When starting out in sales, new agents are often encouraged to take a friendly approach with prospects, chatting about their specific insurance needs and lending a sympathetic ear to their concerns. This is great advice to build rapport and strengthen relationships, however, there is a certain amount of finesse required to ensure that your approach feels genuine and doesn’t actually turn clients away.
Your leads are a savvy bunch, and if you’re acting familiar before earning the right, every word out of your mouth is going to raise red flags and be scrutinized for sincerity. This is the kiss of death as a sales agent because no buyer in their right mind is going to trust something as important as their health insurance coverage to someone who appears to be shifty and disingenuous.
Instead of approaching your prospects from the “best friend zone,” keep things friendly and yet professional during your first few calls. Never refer to yourself as their “friend” at the beginning, never offer advice as a friend instead of a professional, and never address them in a familiar way before you have been invited. The proper way to build up these relationships is by showing sincere interest in your clients’ lives and working to get them the best insurance package to meet their needs and price point. Every time you deliver on what you have promised, you will strengthen your ties, and become a more trusted member of their network.
It may also help in the beginning to keep a notepad nearby when speaking with new prospects so that you can write down any relevant information and specific concerns they would like addressed. The more you can show that you are working to focus on your prospect’s issues as individual challenges instead of a run of the mill transaction, the more they will feel like they are a priority in your day.
Another great way to build up your ties within your client base is by offering up free seminars and information packages they would find useful, such as small business solutions, young professional packages, and helpful tips for young families and retirees. By inviting feedback, questions, and suggestions you will be able to keep the lines of communication open between yourself and your clients, making for a more pleasant relationship for both of you, and one they are more likely to recommend to others looking for a hardworking, trustworthy agent.
