Sales

An ancient Chinese proverb reminds us: “To listen well is as powerful a means of influence as to talk well.” While everyone can benefit from this sage advice, these words of wisdom are particularly appropriate for professional salespeople. Would you consider yourself a good listener? Perhaps a more important question might be, how would your customers, business associates, friends and …

Healthcare reform continues to offer a few sobering facts for brokers. The 80 percent minimum medical loss ratio– for individual and small group insurers–will continue to squeeze commissions, and advances now are a thing of the past, while the workload is as high as it’s ever been. New sales distribution channels, including private exchanges and federally-mandated state exchanges, provide consumers …

Many agents walk away from potential sales because they think the client is too sick or too old to obtain coverage. Years ago, there was a true impaired risk market where companies such as US Life and State Life would underwrite cases using different criteria and many times accepted risks that other companies would not. That is no longer the …

Every producer at one time or another has dreaded the idea of prospecting and has struggled with figuring out an effective system for building their business. In studies of successful people in our industry, it has become clear that those who reach the Top of the Table have similar characteristics. First of all, they have discipline. They have a plan, and …

Everybody gets angry sometimes, and as an old green friend once said, “You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.”  Most people are not “likable” when they are upset because anger is a strong and defensive emotion, one that is defined as “an aroused state toward someone or something perceived to be the source of an aversive event.”  When we sense …

In the last issue of Agent eNews, we learned that concerns about online privacy and security significantly impact consumer behavior on the internet. We discussed the fundamentals of turning those concerns into a competitive advantage, by stressing transparency in the design and content of your website. This month, we’ll focus on another strategy that can dramatically improve consumer perception of …

Your foundation for building your practice with referrals is the set of attitudes, beliefs, and assumptions you bring to your prospecting efforts. This is your referral mindset. One of the things we teach at our Referral Champions Boot Camp is the 7 attitudes you must develop and use to create the most powerful action in gaining an unlimited supply of …

When was the last time you asked for the order and your prospect told you that they wanted to take it home and sleep on it? Unless you’re selling mattresses, that’s not the kind of response you were hoping to hear! When frustrated by an unmotivated prospect, regrettably, most salespeople lose the sale by either becoming overly aggressive or they …

If you have been selling annuities for more than 10 years, you may be sitting on a goldmine. I would bet the farm the majority of the seniors that own those annuities do not even take the interest on the gains, as we all know annuities were designed for income! In fact the majority of clients knew way back on …

Nice guys don’t have to finish last, but trying to make sure you never upset anyone is guaranteed to slow you down. If you are serious about your professional goals, you can’t be worried about keeping everyone happy. This may sound as if I’m contradicting my own motto: It’s all about them. But don’t be fooled. “Them” refers to people …