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Happy Employees Increase Efficiency
Some employees are actually happy in their jobs these days, and for good reason. The wave is starting to swell as more and more agencies are truly taking care of their employees. From a half-day off per week to allowing them to pick up their kids from school to telecommuting, agencies are thinking about how their employees feel and taking care of their personal needs. Surprise! Employees really are happy. After all, what other agencies or companies these days would even think of such things? Enlightened agencies are identifying their employees’ needs and satisfying them. Needless to say, revenue is increasing, morale is up, employees are sticking around, and overall efficiency is increasing. TAKE A HALF-DAY OFF Yes, some agencies are giving employees a half-day off with pay. Agencies pay their employees for a full 40-hour week and give them the half-day off of their choice. Employees can schedule doctor appointments, be at home while a special service is performed, or run errands during that time. Remember those instances when an employee had to run home to open the door for the rug cleaners or take one of their children to the doctor? Think about how much more efficiently the agency could run with a consistently full staff most of the time. It could eliminate disruptions throughout the day and result in a higher quality of work. After all, employees know they have their half-day off to take care of personal needs that might otherwise be on their minds. Morale goes up, and work remains up-to-date. PICK THE KIDS UP AT SCHOOL 'Sally has a temperature, and the school nurse called me to pick her up.' 'I don’t want Sally riding the bus today. I really need to pick her up at school.' How often have you heard these kinds of concerns from parents? One agency allows an employee to do this every day. Apparently, the employee wanted to make sure that the child wasn’t riding the bus every day. They wanted to be there when the child left the school grounds. Believe me, the employee is very grateful to have this opportunity. After all, what other company would allow this benefit? Again, morale and efficiency increase. TELECOMMUTE WHILE THE BABY’S SLEEPING Enrolling young children in preschool is now very common. Parents drop off their children at school in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon. One employee wanted to do just that. They wanted to pick their child up and make sure they were home with the child in the afternoon. That’s what one agency did for its employee. The agency furnished a computer for the employee’s home and forwarded the employee’s telephone calls there. Is the employee grateful? You bet, more than anyone could ever know! The employee is very happy, and the agency is working more efficiently. HELP EACH OTHER TO PREPARE FOR VACATION TIME Vacation time! When aren’t we excited to go on vacation? But as we all know, that means an up-to-date desk. One employee thought of having a co-worker cover phone calls for two days so that they could get their desk caught up before heading out on vacation. Of course, it meant there would be a payback time. But the vacation started on time, and the employee was excited to be out the door on Friday. Again, another very happy employee, and another very happy agency. Efficiency is up. Morale is up. Employees are sticking around. These are only a few things I’ve heard about in my work. I’m sure there are plenty more. Agencies are riding the wave and listening to their employees to make them happy. From that half-day off to schedule a doctor appointment to CSRs covering for one another to take vacation time, more and more companies are realizing how important it is to keep their employees happy. Revenue is up. Morale is up. Efficiency is up, and turnover is reduced!

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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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