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Speed: A New Entitlement
A benefit or a gift can quickly become something the receiver expects to get. Customer satisfaction, for instance, was originally a goal for businesses who cared about their future-something extra for the customers. Today's customers no longer are impressed with mere satisfaction; they deem the extras a basic right of the capitalistic system! Good service and professionalism, once considered added values, have become entitlements. Entitlements have gripped the hearts of consumers. Even complete satisfaction isn't enough anymore. As the mavens have been expounding, you now have to WOW your clients by totally exceeding their expectations. One of the most basic forms of entitlement ever developed is the 'right' to speed. As an article in the Wall Street Journal put it, 'Time is money. Time waits for no man. The unforgiving minute.' Major hotel chains are already beginning to recognize the need for speed. Hyatt and others, for instance, are adding convenience restaurants to service the eat-and-run mentality of today's business travelers. Just look at the coffee carts in the lobbies; even morning room service has become too slow for most travelers. Remember when fax machines seemed a miraculous time-saver? Now we tap a foot impatiently while waiting for a page to print out. It seems unfair, but the entitlement to speed has gradually spread to technologies that have not experienced any great revolution in speed. Take telephones; speed-dialing aside, it still takes roughly the same time to make a connection, and the spacing between the rings remains unchanged. Nevertheless, if the phone has not been picked up by the second or third ring, I no longer tolerate the wait. Often I'll hang up and redial, thinking I must have dialed the wrong number. After all, no one would let a telephone go beyond the third ring! What does all this mean to you, the agency owner? Most agents acknowledge that banks are beginning to compete for their customers. They admit that the banks' deep financial resources will enable them to muscle into a significant share of the insurance market. But, argue the agents, we'll be able to hold our own with personalized service and niche marketing. I maintain that these steps won't help if the agents fail to come up to speed. Since the beginning of time, it seems, it has taken a bank at least two or three weeks to process a home mortgage application, grant the approval, and prepare the paperwork. Well, times have changed. Bank commercials now extol the fact that approvals can be granted within two working days, and in the near future, we'll doubtless see same-day approvals. Processing the mortgage takes a little more time, but Bank of Boston has already cut the average from 25 days to 10. How long do you think it will take the banks to satisfy the need for speed when it comes to insurance? E. Margaret Fulton, a Canadian education consultant who spoke at the 1995 International IMMS Convention, says that we must take time to imagine what an insurance agency can be, and then plan the methods that will accomplish the changes. Automation provides the tools. The question is: Have we taken time to imagine what this can accomplish and then plan for the implementation? Imagine this: The agent of tomorrow is driving to the first appointment of the day (11 a.m.). The cellular car phone rings; it's the agency's in-house telemarketing sales center, saying, 'I notice your afternoon schedule is open. We just got a hot lead and you're already in the general area. The appointment is set for 2 p.m. I'm faxing you a facts sheet now. Good luck!' The producer opens a voice-activated computer appointment notebook and notes the appointment in the daily log. Stopping at a red light, our producer of the future glances at the inbound fax on his new appointment and calls the prospect to confirm the time. Arriving at the 11 o'clock appointment, the producer enters the prospect's office with a laptop computer (with CD-ROM reader, of course) and cellular phone. This particular meeting was called to conduct a risk survey, which will accompany an application. Using the laptop, the producer accesses a standardized risk survey for this particular client's industry and fills it out with the client. Then the producer copies the application form from the IMMS Silver Membership (CD-ROM) company programs section and pastes it into the word-processing program on the laptop. Once that's done, the producer uses the cellular phone and the laptop to fax the application and risk survey to the selected company (for submission), the prospect (for hard copy and signature), and his/her own agency (for the files). While driving to that new appointment, the producer uses the cellular phone to catch up on messages from a personal pager and the office voice mail. Arriving a few minutes early for the 2 p.m. appointment, the producer remains in the car for a few minutes and uses the cellular phone with the laptop to check E-mail. After catching up on call-backs, our producer approaches the new prospect with confidence that the laptop and the CD-ROM library have everything necessary for a professional presentation, whatever the risk might be! This is not a pipe dream. Agents in the field are currently operating in this manner. Unfortunately, many agencies have all these automation tools at their disposal but have not yet mastered their marketing capabilities. Achieving speed, however, takes more than high-tech automation. Here are just a few items to review that could be turning off your prospects before you ever start: Does your switchboard receptionist answer the phones immediately? How often does that phone ring more than two or three times when you call in? Once answered, how long is the average call placed on hold? Remember, time goes much more slowly when you're waiting. Just 20 seconds on hold can easily seem like two minutes to the caller. [Suggestions: Holding is a necessary evil in many agencies, especially with recent down-sizing trends. To help eliminate problems, the operator should check back with the caller every 15-20 seconds if the call is slow to be processed. Also, take advantage of this time by providing your client/prospect with needed information through a message-on-hold service for your phone system.] This one may get me into a bit of hot water: Get rid of the automated answering systems. This is one area where automation actually impedes business. These menu-driven systems often force the caller to endure up to two minutes for the compu-voice to list their options. What's more, once a selection is chosen you are often branched into another menu-ad infinitum. A well-trained, personable telephone receptionist can handle the call in a tenth of the time. Also, if most customers call long distance, they may resent paying for the additional line time. Develop a policy on call-backs and adhere to it. Producers should return all calls during every break between appointments. If not possible, have a support person call to advise the client/prospect when the producer will be calling them. Internal support people (CSRs and claims processors) should return every phone message within 30 minutes. If in doubt about a call-back policy, think back to the last time you left a message with a customer service operation for some product you had purchased. As each hour goes by without a call-back, you become more and more angry until you finally reach a decision to never purchase from that company again. Ring a bell? Process all information daily. The need to cater to what this article calls 'entitlement' does not allow you to postpone sending any certificate, correspondence, or any other information to your clients. They're waiting for it-and they aren't waiting patiently. By the way, this information is not restricted to paper-sending of data or information electronically must be prompt, too. As shown in the example of the producer example, automate your producer of tomorrow, train your producers in the science (and the art!) of using automation for greater marketing effectiveness. Pressure your companies to speed up processing. The old excuse, 'We're waiting for the company' won't cut it any longer. Your clients will move on to speedier competitors and you'll lose! Remember that every journey begins with the first step. You aren't necessarily going to get your 'speed quotient' up overnight. Even management advisor Tom Peters blows it. His latest book extols readers, 'Return phone calls fast,' but when Fortune reporter Andrew Serwer called Peters, he was directed to leave a voice-mail message with an assistant-and then waited several days for the call-back. Perfection may be elusive; but the first step toward it is only a second away.

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Successful Telephone Communication Techniques: Part 2
  SUCCESSFUL TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES: PART 2 by Bruce Shaffer In 'Successful Telephone Communication Techniques: Part I,' we talked about initiating a phone conversation with a prospect. In Part 2 we cover ways to move the conversation along to your desired outcome. SILENCE CAN BE DEAFENING Once you're into a telephone conversation with a prospect, don't be afraid to pause to make sure they understood what you said or to make a point. If you pause just a few seconds, the listener has a chance to digest what you said and to respond, and you can gauge their reaction. It also shows that you're not dominating the conversation, but rather are taking the time to listen (you're in control). Silence can be used to create positive tension: Ask a question and shut up. Don't speak again until the other person answers. Silence can be deafening. It's surprising how loud a few seconds of quiet can be before someone caves in and has to speak. 'He who speaks first loses,' goes the saying. Consider it another tool in your briefcase. A pause can also be used to test the water - a trial close. Say something like 'What we usually do is send someone out to visit with you and discuss your current policies,' and then pause. If they don't respond, assume they think it's a good idea, then say, 'Boy, this week is getting pretty short already, would next week be a better time for you?' If they agree, set an appointment time, finish up with anything else you want or need to add, then go to the next call. If they respond in the negative, acknowledge their response and ask a question. If at any time in the conversation they indicate they want to 'buy' (make an appointment), shut up and set the date and time. If you're talking with the decision maker, keep your conversation down to two or three minutes. Do what needs to be done, then go on. They'll appreciate your professionalism. DID YOU MAKE A NOTE OF OUR APPOINTMENT? When you set an appointment, you don't want to be stood up. Here's something you can do to help ensure that they keep the appointment. The conversation can go something like this: 'So Tuesday will be a good day, at 2:00. Let's see, what date is that?' Let the prospect tell you the date so you know they're looking at their calendar, and chances are they'll write it down at that time. Five minutes after the phone call they'll forget they ever talked to you, much less that they have an appointment next week. Confirm the address before you hang up, and follow up with a letter reminding them of the date and time. As a general rule of thumb, don't call to confirm the appointment; it gives them a chance to back out. Try to set the appointment within the next five to seven days. If it has to be two or three weeks out, tell them you'll be calling the day before to make sure nothing's come up (to remind them). WHEN A 'NO' ISN'T A 'NO' Many people are going to say no, but you need to practice polite persistence. 'No' can mean that the prospect doesn't have enough information to make an informed decision. For example, I asked one of our major clients if any of our competitors had contacted him this year to offer a quote. He replied that he'd been contacted but let them know that he was well taken care of. What was the competing agent's rebuttal? 'OK, I'll call you next year.' If the competition always stops at the first 'no,' they'll have a hard time getting in to see anyone. Lucky for us. Our client's 'no' is a typical answer, so be ready for it. This is where you use your questioning skills. Acknowledge the response (so they know you're listening), then ask a question. You should always have some questions in your back pocket, ready to use. It could be a question on Workers Comp claims, EPL, safety programs, or whatever. It could be as simple as 'How often does your current agent do a claim review with you?' Then you can discuss some coverages or services. You can ask, 'They must be a really good agent; what's their name?' It's surprising how often they can't remember the name of the agent they think so highly of. Whatever you come up with, at least put up a fight - don't just roll over and give up. Remember, the same skills you use in a face-to-face meeting are the basic ones you use on the phone. If the contact person isn't there when you call, call back, but don't leave a message until the third call. Then try to talk to someone else. You might ask, 'Perhaps you could help me, I'm looking for the person who handles the Property and Liability insurance. Do you know who that would be?' Or 'Perhaps you could help me, are you the person who handles your firm's insurance?' You might be talking to the right person after all. If you can't connect, leave a message, but don't necessarily expect a return call. GAMING SKILLS Remember, be disciplined. If you're going to use the phone, make a plan and stick to it. Pick a time of day to call, decide how many calls you'll make per day, then do it. It's a numbers game. How many people do you have to call before you get an appointment? Start to keep track, so you'll know what to expect. If you know that every 10-13 calls results in an appointment, it makes your job easier because you have some goals and you're not shooting in the dark anymore. You also need to plan when to call certain types of businesses. For example, contractors are generally early-morning calls, restaurants between and/or after the breakfast and lunch rush. Break up your day with other duties so you don't get burned out, but do pick certain times to call and then do it! RECORD YOUR INFORMATION You'll rarely get an appointment on the first call. It may take up to three years just to get in to see the person you need to see. Keep notes of each conversation. List the date of call, first and last name and title of the person you talked to, agent's name, insurance company, number of employees, personal information, and any indications of discomfort with their current agent. Always send a letter after you conclude your contact with the decision maker, regardless of the outcome. You should have several form letters ready to go for these occasions: It was nice to talk to you, I will call you back on ____. I will be out to see you on ____. A nice letter of declination. You'll also need to set a 'pend,' a time and date to call them back. There are several marketing software programs to help you do this. Once you've collected all this valuable information, pay attention to what you do with it. Information is crucial to any marketing plan, so make sure before you get started that you have a good grasp of how to manipulate it and what you want to track. Now you realize you're in control - you're the driver, and you know where you're going. You know what information you're looking for and how to track it. Your next step might be to determine a class of business to go after to build a list of prospects. Good luck! Bruce Shaffer is marketing manager for Talbot Agency, Inc., Albuquerque, NM, one of the 20 largest insurance brokers in the United States. He has been involved for more than 15 years in sales and marketing management and teaches classes on how to develop prospects. He can be reached at [email protected].

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