Your close rate is one of the most concrete measures of your success in insurance sales. It’s a figure you should track regularly—weekly, monthly, quarterly and/or annually. And you should track it from different angles:
how you acquired the lead (from Hometown Quotes, personal referral, etc.)
demographics of the lead (age, gender, geographic location, etc.)
type(s) of insurance sold (auto, home, life, etc.)
number and type of contacts you made before the lead converted to a sale (phone, email, in-person, etc.)
any other metric that will help you parse your data
Over time you’ll be able to see patterns emerge that can help you determine what type of customer is already in your insurance-sales sweet spot. You’ll probably also notice that you need beef up your closing skills in one or more areas. Maybe you’re closing older customers at a lower rate than younger ones. Or it could be that your success selling auto policies is greater than it is with homeowners policies.
Schedule time to identify your weaker areas and think about how you can fortify them. Some of your solutions may be unique to your situation, but others may mean paying attention to a broader category like one of these:
1) Know Your Stuff
Whether you’re a rookie or a longtime insurance agent, there’s always something to learn. New agents need to be sure they understand and can explain insurance products and terminology in a cogent way. Older agents need to stay up-to-date on new technologies and changes to insurance regulations. You should regularly put time and effort into upping your own game.
Bottom Line: It’s uncomfortable to watch someone flounder. You will close more sales if you have the knowledge to do all aspects of your job well.
2) Know Your Customer
Having demographic information about a lead can provide some clues about how to best approach them. But don’t make too many assumptions; just because a person is 65 doesn’t mean they hang out in a rocking chair all day. Ask questions and listen to the answers, as well as how the answers are given. Is this person in a hurry? Get to the point. Are they confused? Take more time to explain.
Bottom Line: Learn as much as you can about a lead to gain insight into who they are and what they might need, then be prepared to toss any preconceptions out the window.
3) Be Personable
Your very first interaction with a new lead sets the tone for what could turn into a very long relationship. So take a breath before you begin. Do reach out when you’re feeling calm and friendly; don’t reach out when you are irritated or in a rush. Start with your best “granny manners”—the tone and language you would use with a respected older figure. It’s much easier to make a formal interaction more casual than the other way around.
Bottom Line: Most people respond well when they are treated with kindness and respect. Setting that tone is up to you.
4) Be Professional
Wear clean and neat clothing to in-person meetings. Make sure your emails are spellchecked and free of grammatical errors. Give a cheery hello and state your name when answering your phone. Insurance isn’t something a customer can put on a shelf; remember that the most tangible part of an insurance sale is you.
Bottom Line: How you are perceived matters. You will close more sales when you are seen as competent, trustworthy and professional.
These are some general tips to help you close more insurance sales, but if you’d like some that are specific to your situation, give your Hometown Quotes Regional Director a call at 800.820.2981. They’d love to chat and have loads of experience as successful agents to share.
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