Technology has made the world a smaller place. Mobile phones have, in fact, removed the geographical barriers as everyone is now just a phone call away. Phones have become so convenient that even business deals can be closed on a phone call.
When it comes to selling insurance, you can use your phone to help boost your business. You can connect with your contacts and convert them into clients by selling insurance over the phone. However, selling insurance over the phone is an art. The first five minutes of the call is the most important as it gives the first impression and can make or break your sale. If you master the art of selling over the phone you can not only sell conveniently, you can also increase your income. So, do you know the art of telephonic sales?
If you don’t, here are five important tips which would help –
- Do your homework
Homework is not only for school kids but for you as well as you prepare to call your contact. Prepare yourself before placing the call. You should –
- Be organized
- Find out the complete information about the contact
- Make a list of all the products at your disposal
- Have a notepad handy for noting down the main points of the conversation
- Be punctual if you have a prior appointment
Place the call only when all these points have been ticked off your checklist.
- Open the call professionally
Once your contact answers the call, introduce yourself professionally. Though your contact would know you, it is important to make a formal introduction so that the contact can understand that it is a professional business call. Once you introduce yourself, check whether your client is free to talk before proceeding.
- Find your customers’ facts
Fact-finding is an important exercise which helps you shortlist the most suitable product for your customer. So, ask your contact a lot of questions to find out his/her insurance needs. Only through the answers given by your contact can you judge what your contact needs. The process is professional and it also puts the ball in your contact’s court. Once the needs are identified, your contact cannot deny them, can he?
- Suggest suitable products
After you finish with the fact-finding process and know your customers’ needs, suggest suitable products which meet such needs. For instance, if your client has a car, find out whether there is an insurance cover on it or not. If not, you can sell car insurance which is mandatory by law. Similarly, if your client has a kid, a child insurance plan would help your client create a corpus for his/her child. So, suggest products based on your clients’ needs and not to meet your sales target.
- Handle objections
Selling insurance requires you to handle every objection which your customer throws your way. When you find the facts and suggest suitable products, your contact would have a range of objections. You should have the complete information on hand to handle the objections which the client raises. Consider the objections to be an opportunity to talk more rather than as hurdles. Tackle your customers’ objections tactfully and logically and you can make them see the suitability of the product which you are offering.
When you follow these tips, you can generate sales over the phone. The process would be simple and quick. Once the client agrees to the suggested product, you can visit him/her and complete the sales process or even help them buy the product online with your help. However, when selling over the phone, you should be careful about the following –
- Always make sure that your customer is free to talk. If he/she is busy, fix another time for calling up.
- One call would not do the trick. You might be required to make follow-up calls to complete the sale. Be diligent in following-up or you would lose the sale
- Urge your client to talk. Don’t start a monologue where you dominate 90% or more of the conversation. Engage in interactive talking for fact-finding and need analysis
- Be super confident but not overconfident.
- Try and keep the conversation short and precise. A long talk tends to bore out the client who would ultimately lose interest in the call.
Armed with these tips and considerations connect with your contacts through your phone. Work smart with the efficient use of your phone and cut down on unnecessary hassles of multiple visits for generating a sale.
