Brent Kelly Un-Convention Teaser

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

by sshappee

By: Brent Kelly

Every insurance agent communicates, but very few are able to truly connect.

To effectively build powerful relationships, you must be able to positively answer 3 questions that every prospect and client asks.

1) “Do you care for me?”

Every human being desires to be cared for in some way. To make connections with prospects they must feel and see that you genuinely care for them and their best interest.

Running a business or being a sales producer is tough work. Every day can feel like a grind. I often hear words like hustle, determination, desire, confidence, and so on when discussing traits of top business leaders.

As important as those traits are for being successful, empathy goes a long way to make your prospect feel cared for and respected. You need to understand their situation and circumstances. Ask the following questions.

What is your prospect feeling?
What concerns does your prospect have?
What is your prospect seeking?
What does your prospect value?
What makes your prospect smile?

Les Giblin, former national salesman of the year and speaker stated, “You can’t make the other fellow feel important in your presence if you secretly feel that he is a nobody.”

Agency leaders and top sales producers understand that relationships are everything.

“Whenever you can help other people to understand that you genuinely care about them, you open the door to connection, communication, and interaction.” John C. Maxwell.

2) “Can you help me?”

Have you heard the phrase, “Nobody wants to be sold, but everyone wants to be helped.” It’s 100% true!

Nobody likes an in your face salesperson trying to pitch their product or service. However, have you ever seen a product or service on TV or in a store and thought, “That would really help me.” Maybe it would help you feel better, solve a problem you have had, make life easier, or make someone else happy.

The point is that it’s the outcome buyers seek, not the product or service. In my early years of being an insurance producer I would often go on about how important certain liability coverages are or why maintaining higher liability limits would be important to the prospect.

I soon learned that the prospect didn’t care about specific instance policies or coverage amounts, they just wanted assurance that if someone sued them, they would be protected adequately. They wanted to know how I would help them, not what I was selling them.

One of the best ways to demonstrate how you help others is by sharing real stories that paint a picture of the outcome you provide. Keep a file of personal situations or stories you have heard from others to use as a way to clearly communicate your value.

Focus on how you help your prospects, not what you are selling your prospect.

3) “Can I trust you?”

At the heart of every business transaction is the question, “Can I trust you?” Trust is the foundation to every business relationship.

Trust is not earned by chance. Trust is earned through consistent action.

It’s not earned in a day, but day by day. How can you build trust? Here are few questions to get you thinking.

What are you doing with your current clients to prove you do what you say you will do?
What value are you giving your current prospects to show that you care more about them than their checkbook?
What is your reputation in the community?
What is your reputation online?
What are you doing each day to grow as a person and business leader?

The Bottom Line

These three questions, “Do you care for me?,” “Can you help me?,” and “Can I trust you?” are the three questions every one of your prospects are asking themselves when determining if they should even consider doing business with you.

You must be an intentional listener
You must find out what they value the most
You must build your relationship with consistent actions in favor of them

When the other person truly feels valued then a true connection blossoms.

Are you ready?

During my workshop with the MIPIA, I will be sharing and facilitating interactive exercises to help you move from a basic communicator to a skilled connector.

You will learn how to find common ground, simplify your communication, create an enjoyable experience, inspire your audience, and build authenticity.

You will be equipped to build better and deeper relationships with your prospects, clients, team members, and company partners. You will have some serious fun too!