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• Set aside one hour a day for prospecting. Discipline yourself to
make this time nonnegotiable, and treat it as a priority.
• Make as many calls as possible. The more calls you make, the
better your chances of converting those prospects to clients.
• Make calls brief. Don't try to sell the client over the phone. Your goal
should be to get the appointment…and concentrate on closing the
sale there.
• Prepare a list of names before you call. This allows you to devote
your time to making calls-not searching for names. Trade prospect
names with other professionals, and keep a one-month supply on
hand at all times to make the process easier.
• Don't tolerate interruptions. Refuse to take calls or attend meetings
during your prospecting time. As with any other activity, the more you
repeat this task during a contiguous block of time, the better you'll
become.
• If you find conventional prospecting times don't work, consider
calling during off-peak hours. Find out when your prospects are
available, and call them at the appropriate times. Don't waste your
time when you know they aren't on hand.
• Vary your contacting times. This increases your chances of
reaching buyers.
• Get organized. Make detailed notes and store them in a
computerized prospect contact system. Update them frequently,
scheduling and keeping track of follow-up times and contact
information.
• Picture your prospecting goal, and develop a plan to reach it.
Knowing where you're going and how far you've moved toward your
goal helps you stay motivated.
• Don't give up. Persistence is the key to true selling success.
Prospects will see your determination and admire your perseverance-
and you'll get appointments.

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Cold-Calling Successfully: Seven Tips for Making Winning Sales
Calls
Do you dread cold calling? If so, you're not alone. Many advisors hate
picking up the phone and talking to total strangers.
No one likes rejection. But with the proper education, you can turn cold-
calling into a positive, successful business strategy—one that boosts profits
and helps win sales.
1. Create a targeted prospect list.
This is your best list of accessible prospects. Place those leads easiest-to-
reach at the top of the list to help you stay encouraged, and then work your
way down. With the right information at hand, you can work nonstop for as
long as possible and make many contacts.
Customer referrals are the best names for this list, but you should also
incorporate contacts gained through your relationships with other
professionals, and through seminars, trade shows and networking
organizations.
2. Set a goal and script your call.
Determine your objective for placing calls; then write a script to help you
achieve that goal. For example, if you're working toward getting that first
appointment with prospects, make that your goal. Your script should then
include a few simple, key statements to help you achieve your goal and
keep you on track during your conversations. Don't plan on reading it; just
use it as a conversational guideline. You don't want to sound impersonal,
as if you're reading a teleprompter.
Remember, every word counts! So choose your words carefully and, above
all, remain short, to-the-point, and conversational.
3. Locate the decision-maker.
The one who makes the purchasing decisions may or may not be the same
one who does the purchasing. So, when making prospect contact, ask to
speak with whoever makes the insurance purchasing decisions. This will
keep you from wasting time and get you through to the right person.

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If you're unable to contact decision-makers, avoid leaving voicemail
messages when at all possible. Those with buying authority rarely return
these calls, and often don't even listen to messages left on voicemail
machines.
4. Introduce yourself—and get right to the point.
Avoid wasting your customers' time by making small talk. For example,
don't ask them, "How are you today?" This makes them feel like they're
being patronized…and possibly even talked down to.
Instead, initiate telephone conversations by introducing yourself briefly, and
then telling customers exactly why you're calling. Getting to the point
quickly helps you come across as sincere and honest, rather than fake and
condescending. It also communicates your understanding that their time is
valuable—an important part of gaining their business.
5. Explain clearly and concisely why they should do business with
you.
Offer your customers a clear benefit for doing business with you. For
example, "I'm calling to offer you more affordable insurance with the same
or better coverage." The idea here is to peak their interest and
communicate the advantage/s of buying from you, instead of your
competitors.
Follow your benefit statement up with the following question: "Do you have
just a moment to speak with me?" If they respond positively, go on to the
next step. If, however, they respond negatively, ask what day and time
would be convenient for you to call back and continue your conversation.
Above all, make sure you follow up exactly as you say you will. Otherwise,
you'll come across as insincere and uncaring.
6. Use past case histories to demonstrate how you've helped others.
Relate stories of other clients you've helped who found themselves in
similar situations as your new customers. Explain the issues those clients
faced; tell your customers how you worked to help solve their problems—
and then ask if they're ready to start saving money (or whatever the
specific benefit you've related may be).

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Make your proposal more compelling by offering precise numbers and
percentages, when possible. For instance, if you saved a similar customer
a significant amount on his monthly premium, cite the exact amount or
percentage. Nothing speaks to customers' wallets quite like the bottom line!
7. Accomplish the goal you set out to achieve.
If your goal in cold-calling is to set up prospect meetings, suggest sitting
down together to discuss the options at this point.
Once you understand your customers' needs, communicate what you have
to offer them and back it up with testimonials from other clients, getting that
first appointment won't be quite so difficult!
Asking for Referrals: Your How-to Guide
Does asking for referrals make your palms sweat and your heart race? If
the answer is yes, you're not alone—many advisors are nervous about
asking for referrals out of fear that they'll damage relationships with existing
clients.
But ultimately, agents who do not cross the referral threshold are depriving
themselves of new business. According to a recent survey by marketing
consultation firm Strategic Impact, almost 80 percent of respondents
(consisting of investment and insurance professionals) relied on referrals
as their primary source of generating new business.
Tune Into the Client's Communication Style
Understanding your client's communication style can help you recognize
their openness to your goal of cultivating new business through referrals.
If the client is generally soft-spoken or hesitant regarding business
transactions, just be honest. You might start by telling them that referrals
are very important to the growth of your business and you would like to
develop it with people like them. Remind the client of the benefits of your
services and ask if they can think of anyone who would be interested in
receiving the same benefits as they do.

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Confirm Your Value
If you truly can't gauge your client's style of communication, confirm the
value in you and your work by asking the client how they think you're doing
when it comes to maintaining a healthy business relationship.
If your client answers enthusiastically or positively in any way, proceed
asking—as above—if they know anyone who could benefit from your
services. If your client answers indifferently or negatively, proceed with
caution or hold off all together and try this tactic with them later down the
line.
Make the Most of Meetings
Any time you have personal contact with your client is a great time to ask
for referrals. Once you've gone over any updates or changes in your
client's policy, simply reiterate the successes and highlights of your
business relationship and ask them if they have friends or family who could
benefit from your services. Take down names and contact information and
get selling!
Practice on Low-Risk Clients
Asking for referrals takes confidence and enthusiasm—and that takes
practice. Get that practice with clients that won't drastically impact your
business if the relationship is adversely affected. Once you've acquired a
few referrals and achieved a considerable level of confidence, move your
way up to "medium-risk" clients and get a few more referrals before tackling
your heavy-hitters.
Give Thanks
It's important to consistently thank your clients for their business. Sending
appreciatory emails, cards and gift certificates are some ideas for thanking
your clients. Making your existing clients feel that they are your top priority
will increase their chances of promoting your services to friends and family.
It's also appropriate to thank clients who've given you referrals. Some
agents like to send a gift; others just send a note of gratitude. Some agents
wait to see if the referral develops into a new client and send a larger gift of

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thanks. While the gesture is up to you, do thank your existing clients and let
them know how much you value their referrals.
Interpreting Your Clients' Body Language
You're meeting with a prospective client, pitching your product line. Midway
through your spiel, an expression of confusion crosses his face. You ask if
he understands, and he says "yes"--so you continue with your presentation.
Not sure he's being totally honest, you continue distractedly, as his brows
furrow; his arms fold over his chest, and his head tilts to one side.
Now what? Is he falling asleep-or did you lose him along the way? More
importantly, should you drone on, start over…or give up completely?
Getting Into Their Heads
If you want to find out what your prospects are really thinking, learn to
interpret their body language.
Studies show that over 70 percent of our communication is nonverbal; so
what they don't say many times reveals more than what they do say.
As simple as it sounds, we all have the innate ability to read body
language. But it takes careful thought and analysis to recognize these
nonverbal cues and constantly re-strategize your sales presentations
around them.
Watching for Non-Verbal Cues
So what impact does body language interpretation have on your business?
Understanding what your customers are telling you:
• Lets you glimpse into their frame of mind
• Gives you the opportunity to adjust your sales pitch to fit their
reactions

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• Minimizes sales pressure, and helps you recognize when it's time to
close
• Allows you to build trust and rapport with prospects and existing
clients, and increase sales and profits
Learn to monitor your customers' body language. If it looks like they're
really not getting it-they're probably not!
Recognizing the Signs
To successfully read and interpret your clients' thoughts and feelings, learn
to observe these major areas for telltale signals:
• Eye Contact & Brow Movement Facial Gestures
• Torso & Arm Movement
• Leg Activity
Now, let's examine these signals and what they mean in more detail.
Positive Signs
The following signs indicate your prospect is receptive and open to your
words and/or actions. When you see these signals, proceed with your
present sales strategy.
Eyes & Brows:
• Relaxed brow: relaxed body Direct eye contact: interest and/or
approval
• "Smiling" eyes: comfortable
Face:
• Upturned mouth: acceptance and/or agreement Relaxed lips: relaxed
body and/or happiness
• Relaxed cheek and neck muscles: comfort and/or relaxation
Torso & Arms:
• Leaning forward: interest
• Fingers interlocked behind the head, elbows open and armpits
exposed: open to ideas and/or comfortable

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• Mirroring your body language: likes you and/or friendly
• Still: interested in what you're saying
Legs:
• Relaxed legs, whether crossed or uncrossed: relaxed body and/or
open to ideas
Negative Signs
These signs indicate your client is disinterested and closed to your words
and/or actions. When you see these signals, it's time to back up and re-
strategize.
Eyes & Brows:
• Furrowed brows: confusion, fear, tension
• Limited or no eye contact: lying, disinterest, distraction and/or lack of
comfort
Face:
• Downward turned mouth or flat line: lack of acceptance and/or
disagreement Pursed or pressed-together lips: tense body and/or
discontentment
• Tense cheek and neck muscles: tense body and/or discomfort
Torso & Arms:
• Shoulders hunched forward: lacking interest and/or feeling inferior
Stiff or rigid body posture: anxious and/or uptight
• Crossed arms: just cold and/or feeling defensive
• Tapping fingers: bored, agitated and/or anxious
• Fidgeting: bored and/or has something to say
Legs:
• Constantly moving or shifting: uncomfortable and/or doesn't like what
you're saying
• Bouncing legs, whether crossed or uncrossed: tense body, closed to
ideas and/or doesn't like what you're saying

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Practice Makes Perfect
Accurately interpreting your clients' body language takes time and practice.
But by paying close attention to those nonverbal cues, you can adjust your
sales strategies accordingly; better understand your clients and their
reactions, and recognize when it's time to close.
Learning from Your Sales Mistakes
According to some experts, 70 percent of all decisions we make are wrong.
With these types of statistics, it's easy for most to throw their hands up in
frustration and say, "Why bother?"
Have heart! The truth is, those that embrace their mistakes have much
more success in life—and in business—than those who don't.
Mistake #1: Failing to follow up after receiving a lead.
So you've received a lead from some sources and instead of calling the
lead right away, you decide to call after you get back from lunch with your
officemates. When you finally do make the call, the lead has been
contacted and sold by another agent.
Mistakes like this can have you kicking yourself for days. Correct the error
by giving the lead your contact information anyway. Make a note of the
date and call the lead back around renewal time. They may be ready for a
better policy and a higher quality of service—which you will gladly give
them!
Avoid these mistakes in the future by remaining dedicated to pulling in new
clients. Whether you receive an online referral from InsureMe or from a
friend or existing client, it's important to make contact with that lead as
soon as possible, even if it means delaying or canceling your lunch plans—
your friends will understand!
Mistake #2: You lose a sale because the prospect is interested in
a product you don't offer.

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The truth is, agents who don't offer a wider variety or services are at
greater risk for losing sales. People want the convenience of bundling their
coverage and financial planning—and the discounts that typically come
with it.
If you're a captive agent, or have restrictions on what kind of coverage you
can sell, it's probably best to refer the prospect to a trusted associate or
colleague who can provide the requested services and hope the favor is
one day returned.
If you have the freedom to cross-sell into other areas, you can avoid this
mistake all together by earning additional licensure to sell other types of
coverage and financial services.
Mistake #3: Being too aggressive with an indecisive prospect—
and losing the sale.
As a financial advisor, you know that applying a certain amount of pressure
is needed to close a sale. However, crossing the sales threshold too soon
or too forcefully can result a lost sale.
Correct this by backpedaling and putting the prospect at ease. Essentially,
start your sales pitch over, rehashing the benefits of your services and how
they can meet the prospect's needs. Once you've reiterated the benefits of
your services, ask a trial closing question to see on which side of the fence
the prospect stands. If you sense your prospect is more comfortable about
purchasing your products, go for the close.
You can avoid this mistake in the future by building a casual and trusting
rapport with your prospects. Let them do the talking! By asking open-ended
questions you can get a sense of your prospect's buying style and adjust
your sales pitch accordingly.
Mistake #4: Failing to follow up with clients
At renewal time, you contact the Smith's about their auto policy and they've
chosen not to renew their policy with you. How can this be? You thought
they were perfectly happy with their policy last year!

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In truth, you lack of contact may not be the sole reason that the Smith's
have decided to end their business relationship with you. But would it have
lowered your chances of losing them? Absolutely.
Your clients want to feel taken care of, and with today's excessive use of
automated phone systems and impersonal business, clients want to know
there's an actual person take care of their insurance and financial needs.
While there may not be much you can do to get the Smith's back, you can
avoid this mistake in the future by scheduling follow-up meetings halfway
through the duration of the policy to make sure the client is still satisfied.
Sending birthday cards and small gifts around the holidays is also a great
way to make your clients feel that you have their best interests at heart—
and that you appreciate their business!