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Insurance Industry News from ProgramBusiness.com

Write More Business in 2005Sales training 101 teaches that buying decisions are made emotionally and justified logically. Yet, why do most agents present only logically?

To get into your buyer’s “buying mind” include these in each client meeting and presentation and watch your sales soar.

1. Color
2. Pictures
3. Metaphors and analogies
4. Appeal to emotion
5. Use your gut feel
6. Stories instead of just providing data
7. Picture words
8. Maps instead of lists and bullets

1. Color

How many of you own a black and white TV as your main TV? How many of you went back to a black and white TV after buying your color set?

How many ads do you see in black and white? How many Power Point presentations have you seen in black and white?

Just remember that a single color (black) equals monotony and boring. You must engage and involve your buyer. Color starts the process. If you don’t have a color printer, print your proposal on colored paper. Then highlight critical words. (Don’t over do it) Color urges reading. Color adds to retention. Color adds to understanding. Color separates you from other agents.

2. Pictures

How many of you would continue to watch TV when the picture goes off? How many ads do you see without pictures? Think about it. Can’t you understand a complex concept more quickly and easily with a picture? And, isn’t insurance a complex concept? Illustrate your words with pictures. They don’t have to be accurate. They can be sticks, symbols, and simple. After all, a picture is worth, well, you know. It’s easy to convert insurance terms to pictures…car collisions, visitor falling, building burning.

3. Metaphors and analogies
Metaphors and analogies stimulate excitement. They help paint the picture more vividly. They speed up understanding. You use them frequently, but do you use them to make a point when you present? Examples: A note to the underwriter; “The only protection missing is an alligator filled moat” enhances your description of security for a risk you’re submitting.

When a buyer won’t accept insurance to value, just mention that’s like “Not calling the fire department for the first 20 minutes of the fire that’s destroying your home.”

Take the time to build metaphors and analogies for all the coverage in your arsenal.

4. Emotion

When you combine necessary facts with emotion, you’re well on your way to the sale.

Which triggers emotion: “Disability income pays you when you get hurt or sick and can’t work” or “When you suffer an incomplete heart attack how are you going to pay your bills?” Which trigger emotion: “Here are the exclusions on your homeowners policy” or “When you suffer this kind of disaster (pointing to an exclusion) you will have to write your check to pay for the horrendous damage you may suffer. The insurance company won’t.”

Spend the time to build scenarios of emotion for each coverage you present.

5. Listen to your gut

Instead of asking, “What do you think?” or “How does that sound to you?” just ask, “What is your gut feeling about that?” Get into the emotions with the simple, “gut feel.”

Most people make three big decisions in their life: Who they marry, what job will they have and what house will they buy. How many of these decisions are truly and purely logical? People must feel good at the gut level about all three of these life decisions. Since insurance is a bankruptcy preserving investment, buyers must feel good about it and buying it from you. It’s your job to take them to that point by following the 5 steps so far and the 3 following.

6. Stories with data, not just data

Insurance is full of data. Data may be necessary, but is boring. People grow up on stories. The Bible is told in stories. Don’t ever add facts to objecti
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