- wrote 8 apps last week. Wrote another today. Got 2 appointments for 3 apps tomorrow (hope they stick). I did have one no-show me today -- but I'm going to try to see her tomorrow.
Much better (and enjoyable) way to do business. For me at least.
