Knock-knock. Ring-ring. Cold-calling is an interruption; do you want to be remembered as an interruption?

The words “insurance salesperson” conjures up images of polyester suits, briefcases, and hard closes. Insurance is one of those low-interest and unpleasant products/services that most people don’t want to talk about, all things being equal.

If you’re like me, you have probably felt the tension on a sales call with a prospect, as though they are holding you at arm’s length. They aren’t opening up to you. They establish the rules and tell you what you must do in order to earn their business.

The reason prospects act like this is because we, as insurance professionals, have conditioned them over several decades that what we do is quote and sell on lowest price. We have to compete with the big boys somehow, right? Wrong. You sell on value and take a professional approach to client acquisition. Here’s how:

Prospect effectively by identifying your own personal hobbies and interests. If you like golfing and working out, then golf courses and fitness centers would be a good start. You already know the lingo and ins and outs in those niches. Harmonizing with a prospect is key, and it’s a lot easier to do when they are someone like you.
Scrub the list by using your social networks and online tools. Google Maps and Google Earth are fairly good for identifying a home or business and the neighborhood they are in. Facebook Pages are a great way to judge the character of a business and gather underwriting information. Linkedin is a great way to see who is mutually connected to your prospect – could you get an introduction this way? How much time would prospecting like this saves you for scrubbing the list?
Warm-up a cold-call by sending a letter. If you think sending a fancy folder with several brochures about how awesome you and your agency are is going to impress a prospect, you are wrong. I would rather send a brief letter informing the prospect that I don’t know if I could help them, but I would like to speak with them to determine if and how I can. I also include a clipping from a local paper that has a picture and story of how I’m helping the community or other businesses, instead of some brochure.
Call the prospect to determine if they would want to meet with you. Be a professional and respect the decision maker’s time. Tell them you value your time too so if they want to say “no”, absolutely encourage them to say it while you are on the phone. Your honest approach is received much better than trying to wiggle into an appointment. Prospects will be shocked by your honest approach and no pressure techniques.
Identify pains and problems in your appointment. Most prospects will appreciate the fact that you are interested in their business and how you can try to help them solve problems (aside from price). Taking data and throwing out quotes when you know you can’t compete is a waste of your time, your prospect’s time, and your agency’s time.
Stop talking so much. Ask questions and listen. In Ed Lamont’s brilliant book, "Street Smart Selling," he states that “Selling by telling leads to low closing ratios,” and he’s absolutely right. Your job is to identify problems by asking the right questions, such as, “If I gave you a magic wand, what would you change about your current insurance experience.”
Be willing to walk away from an account. If you are trying desperately to identify problems and pains, but the prospect honestly doesn’t have anything they want solved other than price, be a professional and tell the prospect you won’t be able to help them at this time. It would be the same as a doctor who writes prescriptions for patients who have no problems but agreed to come in for an appointment. Stop throwing out prescriptions…whoops, I mean quotes.

Obviously, there is much more to the selling process than simply identifying problems and pains, but these seven strategies should help you transition from a Law of Averages salesperson to a professional market leader. Will you work on less proposals? Yes. But the ones you do work on you will have a better chance of gaining the prospect’s trust because of your honesty and professionalism. If you earn their trust, you have a much better chance at earning their business.

Special Reports /

nGInsights: 7 Things to Know Before Meeting Your Next Commercial Prospect

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