How Do You Guys Just Knock on Doors???

[Newby]

I must be a rare (***) person. I enjoy talking with door to door salespeople. I actually enjoy listening to telemarketers. My wife thinks I'm nuts.

I just don't answer the door or the phone if I'm busy so it doesn't bother me.

Going door to door on a nice spring day or in the fall was very enjoyable for me. I miss it but I usually have much warmer leads to run these days.

If I was new and too broke to buy leads or too impatient to wait for them, I would still door knock.

Not today though. It's too cold out there.

 

[GeminiGroup]

I stand corrected. I guess it's okay to say anything you have to, true or not, to get in the door.

"Mrs. Jones. Your husband asked me to come by and take this insurance application for you."

"My husband died 2 weeks ago."

"I know. He called me before he died. Sorry for your loss but I've been quite busy and wish I could have been here sooner."

"Well, if he wanted you to do this, come on in."

Any problem with that approach? Once the selling starts I promise not to trick them.

By the way, why did you stop selling used cars?

Rick

Wow, Rick

1) I wouldn't have expected such a "low" personal blow over a professional difference of opinion, especially after dealing with you in person and speaking to you by phone on more than one occasion.
I thought better of you but I've been wrong before, no big deal.

2) Anybody can "stretch" or change a scenario to fit his/her needs if they choose....Welcome to Presidential politics 101

The hyperbole in your above example of course goes WAY overboard to sell your agenda....

When I proposed a simple "ice-break" example: One where your or my son (tell, yours hello for me btw) might "sheepishly" approach a young lady, the approach could be seen as a minor point.....

You jump to the exploitation of an old lady and name calling to try to make your point, disappointing Rick.

a) I never said say "ANYTHING" to gain entry
b) I said, I had no issues with the "something in the mail" rubbish. When, I sold alarms I knew "somebody" sent something in the mail, that didn't sell my deal. But Am I going to wait till the client finds my exact mail piece, in their junk drawer?...Who cares I'm here NOW and I can help explain and properly sell the deal, yes I will take credit for the mail piece.... it means nothing once I start MY presentation
c) In your little scenario, you're proposing to WRITE business on an approach....
I said an approach is a prospecting tool not a sales close but that's you pushing your agenda. Changing the facts.

If one of our sons approached a woman with some lame line, like "Don't I know you from somewhere" is no where near some middle eastern dude saying "ok, our parents have arranged everything"...mountains and mole hills , my friend.

***Disclaimer, my sons aren't old enough to pick up woman, yet but hopefully they'll use better approaches. But even if they don't... approaches are just ways to say "hello"...just like ads it's not meant to be the sale.

Using your standard when a rep calls on a referral and opens with "your____asked me to"
"your name came up"
"so%so said you might be in the market for"
"so&so recommended I spoke to you"

....All lies, right?

No those are approaches to "break the ice".....or Should they say:

"I asked your friends, family and colleagues for your info so that I could bother you about insurance today?".... is that better?


P.S.
What is the lead vendors approach to "scam" their way to the leads agents buy everyday?
I guess if you buy leads, you're a car salesmen.


Hey, Rick sit in this Caddy, the ladies will love 'ya (...see just an approach, I might get your attention but I'd REALLY have to sale that

 

[GreenSky]

Wow, Rick

1) I wouldn't have expected such a "low" personal blow over a professional difference of opinion, especially after dealing with you in person and speaking to you by phone on more than one occasion.
I thought better of you but I've been wrong before, no big deal.

I call 'em as I see 'em. Nothing personal.

However, lying to gain entry to a home is unethical. Period.

There are no grey areas in ethics. You don't have to lie about receiving a card in the mail. Just re-word the approach to be more general - "Many people were interested when they received the information in the mail. I don't know if you were sent anything but...."

The technique of lying to make a sale is indeed why people think little of used car salemen and probably even less of insurance agents.

Rick

 

[TPAAgent]

We all bring our personal experiences into our thinking. I would not have let those folks in. Maybe I would have missed out on a good water system, but that's just the way it is. I won't buy anything from anyone that just knocks on my door.

That probably explains my aversion to doorknocking myself.

Fair enough

I appreciate people that go out and door knock or solicit- I'll always listen.. sometimes you can find some pretty good stuff.. bought a coupon book for a auto/tire shop 2 blocks away- never used them before but knew where they were, but for $24.00 I got 3 free tire rotations and 3 free oil changes plus 50% off on other services like tune ups and aligments.. a oil change will run me $15-$20.. so it was a helluva deal to me- used all three oil changes and rotated tires for free- in fact when it ran out during my last use I asked to buy another book.. no can do- it was promotional...

I had a 16 year old kid in the dead of summer sweating his ass off trying to make some summer money- kid was drenched in sweat- selling magazines.. gave him a soda, said I wasnt intrested in his magazines but did give the kid $5 for his efforts.. theres adults that dont have the balls to do what this kid was doing... I appreciated his hard work and his determination

 

[xrac]

I must be a rare (***) person. I enjoy talking with door to door salespeople. I actually enjoy listening to telemarketers. My wife thinks I'm nuts.

I just don't answer the door or the phone if I'm busy so it doesn't bother me.

Going door to door on a nice spring day or in the fall was very enjoyable for me. I miss it but I usually have much warmer leads to run these days.

If I was new and too broke to buy leads or too impatient to wait for them, I would still door knock.

Not today though. It's too cold out there.

I enjoy talking to good ones if it is a convenient time. However, I like the really polished ones and I hate the pushy ones. I had to about throw a guy out of my daughter's house yesterday. He was a pushy carpet cleaning salesman who if he had got started would have not quit without a 2 hour plus high pressure sale to buy. It was a do it now deal they wouldn't be back. It was a bad time with guests in her home and I told him to get lost.

 

[TPAAgent]

I enjoy talking to good ones if it is a convenient time. However, I like the really polished ones and I hate the pushy ones. I had to about throw a guy out of my daughter's house yesterday. He was a pushy carpet cleaning salesman who if he had got started would have not quit without a 2 hour plus high pressure sale to buy. It was a do it now deal they wouldn't be back. It was a bad time with guests in her home and I told him to get lost.

Yeah- those dudes with the rusted out datsun pickup and the freezer in the back selling meats are a pain in the ass.. thought I was slick and told them I was a vegetarian one day- he had fish!

Those guys and Jevohas are another

I had this lady and man Jevoahs bugging the crap outta me- kept coming by every 2 weeks- got so tired I invited them in one day- asked them to sit at the table and went back to my office and grabbed by bag and told before I listened to them, they had to hear me out.. went into a 30 minute pitch lol.. those people are perfect to work on your closing techniques... no gas required and they come to you!!

Haven't seen them in over 2 years
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I call 'em as I see 'em. Nothing personal.

However, lying to gain entry to a home is unethical. Period.

There are no grey areas in ethics. You don't have to lie about receiving a card in the mail. Just re-word the approach to be more general - "Many people were interested when they received the information in the mail. I don't know if you were sent anything but...."

The technique of lying to make a sale is indeed why people think little of used car salemen and probably even less of insurance agents.

Rick

I'd venture to guess every person over age 60 has received some sort of direct mail piece in regards to final expense- I know my wifes mother does, she gets hammered with medicare and final expense sales pieces at least once a week

Asking a prospect at the door if they recall ever getting a mail piece similar to "this one" about the state approved free grandchild insurance avaliable to people in their area is not a lie... its a simple question

 

[GeminiGroup]

I call 'em as I see 'em. Nothing personal.

However, lying to gain entry to a home is unethical. Period.

There are no grey areas in ethics. You don't have to lie about receiving a card in the mail. Just re-word the approach to be more general - "Many people were interested when they received the information in the mail. I don't know if you were sent anything but...."

The technique of lying to make a sale is indeed why people think little of used car salemen and probably even less of insurance agents.

Rick

If we want to be "absurd" with the use of the word "lie", and stand on a high-horse, I suppose.

Btw How many is "many" in your example that could be a "lie" if it doesn't meet the client's standard of "many" ...you can't say you'd be a liar, Rick.

You said many were "interested" in what
reading
buying
hearing more
you can't be that vague sounds like you're "lying" to persuade the prospect to talk to you, Rick

(Just like the car salesmen that says "Many people were interested....")

Sounds the same to me, buddy.

Using you above example unless you showed me "the many" and let me define "many", as well as "interested" by your own standard you're lying!


* Granted, I don't... but using your standard that's lying. The only ethical approach (by your logic) would be:
"I was wondering, could I pitch my product, sir/ma'am"

From your website when you say
"Don't take another agents word for it.
Get correct life insurance advice from us!"

Your own website's approach is that you and only you can provide "correct life insurance advice" and you direct folks not "take another agents word".

This implies that you and your agents possess the only ability to correctly give life insurance advice....isn't that a LIE.

**Nothing personal, I like it but using your "high" standard of what a lie is....we can't let anything go as marketing hyperbole.

Can we expect you to change that to something more TRUE like:
"We'll do the best we can and there are plenty of other agents in California that are as ethical as I and have access to carriers, just like me but I prefer to make the money"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Yeah- those dudes with the rusted out datsun pickup and the freezer in the back selling meats are a pain in the ass.. thought I was slick and told them I was a vegetarian one day- he had fish!

Those guys and Jevohas are another

I had this lady and man Jevoahs bugging the crap outta me- kept coming by every 2 weeks- got so tired I invited them in one day- asked them to sit at the table and went back to my office and grabbed by bag and told before I listened to them, they had to hear me out.. went into a 30 minute pitch lol.. those people are perfect to work on your closing techniques... no gas required and they come to you!!

Haven't seen them in over 2 years
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


I'd venture to guess every person over age 60 has received some sort of direct mail piece in regards to final expense- I know my wifes mother does, she gets hammered with medicare and final expense sales pieces at least once a week

Asking a prospect at the door if they recall ever getting a mail piece similar to "this one" about the state approved free grandchild insurance avaliable to people in their area is not a lie... its a simple question

Exactly, just an approach not a SALE.
You are using other people's marketing, but that's a different ethical question. With the news or the media helps the "awareness" of your product...so what. Kool-Aid ad vs Flavor-aid the customer may be happy with either...you're there show them you can solve the issue.

 

[WinoBlues]

When is Al coming back.

 

[GreenSky]

Let's put this to bed. The original "line" was that the propect was lead to believe that they were sent a specific mailing. Now it's been modified to "Asking a prospect at the door if they recall ever getting a mail piece similar to "this one" about the state approved free grandchild insurance avaliable to people in their area is not a lie... its a simple question"

In the first instance, it's a lie. In the second, it's NOT a lie but a legitimate question.

Had TPA used the "similar to this" line, I wouldn't have even responded to this thread.

Basically, you all are agreeing with me.

Rick

 

[GeminiGroup]

Let's put this to bed. The original "line" was that the propect was lead to believe that they were sent a specific mailing. Now it's been modified to "Asking a prospect at the door if they recall ever getting a mail piece similar to "this one"about the state approved free grandchild insurance avaliable to people in their area is not a lie... its a simple question"

In the first instance, it's a lie. In the second, it's NOT a lie but a legitimate question.

Had TPA used the "similar to this" line, I wouldn't have even responded to this thread.

Basically, you all are agreeing with me.

Rick

Rick, you're generally a good dude and we'll let you back out of this one...Put it to bed, whatever but please when waving the white flag don't throw a misplaced grenade, in the room just walk out quietly.

[FONT=&quot]In,TPAAgent's original sentence it said "sent you out a card like this one" then shows them one[/FONT]...

that's the same thing as saying similar.

Re-read his post, my friend this used car salesmen went to a seminar once and they taught that similar and like were synonyms but what the hell, I didn't attend an Ivy league school

"Basically, you all are agreeing with me."

No we're not, we're agreeing YOU misspoke...only you don't.

No big deal, just don't pull the wrong lever on the way out the door, please.

Good night