Tips for Selling Life Insurance: Q&A Tactics
The insurance agent shakes hands with the potential client, sits
down, smiles and says, "I have a product here that I believe to
be the best life insurance package I have ever seen. In all of
my years in the insurance business, I have never been so
impressed with a product. I'd like to tell you all about it."
The salesman knows the ins and outs of his offering and no one
who listened in on his sales pitch could doubt his love and
support of the insurance product for even a split-second. What
happens when he concludes his impassioned pitch? More often than
not, nothing happens. No policy is written. No sale is made.
In the office across the street, an agent meets with potential
client. After pleasantries are explained, he asks "So, what do
you want from all of this? What are the things you'd like life
insurance to accomplish for you? He listens attentively to the
prospect's answers, asking follow-up questions for clarification
and to elicit more information to help him understand the
prospect's needs and wants.
As the conversation progresses, the agent gets to know his
potential client better. He is able to establish a rapport with
the person and can determine what might be appealing. The agent,
who has been noting fact after fact during the interview, is
able to then explain exactly what can be done to best meet the
needs of the prospect. Yes, he pitches his life insurance
product, but he does so based upon the expressed interests and
concerns of the potential client. What happens when he finishes?
More often than not, a new policy is written. A sale is made and
agent will find himself with yet another commission.
These two examples reveal the power of using a "question and
answer" (Q&A) approach to selling life insurance. Those who sell
life insurance using methods rich in listening and questioning
invariably outperform agents whose focus in on their own
opinions and expertise. In addition to helping to establish
great agent-client rapport, Q&A tactics are a powerful strategy
for selling life insurance for two reasons.
Initially, it keeps the focus on the one thing that must always
be front and center in any sales situation: the buyer. Instead
of creating a product focus, the Q&A methods allow those selling
life insurance to keep the meeting's attention directed to the
buyer. People, by nature, consider themselves and their
interests of paramount importance. This method allows the
insurance agent to make sure the meeting unfolds in a manner
that will interest and motivate a potential buyer.
Secondly, the technique provides the seller with a great deal of
valuable information. Those selling life insurance with Q&A
techniques find themselves armed with client-specific responses
to frequent purchase objections. They are also able to better
explain the policy and its advantages in ways that are
meaningful to the prospective client. An insurance agent can
also make sure they are offering a product that truly meets the
unique needs of the prospect.
Even the most well delivered product-centered sales pitch can
fall on deaf ears. Prospects long to be at the forefront and are
far more likely to be motivated to purchase life insurance if
the agent focuses attention on their specific needs. Methods
that make use of significant Q&A to sell life insurance put
clients on center stage and motivate them to purchase policies.