I think we overthink as agents. And, no surprise… every day 25 emails show up in our inbox with great ideas. Five best things to do here, 10 worst things to do there. String six or seven emails like this together and pretty soon you have 50 things to do here and there.
Ever played golf? You’re on the tee staring at the ball. You first go through the 17 things to do BEFORE you swing. Feet slightly pointed out. Knees bent. Soft grip. Then, you move to the seven things to consider DURING the backswing. And then, well, you know what happens… good intentions go sideways.
“We believe having a repeatable selling model is central to seeing more people and selling more.”
I’m all for good intentions. However, they often become noise that diverts agent focus from how to sell to what to sell. The result is a focus on the product, not the solution.
We believe having a repeatable selling model—the “how to sell”—is central to seeing more people and selling more. The trick is defining your process and sticking with it day after day after day. We have a 10-step selling process that consistently works. That’s not meant to be a sales pitch. The process isn’t the hero. The process is the template. The mold. It’s a repeatable approach customized to your skills and interests.
It works because the agent knows how to work it. Three things stand out to us for how to manage this process:
- Curiosity and inquisitiveness. Ask good questions and listen. And, use the Redbird tools to capitalize on what you hear.
- Focus on getting the second meeting. Even when you may know the right answer, consider walking away to “put more thought into what you’ve heard” and leave the client looking forward to the next meeting.
- Staying connected with clients. Selling is an event. Building a relationship takes time. All the stuff you’ve heard about (and never done) works: annual reviews, holiday cards, birthday cards. And, along the way always ask for referrals.
A final note about the process: it’s more than just 10 steps to building a strong client experience. It’s about repetition and consistency in everything you do. Many of you work out of your homes. Do you have a process for “going to work”? One of our best agents is in his office every day no later than 8:00 starting to make calls. While his daily schedule is by no means rigid, it is as I like to say, on purpose. Make your approach to sales be on purpose as well.
If you want to talk more about this please call 866-547-8780, extension 102. Or, email me at drew@redbirdadvisors.com.
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Markets showing signs of stress; many options for agents to give clients
The performance of the markets this week has not been a surprise. We’ve been encouraging agents for months to meet with clients to make sure they are paying attention and to give them options to spread their risk. While we’re not investment advisors, we are investors and the markets’ performance over the last couple of weeks has gotten our attention.
“I’ve been harping on this for months,” said Redbird VP. “I’m old enough to have been through many corrections and recessions and none of them are pretty. For agents with clients who have money in the market they need to be showing them the options outside the markets.
“Right now is about helping clients manage risk and we have some great solutions.”
Below is a link to a story this week in Market Watch, one of our favorite sources for market information.
For those of you who have attended one of our “Moving Money, Protecting Clients” webinars you are aware of the many options we have to offer clients to lower their risk. If you haven’t attended then please give Drew a call to discuss. Now more than ever is the time to meet with clients.
- Full Article via MarketWatch – http://www.marketwatch.com/story/stock-market-sell-signals-are-everywhere-2014-10-15
Product of the week: 5Star Life
The relationship with a carrier is often the deciding factor in which company we decide to work with. We have an amazing relationship with 5Star Life Insurance Company and it provides great support for our Final Expense efforts. 5Star’s Final Expense product has many great benefits that set it apart:
- Social Security payment coordination. Clients can schedule their payments around when they receive their Social Security checks, even when the data can change on the third Wednesday of each month.
- 24-hour emergency death benefit. This is a fabulous feature. 5Star will pay 50% of the death benefit within 24 hours of notification. This really helps families quickly settle expenses with funeral homes.
- Preexisting conditions. 5Star has a strong underwriting process that covers many conditions such as Diabetes, Parkinson’s COPD and infrequent oxygen use.
5Star has proven its commitment to our agents over and over and it will continue to be our go-to Final Expense carrier.
Call 866-547-8780 and talk to Drew Gurley, ext. 102.
Redbird Chirps
- Fixed annuities: Answers to 5 most important questions. The National Association for Fixed Annuities (NAFA) provided a great starting point for agents in a recent white paper. This is a great read to give you an overview as well as hopefully whet your appetite to consider fixed annuities.
- Cremations about to exceed burials. Who could have predicted this even just a few years ago. My how times have changed in this business and the changes will impact sales of Final Expense products.
- Employee benefits: 5 steps to making retirement education more meaningful. For those selling employee benefits there is always the challenge of trying to get through to groups of people with different needs. Here are some good tips on making an impression and increasing your chances of higher enrollment.
- Fact Finder: end of year means planning. Get prepared to help your clients get prepared. Our Fact Finder provides an excellent platform to better understand client needs, plans and concerns. Click here to download the Redbird Fact Finder.
