Agents, we have a problem: Individual life insurance ownership in the U.S. has reached a 50-year low.
It’s not due to a lack of need in the marketplace—consumers are unaware of the need for coverage, and the array of options can be confusing. (Tweet this!) But this lack of consumer knowledge is an excellent opportunity for agents who know their products and are keen to grow, because there is no better time to be a trusted advisor offering life insurance to clients. With that in mind, take a look at these proven life insurance sales ideas and techniques that separate the top producers from the rest of the industry. By following these tips, you’ll be able to help more clients and drive more revenue.
Some producers will go anywhere and work with anyone. They bounce between helping a young family protect their mortgage and helping a retiree with final expense coverage. They drive hundreds of miles a week with no geographic focus to their prospecting. Perhaps as a result, their results are mediocre at best.
Your ideal client profile should, at a minimum, define a geography and age range, but the most effective producers go even further to focus on specific vocations and even companies, and the products that align best with that audience. When you can “nest” in a particular client demographic, your life insurance sales improves. At EverQuote, we partner with producers to define their specific geography and audience so they can spend less time prospecting and driving and more time connecting consumers to coverage.
In his famous Ted Talk and best-selling book, Simon Sinek implores salespeople to “start with why.” When looking for life insurance, many consumers have a defined benefit amount in mind and, as they do when shopping for most products, they look for the lowest price. Left unchecked, this approach can leave a client purchasing inadequate coverage.
By helping your clients and prospects define the “why” behind their life insurance purchases, you put the purchase into perspective and create a sense of urgency around it. Budgets change when clients understand the “why.”
When life insurance becomes less about price and more about taking care of loved ones, enabling college educations, paying off mortgages, and leaving a charitable legacy, people are more interested in getting the right coverage.
We all have limited financial resources, and sometimes that means choosing a dollar amount for life insurance coverage. Too often, producers start with that number and let it define the coverage amount.
As a trusted advisor, you can and should help your clients understand the importance of the right level of coverage. (Tweet this!) If that coverage is outside their budget, help your clients choose what may need to be sacrificed in the process. When faced with the possibility of not being able to paying for their children’s college expenses or being forced to return to work after the death of a spouse, suddenly a daily latte budget seems better served going toward life insurance.
Every advisor wants to be a top producer. But few have documented, activity-driven goals that provide the roadmap to high production levels. And even fewer producers consistently execute on those plans, reaching their weekly call, meeting, and referral goals. Goals and activity are critical to ensuring sales success.
Finally, all great companies and great life insurance producers invest in marketing. EverQuote specializes in partnering with agents to drive ideal consumers in their defined area, in real time.
If you’re looking to see more qualified consumers each week, leverage these tips—and consider partnering with EverQuote to bring you qualified leads. With both, you’ll be on your way to your best-producing year yet. Talk to us about how we can help your insurance agency achieve your desired growth goals today!