Building customer rapport is the key to the toolbox of top insurance salespeople that will get you everywhere.

Looking at leads and sales as one-off “projects” is a good way to fail not only yourself, but your customers. Building customer rapport should be a priority for every salesperson.

Begin building customer rapport from the very first call you have, and take notes so that you can keep it up throughout the years! Many people stick with their insurance agent and often need them to navigate new policies when they buy new homes and cars. Be the person they look forward to calling, or they’ll find someone else!

customer rapport

Here are the most valuable ways to build customer rapport from day 1

1. Try to relate to the lead as much as possible.

If you want to close a sale, establish a relationship with your prospect. How do you do that? By understanding their likes, dislikes, and motivations. Ask your customer how they got to where they are today. If you know they’re unhappy with their current insurance policy, talk to them about why they think they need a change. Make sure you’re listening to what they’re saying, even if it means changing your line of questioning to find out more. 

2. Learn about your prospect’s life

Learning about your prospect is key to building rapport with them. Find out what they do for a living, their dog’s name, if they just moved, what house project they’re currently working on—things like that. It will give you conversation starters to work with. If you have a follow-up call, ask, “Hey, how did your deck turn out?” or “is Benny feeling better after his big surgery?”

3. Build a relationship with your prospect based on shared interests

When you build a relationship with your prospect, it is essential to develop trust. That makes it easier to make them comfortable enough to share information about their needs, desires, and expectations.

Think about what your common interests are. For example, if you have a hobby, do they have a similar hobby? If you love to read, do they enjoy the same kinds of books? What kinds of things do they mention when they talk about their job?

4. Be curious, and ask open-ended questions

When you are curious about what your prospect is saying, you actively listen to them. You are not merely nodding your head or asking yes or no questions. You’re genuinely listening to what they are saying. Open-ended questions allow them to give you a whole lot more information than you ever could by checking a yes or no box on your lead questionnaire.

5. Ask your prospect if they have any problems that they are struggling with

If they haven’t already told you, ask your prospect if they have any issues with their current insurance providers they are struggling with, and see if you can help. It can also be an excellent way to start a conversation about their concerns.

6. Empathize with them

If your lead tells you about a sad story they encountered with their previous insurance company, like a claim that wasn’t approved and cost the family money, lean into the story. Empathize with their hardship before trying to sell. Sometimes people just need someone to say, “you’re right, that’s terrible!”

7. Show your enthusiasm for your product or service

People are naturally attracted to someone passionate about what they’re selling. And if you’re not, then you may want to find a new company to represent! If you can easily ramble off all your favorite things about the companies you’re representing, that will be transparent and appreciated by the customer.

8. Be curious about what they need and show them that you care

As a sales professional, it’s important that you are interested in the needs of the customer. You should be genuinely curious about what they want and how they will get it. By caring about the customer and wanting to help them, you can make them feel that they are part of a team.

9. Make sure that your words are always positive

Many times we talk ourselves into a negative frame of mind. When we do that, we are not using our words to help; we’re caught up in our own feelings. Choose your words carefully. Even when you are talking about something you don’t want to sell because you want to upsell, you can be careful not to talk yourself into a negative frame of mind. Think about the words you use, and how they might make your customer feel about the offerings as a whole.

10. Treat everyone you meet with respect

Even though you are trying to sell something to someone, they’re a person who has likely interfaced with insurance companies and salespeople before. If they decide to buy insurance over the phone and not online, they are looking for a human connection. And even if they get rude, it’s best to take the high road. 

If you still need help getting more leads on the phone to start building rapport, we can help! At HBW Leads, specialists call on your behalf to capture ideal prospects, so you can focus on converting clients and hitting your sales targets. No other agent has access to your list.


HBW Leads the perfect solution to complement your other lead generation efforts. Request a quote today.


 

1 Shares
Tweet
Share1
Share
Pin