4th Insurance Leads Sales Mistake

Being too aggressive with prospective insurance customers

Everyone is familiar with the indecisive client, we deal with them every day. We are also all familiar with the pressures of closing deals. The last thing we want to do is be too aggressive with an indecisive customer. Placing too much pressure on a perspective clients will certainly push them away.

There are many that would argue this point, and some would even say that there goal is to be considered too aggressive. But this is not advised as it is sure to gain an unfavorable reputation. There is however the concept of being firm and assertive. A clear distinction can be made between being to aggressive and assertive.

It is relatively evident when an insurance sales agent is being too aggressive as far as establishing and maintaining contact with a potential insurance client. Usually they get some sort of complaint for calling too early or too late, or simply too many times, sending too many emails, faxes or junk mail. Too much of anything is never a good thing. Many times this results in some sort of formal complaint. This not only looses the sales but puts a bad taste in the potential insurance customers mouth and they are lost for ever. One might even receive a bad referral because of it which can do further harm than just the loss of an individual sale.

It is also possible for insurance agents too be too aggressive in a sales pitch or follow up call. Lets take a look at a specific example. In this situation an potential issuance client is having difficulty making a decision. Here are some insurance sales agents responses using and aggressive method. “If you don't decide to buy from me now, then the offer will not be available later”. “Just tell me if you are not interested in what I'm offering. This way we are not wasting our time”. “What would it take for me to get you to make a decision right now”. It can be clearly seen how this would be a turn of to most customers. This is made worst by the fact that a customer may have been ready to make a favorable decision but was so turned off by the hard sell they changed there mind. No one likes pressure, especially when they can alleviate it simply by hanging up there phone.

Like most other things in life, sales is about balance. With balance in mind we find that there is a solution where you can remain seemingly aggressive yet respectful. The technique is less of a hard sell in that is is less aggressive, rather more assertive. Being more assertive in not considered pushy rather it fosters a discussion that aids in guiding a more constructive conversation. In doing so the insurance sales person is more able to adjust to changes, while the potential customer feels as if they are being helped rather than pushed around. Lets take another look at the previous example using a more assertive approach.

To reiterate, in this example an insurance sales agent is dealing with an indecisive customer. The assertive approach would look like this. Instead of “If you don't decide to buy from me now, then this offer will not be available later”, try "Is there a specific date when you expect you might come to a decision?" An alternative to “Just tell me if you are not interested in what I'm offering. This way we are not wasting our time” could be "What is it that may be blocking you from making a decision?" Substitute “What would it take for me to get you to make a decision right now” with "What steps will you be taking in order to make a decision?"

Like always, a good insurance sales agent is able to gauge the conversation as it develops. The ability to do so allows one to react to the customer and change there sales pitch dynamically. This also allows for the opportunity to approach the potential client in a more assertive manner rather than aggressive. When an insurance sales agent is too aggressive, they can not only loose the sale for them self's but give the company as a whole a bad reputation in the eyes of that individual. The key factor in this aspect of insurance sales, as with most others, is to find a balance.