- 11,997
Sticking it to one day is good, but try specific times and do it on 15 minute increments:
"I have a 10:45 or a 3:15, which of those would work better for you?"
"I have a 10:45 or a 3:15, which of those would work better for you?"
Telephone Prospecting FE
- Thread starter Frank Bettger
- Start date
MPS is correct I usually ask morning or afternoon then the specific time based on response. Doing it on the 15s is also a favorite of mine.
Man I need to take my test so I can get out there.
This is what I was taught in the beginning - one-call close or get out.
I now use a thorough two-call approach, and I've never been (a) more relaxed or (b) more successful. I've also never gotten as many referrals as I get now.
Just food for thought - slowing down - being more thorough in our fact-finding - builds trust and allows our recommendations to be more well thought out & viable.
- 608
First you need to decide what you want to accomplish on the call. Are you going to sell over the phone or is your goal to set an appointment. It is never a goal to send out info. Then you need to build a script around that. Yes, you need a script. Dont just wing it. You need a roadmap to follow. The script needs to build rapport, qualify, identify a need/desire and address objections before they arise. In the first 5-6 minutes you need to identify if this is a real prospect or not. If not, hung up. If they are then trial close, overcome and close. Hit the hot buttons learned in the need/desire often and tie it to your solution. The close either takes you to setting the appointment or making a 3-way to take the app over the phone. We do the latter and sell FE over the phone.
- 15,041
I took it from the feedback that I had been over qualifying. No more of that.
Now, I am still running into them chickening out when I ask for the appt.
"I'm going to be in town Tues and again on Thurs which is better for you? "
Maybe its how (or when) I'm asking the question...
How do you all ask?
How are you generating the leads? Are these cold calls, internet leads, direct mail, tele-marketed, what?
Its quite possible they just don't want to see you. There is nothing wrong with that, most of America doesn't want to see you or me.
How many appointments are you booking per call or per lead received? How many of those appointments are kept, and how many result in a sale?
Its quite possible your expectations are too high, and its negging you out, which is then affecting your next call.
- 2,455
When you sit back and think about it, do you know how flaky somebody has to be to get a phone call and have that person who they don't even know come to their house to talk to them about FE?
The flip side is that it is these flaky people that make you money, mailing stuff in alla the time. Don't go for no, go for flaky people.
I'll tell you the secret to calling strangers on the phone. You have to get stupid. You have to take your smart cap off, put your silly cap on and get stupid. If you over think it you are gonna fail or drive yourself nuts. Don't be a salesman, be you. You have to be the guy on the other end that makes one of these prospects say, "geeze, this guy sounds flakier than me, I need to meet him." Ok maybe that is a little extreme but you get the point.
I worked with a girl who sold timeshare and the best reps at that resort were the weird reps. They wore Hawaiian shirts, they were loud and obnoxious and happy go lucky and sorta flaky. They made the big bucks though. The ones who kept trying to analyze this and that never could make it. They couldn't take their smart hat off.
The flip side is that it is these flaky people that make you money, mailing stuff in alla the time. Don't go for no, go for flaky people.
I'll tell you the secret to calling strangers on the phone. You have to get stupid. You have to take your smart cap off, put your silly cap on and get stupid. If you over think it you are gonna fail or drive yourself nuts. Don't be a salesman, be you. You have to be the guy on the other end that makes one of these prospects say, "geeze, this guy sounds flakier than me, I need to meet him." Ok maybe that is a little extreme but you get the point.
I worked with a girl who sold timeshare and the best reps at that resort were the weird reps. They wore Hawaiian shirts, they were loud and obnoxious and happy go lucky and sorta flaky. They made the big bucks though. The ones who kept trying to analyze this and that never could make it. They couldn't take their smart hat off.
- 7,066
When you sit back and think about it, do you know how flaky somebody has to be to get a phone call and have that person who they don't even know come to their house to talk to them about FE?
The flip side is that it is these flaky people that make you money, mailing stuff in alla the time. Don't go for no, go for flaky people.
I'll tell you the secret to calling strangers on the phone. You have to get stupid. You have to take your smart cap off, put your silly cap on and get stupid. If you over think it you are gonna fail or drive yourself nuts. Don't be a salesman, be you. You have to be the guy on the other end that makes one of these prospects say, "geeze, this guy sounds flakier than me, I need to meet him." Ok maybe that is a little extreme but you get the point.
I worked with a girl who sold timeshare and the best reps at that resort were the weird reps. They wore Hawaiian shirts, they were loud and obnoxious and happy go lucky and sorta flaky. They made the big bucks though. The ones who kept trying to analyze this and that never could make it. They couldn't take their smart hat off.
I don't know that I would use the words "stupid" or "flaky" but I understand you used them to make a point. In that regard I agree with you.
I think the most important thing you said is "Don't be a salesman, be you". One has to be laid back, relaxed and speak to them like they were someone you were sitting around with having a cup of coffee with.
Don't over think it, don't use insurance jargon and break everything down to its most basic form. Just have a conversation with them, don't try to prove to the prospect how powerful and important you are. You're just the guy who "lives down the road" having a discussion about insurance.
Educate them, don't try to sell them. People hate to be sold but they love having help to make an intelligent, well-informed decision.
- 26,126
Best sales advice given in a while. Just chill. Hard to do if you are broke, but you have to learn to not let that come across. Also slow down. They do not want to feel like they are are just number 59 of you 100 calls for the hour. Or they will be.
- 7,066
Excellent advice!
People only answer the phone because it is ringing. They are preoccupied with other things when they say "hello". They are not sitting with a blank mind waiting for an agent to call.
When an agent starts the call speaking 100 miles an hour trying to be "efficient" and get as many calls in as possible the prospect is not going to hear one word the agent says -- they are not prepared to begin "listening".
Start the call speaking very slow and distinctly. Hello Mrs Smith --my name is -- Frank - Stastny. NOT HelloMrsSmithMyNameIsFrankStastny.
Don't think you are talking too fast? Tape yourself and listen to exactly what the prospect is hearing.
Would you react positively to what and how you are saying it or does it sound like a telemarketer trying to sell them something they neither want or need?
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