As agencies grow, eventually they require a producer and bringing in a nonowner producer seems to be the Achilles heal of so many very successful agency owners. But, there are two important things you can do: (1) hire a good sales person, and (2) provide sales training. In this article, I’ll give you some tips…
I spend a lot of time with insurance agency owners and producers. So I see and observe a lot about sales. Based on these observations, I believe producers generally fall into four categories: (1) Lazy and Undisciplined (LU’s), (2) Stalwarts, (3) Charisma Maniacs, and (4) Torpedoes. Do you know in which category your producers fall?
What business are you in? The answer is not always obvious. If your answer is selling insurance then prepare your agency for a slow demise. No future exists in selling insurance. Going forward, traditional P&C insurance will become less and less important. Insurance is only one means for protecting assets….
Many companies exploring alternative distribution channels believe that some people don’t want the advice and counsel of an agent. Know what? They’re right! Know something else? You’re better off letting them have those customers! In fact, the best way to “compete” with direct sales (e.g., via company internet sites) is to stop selling “insurance.”
All the modern forward thinking gurus of selling agree: “Telling ain’t selling. Listening is.” Without question, it’s the number one skill of closing sales. But what the gurus often fail to tell you is what to listen for…and how to listen. In this article, legendary sales trainer, Bob Ayrer, will give you six steps to…
We know you’ve been taught that people buy based on value, not price. But, let’s face it, you don’t believe it do you? In the real world, too often you experience losing an account because your bid was higher…or at least that’s what the prospect tells you. In this article, master salesman, Bob Ayrer, draws…
Know why price is perceived by so many sales people to be the driving force? Simple: Most sales staff are trained by BUYERS, not employers! What has happened over the decades of poor sales training is that buyers have filled the void and have trained the sales people…but, of course, to their advantage. Added to…
Price is always a part of the final equation in selling, but the real reason people choose one supplier over another is almost never price, nor does it have anything to do with your product lines or core services. To learn what you can do to overcome the price dilemma (and learn about the problems…
It is important to continually raise the level of relationships within an account. It is the producer’s job to identify prospective customers out of the field of buyers and move them through being a buyer to a satisfied buyer, to a loyal customer — this requires cultivating relationships at every level of the account. However,…
A sales person can’t create genuine value for a client if the focus is on unit pricing. Price is always a product of poor selling and inept sales management. If your company genuinely offers value and you are not getting the margins you deserve, it is time to change the way your sales people take…
