You may have seen me preach on my blog the necessity of quoting personal lines over the phone as often as you can. I’m going to preach some more in this blog (lucky you!). Hopefully many of you have picked yourself up off the floor when you fell out of your chair. You should by now have gotten over all of the lame excuses on why you can’t and started thinking how you CAN. Here are the top reasons I have heard for not quoting a very quotable account over the phone:
- Our customers don’t want to stay on the phone that long: Either your taking too long to quote or you sound totally un-engaging on the phone. It doesn’t matter, most people want immediate gratification.
- I like to review all of the markets to find my clients the cheapest rate. I can’t do that with them on the phone: Stop it, if you are putting them with the cheapest market, you aren’t selling on anything but price. Also, the cheapest market may be the most expensive next year. Place business in accordance with the agency’s goals.
- Generally when they call in they don’t have all the information they need to quote: Right, so ask them to text their husband on the call for his drivers license number. Generally you will get it before you are done asking all the questions and you will be in the clear.
- Our customers don’t expect to be quoted on the phone: So what? It’s more efficient for you and you have a better chance to close. And what you are saying is that your customers would like to wait days for a quote. Not true.
Once you get into the idea of quoting on the phone, you won’t ever, ever go back. When we work with agencies to change this mindset, where possible, they go right for the on the phone quote. I’m asking you too to try. Let’s get uncomfortable and so we can get good at it. It’s OK if the first few are rocky; give yourself permission to get good at it.
Here is a fool proof way to get good at quoting new business on the phone:
- Start with remarkets. Yes. You already have all their information in the rater. Confirm it, make updates and rate it on the phone with them. Remember they are already frustrated about the price. Focus on first call resolution to solve their main needs. Once you get good at remarkets…
- Divorce yourself from the quote sheet. Yes enter new business quotes directly into the rater or management system. You can copy and paste from Zillow and the tax assessors page to make things efficient. There is absolutely no sense in writing down information to type it in. Do you tie your shoes twice every morning?
- Start by quoting auto only quotes on the phone. Now let’s be clear. Make sure there are no other lines you can sell. Quote and sell the auto on the phone.
- Stop sending quotes out. Ask for the business on the phone. Quote it, ask for the business and send out the app.
- Now move into home and auto. After rating it confirm quotes with a market the agency wants you to place business with. Remember, most people will move for a savings no matter what. Rate it, quote it, ask for the business and send out apps.
Every two weeks challenge yourself to move through this phase. If you feel like you don’t have enough time, stock piling quotes won’t help. Quote it on the phone and be done with it. Also we are launching our new APPX Sales Program which covers this and so much more. Contact us today if you are interested in learning more.
