Secure The Insurance Sale With Pictures

What do you take to client interviews? What do you present when discussing the client's needs, the concept and the products? Using visual aids will make your job a whole lot easier. Consider the following US research on the subject:

If you use visual aids, prospects are 43% more likely to be persuaded; prospects will be willing to pay 26% more for the same product or service (this helps overcome cheaper competitor products); learning is improved by up to 200% (important, since your products are not easily understood by most clients); retention is improved up to 38% and the time it takes to explain complex topics is reduced by up to 40% (it has to be worth the effort for this one alone)

The bottom line here is to make everything as visual as possible. Think through each step of the sales process, from the initial prospecting letter, to the client interview, to follow-ups to on-going client relationships. What visual elements are you including at each step? Below are a few ideas:

Contact by post: Postcards have impact due to being heavy on pictures and light on text. Make the opening line in your letters very large (over 24 pt) to act as a visual element. Include drawings or cartoons if appropriate.

Newsletters: Newsletters should include pictures, graphs and charts. Cartoons work well.

The presentation: Use a structured presentation that takes the client through a series of fill-the-gaps pages in a booklet. Use charts and graphs. Blow them up to A3 or even larger when you present them.

'Word pictures' such as case studies in newsletters work well, because they build up a picture in the mind of the client. Successful use of analogies achieves the same impact.

Some advisors take this one step further, with graphic illustrations of getting the client from where they are now to where they want to be in the future. This just takes a little imagination. Some that are currently being used are pictures of ladders, a ship charting a course, road maps with milestones, climbing financial mountains and racetracks (retirement being the finish line).

You will have been to many motivational sessions where a very important message is to "visualize your dreams." The same applies to your clients. If they can visualize their financial lives or goals, they will relate to the relevance of the products far easier.

The key message in all of this - instead of saying to your clients: "I'll put that in writing for you," say: "Let me draw you a picture."

Paul Watkins has helped financial advisors grow their businesses for nearly two decades. The secret to growth is not a single silver bullet but appreciating that the best techniques are simple, small, inexpensive activities that can mostly be put on auto-pilot. Paul has more details on his web site http://www.financialadvisormarketingtips.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_E_Watkins

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6804558

Read more »

Six Common Mistakes Financial Advisors Make That Can Lose The Sale

So you have the prospect or existing client in front of you. It has cost a lot of time and money to get this far, so don't blow it! These are a few of the most common mistakes sales people make at the sales interview.

First, you talk too much! How can you sell something if you don't know what the client's needs are? This can only come from listening - not talking. As the saying goes, you have two ears and one mouth so listen twice as much as talking. As an idea, try taping the next conversation and analyzing the resulting interview. You may be amazed at the result.

Second, avoiding the beginning of the sale. Many start a conversation by picking up on a point made the last time, such as a personal or family event. This is important in the relationship building aspects of the sales approach. But this then carries on and the salesperson can't think of an effective way to start the sales presentation - so either doesn't or goes through it really quickly as all the time has been used up!

If you have an hour, give yourself 10 minutes for pleasantries and have a pre-rehearsed linking technique to start the sales pitch.

Third, working without a script. 'I'll wing it' is a common salesperson expression that often leads the interview nowhere and doesn't end up achieving a sale. If you are guilty of this, try using your laptop or tablet with a PowerPoint presentation on it. This will still allow for lots of ad-libbing, but ensure that all main points are covered.

The action of committing the presentation to PowerPoint (even if you don't use it) is an excellent way of gaining an understanding of the selling pitch structure and highlighting the key points to discuss.

Fourth is not having a 'Maybe Strategy'. If you can leave the interview with an open door for the next time, such as a "Can I think about it?" you must have a predetermined strategy already in place to secure the sale. Many prospects genuinely want time to think it over as it could be many thousands a year in premiums. This strategy is the subject of a separate article, but it involves immediate contact and then being put on a high frequency contact plan.

Fifth is become a free consultant. Many first interviews end with "don't make your mind up until you see what I can come up with". The next step is to present a proposal with a full financial or insurance plan. If no form of commitment has been gained at the first interview, you are simply a free consultant, as there is no guarantee of the second interview resulting in a commitment to you. But you have now told them everything about what they need - for FREE!

The sixth is not knowing your competitive edge. If I asked you, "why should I deal with you?" (as opposed to one of your competitors), how would you answer that? You need a good answer to this question.

Are you making any of these mistakes?

Paul Watkins has helped financial advisors grow their businesses for nearly two decades. The secret to growth is not a single silver bullet but appreciating that the best techniques are simple, small, inexpensive activities that can mostly be put on auto-pilot. Paul has more details on his web site http://www.financialadvisormarketingtips.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_E_Watkins

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6805513

Read more »