Contrary to what you are told, insurance sales referrals are not your lifeline. Getting insurance referrals is a learned skill. Here you will find how to ask for sales referrals at the correct time and how to earn them.
I remember very clearly decades later the instructions that the general agent at my first career office told me. In fact even though my memory nowadays has faded, on the topic of referrals his remarks are as clear as if it was yesterday. Somehow, you seem to remember two things your life bad advice you fought against and good opportunity choices you made. The remarks about getting insurance referrals still haunt me as bad advice that later I found thousands and thousands of agents received. First, the sales referrals advice I received and then the logic I discovered.
Here are the insurance sales referrals instructions I was implanted with. First I was shocking told I could not survive in insurance sales without acquiring instant referrals. So with the fear emotion implanted, this is what I was instructed. After making an insurance referral, tell the client it is their duty to let others know of the problem they could incur by properly insured. Then I was to ask them to help me deliver this message directly. Therefore, they were to get their address book right then and there, and set up three appointments for me.
Someone how, being somewhat of a maverick, I could not bring myself to do that requirement. Moreover, I found out I was justified not to do so. Your general agent or insurance manager stresses strongly getting insurance sales referrals immediately. The truth to this is that the general agent or insurance manager is not willing to invest money providing you leads. Therefore making you fear the consequences of not getting referral leads is actually true. However, it is false that you will die out if your new sales clients do not provide you with insurance referrals. Very few professional insurance agents, 1% or less, will say that it was referrals that kept them alive during their first four years.
Right away, a prospective client will apply reverse strategies to get out of a pressure situation. Push for referrals, and do not be surprised when the phone rings the next day with buyer remorse, can celling the sale. It is amazing that not only insurance managers give the advice above, but also sales coaches. Insurance managers get sales referrals directly from the home office of people ready to buy insurance. These are not "true referrals" that the manager personally obtained they were given to them. Sales coaches are paid to give advice, but there is no guarantee all the advice given is the best.
Currently 20% to 25% of the business of firm gets is from referrals. We did not ask for these sales referrals, but received them for work well done. They call us, we do not call them nagging or begging, or trying to bribe them with rewards. Find how to get referrals in a preferred manner.
SALES REFERRALS ARE A BONUS, A REWARD FOR WORK WELL DONE.
GETTING REFERRALS CORRECTLY
You often get referrals by not directly asking for them, but delivering service, that competing insurance agents do not give. An easy way is by making sure on every sale you have their email address. Develop a simple website expressing yourself, not your company, as being a specialist. The website should always appear on the main page have your email address, business address, and phone number. Now set up a plan to email your clients at least every month, even though a 3 week time span is proven to be more effective. Purchase a variety of ebooks your clients may enjoy on various topics Ebooks are inexpensive and will greatly pay off as they can be given away countless times. I use them, you should too. Write a brief article about insurance your clients may not be aware of.
PUTTING IT TOGETHER Now send out your short newsletter with a greeting and the message. Do not ask them to inquire about more insurance. Just make sure you give all your contact details. Then make them a Free no obligation offer. Tell them your have obtained distribution rights to a wonderful storybook like "Aesop's Fables" by Hans Christian Anderson. Just by emailing you, you will send them a free copy, which they can read on their computer with a program like Adobe, which most computers already have. If not, in your email back with the eBook attachment, you can provide a link for a free adobe pdf reader. Every month to three weeks, you send another short email, again including a different free eBook option.
The kicker. After a few emails, you mention they must have people they know that would like these same ebooks. Offer a set of three ebooks free if they simply send you the name of someone else that might be interested. This is an incentive, not a bribe. Something they will willing do. Now you have sales referrals leads. Gently send the referral free ebooks first. Then turn it into a sales appointment.
Another approach. Send a few of your clients that have been receiving your emails a separate email. This one will be to contact them to review their present coverage. On the review appointment, you have trusted clients who have received no obligation ebooks, and are probably willing to provide a couple insurance sales referrals. No pressure and you keep satisfied clients.
Claims approach. Follow up with you insurance clients upon notice of any claim that is filed. Offer service to assist them, and make sure all benefits were paid. Allow a few months to elapse then make an appointment with this customer. Now you can personally request that the client assist others benefit from the insurance you provided your client. An insurance user is probably one of the best quality referral givers. So having a benefit story to tell makes your product very irresistible.
Always remember your client owes you nothing. Your initial commissions and renewals are your justified earnings. Most satisfied customers will provide you more business with additional sales, than you will receive with insurance sales referrals. Key your eye out for getting insurance referrals the right way, but remember your client comes first.
Donald Yerke
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