You're Going To Be Great At This!

Years ago when I worked for a large life insurance company we were encouraged, and sometimes badgered, to buy their products. The manager of the office would say, "I can't tell you how it works, but if you own it, you'll sell more." Apparently there was some magical force in the universe that we were all unaware of. At the same time, there was a huge increase in credibility when I would talk to a client about disability insurance, for example, and they would ask, "Do you have a policy?" Of course I did, but if I had said that I didn't, it could be a deal breaker.  "Why should I buy it if you don't think it's good enough for you to buy?" Awkward. When I left that company and went to another company the new manager said, "We sell on need. If you don't need it, don't buy it." He was right. Of course, he would lie and tell his clients he owned everything. Needless to say, I left that company after a few months.  But does o...

Let's face it, when it comes to selling products and services to people, not everyone is going to be happy. Our job is to make sure that people are satisfied with their purchase, but there are those people out there who, know matter what you do for them, will never be pleased. The root of all of this is the adage that says "The customer is always right." We know that this is not the case. Telling people they are wrong or "misinformed" is hard to do, especially when the customer sincerely believes they are right. When I sell insurance I go over a lot of information, maybe too much. That is part of the job because the majority of my clients really are not insurance experts. They know what they have been told by their family or friends.  For instance, I had a grown man, probably in his 40's, who only bought whole life insurance because "that's what my father bought". We did the math and figured out how much coverage he needed. When I looked at his...

In the previous post I discussed a few aspects of transactional selling as opposed to relationship selling. The "get in and get out" aspect of a quick transaction means that one doesn't necessarily have to build a rapport with a client at all. But is that a good thing? When I worked for a large insurance company a years ago it was instilled into our brains that we had to build a relationship with our clients. That does not mean we had to be their friend or their confidant, but instead we were to learn about some of the client's interests, family issues and other information that we could draw sales from in the future, as relationship selling has shown to garner more repeat business from the client. Not only will people buy from you if they like and trust you, but they will continue to buy from you if you keep the rapport going. But meaningful relationships are a two-way street, which means that you have to pull back the curtain and allow the client to see your world ...