Have you worked your "warm" market? Do you even know who they are or why to reach out to them?
Your "warm" market is people you already know, like your friends, family and business acquaintances. Many times when we're just starting out in sales we're told to make a list of names of people to start off with to contact. These people, who already know you, should be more accessible and easier to meet. They should, in theory, also give you referrals and help you get the ball rolling for your career in sales.
I've always had mixed feelings on this. One reason is that once you've worked the list of people you know you're back to square one when it comes to finding prospects. This is because since you already know who they know your friends and family can't offer any good referrals. You may was well start with people you don't know.
Another issue is that family and business don't always mix well. I tried for years to talk my parents into investing in a long term care policy. My mother would defer to my father, who in turn told me that I was an idiot and that was that. It was a weird dynamic and I quickly left it alone. Only thing worse than discussing politics at the Thanksgiving table is trying to talk your relatives into buying an insurance policy they don't want.
I know one life insurance agent who refuses to write polices on his neighbors because they would call or show up at his home when he was "off the clock" to discuss their issues. "I'll never write a neighbor of mine ever again," he'd say.
Several years back I was working with one company and had prospected a local chamber of commerce, where I met a young lady in need of life insurance. After a few weeks I completed an application on a young lady and took the app to my manager to review. He was looking it over and suddenly got upset when he realized it was his cousin's wife. "I know them!" he exclaimed, as if he had sole rights. "I should be seeing them instead of you."
"Maybe you should work your family a little better," was my response. I picked up the application and submitted it without any further review. He acted as if I was supposed to split the commission with him on something he had done nothing to earn. "I suggest you call the rest of your family before I get to them as well."
Do you have a warm market? If you don't work it, I will.
Your "warm" market is people you already know, like your friends, family and business acquaintances. Many times when we're just starting out in sales we're told to make a list of names of people to start off with to contact. These people, who already know you, should be more accessible and easier to meet. They should, in theory, also give you referrals and help you get the ball rolling for your career in sales.
I've always had mixed feelings on this. One reason is that once you've worked the list of people you know you're back to square one when it comes to finding prospects. This is because since you already know who they know your friends and family can't offer any good referrals. You may was well start with people you don't know.
Another issue is that family and business don't always mix well. I tried for years to talk my parents into investing in a long term care policy. My mother would defer to my father, who in turn told me that I was an idiot and that was that. It was a weird dynamic and I quickly left it alone. Only thing worse than discussing politics at the Thanksgiving table is trying to talk your relatives into buying an insurance policy they don't want.
I know one life insurance agent who refuses to write polices on his neighbors because they would call or show up at his home when he was "off the clock" to discuss their issues. "I'll never write a neighbor of mine ever again," he'd say.
Several years back I was working with one company and had prospected a local chamber of commerce, where I met a young lady in need of life insurance. After a few weeks I completed an application on a young lady and took the app to my manager to review. He was looking it over and suddenly got upset when he realized it was his cousin's wife. "I know them!" he exclaimed, as if he had sole rights. "I should be seeing them instead of you."
"Maybe you should work your family a little better," was my response. I picked up the application and submitted it without any further review. He acted as if I was supposed to split the commission with him on something he had done nothing to earn. "I suggest you call the rest of your family before I get to them as well."
Do you have a warm market? If you don't work it, I will.
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