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There is No Trophy for Just Showing Up

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My first experience in the martial arts occurred when, at the age of 8, I visited a judo class being taught at the local Boy’s and Girl’s Club.  The idea of tripping and throwing others around sounded exciting to a young, skinny kid.  But what I didn’t understand was that you also got tripped and thrown when you showed up …

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After You Say, “I Do”

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You woo them, you court them, you often invite them to dinner and buy them a nice meal.  You occasionally shower them with gifts, and you bend over backwards to see that they have everything they need to make a decision in your favor.  You talk, laugh, and get to know each other.  You come to believe that person is …

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Going Beyond Customer Satisfaction

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There’s an oversupply of useless, whacky, and just plain dumb marketing and sales ideas. For example, if someone says the best time to email customers is 10 a.m. on Thursdays, forget it. What if you’re aiming at teachers, lawyers, nurses, Boomers or just about anyone else? One solution never fits everyone, even if they’re in the same market segment. So, …

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When Should You NOT Ask for Referrals?

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If you’ve been reading my articles over the last few years, you know that I’m a huge advocate of asking for referrals.  While I don’t teach an aggressive approach, I do advocate finding ways to be appropriately proactive.  Sometimes, it’s appropriate to promote the referral process by planting referral seeds. One of my favorites is, “Don’t keep me a secret,” …

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Making Self-Promotion Work For You

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There’s nothing complicated about being successful in business. It’s simple and it goes like this: It’s all about making a name for yourself. That’s it, self-promotion. Getting known. Whether it’s finding and impressing prospects, keeping current customers, or moving ahead in a career, volunteering has long been the platform for gaining visibility. For some, it’s serving on company committees and …

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Use the 80/20 Rule to Grow Your Business

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If your business isn’t growing, you need to get a handle on the way you’re running it.  Many insurance agents tend to spend a great deal of time performing unnecessary tasks that contribute little to the growth of their business.  The 80/20 rule, otherwise known as the Pareto Principle, teaches that only 20% of your actions should lead to 80% …

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7 Sure-Fire Success Principles

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Success is something everyone wants but only a few achieve. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. No matter where you are in your career, from job seeking to having held the same position for an extended period, there are principles you can apply to ensure your success. Below are seven sure-fire success principles you can start using right …

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Are You Qualified to Sell?

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As a sales strategist, I have witnessed salespeople try to disqualify a client time and time again. Whether they realize it or not, they’re actually looking for a reason to move onto the next call or what they feel may be the easier sale. They’re cherry picking for the slam dunk, the lay down, or the rollover. I have heard …

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Are Mistaken Assumptions Preventing You from Getting More Referrals?

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Why don’t reps ask for referrals more often? Mistaken assumptions! Producers make certain assumptions about the referral process that often hold them back from fully leveraging their client relationships. A few weeks ago, I was having a very interesting conversation with Phil Simonides, a successful manager in the financial services industry.   In teaching my referral system to both new and …

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Easy Ways to Reframe Rejection

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The financial industry is rife with rejection, and some agents/advisors deal with it better than others. How do they deal with it? By building up their emotional strength and not taking it personally.  Indeed, it is possible for advisors to desensitize themselves to rejection and become like Teflon. However, if your days are filled with calls and meetings that are …

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