Nothing happens until somebody sells something. To make sales happen, IMMS.com Key Sales Consultant Randy Schwantz has created a comprehensive series of 43 Producer Success Lessons. Used singly or in combination, these powerful tools can help your producers build their skills and grow their sales.
When Art Goldberg was the Secretary of Labor under John F. Kennedy, he made it a point never to go within 100 feet of the president without having all his documents in order and was fully prepared to answer any reasonable question Kennedy might ask.
With that sort of organized preparation, how could anyone go wrong? Why is it, then, that we often spend more time making our lunch plans than planning for the phone calls we're making today?
The key to organized preparation is to have written goals for each call you make. You don't have to write down the goals before each call, though. Just sit down and write out the goals and expected outcome for each type of call you make on a regular basis. Each call should be planned, including the objections you might get and prepared responses.
Look at your records and ask yourself, 'What's my closing percentage when someone calls with their limits and asks for a quote?' Is it 100%? How about 75%? Let's at least go for 50%!
Is this typical?
Prospect: 'Fax me a quote.'
Producer: 'OK, and then I'll call you so we can go over it.'
Gong! You just wasted precious time. This person is about as likely to talk to you as to the man in the moon. Try one of these responses to their request for a quote:
Prospect: 'Fax me a quote.'
Producer: 'That could be a problem. Our company policy is that I have to get a document signed that says I explained all the coverages to protect us from E&O. What do you think we ought to do?'
Here you're asking the caller to tell you their interest level. If their interest is high, a signed document is no problem. If the caller is just shopping or feels no pain, you won't waste any time, because the caller won't want to bother with a signed document. Remember, 'no' is only a rejection if you must hear 'yes.'
Prospect: 'Fax me a quote.'
Producer: 'When someone requests that of me, do you know what I hear?'
Prospect: 'What?'
Producer: 'That service and coverage is not that important - you just want a cheap price. Is that a fair statement?'
If it is a fair statement, do you really want to work with this person? If it's not a fair statement, ask the caller the most important elements of their buying decision. Then ask for an appointment to go over the unique ways your agency can help them with those elements.
Here's a similar example - if the caller is just interested in price and you have some spare time, go ahead and fax the quote. But first try to uncover the real reason the caller wants it.
Prospect: 'Fax me a quote.'
Producer: 'Well, that's a good idea, assuming all you're interested in is price.'
See how the outcome of a call is directly related to how well prepared you are when you pick up the phone?
THE CALL PLANNER
One of the best telephone trainers in the country is George Walther. He's developed a Call Planning and Objectives Form to help people keep on track with specific objectives when they're on the phone. He'll send you one if you write to him and ask for it. Here's what you fill in on the form:
Person called/calling:
Caller's number:
Achieved?
Primary Objective: Yes No
Secondary Objectives: Yes No
Bare Minimum: Yes No
Follow-up Action: Yes No
What an elegantly simple form - either you achieved your objectives or you didn't. Either you'll get paid for that effort or you won't.
EXERCISE
Make a few copies of the Call Planner. Use them before you dial the phone today. Really plan your calls. Then compare today's results with the results of your unplanned calls.