Quit Making Your Insurance Prospects Feel Stupid
Quit Making Your Insurance Prospects Feel Stupid
You expect questions to initiate a conversation where the prospect opens up to you and tells you what you need to know. You’re shocked when your questions result in just the opposite. In fact, the more questions you ask the worse things get.
What’s up with that? You, my friend, may very well be asking questions that make your prospect feel stupid. Now I know you would never do that intentionally.
It happens because you’ve got this list of killer questions that are supposed to walk the prospect right in the door as a new client. Have you ever really looked at those questions? You know the questions in that neatly packaged presentation folder you were handed and told to memorize.
Let’s start with a typical starter question. You just get nicely settled in to talk with the prospect when you ask, “What are your financial goals?” Sounds like a reasonable question to you.
There are a couple of real problems with a little question like that from where your prospect sits. First, they don’t know the answer to that question. Second, they don’t know how to answer the question. Finally, they’re annoyed you asked that question because that question is obviously intended to spark an answer that leads them to buy from you.
Follow this very simple and general rule. NEVER ask a question the prospect doesn’t know the answer to. Heck, if your prospect actually knew how to answer that question they probably wouldn’t need you. They’d fit all the pieces of the puzzle that produce those outcomes together themselves.
Get to the same place by asking questions they do know the answer to. They agreed to meet with you. That means there’s something they are looking for or want to know. Wouldn’t it make more sense to ask something like, “What concerns brought us together today?”
Quit Making Your Insurance Prospects Feel Stupid - To learn more about this author, visit Cheryl A. Clausen's Website.
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Does it feel awkward when you ask prospects questions? You ask a question and the prospect just kind of looks back at you. At best they may grunt and nod.
You expect questions to initiate a conversation where the prospect opens up to you and tells you what you need to know. You’re shocked when your questions result in just the opposite. In fact, the more questions you ask the worse things get.
What’s up with that? You, my friend, may very well be asking questions that make your prospect feel stupid. Now I know you would never do that intentionally.
It happens because you’ve got this list of killer questions that are supposed to walk the prospect right in the door as a new client. Have you ever really looked at those questions? You know the questions in that neatly packaged presentation folder you were handed and told to memorize.
Let’s start with a typical starter question. You just get nicely settled in to talk with the prospect when you ask, “What are your financial goals?” Sounds like a reasonable question to you.
There are a couple of real problems with a little question like that from where your prospect sits. First, they don’t know the answer to that question. Second, they don’t know how to answer the question. Finally, they’re annoyed you asked that question because that question is obviously intended to spark an answer that leads them to buy from you.
Follow this very simple and general rule. NEVER ask a question the prospect doesn’t know the answer to. Heck, if your prospect actually knew how to answer that question they probably wouldn’t need you. They’d fit all the pieces of the puzzle that produce those outcomes together themselves.
Get to the same place by asking questions they do know the answer to. They agreed to meet with you. That means there’s something they are looking for or want to know. Wouldn’t it make more sense to ask something like, “What concerns brought us together today?”
Quit Making Your Insurance Prospects Feel Stupid - To learn more about this author, visit Cheryl A. Clausen's Website.
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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