No matter how you got the insurance marketing was generated, the prospect is not dying to buy an annuity.  That’s what selling is all about.  Uncovering the prospect’s WANTS (not needs as people don’t buy what they need) and matching those wants with insurance products and services.  You determine if there is a match by asking questions, not by telling your prospect all the reasons there are to buy insurance.

Most agents can’t sell. They think they can. I would estimate that 70% of all insurance marketing leads are wasted–that the prospect is a viable prospect but the insurance agent has a lack of skill to convert the prospect to a client.  For that reason, many insurance agents have an opinion that “leads don’t work.” More accurately, the agent can’t work the lead.  Sorry if we offend you but we have found this to be an accurate assessment after monitoring thousands of insurance agents. We highly recommend you study these two books:

SPIN Selling by Neal Rackham
Question Based Selling by Tom Freese

Please don’t just read them.  If you study them, you will easily double the number of appointments when you speak to insurance marketing leads on the phone and double your closing ratio in person.

You will learn much form these books.  The most important lesson is that anytime you end a sentence without a question mark, you’re not selling, you’re telling.  The #1 rule of a sales: the one asking the questions controls the sale.  If your pitch is to tell the prospect about your product and then wait to address their questions or concerns, you’re losing 2/3 of your sales.  Don’t be surprised if you have purchased “lousy” insurance marketing leads that did not convert.  While you may view the lead as the problem, that’s not why the prospect did not buy.

Another rules of selling is that you don’t give your pitch and then look for a “yes.”  Insurance products today are too complex.  Explaining your insurance policy simply confuses your prospect in most cases. In fact, you should have the prospect agree to do business with you BEFORE you even talk about your insurance policies.  Let’s consider this hypothetical sales conversion.  Note how the agent asks questions.

You: Thank you for meeting.  May I ask what motivated you to inquire about insurance?

Prospect:  I think I might need some, but I don’t think I can afford it.

You: How much life insurance do you think you need?

Prospect: $200,000 to pay off my mortgage

You: Why does this concern you?

Prospect:  I don’t want to burden my family with debt if I die.  I want the house to be paid off.

You: What do you think the insurance might cost?

Prospect: I don’t know, maybe $1000 a year?

You: What would be the source of the payment?

Prospect: From the money I earn but I use everything I earn for my living expenses so I don’t think I can afford it.

You: If I could show you how you could afford it, is this a major priority for you?

Prospect: Absolutely, what ideas do you have?

You: May I take a look at your last pay stub and any investments or savings that you have?

Prospect: If you can find $1,000 a year without impairing my ability to pay my living expenses, you have a new client

In this sales conversation with an insurance marketing lead, notice that there is no pushing, no convincing. Are your sales conversations all about convincing and educating, about TELLING the prospect.   If that’s the case, then you probably don’t  get as many appointments as you should from you insurance marketing leads and likely don’t close as many sales as you should.