Too Much Rapport?

[somarco]

It is possible to spend too much time "making friends" and not enough time uncovering the need.

If you are talking about features and benefits you are missing the point of the interview. It seems you have failed to uncover the need.

Assuming you have qualified them before setting the appointment, try this after the warm up.

"I want to thank you again for inviting me in to your home. So I don't waste your time, tell me why you asked me to come here and discuss your needs and possible solutions to your concerns."

This forces them to come clean and gives you the key points you need to stress in your presentation. If they say something to the effect of "I just wanted to see what you had to offer" or "I am just checking prices", you don't have a qualified prospect and probably wasted a trip.

 

[Johnnymc]

It is possible to spend too much time "making friends" and not enough time uncovering the need.

If you are talking about features and benefits you are missing the point of the interview. It seems you have failed to uncover the need.

Assuming you have qualified them before setting the appointment, try this after the warm up.

"I want to thank you again for inviting me in to your home. So I don't waste your time, tell me why you asked me to come here and discuss your needs and possible solutions to your concerns."

This forces them to come clean and gives you the key points you need to stress in your presentation. If they say something to the effect of "I just wanted to see what you had to offer" or "I am just checking prices", you don't have a qualified prospect and probably wasted a trip.

Great point...
I don't set my own appointments so I do run into some "tire kickers' once in a while. I never got the "just checking prices" excuse...why drag someone out to your house just for a quote?

 

[The Rabbi]

"You already know what you know, find out what they know". Let them lead to start and if they aren't talking about their family and their finances, you need to get them on track and ask. I wouldn't spend more than 10 min before we start with the details of a policy. Make sure when you open your briefcase, you put an app on the table where they can easily see it.