How Has Public Program Cutbacks Contribute To The Lack Of North Carolina Health Insurance

In our economy todaylight people are almost forced to buy the cheapest insurance policy available or have no insurance at all. People are skimping on coverage and will end up with a medical bill that exceeds the money they saved by having a cheap premium. I see this every single day as a curative insurance sales agent. I have a few tips that can help you if you find yourself having a hard time selling your policy or get the statement, “Im shopping for the cheapest price and will ask you back later”. No sales person wants to hear this. Follow these tips and you will find that your sales will increase.

The Golden Rule:
Treat others as you would want to be treated. often be respectful of your prospects no matter what age they are. Just using “please” and “thank you” can go a lengthy way with people. Your customers are coming to you for your opinion and help and they agree with you to have their commendable interests in mind. Just think about how you would want a loved one treated if they were the ones out shopping for insurance. Would you want someone to be rude to your grandparents, parents, siblings or friends or treat them like they are dumb for asking questions? I highly doubt it. The people you will be talking to are someones grandparents, parents, siblings and friends. Treat people as family. Your customer will believe much more comfortable and will open up to you if you are warm and friendly to them. They will ask all of their questions instead of individual afraid that if they ask you might act as if they should already know the answer. Insurance can be confusing to someone who hasnt had extensive exercises and it is a huge decision that they will brand that will impact their quality of life.

Ask, Listen, Ask, Listen:
Always ask probing questions to find out what your prospect is looking for in an insurance policy and what they need to have to make the policy worth their money. Just asking questions isnt enough, you must listen carefully to their answers so you can better identify what you can do to help them. If you dont get an answer to your question that you understand then try rephrasing the question until you understand their answer given that you not at all want to assume anything. By asking questions and listening to the answers you will build trust with your prospect. They will be able to see that you are looking out for them and their needs. You show that you are involved with their health needs and that you want to make sure that they get the whole lot the deserve and need. This also helps retain your clients because they are not going to have to call you back after the policy has started to ask you questions that werent answered at the time of the sale. You will look like you are an bright agent who knows what they are doing and that is what people want. They want a authority, not someone who is just looking for a commission.

Listen for buying indications:
By using the ask and listen tip you will quickly begin to pick up on buying signals. When your customer says things like “When I go to my doctor…” or “Do I pay my premiums on the first of the month” they are already putting each other into your policy. A more subtle buying signal is the customer asking about how they will do an enrollment. They are already thinking about the enrollment process in their minds and could possibly thinking about doing it that day if the process is simple. Then you have your more obvious buying signal, the customer tells you they want the policy. If you sell policies in person then the buying signals are much easier to pick up on because you can read the customers body language, facial expressions and tone of voice better. Over the phone selling is a little more difficult because you only have a split second to pick up on the buying signal and get the enrollment process started before your customer starts to have second thoughts that may delay their decision. Always be quick to address these buying signals and get the enrollment process started.

Ask for the sale:
Youll never get anywhere in a sales career if you are unable to just flat out ask for the sale. Some people need that extra push, they need you to ask them for their business. Dont be afraid to ask for the sale because you are worried they will say no. The vilest they can do is say no and at least you will know that you tried to get that sale. If you hear a buying signal, dont hold back, ask for the sale. If your customer tells you they arent sure then go back to the ask, listen, ask, listen to determine what they might be confused about or to determine if a different policy sounds better to them. Dont ever permitted your customer leave with questions or confused and never let them leave without asking for their business. Remember that if you are an agent in a call center or an agent that people choose to come to, these customers came to you for a reason and they would not have cell phoned or come to you if they werent interested in what you are selling.

Match your prospect/customer:
Try to catch on to what kind of customer you are dealing with. Is it a person who likes to talk, listen, or think. If they like to talk then make sure that there isnt any awkward silence that might make them uncomfortable, if they are a listener make sure you give them key points that are appealing and tell them exactly what you are selling, if they are quiet or look like they are deeply concentrated on what you are telling them then ask them what they are thinking so you can make sure they are understanding everything you say. You have to think like your customer to understand them. Match your callers tone as well. If they speak slowly then you should too. If they speak loudly then they might have a hearing problem or a bad phone connection so you want to make sure that you are speaking clearly but not yelling at them. The only omission to this rule is if your customer is angry, never match an angry tone or else the situation may get aggressive and both of you will lose out.

Be assertive but not pushy:
No one likes to be bugged or pushed near to. Never try to force a customer into buying something they are confused about or unsure of. Think about the last time a telemarketer call your house trying to sell you something you know you didnt want. They try to keep you on the phone by not letting you speak and never carry no for an answer. I know that when I get these kinds of sales people I lose respect for the organization they work for and will never consider buying their product or service. If your customer is unsure then make sure you clear up anything that may be confusing to them and if they are still unsure and dont want to buy anything likewise then let them go. If you bug them about buying a policy they will probably feel threatened and will tickle you permanently off their list of companies to buy from. Being assertive by asking for the sale is all you need to do and if they say no then at least you know that you did everything you could do to help the customer.

Ive followed these tips in my career as a health insurance agent and Ive been very flourishing at closing the sale. I never push people into something they dont want and I let them make up their own minds about what they want. I always make sure that I answer all questions to the best of my ability and if I dont know an answer I make sure that I get it. I treat my customers as if they were family or friends and I am always polite. If you make your customer feel like their needs are important to you and make them feel like they are going to be dealing with friendly people then they are more likely to go ahead and buy your policy instead of shopping around.

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Filed under: Health Insurance

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