Less Face To Face Appointments Covid-19

[WinoBlues]

I think its obvious that its now officially time for those that have resisted phone and internet sales to transform, at least some.

Disagree.

I like that some of the hard F2F guys stick to their limited couple of counties.

They are happy, and I am Happy.

 

[marindependent]

I am happy every day that most insurance agents refuse to work the internet, trust me! LOL!

 

[somarco]

@somarco that is just not nice... calling people old. Your such a pot!

You photoshopped my comment.

 

[Alston]

@Alston I think it is easier for an old pro (experienced, not age) like you to sell by phone vs someone new. That is just a WAG, but having been trained as a F2F guy, you are looking for "buying" signals in their body language.

On the phone you are forced to LISTEN to what they say AND to the inflections.

I have been doing phone sales for 25 years so it is 2nd nature to me. Even before Corona I had no intention of ever going back to F2F.

What are you doing up @ 1:30AM and online no less?

Selling F2F and 2 are two different, but overlapping skill sets. "Kinda sorta" like going from an automatic to a stick shift. Except that when you're used to one way, the new way can feel like a stick shift for a while.

I sold F2F from 1985 to about 2000. Then I took an involuntary break. When I got back in the business, I went 2004 to 2016 selling almost exclusively by phone.

In 2016 I went back to F2F. I was intimidated for the first few weeks. I got my sea legs back, but I was surprised by how nervous I was.

I was acutely aware that they could see me now! I couldn't put the prospect on hold to do arithmetic or look stuff up, or roll my eyes if she said something stupid.

I don't recall getting nervous when I went from faces to voices.

Selling by phone takes more skill, partly because the prospect doesn't feel socially obligated to listen to a longer presentation.

But they can both be difficult for different reasons. Body language can be a powerful tool when F2F. But that cuts both ways. If you don't know how to use body language to communicate, you'll probably "say" the wrong things.

 

[Alston]

What are you doing up @ 1:30AM and online no less?

I needed break from either coding or writing a marketing email. Good times.

 

[Life Hawk]

You photoshopped my comment.

Just doing the monkey's job while he is away.

I think its obvious that its now officially time for those that have resisted phone and internet sales to transform, at least some.

Perhaps others, but not me quite yet... not till I hit 80.

I still believe that for those who f2f, the power of both persuasion and trust are more easily obtained during the initial contact... what one does with it from there is based on the ability in their own wheel house for follow-through and follow-up.

I have yet to have any fear from telesales for any of my clients. A door knock on the other had, a decent looking well dressed, nicely spoken, smiling face with a knowing and understanding demeanor... that on the other had is an animal of a different sort.

My question to you gentlemen would be this, "Do you believe that new agents can survive the grueling first 2 years or so that it would take and average agent to push through in order to make this a life long profession by only conducting phone and internet sales?"

I ask this because I am sure that any skill set I possess I owe to the continued f2f contact I have had to push through for years. I wouldn't be here today if I spent all that time in front of screen or only on a phone. I really have no concept of those two.

 

[somarco]

I was acutely aware that they could see me now! I couldn't put the prospect on hold to do arithmetic or look stuff up, or roll my eyes if she said something stupid.

I don't recall getting nervous when I went from faces to voices.

Selling by phone takes more skill, partly because the prospect doesn't feel socially obligated to listen to a longer presentation.

But they can both be difficult for different reasons. Body language can be a powerful tool when F2F. But that cuts both ways. If you don't know how to use body language to communicate, you'll probably "say" the wrong things.

Yes, they CAN see you. And facial expressions, body language (yours) can kill a sale.

I don't give presentations but I do ask questions. I try to keep answers to 2 - 4 sentences. "Just the facts".

Do you believe that new agents can survive the grueling first 2 years or so that it would take and average agent to push through in order to make this a life long profession by only conducting phone and internet sales?

Agents who work in call centers can make it (sometimes) but starting new as a virtual agent working from home will be a challenge.

Someone had a system where you were trained to be an "underwear" agent. Might be a thread or two on the forum about this topic. I have no idea if the guy promoting it is still around or not.

 

[PA Bill]

The problem I see is you got a bunch of guys who always said they're "not cut out to sit behind a desk all day" to all of the sudden sitting behind a desk all day.

 

[Life Hawk]

trained to be an "underwear" agent

I do wear underwear... but my mama taught that to me from when I was little... didn't know they had schools for that sort a stuff.

I can't imagine the "push" that it would take to start off banging out calls on a phone or trying to connect through the net all day long by myself. I know that I would have never been able to sit still long enough to do it, the mental energy that would taken, I would never have been able to produce in my early carrier.

If you ask the right people, they might just say I still don't have enough mental energy.

The problem I see is you got a bunch of guys who always said they're "not cut out to sit behind a desk all day" to all of the sudden sitting behind a desk all day.

Not in my genes at the moment. But I can see myself there someday on a part-time basis. To be honest, I think I just feel better looking straight at the person I'm speaking to.

But that's just me, I know there are guys doing a bang up job being a desk jokey... @somarco I believe that most of what you do is at a desk right?

I'm not sure if he wears underwear or not ... and I'm not asking

 

[Tahoe Ray]

I can't imagine the "push" that it would take to start off banging out calls on a phone or trying to connect through the net all day long by myself. I know that I would have never been able to sit still long enough to do it, the mental energy that would taken, I would never have been able to produce in my early carrier.

With the right system, you can do a lot if you're calling leads.

A lot of folks have a CRM that basically does all of the dialing work, queuing calls, dialing the most likely lead to answer, dispositioning leads, etc.

That leaves you some free time. You could lift weights, clean your office, or just watch tv until someone picks up.

You could work on a website, do admin work, or whatever.

I like to practice putting. I'm still pretty terrible though so I don't think I'm on the phone enough.