Individual Health Closing Techniques??

[Crabcake Johnny]

I view myself as running a major retail store - say a high end clothing store in the mall. You're job as an owner? Generate as much traffic as you can. As a percentage on a busy Saturday how many people go through stores and how many buy. I actually don't know - very low percentage.

Should the owner stand at the entrance, stop every person before walking and and say "let me ask you a few questions before you run around in my store and waste my staff's time."

No. Again, the job is to create a ton of traffic. That's my job. I get 15 to 20 leads a day and create a ton of traffic. By default I find highly interested qualified prospects.

When you don't generate a lot of traffic you second-guess everything; Are you saying something wrong? Maybe I need to re-work "this and that." When you generate a lot of traffic you get this:

"Yeah, I was paying $620 a month and they just jacked me to $780 and we're all healthy. Can you help me PLEASE!"

This is a business and the profit is insane even for a lacking closing ratio. I'm at around 1 out of 15 deals closed and $6 per lead:

$6 per lead X 15 = $90
Average AV = $4,000
Average commish - 20%
So it cost me $90 to return $800

So the question is this; How many "$90's" would you spend to return $800? Do you think ANY small biz owner returns $800 for $90 in expenses?

However, without at least 15 leads a day it all doesn't work too well. I need those 5 deals. Cut those leads in half and I'm at 2.5 deals a week and if one blows up then pay is horrible.

 

[somarco]

I've gone so far as to take my card BACK from a prospect. They asked me why I did that, and my response was, "Roger, it's obvious you don't want to work with me. I've answered all your questions, and yet, you tell me you want to get quotes from other agents, who haven't done the work I did for you. There's something about me that doesn't rub you the right way. That's fine. I'd rather give my card to someone who would call me back, and allow me to provide them my services. Take care."

I love it.

Years ago I heard an agent tell a story about visiting a prospect, making a presentation and leaving his card. As the agent was leaving the office he noticed out of the corner of his eye the prospect dropping the business card in the trash.

The agent took a few more steps, then stopped, turned around and walked back to the prospects desk.

"Did you forget something" asked the prospect.

"Yes, my card. Would you give it back"?

"Why would you want your card back"? said the prospect.

"I am on a budget and I work very hard for my money. While the card is only a few pennies, my time is quite valuable. I noticed you kept my proposal but discarded my business card. May I have it back? I also want my proposal. I am sure you can appreciate the hard work I did or else you would have discarded it as well. I see no reason to allow another agent to benefit from my work. Do you?"

The prospect retrieved the card from the trash, and handed him the proposal.

The agent never returned and never regretted his action.

 

[J.R.]

I've gone so far as to take my card BACK from a prospect. They asked me why I did that, and my response was, "Roger, it's obvious you don't want to work with me. I've answered all your questions, and yet, you tell me you want to get quotes from other agents, who haven't done the work I did for you. There's something about me that doesn't rub you the right way. That's fine. I'd rather give my card to someone who would call me back, and allow me to provide them my services. Take care."

I love it.

Years ago I heard an agent tell a story about visiting a prospect, making a presentation and leaving his card. As the agent was leaving the office he noticed out of the corner of his eye the prospect dropping the business card in the trash.

The agent took a few more steps, then stopped, turned around and walked back to the prospects desk.

"Did you forget something" asked the prospect.

"Yes, my card. Would you give it back"?

"Why would you want your card back"? said the prospect.

"I am on a budget and I work very hard for my money. While the card is only a few pennies, my time is quite valuable. I noticed you kept my proposal but discarded my business card. May I have it back? I also want my proposal. I am sure you can appreciate the hard work I did or else you would have discarded it as well. I see no reason to allow another agent to benefit from my work. Do you?"

The prospect retrieved the card from the trash, and handed him the proposal.

The agent never returned and never regretted his action.

Lovely

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

When I sit down with a client it's app or no app. It's been a soft touch up until then;

*Get lead
*Send welcome letter
*Call 4 days later after they received the letter
*Ask if they want quotes
*Call back the next day, run through options on phone, qualify, set appointment

So by the time I meet with them it's about 2 weeks after they requested the quote. But now it's s**t or get off the pot time. If they want time to decide on which plan to choose no problem:

"I'll go ahead and fill out the application now, then call you tomorrow and just tell me which plan you chose."

If I get "why don't we just hold off on the app" it's over. No card, just a thank you and I'm out. Doesn't matter - comes with the territory.

 

[Tar Rat]

Again, the job is to create a ton of traffic. That's my job. I get 15 to 20 leads a day and create a ton of traffic. By default I find highly interested qualified prospects.

Maybe my leads just bite, because I get 30 to 50 leads a day, and maybe write one policy a week (if that).

Maybe I should go back to selling crack ...

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

30-50. From what sources are the leads coming from?

 

[Tar Rat]

I'm with a group that's like a branch of a insurance marketing company... they get a cut of my comms and I get a bunch of their leads, but after your guys' posts, I think the leads I'm getting are crap. Most are straight up uninsurable, and many are just "considering" buy insurance. Really, 1 in 20 is actually a viable lead, and with the average closing ratio being 1 in 10, well... needlees to say, I'm not making all the sweet moolah I thought I would in the insurance racket.

 

[somarco]

I get 30 to 50 leads a day, and maybe write one policy a week

Either you suck or your leads do.

Right now I am leaning towards the leads. At 30 leads a day, 150+ per week (or 90 if you only work 3 days like some folks) a dog with a note in his mouth could close more than 1 a week.

How old are the leads? How much do they cost? Where do you buy them?

I got leads a while back that were $3 - $4 and must have been at least 6 months old and sold to 700 agents by the time I got them. I fired that source in a week.

There are enough folks on this site making decent to exceptional money from internet leads that you can get an idea what, if anything, you need to do differently. But before changing what you do, it would help to know where these leads are coming from.

Maybe I should go back to selling crack ...

Easier sale. Higher commission. Greater risk of bodily harm or jail time.

That's a toss up.

 

[Tar Rat]

Either you suck or your leads do.

Yeah it might be a combonation of both. Thanks for the vote of confidence though. Word on the street is I'm going to be fired at the end of the week anyway. Oh well, I made more selling biz opps off of an auto-dialer.

 

[James]

Yeah it might be a combonation of both. Thanks for the vote of confidence though. Word on the street is I'm going to be fired at the end of the week anyway. Oh well, I made more selling biz opps off of an auto-dialer.

Sounds like this might be the best thing possilbe! Now if this happens or not go and print up some one page flyers and go out and hit small businesses and self employed, find out truly if you are able, likely is you are you may just need a, "kick in the ass!"