Closing a Health Insurance Deal by Choice Article 14 from Randy’s Selling Insurance Series.
Hi everybody.
For those of you I have not met,
My name is Randy Mc Arthur.
A close by choice is an absolutely assumptive close. You have assumed the deal is closing and the customer is merely choosing his options. This chapter is a set up for an assumptive close by customer choice. Pay close attention to the language. Stuff like “I have your address as” instead of “what is your address?” Please note there is a direct question or two. The reason for a direct question or two is to get the customer to participate in the conversation. And remember, you don’t just want them to buy health insurance – you want to earn their business by doing the right thing for them.
Please take a minute to familiarize yourself with the phone script I included. (download it here) You are restating the address on the lead to; build credibility, for accuracy and most importantly, to give them something first. Note: The script is a place for you to start from the start. It is a reference.
While you are getting the address feel free to kick a little personality: “I see here that I only have a daytime phone # for you – are you a rock star?” Whatever you think of – just break the tension. By restating some of the information you have already initiated a conversation instead of an interrogation.
Ask open ended questions and give finite choices. Ask open ended questions to learn the customer’s needs ,wants and concerns. This is the Discovery stage, the most important stage, when you will discover everything that you need to know to be prepared to offer the customer the appropriate products (only 2 or 3, No more – really should be 2 if you do it right.)
After you have completed your discovery and know the customer’s expectations including at least, his desired coverage, his desired payment, his reason for needing insurance NOW, (not just his reason for needing insurance) move to the Feature – Benefit – Tie Down phase of the conversation. Show the options.
Now I’m going to give you a real heads up. Something for you to ponder. Any old broker/agent who hits you with that tired line that “health insurance is health insurance” (lets look at it – it all has deductibles, benefits, co-insurance, limitations and exclusions) has an ulterior motive and probably is just trying to recruit you to join his hierarchy. His is the “best” because he is selling it right now.
And by the way, I’m not recruiting anyone. I help a lot of people but only when they ask me to. In return, most everyone is happy to help me when I ask. It just makes the world a more enjoyable place to live.
Didn’t mean to get off the subject but for the younger people in the crowd, please think about what I’ve just told you. It will save you aggravation, time, revenue and probably keep you from building debt at one of the larger captive companies during the beginning of your career.
Health Insurance is no longer “One Size Fits All.”
The customer’s needs set is the only way to tell which plan, type, carrier, network, benefit assortment is best. There is no best and there is no worst, excepting that which is mis-represented by an unethical or ill informed agent. I’ll quit preaching now and get back to work.
Show the options after Discovery.
Now that you have discovered the customer’s concerns before they have become objections, demonstrate that you have a couple of options for him that will work based on the things HE SAID he wanted during discovery. Be sure to tie it down to him so he can see himself in a situation of ownership (actions & consequences) and a situation of non-ownership (non actions and consequences – “ignore it and it will go away”) like buying a cheap indemnity plan for the emergency room and having a stroke and a bad wreck on the way there. This stage requires practice and patience.
Now, look for the buying signal. It usually comes in the form of a question or an objections which is really a stall.
We’ve all heard it. “I’m not ready to make a decision today.” Think about it… If the customer can’t come up with any other reason not to buy, you probably just need to make sure you did not miss something in discovery that was important to him. He does not have a specific statable problem with your options.
My personal mission is to; first, only and always do the right thing to help people insure that, through their own choices, they are making the best decisions they can make to guarantee their success in everything they do.
If I can help you in any way just give me a call at (919)781-2018 or email me at randymcarthur@ymail.com . I look forward to hearing from you. Good luck in your endeavors and God bless you.
Thanks
Randy Mc Arthur
Thanks for visiting my insurance leads blog.
Cheers,
Mac
