Let's Talk Cold Calling

[Insuranceman]

The guy who got me into the insurance biz has been a pretty successfull agent for about 15 yrs. He braggs that he has never picked up a phone for appointments , that he get all his sales from cold call door to door and referrals working small towns & rural areas.

 

[Frank Stastny]

When I was captive I worked with an agent who I know never picked up the phone. He would leave the house in the early morning and stay out all day until he wrote an app., Med Supp is what he was selling. If necessary he would stay out until dark time and was still knocking on doors to get to write an app.

He routinely wrote 200 to 250 thousand a year in annualized premium. This was back when a 65 yr old could buy a Med Supp for around $70 per month.

 

[senior-advisor-indiana]

Frank, they can buy them now for $69.42 here for a plan D.

 

[Frank Stastny]

Frank, they can buy them now for $69.42 here for a plan D.

Wow! You got room for one more agent in your area? Oh, I'll need a place to stay also.

 

[lynno]

I collect premiums, but I don't go there to sell more. I call ahead so they know that I am coming, and most of them just leave it on the door. Alot of them are behind as it is and it is hard for them just to pay what they have, so why try to sell more if they can't afford what they have. But, I have to keep them paying what they have or we get charged for the policies that they lapse. But I don't always go on the same days, so it would be tough for someone to track that. And I don't take other client's money into anyone else's house. I take just what I need for change and leave the rest locked in the car.

I don't have door hangers that I hand out, and I have a survey that I have made up so that I have something to get through the front door with. The survey doesn't always work though, because people are skeptics today.

Believe it or not, I stumble more talking to people on the phone than I do face to face.

 

[J.R.]

I collect premiums, but I don't go there to sell more. I call ahead so they know that I am coming, and most of them just leave it on the door. Alot of them are behind as it is and it is hard for them just to pay what they have, so why try to sell more if they can't afford what they have. But, I have to keep them paying what they have or we get charged for the policies that they lapse. But I don't always go on the same days, so it would be tough for someone to track that. And I don't take other client's money into anyone else's house. I take just what I need for change and leave the rest locked in the car.

I don't have door hangers that I hand out, and I have a survey that I have made up so that I have something to get through the front door with. The survey doesn't always work though, because people are skeptics today.

Believe it or not, I stumble more talking to people on the phone than I do face to face.

Off topic but hopefully it might help you out. I had a guy come to my door tonight and tried to sell my girlfriend some magazines. He had the classic comebacks for every rebuttal and kept going and going. Given the nature of my sweet lady, she had a hard time saying no. While getting some paperwork completed I listened to the 10+ minute discussion (about 9 minutes to long IMHO) and I finally had enough and asked her if she wanted my input in which I took over the situation Jersey style.

His basic pitch was the typical "I'm trying to sell these magazines to reach my goal of owning a business and I come from a poor environment so please help me out." Not a bad approach if that is the truth, but it is not my way of talking with people.

Even though I let him down gently and told him that we have no interest in signing up for magazines I wanted to make sure he left feeling positive and motivated! Instead of writing a check, I suggested he change his C2C pitch to reflect a different impression on Consumers.

"Mr. Smith, I specialize in offering over XXXX amount of magazines and some of the top magazines like (insert some names for male or female magazines) just reduced their subscription rates. I consistently save my clients (insert percentage here) off their current rates and I would like to show you the details. Are you interested in taking 5 minutes to find out if you aren't missing out on any savings?

This guy's face lit up when I told him to change his pitch and although I'm not sure how things worked out, I hope his production increased.

I had a really good day, so I was up on cloud 9 when he came to the door. By the time I realized how pleasant the short conversation went....I forgot one vital element........

I forgot to ask if he had health insurance

Oh well, I'm sure he will be back in a few months if he's smart!

 

[lynno]

Off topic but hopefully it might help you out. I had a guy come to my door tonight and tried to sell my girlfriend some magazines. He had the classic comebacks for every rebuttal and kept going and going. Given the nature of my sweet lady, she had a hard time saying no. While getting some paperwork completed I listened to the 10+ minute discussion (about 9 minutes to long IMHO) and I finally had enough and asked her if she wanted my input in which I took over the situation Jersey style.

His basic pitch was the typical "I'm trying to sell these magazines to reach my goal of owning a business and I come from a poor environment so please help me out." Not a bad approach if that is the truth, but it is not my way of talking with people.

Even though I let him down gently and told him that we have no interest in signing up for magazines I wanted to make sure he left feeling positive and motivated! Instead of writing a check, I suggested he change his C2C pitch to reflect a different impression on Consumers.

"Mr. Smith, I specialize in offering over XXXX amount of magazines and some of the top magazines like (insert some names for male or female magazines) just reduced their subscription rates. I consistently save my clients (insert percentage here) off their current rates and I would like to show you the details. Are you interested in taking 5 minutes to find out if you aren't missing out on any savings?

This guy's face lit up when I told him to change his pitch and although I'm not sure how things worked out, I hope his production increased.

I had a really good day, so I was up on cloud 9 when he came to the door. By the time I realized how pleasant the short conversation went....I forgot one vital element........

I forgot to ask if he had health insurance

Oh well, I'm sure he will be back in a few months if he's smart!

Too funny. This guy comes to sell YOU magazines, you give him selling tips and forgot to sell him your product. What would have been even FUNNIER would have been.... HIM coming to sell YOU something, and YOU sell HIM something instead.

But anywho, that is sort of what I am looking for in this thread. People's different "sales pitches". What worked for you, what didn't work for you. But I bet that guy will sell more now that he might use knowledge instead of sympathy.

 

[Newby]

It sounds like you were selling a different kind of insurance than he is. Did you really sell burial policies and fire insurance in the "middle-class neighborhoods" and in "very affluent neighborhoods" with "regular millionaires"? When did you do your collections?

What do you consider a "regular millionaire"? In my area it is usually only people with just over a million to those who have up to 2 to 2.5 million.

Mine were always funeral policies not the pay for life burial plans. My typical sale would be around $10,000 face increasing at 4% annually. On a $10,000 policy they would pay $3,300 initially and then make two more annual payments of the same. They probably seem more like annuities to most life agents but they are a form of life insurance.

I don't even know what fire insurance is (I assume it's in case your house burns down) or why a life agent would sell it.

I can promise you I have sold some VERY affluent people from door knocking. Doctors, lawyers, and many middle-class people.

 

[J.R.]

Too funny. This guy comes to sell YOU magazines, you give him selling tips and forgot to sell him your product. What would have been even FUNNIER would have been.... HIM coming to sell YOU something, and YOU sell HIM something instead.

Had I not had a great day I probably would have tried to pitch him, but he came at a bad time as I was in the process of preparing for an appt. Some people will pitch anybody, I won't because that is not my style.

But anywho, that is sort of what I am looking for in this thread. People's different "sales pitches". What worked for you, what didn't work for you. But I bet that guy will sell more now that he might use knowledge instead of sympathy.

Unless somebody is rude to me or doesn't show respect when I say no to a sales pitch I am the nicest guy. Cross that line and it is something else but that only happens 1 out of 50ish times....

 

[lynno]

Had I not had a great day I probably would have tried to pitch him, but he came at a bad time as I was in the process of preparing for an appt. Some people will pitch anybody, I won't because that is not my style.

I pitched my Dr when I went for a check-up. He asked what I was doing for work, so I did the pitch. I pitched him for some Life Insurance, and HE said... "I don't know that I am in need of that at this time" and I said... "If everyone knew when they were IN NEED, my job would be easier." He laughed and changed the subject.