Prospecting is an exercise that every and all sales organizations should know something about. Most agencies I work with know a great deal about prospecting yet it continues to be a struggle for some. I find it is especially daunting for my friends who are more commercially focused. I often hear questions such as: Where can I buy the right list to prospect? How much time should I put towards prospecting? Where do I start? When is the right time to prospect?
The answers to theses questions are rarely simple which is why my attitude towards prospecting within the insurance space boils down to one statement. You’re always prospecting. Whether you are a Commercial Lines Producer versus a Personal Line Producer you should treat everyday as a day that’s good for prospecting. And do you want to know what the best tool at your disposal is? Your business card.
When you leave the house each morning, whether it’s to go to the office, an appointment, a trade show event, or even if it’s to pick up your dry cleaning, you should have a few business cards handy. Any good salesperson will tell you that it’s a numbers game and your approach to handing out business cards should be no different. Insurance agents have the unique position of being able to sell a product that EVERYONE at some point will need.
When you have a unique selling point like that it should come as no surprise that the more people you get in front of, the better shot at the goal you have to make them a customer. I always tell the agents we work with that you have to be your biggest advocate. You can’t simply rely on the internet, billboards or yellow page ads to bring the business to you. Sometimes you have to bring yourself to the business. In today’s world it’s easy to let ourselves get chained to our desks and make calls but my challenge to all of you would be try handing out 10 business cards a week or setting yourself a monthly goal. Think about the businesses you frequent, the friends you have or even the brief acquaintances you make when standing in line at the grocery store. Sometimes a trip back to the basics can help reinvigorate your prospecting outlook. For everything else there is Agency Performance Partners where we work with agencies every day on creating world class prospecting plans. Give us a call today and learn how we can help!
