Insurance sales questions that you never expected, start popping up early in your career. In turn you are trained to ask a selling question that will magically get you sales. Of all insurance selling questions this one is promoted as the ultimate. Find out how often it backfires and why.
When you started your insurance sales career I can predict what happened. On either the first, or second appointment you were thrown an objection. The top insurance sales question for addressing this objection was preached to you. You were told how asking this question would turn the objection into a sure sale.
What you were not told is that is was developed by someone that probably never sold insurance (or had a few sales marbles missing). Certainly, this idiot person should have been tarred, feathered, and exiled for life instead of being praised. The logic is so prone to ruin a sale, that this going down in my notes as the all-time worst sales question to ask any prospective client.
In fact, if you currently use this sales one of two things will happen. Either you will not survive, or your income will be below that of an average salesperson. Instead of sales salvation the prospect’s response is often the kiss of death.
I am sure you have it deeply rooted in your mind. Your sales manager tells you this is what he and all successful salespeople use. You quickly become brainwashed into becoming a believer. Well, I had a profitable sales career, and never once used it. I quickly learned that anything the home office or sales manager praised, I should throw out. In turn, to be better than ordinary you have to say and do things better.
Here is the most praised (by morons) sales objection handler in modern history. You are told to ask this kindg of insurance sales questions near the beginning of your presentation. “If I could show you a way, where I could solve your objection, would you be ready to purchase my insurance product today?” What a dynamite sales line!
So explosive, it is ready to blow sky high your sales presentation manual. Stupidly, or unknowingly, you tried to sell before the prospect was ready. Your prospect was not yet ready for the purchasing process. Just think of the many things racing through your clients head.
These include the following silent thought reactions you could easily be getting.
1. “The salesperson is going to give me a 10 minute song and dance. At the end he is going to expect me to pull out my checkbook. No way. I think this guy might be a con.”
2. “This guy is a real greenhorn. I just got that same line at the car dealership, and the furniture store”
3. “His speech is so canned, I am going to have to put a lid on it”
4. “I should say this: If there was a way I could give you $20.00 right now, would you take it and leave immediately?”
5. “What if I simply reply with this: Absolutely Not. Lets see what kind of trick this salesperson been taught to answer this.”
A sales professional response, say for the prospect statement “the price seems high”, would go more like this. “I completely agree with you. A quality product that provides you with all these benefits is unusual. I have had people go without this ____ product. Then suddenly things change, and they wish they had got this right away. Everyone dreads that their fears will turn into reality. Instead they could eliminate them immediately. I don’t know, but maybe you can’t afford this.”
I never directly answered his objection. As an alternative, I presented a number of prime reasons he should not have even asked that question. You remember playing “hot potato” as a kid. You simply throw the objection right back, but not until you add a few hot sparks. Who likes to be TOLD that they can’t afford something? Who sees a salesperson getting ready to WITHDRAW THE OFFER? Your prospect suddenly realizes you are a rare breed of pesky insurance sales person.
Your statements suddenly challenge the prospect, driving him into wanting your product. He respects your truth, and now has confidence in you. He can tell you are a survivor and will be around if he has any questions. Your prospect’s sales objection question just turned him into a prospect convinced enough to make you a sale.
Tricks and canned lines lead to few sales. Why be a 30% closer when you can close 75% to 80%? Just display honesty, trust, tight firmness, and wide flexibility. You should know it is rare for a sales manager to earn $100,000 yearly. Would you like to earn $100,000? You can if you learn from real sales professionals how you can adapt and revise your sales presentation. The Sales Professionals income level easily outperforms most sales managers. They know how to stop a sales objection from ever coming up. If a sales objection ever slips in, it is very likely they will skillfully turn it around into an opportunity to sell.
