Course 9

Sales & Marketing Concepts

Good marketers have several characteristics. If you have these characteristics, you can succeed at marketing your benefits, products, and services. Let’s review them. You’re going to discover that many of these points are what we refer to as “intangibles” in that you can’t touch them or see them except in action.

Know Your Product. (Bill does)

Don’t try to sell something you know nothing about (or too little). That can lead to problems later on and you owe it to your customers to know the answers and what’s gong to work best for them.

With the Association, the more you know, the more sales you’ll be able to make and to all of the right people. A phony person tries to sell things because they want the money, not because they’re available and trained and prepared to help their customers.

Have you realized that it takes only a short time in order for you to learn a product? I have a friend named Bill. He’s been selling insurance for many years and he’s become a very quick study regarding insurance products. Because most programs are similar, Bill can scan a new program, quickly see how it’s similar to what he’s been selling and how it’s unique. In just a few minutes, Bill’s ready to sell. In the process, Bill likes to focus upon the various ways the program is different than others. That means he knows the variations and doesn’t have to “assume”, “make things up”, or make mistakes. He doesn’t.

If you know something well, then everyone with whom you come in contact, is going to pick up on it. When your customers realize you not only know much more than they do, but they also realize that you would be a good “go to” person, then you will not only gain sales, you’ll gain customers who become long term clients, and you’ll be given referrals without having to ask.

Dan The Man

Dan is another friend of mine. He was the top salesman in his industry of selling cars. That wasn’t just a feat he accomplished for many years it was his system of doing business. How did he do that?

Dan rose to that level because he learned the information that anyone could have accessed…but didn’t. After a while, the customers were tired of their salesman having to go to Dan for the answers so they’d begin to seek out Dan instead. Soon, the one who knew all the answers was Dan and he gained all the business as well. While this is an oversimplification, it demonstrates one point. Most of us fail to read the material and learn it. Fewer yet, find the answers to everyone’s questions and become a tool and resource to others in the process.

Another thing Dan did was to be available when others weren’t. Since many people like to visit a car lot during lunch or on Sunday afternoons, guess when Dan was there? Yep, and guess who sold the card to those who did visit the car lot at those times. It was Dan. We’re going to use Dan’s example later on in this course because there are many facets of his selling that worked in vaulting him to the number one position with his company.

Never Stop Learning.

When we graduated high school or college, many of us thought we were finished with our education. Guess again. The nature of the business is to move ahead. Some people however, feel as though they’ve “arrived” which means they thought they paid their dues one time and can now coast. That’s just another excuse for laziness. I wouldn’t recommend it. If you think that you’ve learned everything there is to know about your industry, my advice is to simply start over. You’ll be surprised at how much you missed the first time.

Whenever you are “up” on what’s going on, people come to you with questions that need answers and eventually with problems that require solutions. Like our first point, this becomes one of the best ways to utilize relationship marketing. When you become a professional in the eyes of your customers, they’ll think of you as their “one stop shop” whether you have all the products they need or not.

In fact, I used this principle since I became licensed to sell insurance more than 20 years ago. Today, even though I don’t sell much, I still get plenty of referrals which I pass on to my friends in the industry. You wouldn’t believe all the various requests I get. Some people still call me to ask for advice which I freely give. In the process, I continue to learn and that way I can always speak intelligently regarding any insurance product. I’ve gotten a lot of mileage with all of the customers I ever had doing this.

Think about reading newsletters, getting onto Webinars, tele-seminars, attending new product presentations, and read what’s going on in your chosen field. If you stop learning, you’ll be “left behind” and no one likes that except the movie by that name. It was kind of cute. Being left behind in this industry isn’t cute. It means that you’ve allowed others to pass you by.

With that said, the Association offers information on a regular and ongoing basis. The Association has to. It has preferred providers who are up on what’s going on and that can not only translate into sales and success, it can also help keep you out of trouble. In addition, the Association works with regulators and DMPO’s, consultants, and attorneys that help it continue to learn how to remain compliant while successfully selling memberships, benefits, products, and services.

Enthusiasm.

You can’t fake it but you can certainly tap into it. Enthusiasm is something you can develop even if you don’t tend to have it naturally. Learn to get excited about what you do. After all, you have what people need and want—they just haven’t been educated to it yet. Education is one of your best tools. People often buy from their educators and that’s been a proven fact over many, many years.

Here’s a small item you can work on. Think of the way you answer the phone. Is it with enthusiasm? If it is, good but if not, make certain that you work on it. Some have taped messages to office phones so they’ll remember to be enthusiastic. Others practice being enthusiastic and it always attracts customers. Enthusiasm doesn’t repel anyone but the opposite certainly does.

Attitude.

Your attitude towards life shows on your face. People see your face. Any questions? Believe it or not, most of us carry our hearts on our sleeve and our attitudes on our faces. You can often tell what someone’s thinking about or if they’re positive or negative simply by reading the look on their face.

Fortune 500 companies pay good money each year by hiring consultants. One of the things many consultants will do is help others put smiles and positive attitudes on their faces and into their way of doing business. You really don’t have to pay the big bucks if you just stop and think what type of attitude you’d want greeting you.

Here’s a neat little trick. During the course of a business day, make a mental note regarding the positive and negative attitudes you come across. Ask yourself which of those you’ve dealt with, that you’d want to do business with them, have them represent you, etc. You might be surprises.

Learn The Terminology.

The better you can discuss what you’re selling and do it intelligently, the more credibility you will have. Also, in order to remain in compliance, you wouldn’t use the word, “mini med” in place of Limited Benefit Plan. So, learn what to say and what not to say.

I have two friends whom I know well. Both learn the terminology of businesses other than their own. As a result, both can converse intelligently with people in most industries. That makes them valuable as those who are considered well educated, well versed, etc. Perception is reality so guess what? Both are perceived as two of the most intelligent people in the area. There is a waiting line to get to work with both of these individuals and it’s mainly because they’ve learned the terminology.

Be Prepared To Answer Questions.

Let’s use my friend Dan once again. By the way, he’s also our CTO. Dan used to work with Chrysler Corp. selling their cars, trucks, and vans. He was their #1 salesman 9 out of 10 years. How did he do it?

Dan actually read the information, knew the answers and became the one person that other sales people and their customers wanted to meet. Why? Because he had all the answers. Why would you want to go to anyone else? His customers didn’t. Dan learned to answer questions, any and all questions about the vehicles he sold. He took time to prepare to do that during his “break” time. He learned to prepare himself to answer a question with the most accurate answer possible.

If you routinely visit the website of the Association, you’ll become conversational in what it has to offer. At that point, you will be well prepared to answer questions and you did it by browsing. That’s not work, it’s rather fun.

FNI and Other Marketing Ideas

Another aspect of this area is taught by FNI. Free Networking International teaches you how to prepare your 1 minute presentation. With their organization, you can rehearse and become really efficient at presenting yourself and your product. If you haven’t, go to www.freenetworkinginternational.com or review it on the Association’s website where you can get a discount for membership programs.

As mentioned above, FNI means Free Networking International. This great organization is a great place to improve how you approach your job as you expand your sphere of influence and do it all the right way. By the way, it’s absolutely free to join and attend. That’s because Dave Doerges, the Founder, believed that networking ought to be free. Feel free to thank Dave, I certainly do.

Local FNI meetings are quickly and easily established so you could bring this program into your community. You’ll learn how to establish your organization with people that can also promote what you have to offer and the opportunities are limitless if you do it the right way.

Rehearse Your Answers.

Rehearsing answers means several things. FNI instructs those who attend their meetings regarding how to rehearse and offer the best answer possible. After all, you have an agenda and it’s to promote yourself and whatever you represent. Here’s a brief list of what you can learn to say and rehearse until you get it right:

1. Greeting people with your name spoken clearly.

2. Greeting people with information regarding what you do and how you could be of service to them. Many people speak but they’re not hearable nor concise or clear about what they do. Just listen to people in a room announcing their names and who they are, what they do and you’ll know exactly what I mean. The Association’s partner, FNI (Free Networking International) can help you in this area alone.

3. Answers to potential questions. If you have a great answer, then you should gain a great response. If you have a “so-so” answer, that’s what you’ll get out of it.

4. Be crystal clear. If you are, then your answers, words, presentation, and everything else about you will be well perceived.

5. Objections to buying what you have. If you answer them to the point that there is no further objection, then you’ll gain confidence of others and that again means more sales. Here’s an example:

My friend Dan, our CTO has sold Life Insurance in the past. He noticed that many young fellas didn’t want to buy Life Insurance so he came up with a great come-back. He asked them to make a list of their 10 best friends. When they asked “Why do that?”, he’d tell them, “Why?, Because that’s who your wife is going to end up with in the event you die and don’t have any Life Insurance for her to live on. She’ll just move in with one of them.” That’s when they get serious and buy the Life Insurance.

Inflict The Psychological Wound.

The best selling programs discuss inflicting a psychological wound and then providing the solution. I heard this method relayed from a friend of mine. But, what does that principle actually mean to you?

Here’s an example: If you were selling Life Insurance, you might discuss it with a potential customer and say something like, “don’t put it off and possibly damage your family if you died without a plan in place”.

What’s that mean to a potential customer?

It means you’ve just planted a psychological wound, that of them damaging their family if they don’t protect their families by the purchase of a Life Insurance Plan from you.

What’s the solution? You have a Life Insurance company, quote, etc. just waiting for them to take advantage of it.

If you learn this method well, you will actually be helping your customers because nothing in inflicting the psychological wound is intended to damage them in any way. In fact, it helps a customer focus upon what’s really important. It helps them realize that you, as a licensed professional, can help them because you hold the solution to their problem in your hands. That places you in a very elevated position with your customers.

Look Em In The Eye.

Some people don’t look you in the eye. It’s difficult to place your faith and trust in them when they look at the ground or somewhere else.

Whenever someone doesn’t look you in the eye, there are a few things that come to mind such as:

            What do they have to hide?

            Don’t they like me?

            What’s wrong with me?

It’s usually not about you. It’s about them and the way they feel about themselves. But, what if it’s you who doesn’t look them in the eye?

Looking someone in the eye means you have nothing to hide and that you are honest and sincere. Practice this with everyone you come in contact with. Sometimes you can intimidate others if you use this key in a wrong way so don’t be so intense that you try to look through others. Just look them in the eye.

Sell By The Book.

If you make selling “by the book” part of the way you do business, then you’ll have no problems to speak of. Learning what’s required, how to properly represent, and what you can say or not say, cannot be underestimated in the association business. Here are some great hints:

a. Use the application process to present. You won’t be making any mistakes if you use what’s already approved.

b. Present from a brochure and highlight compliance information. Your customers will think you’re really smart for pointing out what they didn’t know.

c. Throw around facts and information that will be of interest to your customers. Never bore them with the boring stuff you have to learn in order to receive your insurance license. Instead, offer them the answers to questions they might have had for years. You’ll be perceived as a god.

d. Use checklists so that you don’t forget anything.

e. Remember the chapter that discussed having a contract drawn up? Maybe that would not only fit part of your presentation, it would place you a step above the average insurance agent who just left 10 minutes before you got there.

f. Take people to the approved website and use it as a sales tool. You aren’t going to say the wrong thing if you do that and your customers can feel free to log back on after you leave. That only serves to reinforce what you just told them. Reinforcement is another key and you won’t have to take them to the website the second time. They’ll want to go back there and appreciate what you just presented to them.

Ask For Referrals.

If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Far too many Brokers are too afraid or they forget to ask for referrals. By getting a referral (or more than one) from those who just bought something from you, you’ll be getting something for nothing. You normally never get something for nothing so why don’t more Brokers just ask for the referrals? What do you have to lose?

Have you ever rewarded a referral? Keep reading. It works.

Marketing Tools

Use Sales Incentives.

First, what are Sales Incentives? They are things such as 3 day/2 night mini vacations which aren’t attached to touring a condo or time share. Cruises, companion air fares, golf and spa weekends, and others are available. They can be purchased, one at a time if you wish, right off the Association’s website and they use high quality establishments located in tourist areas around the nation. The cost? About $2.00 each (plus shipping so get more than one).

How could you use them?

a. Well, you can’t use them to entice people to buy insurance but you might be able to use them to entice someone into referring others to you. If you sell a referral, give the person who referred the purchaser, a 3 day/2 night mini vacation!

b. Check with your state but you might be able to incentivize someone buying a membership into the Association.

c. Use them for those who will sit and counsel with you.

d. Use them to reward customers for things which are legal to award such a Sales Incentive. Rewarding referrals is often quite legal and it works. Always check with your state’s department of insurance or business regulation before you use a Sales Incentive in this fashion.

e. You can think of many others if you just think about it.

Just log onto the Association’s website which can be found at: www.associationforindependentmanagers.org and click on “Sales Incentives”. You can log in, register (always free) and shop around.

Warning: Never use a Sales Incentive to sell or entice the inducement to sell insurance. States frown upon that so, make certain you know the rules before you attempt to operate within them.

Buy Leads.

You might not know it but the Association has a lead program for member Brokers. The leads are not only inexpensive, you can buy various sized packages of them and you’re going to be the only one to have them.

Unlike other lead programs where many are sold the same lead, these are exclusive leads. You’re the only one who would receive those you purchase. The best way to think of them is that if you get just one sale from a number of leads, that more than pays for them and leads can be simpler than cold calling.

To find the leads on the Association’s website:

1. Log onto the website and click on “Tools and Resources”.

2. You will see the “Leads Program” listed there.