“The problem with communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished,” said George Bernard Shaw. That quote still holds true today; you may know the nuts and bolts of what you’re talking about, but if you don’t know how to deliver your message effectively, you’re not going to sell. Below are some rules about how to effectively communicate to others, with words and body language. Consider the following techniques the next time you’re ready to go to a sale.
Non-verbal Communication
Make eye contact ¾’s of the time – It’s a known fact that most Americans find eye contact assuring; it shows that you are trustworthy and confident. Try to hold eye contact about ¾’s of the time you’re speaking to the client so they know they can trust you. You may want to lessen this if you’re speaking to the spouse of the opposite sex, or if your client comes from a different cultural background; many Asian and Arab countries prefer less eye contact.
Lean forward – While still respecting your client’s personal space, lean forward towards them as you speak. This will show your client that you’re interested in what you’re talking about as well as illustrating the importance of the appointment to you and them.
Position Yourself – When sitting at the table, make sure you are wary of what gender sits where. You should sit at the end of the table with the spouse of the same sex closest to you. Spouses of the opposite sex should sit furthest away, so the other spouse is not distracted by the fact that you’re sitting too close to their husband or wife! By sitting in the correct position you’ll be setting yourself up for success.
Avoid fidgeting – Just like you’ll hear in public speaking, fidgeting during a presentation gets in the way of your message. Don’t toe tap or pen click; this makes you appear nervous, impatient, and distracted. All three of these things may harm your appearance to your client.
Verbal Communications
Pay attention to your surroundings – Before you set foot in your client’s home, take a moment to look at your surroundings. What do you notice about your client from their front yard? What about once you’re in the home? From these observations, you can discover talking points to discuss with your client. For example, if they have a boat parked in their driveway, you could ask them if they go boating frequently and where. Although this won’t help with “nuts and bolts,” it’ll give you good talking points in becoming familiar with your client and building trust with them.
Know the answer to your question – Ask questions that incite the answer you’re looking for. You want your client to visualize the situation they’d be in if they don’t get protection. This will help you have power over the conversation.
Lead with questions – This is a good way to steer a conversation without seeming too pushy. Know the answers you want and create questions from that.
Pauses - Pausing after delivering information will give your client a chance to catch up mentally and possibly offer a reply. You can also emphasize an important point by doing this, as well as highlighting the gravity of the decision being discussed.
Notice your Client’s Discomfort – You may not be the only one nervous during your appointment. If your client seems agitated or nervous, it may be a good idea to point it out and address it. This will both show you’re perceptive as well as give you a chance to address their worries. It puts you in control.
Coupled with the National Agents Alliance Sales System and proper training, this extra step in properly communicating with your client will help you strengthen your ability to speak effectively. Remember, you are there to help your client, and you should use all the skills you can in clearly presenting your products so the client is fully aware of their need to be protected.
About NAA:
National Agents Alliance is the independent agent’s goldmine of opportunity to develop serious income potential in both up-front commissions as well as back end residuals. Whether your career ambitions are to run your own independent life insurance agency or to be in the field writing business, National Agents Alliance is the place to make the kind of money you always dreamed of making.
The Sales Training blog is only a fraction of the type of training available to insurance agents through National Agents Alliance. Contracted NAA insurance agents have access to many more tools and resources such as:
• NAA University™, a platform for training and certifying our agents on peak production techniques
• NAAtv™, an online resources containing training videos and a conference call archive available 24 hours a day
• KIT Marketing®, a direct-mail service exclusive to NAA® agents for automatically keeping in touch with clients
3 Questions about Annuities That You Should Answer
Annuities can intimidate some insurance agents; it’s not part of insurance sales 101, but it can be a great add-on to your sale, as well as helping protect your client’s retirement assets. The best thing to do is to study up on the basics and understand how an annuity will satisfy your client’s needs concerning a savings plan.
But let’s start with the basics first…
National Agents Alliance Tips On Travelling Sales: Part 2
In our first installment, we gave you tips from Alex Fitzgerald on how to approach traveling sales so you won’t end up breaking the bank. We’re going to pick up where we left off and go over important things to keep in mind when budgeting your trip, making the sale, and calculating your final profit.
As we said before, before you set foot in your car to drive out to a sale, make sure you’ve got the sales system down pat (we can’t stress this enough!). Otherwise, you’ll be driving further out for further expense without increasing your profit! Play it safe; get the hang of selling before venturing out into the wild blue yonder.
National Agents Alliance Top Agency Manager on Traveling for Leads
Are you looking to cast your net further than your back yard? Many Sales experts are eager to go out into the frontiers in order to meet with families who have never spoken with a mortgage protection specialist.
However, out-of-state leads need to be approached in a smart way or you could end up in the hole. We recently spoke with Alex Fitzgerald of National Agents Alliance, one of the top Agency Managers in the business.
Part-time in Mortgage Protection helps bring home Full-Time Paycheck
We’re not going to beat around the bush; economic times are tough right now. Currently the U.S. unemployment rate is hovering around 7%, and some experts speculate that we could head into double-digit numbers by the end of the year. In order to avoid lay-offs, many companies have to cut back on hours or pay. This might keep people in offices, but the blow to your paycheck is hard to live with.
According to ABC News, part-time jobs are now in high demand, and for good reason. With companies cutting back hours, there’s an increasing gap between American’s paychecks and their monthly bills.
What do you need to help fill the gap? Do you really want to work an extra 40 hours per week to get by? There is another, smarter, way to help increase your income: part-time insurance sales.
National Agents Alliance Gleans Spanish-Speaking Market Insight from Virginia Charles
These days, it’s becoming more and more important to reach out to new, untapped markets. At National Agent’s Alliance®, we encourage our agents to contact overlooked families in order to give families the financial protection they need. One such market is the Spanish-speaking market. Spanish-speaking families have the same concerns and desire to protect their family, but often aren’t contacted because of language barriers.
National Agents Alliance says “hola!” to Spanish-Speaking Market
These days, it’s becoming more and more important to reach out to untapped markets. At National Agent’s Alliance®, we encourage our agents to contact overlooked families in order to give families the financial protection they need. One such market is the Spanish-speaking market. Spanish-speaking families have the same concerns and desire to protect their family, but often aren’t contacted because of language barriers. In order to encourage agents to tap into this market, we’ve asked producers that have reached out to Spanish-speaking families and consistently provide protection to them. We hope these interviews will help inspire other agents to dip into these valuable markets!
Top National Agents Alliance Producers: Paul Roberts & Richard Ramirez
Our final installation of Top NAA Producers includes Paul Roberts and Richard Ramirez. Thank you to all of the producers who contributed to our blog; We’ll see you all at the NAA National Convention!
Top National Agents Alliance Producers: Carlton Lear
Over the next few posts, we’re going to highlight some of the top producers at National Agent’s Alliance. We hope these interviews will give new insight and inspiration to agents within the company and beyond. Andy Albright, president of National Agent’s Alliance, had this to say about the project: “These producers are growing like crazy and we could learn from their fantastic production. I strongly recommend you read these articles and learn from the best!”
Top National Agents Alliance Producers: Grace and Alan McGill, Raza Begg
Over the next few posts, we’re going to highlight some of the top producers at National Agents Alliance. We hope these interviews will give new insight and inspiration to agents for the new year. Andy Albright, president of National Agents Alliance, had this to say about the project: “These producers are growing like crazy and we could learn from their fantastic production. I strongly recommend you read these articles and learn from the best!”
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