Just when selling insurance starts feeling like the squawky, endless turning of the crank on an organ grinder, POP! Our customers ask us a question that wakes us right up.
Hmmm, I ponder. Why would someone ask if life insurance pays triple for murder? Is she really a demon who is trying to kill someone for profit? Or is she an angel whose loved one has been murdered? My senses are heightened as I try to shroud my negative answer in the appropriate stern or sympathetic tone.
And again I am rejuvenated, remembering why I started selling insurance in the first place. It’s all about the people.
If you are running low on zeal, try crawling into the minds and hearts of hundreds of insurance shoppers by reading their personal insurance questions, and contemplate how you would answer them, at InsuranceLibrary.com.
InsuranceLibrary.com is a website where consumers can get answers to their individual insurance questions from the comfort of their own homes. Licensed agents – and only licensed agents – contribute to the website’s knowledge database by responding to anonymous questions posed by web surfers.
• More from Peg Mace: 10 steps to bowling a strike with online life sales
More than one agent can answer each question, thereby giving consumers several viewpoints to consider. Agents’ answers are organized by category and are also accessible by search words, enabling future visitors to utilize the “virtual library” of insurance information. There is no cost to contributors or visitors.
Without the vulnerability of facing a person, consumers can ask some pretty interesting questions. I’m sure the really radical ones are filtered out by Justin Blase, the CEO and Founder of InsuranceLibrary.com. But here are a smattering of questions posed, from the type of consumer I imagine asking them.
Boundary Testers
- What drugs do life insurance companies test for?
- Can you get renter’s insurance on an illegal apartment?
- My husband just broke his arm. Can I get insurance to cover it?
Nervous Nellies
- Why would I be declined for life insurance?
- Can my car insurance company deny a claim?
- What if a life insurance company goes bankrupt?
Philosophers
- When will Medicare be broke?
- Should employers offer disability insurance?
- Should long-term care insurance be mandatory?
Sensitive Subjecters
- Does Medicare D pay for Viagra?
- Does life insurance check for herpes?
- Does a spouse have to sign a life insurance policy?
Intelligent
- Can you deduct disability insurance premiums on your taxes?
- How do you calculate the present value of deferred annuities?
- What are the core benefits of Medigap insurance?
More than anything, we answer simple questions from people who just want a quick answer. Some common ones are:
- What happens when term life insurance ends?
- Does home insurance cover ____? (mold, pet damage, etc.)
- All kinds of questions about Obamacare.
- Is it illegal to drive without car insurance?
- Does disability insurance cover pregnancy?
As you might imagine, the agents who contribute to InsuranceLibrary.com are continually challenged in how to articulate concisely, and spend a lot of time on research in order to give a correct response. Some are also good at wry humor and make me laugh out loud.
But at the same time that we are trying to build up the knowledge base, we take a step back to figure out what people are really asking, and how to answer so they can understand us. As in selling insurance, that human element is the true joy of being a resource for this website, and adds a spark to our days.
Spend some time perusing InsuranceLibrary.com and you will almost certainly find yourself revitalized by the questions and developing your own answers. And when the right time comes, you will have the answer that will lead to a sale.
• More from Peg Mace: 10 steps to bowling a strike with online life sales
Peggy Mace is one of the top contributors to InsuranceLibrary.com and has been a pioneer in the direct marketing life insurance business since 2001. As COO and Senior Agent for Outlook Life, she invites you to share this article on your website with a link to http://www.outlooklife.com.
