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Sell Your Way Out of It!

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I’m currently consulting for a fairly large insurance agency. While conducting a one-on-one coaching session with one of their sales representatives, I offered some advice that many salespeople–or anyone for that matter–can benefit from. And it starts with this: Get out of your own way! This was the situation. Zach (not his real name) was struggling. He had some personal …

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What the Bleep is Operation Green Turtle?

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Several years ago, when I was managing an insurance office, I was interviewing a prospective sales rep who I felt had great potential as an agent. Throughout the interviewing process, she was articulate, impeccably dressed, and demonstrated excellent people skills. I was convinced that I had found a real superstar. Shortly after she was hired, my new agent invited me …

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Persistence Makes for Better Persistency!

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Ours is a business full of twists and turns.  And it’s all a matter of how we handle those twists and turns that shape us.  I recently had an annuity case that put me to the test. And I wondered all through the entire process if I was man enough to complete it. Let me start from the beginning.  It …

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Enhance Your Everyday Negotiating Techniques

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When we hear the word “negotiating,” we often think of closing a big sale or making a big purchase, but negotiating is something that can happen every day with family, co-workers and clients. You are negotiating any time you tell someone that what you want is different from what they are trying to give you. The common goal of negotiation …

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Actions Speak Louder than Words: Business Ideas That Drive the Right Results

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Americans spend more than $12 billion per year on the nation’s most pervasive addiction—self-help and the seemingly insatiable desire to be more successful. Like other compulsions, we can’t get enough to satisfy our longing. Every couple of weeks, there’s a new self-help book, video or seminar. Malcolm Gladwell’s latest addition to his shelf of self-help books is totally enticing. It’s …

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Green Eggs and Successful Sales

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Four Words: Massive Rejection Equals Success. A top producer is the person who hears the most ‘No’s. To realize profitable weekly sales results, every customer ‘no’ should push you and get you closer to a sale. “Some people fold after making one timid request,” says Jack Canfield, “They quit too soon. In sales there are usually four or five ‘No’s …

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The Real Marketing Revolution: It’s All About Turning Customers into Marketers

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The idea that marketing is something that companies “do” is so ingrained in the business mindset that it’s impossible to think otherwise. Yet, that’s exactly what needs to happen. It’s true that many marketers enthusiastically avoid the traditional marketing label with energetic efforts to recalibrate their careers. No matter what you call it, pull the curtain back and marketing largely …

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Are You Settling for a “One-Shot Wonder” Career?

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One-shot wonders in business are not unlike one-hit wonders on the Billboard charts. Basically, a person starts out with a bang, but is never able to replicate that level of success again. As Andy Warhol once said, “In the future, everybody will be world famous for 15 minutes.” Are you guilty of putting one-shot wonder effort into your insurance career? …

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Targeting Niche Markets

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Targeting an industry niche is a very effective, yet underused marketing strategy in the financial services industry. It can be hard to create a reputation for yourself when your marketing approach is “shotgun.” On the other hand, when you target a very specific industry niche, it’s fairly easy to elevate yourself to “celebrity status.” Let’s start out with a definition. …

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7 Rookie Agent Mistakes (You Should Avoid Making)

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For over a decade, I have been in the insurance business. I’ve worked as an agent, consultant, and sales trainer. And I have seen an enormously-high failure rate when newly licensed agents come on board. Why is there such a high failure rate for new agents, and others that are new to the business? Well, we all make mistakes, so …

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