Have you felt like you have delivered a powerful and effective sales presentation only to realize that it did not connect with the prospect?
This has happened to me on several occasions. I came into a prospect meeting energetic, ready, and full of answers. Unfortunately, I realized that the answers I was providing were focused on what I wanted to sell and did not address the prospect’s specific problems.
“The person who gives answers before understanding the problems is very foolish.” John C. Maxwell
What would you say is the most important information to know before meeting with a prospect?
Typically, I hear answers like, “Product knowledge, features, benefits, competitive advantages, service philosophy, and more.
These aren’t necessarily bad answers. In fact, I have written and spoken about understanding the importance of these details.
However, none of this information has any impact or carries any value if you don’t first understand the prospect, their situation, and their unique perspective.
Building solid rapport is the foundation of every great relationship. Most insurance sales producers understand this, yet they still miss the point.
Great insurance producers invest 90% of their time, energy, and effort, not in discussing what they can offer, but in how they can better understand the person or business they want to serve.
If you want to succeed in building great relationships, you must be open and willing to see things from another person’s point of view.
I made this mistake countless times in my sales career and still fall short today. As a teacher and trainer, I often feel like I need jump in with my “perfect” answer for a prospect or client even before I fully understand their needs.
Instead of listening, asking a question, listening, more, asking more questions, and listening again, I would fall into the trap of asking a question only so I could answer with a benefit, feature, or advantage that I had already fully prepared to deliver.
I don’t say this to tell you not to be prepared. You should be prepared. But first, you must start where they are.
Inventor Charles F. Kettering said, “There is a great deal of difference between knowing and understanding. You can know a lot about something and not really understand it.”
This happens in insurance sales all the time. You know the coverages, definitions, exclusions, and coverage gaps, but you if you don’t fully understand how this relates directly to the person you are speaking with, it’s useless.
It has been said, “To really understand people, you must know what they want, and that requires you to go beyond the head and consider the heart.”
So how can you get past the head and into your prospect’s and client’s hearts?
I think there are three basic questions you can ask on every appointment that will offer great insight into someone’s heart.
- What is your vision for the future?
- What excites you the most now?
- What is your greatest challenge?
These questions go way beyond technical knowledge and will allow you to connect and find common ground. When you find common ground a true relationship is formed. You can discuss big ideas, solutions, differences and find ways to work together.
Every insurance sales producer wants to find solutions to help their prospects address problems and needs. However, your products and services may or may not be the right fit for that particular prospect.
It’s up to you to ask the right questions to get to know your prospect beyond simply what you can sell them. The focus must be on their needs, their vision, and their challenges.
One of our country’s most effective communicators said it best, “When I’m getting ready to reason with a man, I spend one-third of my time thinking about myself and what I am going to say–and two-thirds thinking about him and what he is going to say.” Abraham Lincoln
Where is your focus? How can you begin to connect at a deeper level?
