Sales Tips…

What’s the most important

thing in closing A Sale?

We’re often asked, "What’s the most important thing in closing? Is it the plan? Is it the way you package your recommendation? Is it your presentation? Is it your manner of speech, your manner of dress, your punctuality? Is it your credentials?"

As important as all of those things are, those hidden persuaders, the single most important factor in closing is your attitude -- your belief in what you’re selling, and your belief in the fact that most people don’t buy life insurance. Even when they’re sold, they don’t necessarily buy it. They have to be assisted.

So, it’s your attitude more than any other factor that makes the big difference in closing business that doesn’t necessarily close itself.

 “It's not the answer,

it's the quality of the question.”

Success Tips… 

Develop Your

Positive Mental Attitude

The biggest asset you have is your earning capacity, and that depends entirely on your attitude. Attitude is your first and most important factor!

You know that you must sell, you’re not waiting for people to buy. A positive mental attitude --more than anything else,  -- determines your earnings.

If you decide you are going to lead and feel wonderful, strong, excited -- then you have the power to move mountains!

By Ben Feldman (13 Success Tips)

If you want to improve your attitude read books and listen to audios from the masters. Visit...

http://www.insuranceproshop.com/bookstore.html

"Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve."

Napoleon Hill

Five Tips For

The Agent Who Seeks

Greater Selling Power!

(Insurance Pro Shop Exclusive)

By Mehdi Fakharzadeh, RFC

“America’s most successful living and active insurance agent!”

Financial Services Advisor Magazine

During my many years of activity in the insurance world I learned a few things.  One broker dealer I know helps his planners to reach new heights by distributing miniatures of a striking, but small statue.  The tiny artwork depicts an Indian brave who is shooting an arrow.  Apparently the Indian is targeting the stars.  This little statue conveys something very big -- the essence of your success!  This original American symbolizes an extremely high aspiration.  Do you have a goal that is very far away!  Is your objective, like shooting an arrow at the stars?  High aim is what enables readers of the Insurance Pro Shop to avoid mediocrity.  As a sales agent you must never be mediocre.

Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do.”  Forrest Wallace Cato, author of ‘You Can Sell Like Ben, Mehdi And Norm’ told me about you.  Wally said that, “You are unique in your work.  No other agent, planner, or broker, is precisely like you.”  This is true.  And I will now add that you have the potential for greatness in sales and service.  Your success depends upon your preparation, skill, discipline, professionalism, and ability to communicate your appropriate image.  All professions must sell their service.  All sales success is built upon a common set of guidelines for sales and service.  I believe there are five rules that can lead you to the top.

I know that selling is a noble act, especially when accomplished by insurance agents and financial planners.  When you sell something worthy, you help people.  Whether your product is a highly technical investment, or a very simple insurance policy, successful presentations follow a logical pattern of information, education, and persuasion.  The successful achiever is always the person who knows that he or she is honorable and necessary.  The big producers are often motivated by a desire to help many families.  The honorable and necessary agent always places his or her client’s, or prospect’s, best-interest first.

The successful financial professional continually studies his or her craft.  A successful agent or planner continually improves his or her client service.  It is no coincidence that this Internet newsletter, published by the Insurance Pro Shop, is read by thousands of agents that are determined to improve their productivity!  The successful agent understands that prospects and clients have changing needs.  Thus your market is ever evolving.  Top producers adjust psychologically and professionally to these changes.

Selling is both science and social psychology – more psychology when you get down to it, since each of your prospective clients is different.  Successful selling requires you to consistently adjust yourself to your existing prospects and clients, over-and-over again.  In insurance sales you start with the confidence that you are valuable, honorable, important, and necessary.

“Mister Mehdi’s” Five Tips

You start with this base of confidence in yourself, as an agent, and in your products.  With this you are more likely to appeal to the average sales-weary person, plus the busy executive, and the over-cautious appointments assistant.

      1.  Quelling Fears:  During a new call, you’re naturally apprehensive – unknown ground!  The agents who visited a prospect before me were afraid – afraid they would lose commissions.  So they just dropped off some forms and ran.  I received the business by using the five essentials explained here.  I overcame my fear by capitalizing on it.  Seasoned Broadway actors get stage fright on opening nights.  This fear stimulates better performances.  Winning sales techniques evolve out of recognized fears.  If you’re new to financial sales, rehearse your presentation before friends or relatives.  Ask for suggestions.  You may be surprised at how helpful this can be.

After several practice presentations, you’ll be over your fear – since fear comes from the unknown.  As a prospect starts to trust you, his or her fears diminish.  Because you are honorable and necessary – and reflect these admirable, and even noble, qualities -- you can be trusted.

     2.  Selling Yourself:  Agents must concentrate first on selling themselves.  Most agents fail to ever understand (or fully realize) the importance of communicating their image in their market place.  Far too many agents still have no clue how to promote themselves by using the media that is available to them.  These agents think going to church, an association membership, plus joining a few civic groups, is sufficient PR for themselves.  They think this was all it takes!  And, day-after-day, they lose sales to advisors with a more recognized professional image!  Most of these agents will struggle during their entire careers.  Their markets are actually taken away from them by agents and planners who know (and use) the value of media advocacy to their advantage.  The agent or planner without an established image is living in the past.  A desired and established media image helps prospect to trust you – to accept you – to actually seek you out, and want your help.

When I meet a prospect for the first time, I invest at least twenty minutes in talking about – and selling – myself.  I give the prospect reprints of articles by or about me.  I show evidence of industry recognition and professional standing.  I provide print media evidence that I am known.  I show proof of professional accomplishments.  I show years of experience being highly involved in my specialty discipline.  I show that I know how to help people financially.  Above all, I make it clear that I am an ambassador for my specialty.

But “Mister Mehdi” Fakharzadeh

Is A Well-Established Legend!

“Of course, but Mehdi Fakharzadeh is a well-established legend,” you may say!  “What about the agent or planner who is not yet so successful and well-known!  The advisor with no real image!”  My answer is start learning how to promote yourself and when you can afford to do so, hire a professional Media Advocate to create, establish, and maintain your desired image within your target market place.

Also, simply be honest and ask people to help you.  If people believe you are sincere, they will go out of their way to assist you.  Tell people that you recently joined the insurance profession and plan to become a number one agent.  Ask for a little help.  Lew Nason, the respected financial sales trainer says, “Your personal appearance, personality, product knowledge, and attitude are all important  -- these are what you have going for you at this stage of your career.  Remember that you are honorable and necessary.  You are committed to serving your client’s best interest.  Act accordingly!!  What you look like and act like -- (your in-person image) -- tells people who and what you are.   

If you are well dressed and act professionally, your prospect will likely think:

“She looks like a successful woman.  In order to be successful, she must have satisfied customers.  Dealing with her is good business.”

“This man’s time is valuable.  He knows his stuff.  He is obviously going places, so his opinions must be valuable.  Better listen to him.”

     3.  Using Names As Tools:  Get on a first name basis with the prospect as soon as it is natural.  By using the client’s name, you sound like a neighbor over for a friendly chat – less like an outsider.  When you use familiar names as referrals, you are putting aside prospect fears.  If all these other people are buying, then your product or service must be reliable.

     4.  Controlling Your Setting:  I accomplish sixty-five to seventy percent of my business in my office – an attractive, impressive, professional setting.  I usually say:

“Of course I can come to your home/office.  But at my office I can answer questions you might have.  All my references, computation tables, and other materials are there.  Plus, there will be no telephone, fax, or people to disturb you.  You can think without interruptions.  We can both devote full attention to making the soundest possible judgment for your situation.”

When a prospect object to visiting my office, I say often ask:

“Will it be possible to have one uninterrupted hour in your office so I an save us both time?”

If neither office will do, I arrange to meet at a restaurant or in a small meeting room at a local hotel or motel.  Insurance super-star Frank Sullivan offers this advice:  “When prospects are just so busy, or think they are, that you can’t motivate them to go to your office, ask them for fifteen uninterrupted minutes, then go to the prospect’s office and make an abbreviated presentation.  After ten to fifteen minutes announce: “This is how I operate.  If you can be in my office by twelve noon, you can have a good lunch, reach some decisions on these key issues, and be out of there by one thirty p.m.  If it’s not important enough for you to devote that kind of time, I don’t think I can be of service.” This often works wonders.”

Sometimes the prospect says:  “Keep going.  We can do it here.”  Or “OK, let’s make a date.”  If he says, “Let me think about it,” I reply, “Fine, but you’ll have to call me because I won’t pursue someone unless he sets a date.”

When a prospect apparently can’t be seen during the day, suggest appointments early in the morning (coffee before work), at noon, or immediately after work at four-thirty, or five, or five-thirty.

     5. Creating Your “Yes” Atmosphere:  When you do meet  with your prospect, establish a “Yes” Atmosphere, also called a “Sales” Atmosphere.

• Start with an honest compliment.   

• A word of sympathy, when appropriate, is always well received.

• Does your prospect want to save time?  Certainly.

• Your prospect surely wants to provide for his financial future.

Important Prospecting Update… 

Schedule a Minimum of Two-Hours a Day for Phone Calling.

Make your phone calls in the morning while you and your prospects are both fresh and alert. Treat your prospecting time with the same respect you would give to any other important appointment. This is not the time to check your e-mails, play solitaire on the computer, make personal phone calls or chat with your associates.

Avoid the temptation to try and sell your product or service over the phone. Your objective for every phone call is to create interest, gather information and make an appointment. If your prospect asks you a question, get in the habit of going for an appointment rather than giving a quick response.

Don't shoot from the hip... use a script. It's important to use a phone script when you contact your prospect so you don't leave out any key information. It's a good idea to role-play your script over the phone with your sales manager, friend or spouse until he or she feels you sound confidence and professional.
 

"Acting on a good idea is better 

than just having a good idea.”

Robert Half

Testimonials and Success Stories…

"Thanks so much for all you are doing with your coaching and your systems. I purchased the Found Money Management system a couple years ago, but like many of us, didn't get rolling on it until last fall. It was really a big mistake to put off starting in! I began to earnestly study your questioning techniques and began to apply them to my practice. I saw increasing results as I began to become more proficient and more confident. The first 3 months of this year have been more successful than most of my past "years". In fact, I am about to do another Found Money Management seminar and had to add a 4th day as we are over 185 reservations with about 15 on a wait list. My advice to all the other planners is to jump in, do the work, and the results will surely follow."

Rick White, RFC, FMM, BA

  (Over 28 years in Financial Services)
American Planning Group, Inc.

 “Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skill is knowing how to do it,

and virtue is doing it.” 

David Star Jordan

Hot New Sales Opportunities…

Never Stop Learning

In Our Continuing Efforts To Help You To...

 Reach The Top Levels Of The Financial Services Profession

We've Enlisted The Help Of Some Of The Most Respected Industry Experts...

And We've Made Their Knowledge, Skills and Advice Affordable For Everyone!

Please take a few minutes to 'Visit and Bookmark' the following pages...

"Success Doesn’t Come To You… You Go To It."

Marva Collins

Well, that's it for this month’s Insurance Marketing and Sales Mastery Newsletter. I hope you found the information interesting and helpful in your efforts to grow your business.

Lew Nason
The 9 Out Of 10 Guy

Marketing and Sales Coach

Creator & Founder of www.insuranceproshop.com

P.S. Do you have a friend or associate who needs help? Why not tell them about our web site or better yet, forward this newsletter to them. They'll thank you!

© 2007 by Lew Nason, RFC, FMM, LUTC Graduate, All rights reserved
Lew Nason has been helping agents to achieve long-term success in insurance sales for over two decades. His unique perspective, on how to truly help clients, has enabled scores of agents reach the top levels of their profession. Visit his web site at www.insuranceproshop.com or call him toll free @ 877-297-4608.

Helping Insurance Agents and Advisors create endless streams of new, repeat and referral business…

www.insuranceproshop.com

Insurance Pro Shop, 150 Watson Drive, Dallas, GA, 30132

Toll Free # 877-297-4608

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