How to Sell Insurance Over the Phone | VanillaSoft

October 31, 2022

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How can you make more insurance sales over the phone?

Maybe you are interested

Listen and engage your prospects without using too much jargon.
Be prepared with a hyphen and a closing statement.
Make sure you have everything you need for the call in front of you before you pick up the phone.
and remember, don’t give up.

selling insurance over the phone can be hard work and requires perseverance to continue after a not-so-desirable response.

Reading: How to pitch life insurance over the phone

You will not be able to close a deal on every call. some prospects will require a little more work to become a buyer.

However, with a little knowledge and the assistance of modern technology, you can increase your sales numbers.

11 tips to close the deal when selling insurance over the phone

listen carefully and engage them

Every time you call a potential or current client, listen carefully for new opportunities.

Ask the topic these questions:

ask them about their hobbies; for example, they may need motorcycle or boat insurance
if they have children, if they do, would it be beneficial to mention life insurance?
Do you have investment properties? Do they need liability coverage?

By giving them time to talk and asking open-ended questions, you’ll have an opportunity to address their concerns. it will also help engage them instead of presenting them throughout the call.

You also want to pay attention to clues about what will affect your buying decisions. Not all prospects are looking for the lowest price. some are more concerned with ratings or current technology options.

avoid jargon and jargon

It’s unpleasant to be talking to a seller who speaks in another language. Save industry-specific jargon for conversations with your colleagues, and speak in terms buyers can understand.

Use professional language and avoid jargon when calling a prospective client.

If this were an in-person meeting, you’d wear business casual at a minimum and present yourself with the same decorum on the phone to increase your credibility. people want to buy from smart, confident people.

get ready for the call

Practice your presentation, understand where you stand against the competition, read as much as you can about sales, and seek advice from more experienced insurance salespeople.

You’re more likely to have a successful call if you know exactly what to say and when to say it.

write your speech

Have a written sales script of what you need to say to your prospects.

You can change the script to match your contact’s pitch once you’re on the phone, but know your pitch so you can add inflections to your voice and not sound like a monotonous recording.

It’s far better to be overprepared than an underprepared telemarketer.

Also, practice your script several times before you call your prospect.

establish yourself as an expert

When selling insurance over the phone, establishing credibility and authority is crucial. your potential customers need to know that they are buying from an expert who can give them all the information they need.

When speaking with a potential client on the phone, explain your background, areas of expertise, and credentials. establishing your expertise will help them trust you more.

His credibility as an expert applies especially to the sale of life insurance. It’s a big decision, so people want to buy from someone they can trust and who has their best interests in mind when creating an offer.

build a relationship with your prospect

The first step in establishing trust is building rapport and creating a comfortable environment that allows potential customers to open up, voice all their concerns, and be honest about what they need.

Always smile when you open a call because even if your prospects can’t see you, they can hear your smiling voice. As a result, you’ll come across as welcoming and friendly, and your prospects will feel relaxed. he breaks the ice with small talk and asking something like “how’s your day going?” this will humanize your approach and your prospects will not have the impression that they are talking to a chatbot.

Show them you’re listening

When your prospect is speaking, let them know you’re listening by using so-called verbal nods: I see, oh, sure, mhm, etc.

Using the same words, particularly adjectives, that your prospects use will also show them that you are listening carefully and understand what they are saying.

All of this will help you empathize and build rapport with your prospects, and break down communication barriers that can arise during the phone conversation.

don’t give up

You may be able to sell a few insurance policies in one call, but be prepared for a second or third call.

Your prospect may want to do some research to compare your rates, they may need to check with their spouse, or they may not trust you after a call, so it’s important to follow up.

Don’t take it personally, but be persistent. if you get a resounding “no,” ask if you can call back at your next renewal date.

being organized is key

Have everything you need to make the sale available at your fingertips. it’s a good idea to open any relevant files you might need before dialing, so you don’t have to fumble for documents during the call.

Have everything you need in front of you before you pick up the phone. you don’t want to fumble around looking for notes while talking to a potential client.

take notes

Consider taking notes during the conversation, as you may not remember everything.

If you can, record the call so you have a record of what was said. That way, you can refer back to the recording if someone asks you a question, and you can see the exact moment in the call when you had the conversation.

create a backup closing statement

Is your prospect still on the fence? have a “backup” closing statement handy.

Don’t forget to ask if it’s okay to call back on your next renewal date or even if you can send them a quote comparison.

Sometimes having a picture instead of just hearing the numbers gives the buyer an opportunity to understand the value of your services.

technology for selling insurance over the phone

Gone are the days of spreadsheets with multiple tabs and columns to keep track of your insurance leads. Modern technology provides many tools that can help in the sales process to make life easier for insurance professionals.

Let’s review some of the tools every insurance seller should take advantage of.

voip: allows you to have everything in one place. calls can be made with the click of a mouse, making sales reps more productive.
sales engagement software: vanillasoft’s sales engagement platform uses queue-based routing to reduce manual tasks and ensure your sales reps will call the right lead at the right time , at all times. Combined with vanillasoft’s email/text marketing and sales lead tracking, you’ll ensure your team handles each lead with maximum efficiency.
website: I know it sounds basic, but a site with content can be a significant lead generator. content should be available for every stage of the buyer’s journey to have a higher chance of capturing leads.
quoting software: You need a program that compares quotes between multiple carriers to provide the best option for your prospects.
Multiple Computer Screens: With more than one screen, you’ll have easier access to any program or file you might need without having to do too many clicks.

deal with objections

When selling insurance over the phone, you’re likely to hear some repeated objections from different prospects.

Do you know how to counter these concerns and turn a no into a yes?

some of the most common objections are “I’m happy with my current provider” or “why should I change the one I have?”

ask them when was the last time they compared prices. changing markets and policyholder demographics can influence rates and should be reviewed periodically.

many insurance professionals will do the work of the initial sale and not follow up in the future to see if there have been any changes that could affect the premium.

Use this as your foot in the door. provide your quotes and let the prospect make the best decision for him.