The B2B Health to Life Lead-In

[Swift685]

Because I'm new to the industry and need to get some money rolling in I've taken the middle road and sell both health and life insurance.

I work my natural market and referrals for life sales in the evenings, and while everyones at work during the day I call on small businesses for health insurance and attempt to cross sell life and DI products in the process.

Has anyone had any success with a health lead-in. I feel like business owners are more receptive to health then life. I'm just not sure how else to approach small businesses. Any Ideas?

In case your wondering I'm captive with MassMutual and Indy with Health Choice One. Scott Slutker is the man, he's the one who put me on the health lead-in.

 

[Delta76]

Has anyone had any success with a health lead-in. I feel like business owners are more receptive to health then life. I'm just not sure how else to approach small businesses. Any Ideas?

I think you're on the right track, that's been my business model for two years. If health does disappear (and I'm not saying it will), another approach will need to be used. There are many who are successfull approaching business owners without health, so it can absolutely be done.

 

[Swift685]

Great to hear, how many health clients would you say your able to successfully sell life to as well? 40,50%? After all your saving them money on their health so what else are they going to do with it.

 

[somarco]

What is your purpose when you walk into a business? Is it to help the owner or make a sale?

 

[Swift685]

Are you saying that there is a way to help them without making a sale? If there is I'd like to know, cus it might in turn help me make a sale haha.

I know where your going with the question but believe me, my intentions are good, it's just that my sales skills are better. Now getting them to help themselves, that's the real quandry.

 

[somarco]

Once you have helped them identify and solve their problem, the sale is forgone conclusion.

Prospects can smell insincerity a mile away. Most salesmen who walk in their door have something to peddle and the owner knows it. As such, their guard is up.

Your challenge is to find a way to break down that barrier quickly and turn the prospect around. That can be done in one of two ways.

You can ask a question that demands a response. Or you can diffuse the situation by sampling.

Questions that engage the mind are the best way to open a dialogue, the other is sampling.

If you are effective in turning a suspect into a prospect with questions and/or sampling, you will get your sale.

Otherwise you are wasting your time as well as that of the business owner.

If you can get the prospect to engage you then you don't have to "sell" them on anything. Too many folks who have been in selling professions fail when they transition to insurance. A successful agent doesn't have to sell anything other than their own credibility. When they do that, they will have more people buying from them than they can shake a stick at.

 

[Swift685]

Thanks for the advice, that makes alot of sense. Just the other day my friend told me he was shopping around for health insurance cus he doesnt have any and I felt myself trying to sell him because he didnt understand anything about the stuff. It got to the point where he was asking me every skeptical question he could come up with. Its more aggrevation then its worth and Im already regretting every attempt I make to chase business.

I suppose I need to read that book "selling sucks", at least when it comes to my health business. Its funny too because on the life side of things Im great with asking disturbing questions. Ahhhhh the joys of dealing with the general public again.

 

[somarco]

If you only read one book, this is the one

Amazon.com: Secrets of Question Based Selling: How the Most Powerful Tool in Business Can Double Your Sales Results: Thomas Freese: Books

Health and life are two completely different sales (most of the time). Sometimes the life sale is taking an order, but if you really get into it, you have to be the one to motivate them to do something.

Health insurance is almost always bought. I have almost never been able to talk someone into buying health insurance if they did not already have it. The typical answer is, I am healthy, I don't need it now.

Hard to argue that point with someone so irrational.

Questions initiated by you put you in charge. There is nothing wrong with them asking questions, that shows an interest and that they are engaged in the process. But you want to be the one asking most of the questions, then listening and taking notes.

Too many sales people think their job is to do most of the talking and to steer the prospect into making a decision. Your goal is to ask questions that cause the prospect to tell you what they want so you can provide.