September, 2015 | Slater All Lines Insurance School

One of the most terrifying moments for each and every salesperson is the “closing of the deal”. You’ve just delivered the most awesome presentation of your products or services. You’ve just laid it all out there on the line. And now, you have to face the possibility of rejection. The possibility that all your hard work, your blood-sweat-and-tears preparation, and possibly this month’s ability to pay the utility bills, could all be an exercise in futility.

Part of your fear is that rejection, especially in insurance sales, is a reality. Anywhere from 80 to 90% of your clients may say “No”. But there are ways to dispel the fear involved in closing the sale AND defeat their powers of rejection. It all comes down to changing your approach to “making sales”.

Change Your Mind

The biggest thing you can do to help make more sales is to STOP thinking like a salesperson.

The biggest thing you can do to help make more sales is to STOP thinking like a salesperson. Make the subtle shift from salesman to marketer. Marketers are focused on their customers. They use proven marketing techniques, understand the psychology behind why people buy, and follow certain “rules” of marketing accordingly.

Salesmen, on the other hand, are only out to make a buck. They don’t care too much about whether or not the prospect is someone who might actually buy what they have to offer. They figure if they make enough sales pitches, eventually someone will bite, and then they can reel them in, hook, line, and sinker. Stop trying to make money. Start trying to make clients. Remember that there are REAL people holding those wallets. Think of them, and not yourself or your profits, and you’ll be well on your way to sales success.

Sell the Benefits, NOT the Features

You’ve got a great product. You offer some phenomenal customer service. You treat your clients better than you treat most of your family. But you still aren’t making sales. They never get to the point of finding out just how great you actually are at being their agent. Why? Because you are focused on the products and services you have to offer, instead of on the people you are addressing.

Make them feel the peace of mind they’ll get from knowing they’ll leave their family financially secure in the event of their death. Give them an image of a well-cared-for-family in the event of a fire, flood or accident. Help them to see a stress-free future, all because of your offerings. Marketers know that prospects are more willing to buy when they can visualize themselves already in possession of the product.

If all you are focused on is how great your “stuff” is, you’ll miss the sale more than you’ll succeed. If you can make them either feel great for having your “stuff” OR make them feel as though they are sorely missing out without your “stuff”, you’ll be more likely to close those deals. Show them what’s in it for them, and they’ll be more apt to be in your stable of clients.

Create Relationships, NOT Customers

Remember when we changed our point of view from seeing sales to seeing clients? To seeing the human behind the cash? Now that you’ve established a human connection, nurture it. Treat your prospects with the courtesy, respect, and honor they deserve. They will, after all, keep all those bills paid. Offer them personalized service. Address them as THEY prefer, not as your organization or upbringing would have you do. Make them feel as though they are special to you. They aren’t just another tally in your sales column for the month.

Great marketers know that success comes from building relationships with your clients. Don’t scrimp on the relationship once the deal has been made, either. Continue to offer great value and service. It’ll go a long way toward gaining new clients via word of mouth and professional referrals, too. They’ll let everyone know just how good you are at your job, and you’ll soon find yourself closing even more sales for your troubles.

Making sales isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be the “impossible dream” many failed sales people make it out to be. Change your mind, change your habits, and change your life through better relationships. Your sales will change, as well.

Let’s face it – you have to take and, more importantly, pass your insurance licensing exam. It’s a harsh reality, but it doesn’t have to be a harsh experience. With adequate preparation and study, your insurance exam can be a pleasant, stress-free undertaking. Here’s some tips to help you survive your exams with your sanity, and your future career, intact.

Relax – It’s a big deal, I know.

But you can still treat it as just another milestone. Think positively about the experience of taking the exam. Visualize yourself knowing the answers and feeling confident and satisfied when you’ve completed the exam. Keeping a stress-free frame of mind will help prepare you emotionally for the “big day”.

Figure out how you study best.

Not everyone does well in study groups. Not everyone does best with only textual content. If you don’t already know, discovering the way in which YOU prepare best will go a long way to helping you prepare for your exam. Flashcards? Create them. An auditory learner? Record portions of your study guide or class materials and listen to them while you drive, workout, or relax. Don’t just follow the crowd if doing so will lead you to a lower performance come exam day.

Create a plan for exam prep at least a month before.

Allowing yourself adequate time to study and prepare will keep you from the stressful experience of “cramming” in the days and hours leading up to exam day. Repetitive, gentle review will also help you pinpoint problems or areas where you need extra help or additional material in plenty of time to arrange for it.

Complete all your test prep materials.

Any and all test prep materials should be used to their fullest potential. Spend the time to take the practice test online, for example, even if you feel you already know the subject matter. Use any study guides or booklets or sample exams made available to you. Not only will they give you a sense of what the real exam may be like, they’ll also help you to know how well you know the material the exam will cover.

Apply the 50-10 rule when studying.

Your brain and body can only handle so much material at any one time. Your brain needs time to process the material being covered, and your body needs a break from sitting and studying. The 50-10 rule is simple: Study 50 minutes, then take a 10 minute break. During that break, get up and move around. Get a snack, go to the bathroom, take a walk up and down the hall, or around the block. Do some jumping jacks or mountain climbers or yoga stretches. Basically, do SOMETHING in that 10 minute period of time to raise your heartbeat a bit, and get your body moving.

Take your time.

Most exams last from 1 to 3 hours. And you have, if you’ve followed our other tips, a month or more to prepare for those 1 to 3 hours. An hour or two a day, every day, in the month before your exam will add up to 30 to 60 hours of exam prep time. You can’t get that in a cramming session. Also, by studying for an hour or two a day, you’ll be preparing yourself for the time it may take to actually complete the exam.

Know when to stop.

It’s actually best if you don’t study within 24 hours of exam time. First, you need this time to physically prepare for the test. Secondly, you can cause yourself to get stressed out and lose the confidence and self-composure you’ve built up. Lastly, if you don’t know something by now, chances of you actually learning it and retaining it are scientifically proven to be slim to none.

Get a good night’s rest.

Going into exam day exhausted and cranky from a poor, or shortened, night of sleep isn’t going to do anything for your mental capabilities or your test score. Sleep deprivation can cause a lack of mental focus – the last thing you need to take with you into the exam room.

Get a good start to the day.

Eat a good breakfast. Your body is going to need all the energy it can muster today. Avoid consuming too much caffeine. There’s no sense going into your test with the coffee jitters. Get some gentle exercise – walk the dog, do some yoga, take a swim. Nothing too taxing or overstimulating, but enough to both burn off any nervous energy and help your body build up for the day ahead.

Relax.

There’s no sense in getting all out of sorts come exam day. You’ve spent the last 4 weeks preparing. You know the material. You know your capabilities.You are mentally, emotionally and physically prepared to tackle your exam. Go in there with the confidence that you will come out successful and satisfied. You can do this!

Do you have any tips that helped you pass your insurance exam?
Share them in the comments below:

Closing the Deal – Making Them Want to Say “Yes”