The Most Common Sales Call Mistakes

One of the most common mistakes agents make on sales calls is getting too personal with their clients. While it’s important to build a level of trust and understanding, it’s imperative to have a clear, defined line between building a business relationship and making a new friend.

In order to build trust and learn about your clients’ insurance wants and needs, a certain level of comfort and commonality is necessary. You can work on making your clients more comfortable by making yourself seem relatable – if a client has two kids, tell the client about your children – their ages and interests. This helps bridge the gap between the salesperson and the consumer – it shows that you are human and not very unlike your clients. Your clients will begin to view you as a person who similar, rather than just a salesperson.

Building this trust is often vital to making a sale, but it’s a learned skill to know where to draw the line. While you want to show your client your human side, you need to be clear and concise. Instead of rambling on about your life and all its aspects, share only enough to show your client similarities between you two. Going into great detail can lead you to wasting a lot time and can also get you off topic for the true purpose of your visit. Don’t get sidetracked with a sales call gone chat session – keep control of the conversation, ultimately guiding your client to buying the perfect coverage.

This same idea goes both ways. You are subject to getting sidetracked and sharing too much personal detail, but your client can fall prey to this as well. Don’t get stuck listening to your client ramble about his or her health issues, family life or work problems. You are not your client’s therapist on a home call. You are there to forge a business relationship and make an insurance sale. Keep your goal clear, in the forefront of you mind. Losing sight of this will result in wasted time for both of you.

One of the key tips to making a sale is knowing how to be convincing enough without being too pushy. Clients will pick up on your forcefulness if you are being too forward, and will generally be less likely to trust or invest with you. Making your client comfortable is imperative. When learning about your client, rather than interrogating, gently guide the conversation with questions, allowing them to share without feeling forced. Once you get the information you need to offer the appropriate coverage for your client, guide the conversation back to the purpose of your visit. Remember that you are in control of the conversation and don’t let it get too far off track.

Being aware of these common sales call mistakes will help you avoid running into these issues with your clients. Keeping the conversation on topic will likely result in shorter appointments, allowing you more time to schedule additional calls and make more sales. Applying these conversation tactics will help you determine where the line between personal and business is, helping you avoid crossing the line and losing control of the conversation.

These tips will help improve the quality and quantity of your sales calls, and we offer even more tips for mastering the sale on a regular basis. Being aware of your attitude and your clients’ needs will help you become more successful at selling and growing in your role and beyond.