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Pharaohs and Vikings

Written by: Donald F. Pooley

Article Overview: Lecturing on business life insurance at an LUAC (remember it?) School in Banff some years ago, I described a business owner as either a Pharaoh or a Viking, and said it pays to figure out just which one your prospect really is.

Pharaohs and Vikings

Lecturing on business life insurance at an LUAC (remember it?) School in Banff some years ago, I described a business owner as either a Pharaoh or a Viking, and said it pays to figure out just which one your prospect really is.
Pharaohs want their business to outlast them, to survive as a monument to their management. Vikings want it all to go up in smoke soon after they do, so people will say "No one could run it like good old Harry."
So, while Pharaohs are prospects for business life insurance, Vikings aren't. So find out fast if your business owner wants to navigate the Nile, or the North Sea.
This applies to all potential prospects. True prospects have a reason to be interested in your proposal. The others are those who are not open to your ideas. They are not prospects despite being approachable, insurable, and able to pay.
True prospects are also the decision makers. The one who can give the okay, and sign the cheque. Which is why Moses didn't waste time chatting up the High Priest for a decision but went straight to the Pharaoh. He needed to get a binding commitment from the only guy who could give him one.
So, forget those nice chats with a firm's accountants, vice- presidents, managers, lawyers, etc. until you've talked to the owner of the firm. If you can't get to see their boss, you're just wasting your time with the lesser minions.
It's no different in a family situation. Once upon a time the Dad made all the decisions. He was either a Pharaoh or Viking, so you had to discover if he wanted his family to be comfortable after his death, or suffer because he was no longer around to support them.
Nowadays, in many families it takes two to tango, but which spouse is the decision maker is not readily apparent. It may be that they both have to agree. Or it may be that, though one seems to make the decisions, the other actually controls the ultimate outcome.
So meet with both together to find out.
Your primary aim is to QUALIFY your prospects. This means to ruthlessly dump the Vikings, who are not amenable to even the best of your ideas, and all those who are nice to chat with but cannot sign the cheque.
Start today. You've nothing to lose but the time wasted on non-prospects.

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