"While you are preparing your own unique way of prospecting, you will probably want to check out our network's Internet Insurance Leads service.

Tips on Prospecting in a Competitive Field—Internet Life Insurance Leads a Viable Option

Finding clients
Every insurance agent knows that whether you work for a captive company or are an independent agent, the most challenging part of the business is finding quality prospects. Frank Rumbauskas, well known sales coach, writer and speaker, published a book titled "Cold Calling is a Waste of Time." In his book he describes all the things we are told to do by our office managers—from making multiple calls per day, to knocking on doors, to promising "free booklets" as methods of enticing people into returning a postage free solicitation card. Let's face the facts: on any given day, if you were lucky enough to have 50 such cards returned to you, you might be able to reach about a third of the people who sent them in. Of those, you might actually get five or six appointments, and if half of those are both eligible and interested in buying, you have a great day. More often, if you can set five appointments, two or three will not be home (do that many people really forget or have emergencies on a regular basis), two will be medically unqualified, and one either will not have the money or will refuse to let you get past the "we'll think about it" line. Frustratingly enough, none of our managers appear to have read any of Frank's books, because we continue to get hammered with the old saw—it's all about activity. You just need to make more calls. Yeah, right!

Yet, some people become very wealthy in the insurance business. There has to be a better way.

Obviously, the first step in selling insurance is to get in the door under favorable circumstances. Since people seldom will call you to ask for something like life insurance, long term care insurance or even annuities, you are the one who will have to create the favorable circumstances. Simply put, you have to be able to get in front of people who are expecting you and who have been given a reason to be interested in your product. Being open minded is not enough. Many people, if you can get hold of them, will agree to sit and listen, but will politely turn you away no matter how many different closing strategies you use. People are sales agent savvy these days. Very few prospects will be swayed by the old style implied urgencies that sales agents have used since the beginning of time. In the long run, you will have to find out what works for you as even the best sales coach cannot provide you with a strategy that works for every product and every personality. You need to develop your own unique ways of helping people convince themselves that they want what you have.

While you are preparing your own unique way of getting in front of people, you will probably want to subscribe to our network's Internet Insurance Leads service. Keep in mind that the best lead service is one that sends your name and profile to the prospect as soon as they have completed the online inquiry. Then when you call the prospect, they have already seen your name. Also, the best lead services make it clear that if the prospect completes the form, an agent will call.

In another article, we will suggest some tips for creating favorable circumstances, but for now, simply be alert for opportunities. And don't keep your mouth shut about your product or services. The silent sales agent is the one in the unemployment line.