Insurance cold calling has changed a lot in recent years. Discover the most efficient communication strategies for the modern consumer.
Many salespeople think insurance cold calling is a thing of the past. However, recent statistics show that a whopping 82% of consumers have accepted meetings after several discussions that began with a cold call.
If you want to thrive in today’s modern environment, one of the best salesperson qualities to have is agility or the ability to move and adapt quickly. Learn to gather information while steering conversations toward favorable outcomes. Below are five sure-fire ways to achieve such a feat.
Improve your insurance cold calling results in 5 easy steps
1. Plan your call
With a goldmine of information right at your fingertips, there’s no reason to go in blind on a sales call. Before you start contacting potential prospects, plan the best dialogue. Here are three components you shouldn’t miss:
- Set a goal. Whether you want to close a sale, understand a client better, or ask for referrals, it’s essential to have an objective in mind. If you have a goal, you can steer your efforts toward it.
- Learn about your prospect. A few minutes on a potential client’s LinkedIn page can do wonders for your call. Find out what pain points you can address and which products you can offer.
- Prepare a script. Having a guide helps you get straight to the point, answer objections, and stick to your objectives.
2. Time your calls
Timing your calls well is one of the most effective insurance cold calling strategies. Here are a few guidelines to observe:
- Don’t call on weekends. Potential clients prefer relaxing during these days and would rather not take calls from agents. When in doubt, skip Saturday and Sunday business dealings altogether.
- Avoid Monday calls. The first workday of the week is usually the busiest for many professionals. It will be hard to compete with meetings and planning sessions during this time.
- Call prospects midweek. Wednesday or Thursday is the best time for sales calls because your potential clients are not too busy and will have enough time to think about your offer.
- Initiate conversations when potential clients are not too swamped with work. Try calling prospects between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon or between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. They’re usually winding down for lunch or getting off work at these times.
3. Stay positive
Even if potential policyholders don’t see you physically, they can sense how you feel. For this reason, it’s best to focus on your tone before picking up the phone. Here are a few tips to maintaining good vibes:
- Smile throughout the conversation.
- Be grateful when someone accepts your call.
- Take rejections graciously.
The worst that can happen is that clients say no to your offer — and at times not even mean it.
4. Watch your tone
Your tonality matters in any sales interaction. It can be the difference between befriending a life-long client and losing one in a matter of minutes.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to getting the right tone, but it’s essential to master the art of picking up and responding to verbal and nonverbal cues. The tonality you choose during first-time conversations reflects your personality and values. It can either attract or intimidate your prospects.
Before mass calling clients, record yourself and find improvement opportunities. During sales calls, try to match any client’s tone.
5. Ask open-ended questions
Open-ended questions are inquiries that don’t require simple yes or no answers. Here are a few examples:
- What are your insurance goals?
- How long have you had your policy?
- Which parts of your plan would you like to change?
When you ask open-ended questions, you give potential clients a chance to open up. Doing so helps you gather more information about prospects, get to know them better, and keep them engaged longer.
Include such queries in your script to prevent one-line answers that cut conversations short.
Improve cold calling outcomes
Insurance cold calling is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve lead generation, conversion, and sales figures. If you observe best practices, you can impress bosses and colleagues alike with superb statistics. However, HBW Leads offers a solution that will enhance any strategy.
With our exclusive high-quality double-verified leads, you can spend less time finding prospects and more time nurturing them. This has helped countless customers produce 13% more quotes than competitors. Call us at 866-272-7539 to learn how we can help take your business to the big league.