This Guy Ain't Long for the Telemarketing World

[rousemark]

Those are still around? What company(ies) still do that?

Liberty Bankers and Columbian are two that do it through independent agents. United still does it on a captive basis.

 

[theinsuranceman]

You’re right, I haven’t really been on the forums much today. I’m mainly F2F in the field, and still run a sizable debit agency. Got in kind of late tonight.

I think I said I do a “fair amount” of telesales, which is more than a couple calls here and there, but not any where near “quite a bit”. I’m far from an expert at it. My technique is probably wrong on several points! But I’ll take a nibble on the bait, anyway.

Most of the leads I work by phone these days are home office referrals. (I get several of these each month across a handful of states where I’m licensed) They’ve either mailed back a lead card from a billing insert or called in to get info. These folks fall into 3 main categories:
1) Existing clients (usually orphan policyholders) interested in increasing coverage.
2) Family or friend referrals from existing clients
3) People who are shopping for a quote and call the home office out of the blue, or go to the website and fill out a request for info.

Let’s use #1 as an example. Ms. Betty Jones, an orphan policyholder, filled out the billing insert and mailed it back. Now, since she already has insurance with the company, I absolutely do want to indentify myself immediately as representing that company. So, when somebody answers, the conversation starts something like this:
“Hi, this is Shonce Man from Ajax Life Insurance Company. I was calling for Ms Betty Jones about the policy she has with us. She mailed back the little card that was in her billing notice about reviewing her coverage.”
I say that first bit without any pauses up until this point. This is the first break where I’ll allow them to interrupt. Usually, they say, “that’s me” or “I’ll go get her”
The conversation either proceeds from there, or I set up a better call back time.

I realize that was a fairly lightweight example. Somebody wanting a quote from a company they called out of the blue is going to be tougher.

In reality, what I do on the phone isn’t much different than when I used to doorknock from DM lead cards. I was never trained to be a telesales agent. I mainly just adapted my field techniques to the phone. What I said at the door back then was a lot like what I say on the phone now. The main difference is you have to be careful to speak at a cadence that’s not too fast to be understood, yet doesn’t leave any space for interruption until you’re ready for them to speak.

I’ll add one point about attitude, whether at the door or on the phone: Newer agents can sometimes be timid, especially on the phone, believing that their call is unwelcome. But I’ve learned to go in with the assumption that I’m not an intruder. They asked for the contact! They WANT to hear what I have to say! That assumption affects my tone and “presence”, which helps break through any initial resistance.

I agree with everything you posted when calling a current policy holder.

 

[theinsuranceman]

Good questions. So, how would you (as a male agent) handle those scenarios?

Assume the lead has the name Betty Jones.
Male agent:
...Female answers phone: Betty is that you? or Betty? If I ask for Ms. Jones or Ms. Betty Jones or just plain Betty Jones that screams telemarketer. My first few words need to mirror what a friend or family member might say.
...Male answers the phone: Yessir, this is Greg with Betty's free info that she requested from the TV commercial is she in? (said smoothly with no pauses). If the name on the lead piece is a female's name and a male answers the phone, it's usually her husband. And his first thought might be what's a man doing calling for Betty? That's why I wouldn't ask if Betty is in. He gets a little concerned and slightly defensive. So to hopefully prevent him from giving me an extra hurdle to jump over I use these words...Yessir, this is Greg with Betty's free info that she requested from the TV commercial is she in?.

Female agent:
...Female answers the phone: Betty is that you? or Betty? Same reasons as mentioned above.
...Male answers the phone: Is Betty in? When the male hears a female's voice asking for his wife, he just assumes it's one of her friends calling and will say something like "hold on let me go get her", or "she's not in right now", etc. His reaction is different when the female agent calls versus the male agent calling.

If the lead piece has a male's name just vice versa everything above.
It's important to sound comfortable, confident, and slightly enthusiastic.

These are kinda small things but can be a big influence on getting to the point of having a conversation with the lead responder.

Same thing with door knocking leads with no appointment. Lots of agents are never trained on what to say and not to say at the front door. They say something like "you mailed this card back because you wanted to get some life insurance and I'm the local agent". Their intro sounds logical but it doesn't work and they will a lot of times hear something like "we changed our minds", or "we took some out last week", etc.

In 1999 I was trained, when door knocking leads, to say "yes ma'am I'm hoping you can help me. I don't know if I'm at the right place but I'm trying to catch up with Betty Jones with her free information". Then I shut up! The lady responds "what kind of free information"? And I say "this is that free information about the social security death benefit, the high costs of funerals, and the state regulated plans. (They're regulated by the Dept of Insurance). Anyway I've got your free information right here and it takes just a moment, may I come in please? Works like a charm, unless Ms. Jones was getting ready to leave for some kind of appointment.

I never use the word "insurance" at the door because no one wants to talk about insurance, even me, unless it's on how to be more effective at closing the deal. When you say "insurance" people start back pedaling because they don't want to talk about it. They will be more agreeable to talking about death though so that's the approach I take.

Of course with a TV lead, especially a live transfer TV lead, you can safely say "life insurance" in the first sentence or two with no worries.

 

[rousemark]

Assume the lead has the name Betty Jones.
Male agent:
...Female answers phone: Betty is that you? or Betty? If I ask for Ms. Jones or Ms. Betty Jones or just plain Betty Jones that screams telemarketer. My first few words need to mirror what a friend or family member might say.
...Male answers the phone: Yessir, this is Greg with Betty's free info that she requested from the TV commercial is she in? (said smoothly with no pauses). If the name on the lead piece is a female's name and a male answers the phone, it's usually her husband. And his first thought might be what's a man doing calling for Betty? That's why I wouldn't ask if Betty is in. He gets a little concerned and slightly defensive. So to hopefully prevent him from giving me an extra hurdle to jump over I use these words...Yessir, this is Greg with Betty's free info that she requested from the TV commercial is she in?.

Female agent:
...Female answers the phone: Betty is that you? or Betty? Same reasons as mentioned above.
...Male answers the phone: Is Betty in? When the male hears a female's voice asking for his wife, he just assumes it's one of her friends calling and will say something like "hold on let me go get her", or "she's not in right now", etc. His reaction is different when the female agent calls versus the male agent calling.

If the lead piece has a male's name just vice versa everything above.
It's important to sound comfortable, confident, and slightly enthusiastic.

These are kinda small things but can be a big influence on getting to the point of having a conversation with the lead responder.

Same thing with door knocking leads with no appointment. Lots of agents are never trained on what to say and not to say at the front door. They say something like "you mailed this card back because you wanted to get some life insurance and I'm the local agent". Their intro sounds logical but it doesn't work and they will a lot of times hear something like "we changed our minds", or "we took some out last week", etc.

In 1999 I was trained, when door knocking leads, to say "yes ma'am I'm hoping you can help me. I don't know if I'm at the right place but I'm trying to catch up with Betty Jones with her free information". Then I shut up! The lady responds "what kind of free information"? And I say "this is that free information about the social security death benefit, the high costs of funerals, and the state regulated plans. (They're regulated by the Dept of Insurance). Anyway I've got your free information right here and it takes just a moment, may I come in please? Works like a charm, unless Ms. Jones was getting ready to leave for some kind of appointment.

I never use the word "insurance" at the door because no one wants to talk about insurance, even me, unless it's on how to be more effective at closing the deal. When you say "insurance" people start back pedaling because they don't want to talk about it. They will be more agreeable to talking about death though so that's the approach I take.

Of course with a TV lead, especially a live transfer TV lead, you can safely say "life insurance" in the first sentence or two with no worries.

Great post!

 

[theinsuranceman]

Great post!

Thank you. That's just a small sampling of FE tele-sales/face 2 face training I provide. I'm always looking to compare notes with other FE agents. Seems like there's always something to learn about in this industry.