Making a Difference: Gaining Through Giving
At National Agents Alliance, we work hard to make a difference in the lives of our clients, employees, agents and leaders. Through a variety of events and activities, we serve our clients, encourage our agents and strengthen our leaders. By encouraging and requiring an environment of learning and constant growth, we set high expectations for everyone within the National Agents Alliance family.
As we promote this growth and all work toward continual improvement, we consistently find that we are gaining through giving. At National Agents Alliance, our motto, “Have fun, make money, make a difference” stands true and remains the central component of everything we do.
As we continue to grow in numbers and in strength, we protect more and more American families from an assortment of financial stresses following the death of a loved one. Through guiding our clients to the perfect life insurance coverage and following through by providing it, we change the lives and futures of American families daily.
Gaining Through Giving
In addition to helping better the lives and futures of our clients and their families, we work to better the lives of our agents and corporate employees, as well. By hosting company training events, we give agents and employees access to leadership material such as motivating books, training and testimonies from top leaders, and the opportunity to associate with and learn from top leaders in the business and outside of the business, including our President and CEO Andy Albright and nationally renowned authors and motivational speakers.
By providing an all-around culture that promotes personal and professional growth, we allow agents and employees to gain as they give. As agents and employees dedicate themselves to working hard and becoming better leaders, they find that they are more successful and more motivated to keep aiming higher and higher. One of the things we like to say is that “the sky is the limit with NAA.” Anyone who works with us knows that the opportunities are endless – and we have the culture to prove it.
The National Agents Alliance culture is really more of a family. Agents, employees, leaders and their families are welcomed at company events, and people in the NAA family, of all levels, provide constant support and advice for one another. From success stories to honest expressions of struggles, the NAA family shares and supports its members through it all. From kind notes and flowers on a bad day to an understanding friend to talk to, the NAA family has it all.
We have found that this culture – this family, this environment of learning and growth – promotes more success and more meaning in life. By adding all of these personal elements into the insurance sales market, we are creating an innovative environment and are finding that we are continuing to gain through giving.
As we help protect more American families, we find that we are not only increasingly gaining financially, but also personally and as a company. Because we work hard to make a difference, seeing the effects of our hard work is motivating and rewarding, encouraging us to aim higher and higher as time goes on. As we encourage others within the NAA family, we find that we are rewarded in our leadership skills, our life experience and our friendships. As we continue to give and help others, we are continually gaining in more ways that just financial.
We have fun learning and growing with our NAA family, we make money by valuing our clients and working for the betterment of their lives, and we make a difference by helping American families and protecting their futures. Our motto is at the heart of everything we do, and staying true to our purpose is what grants us the continual gain we find through giving.
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National Agents Alliance: Keeping Client Service at the Core
When you are in a sales position that depends on clients for income, it’s important to remember that your job is to serve clients. Many agents get caught up in daily calls, forgetting that their clients don’t owe them anything. At National Agents Alliance, we encourage and require our agents to put their clients first.
Although agents are dependent on clients for their income, it is up to agents to provide excellent customer service and top-notch products for their clients. Clients will respond based on the agent’s attitude – the level of respect and trustworthiness the agent establishes will be the determining factor of the sale.
Next time you go on a sales call, remember that you are doing your clients a favor by offering them life insurance coverage, but your clients are also doing you favors by buying their coverage from you. Remember that you have a sales position, and sales positions require excellent client service – National Agents Alliance only accepts the best, and we expect nothing less from our agents.
Here are some tips for practicing and maintaining excellent client service for better sales practice and success.
- Be sincere: If a client is expressing an issue or concern, be sincere in your care and your response. If the client is concerned about the coverage, be honest and thorough in your explanation. Remember that you are representing yourself as a professional, but also National Agents Alliance as a company and Andy Albright as a leader. If your client is displeased with the coverage they received or the way you handled something, have genuine care for listening to your client and repairing the situation. Take time to listen, then apologize and make things right. Sometimes clients just want to be heard and to see that you care – grant them that and then make efforts to amend the situation. This will show clients that we care about making a difference at National Agents Alliance.
- Be positive: Make a point to be positive with your clients. Whether you are thinking of a client or speaking with a client, make sure that your attitude is toward the situation is positive. If you have a difficult client, try to think positively about him or her, rather than allowing yourself to get frustrated or dread encounters with that client. Staying positive about things like this will not only make it easier for you to enjoy your work, but your clients will notice your kindness and willingness to help. Be positive and keep yourself moving forward. As you keep moving forward, National Agents Alliance will move forward – we are making a difference!
- Be the bigger person: Be sure you offer your best services and advice to your clients, making sure to remain positive and sincere. If a client is displeased with something – even if it comes across as a personal attack on your character – remain poised and positive. Hear your client out and don’t fight back. It’s natural to want to explain or defend yourself, but your client will view this as an invitation to fight. Listen to your client, express sincere disappointment that he or she feels that way, and ask what you can do to make things right. Often, clients only want to know that you care enough to make it right, and they typically ask for much less than we expect. Being positive and sincere will show your client that you are the bigger person and will rebuild trust and credibility. Remember, again, that you are not only representing yourself, but also National Agents Alliance and Andy Albright. Your actions extend far beyond each individual meeting.
Help us continue having fun, making money and making a difference. Each agent plays an important role in who we are and what we do at National Agents Alliance. Remember to put your clients first and to maintain a flawless reputation for National Agents Alliance.
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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.
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Sales Tips: How to Earn Your Client’s Trust
Earning your customer’s respect is key at every level of the sales transaction. From appointment setting, selling the products and closing the deal, trust needs to be established at every level.
But earning that respect can be difficult for some sales people. If you are having trouble creating trust and a bond with your clients, here are five tips that can help you establish that important connection.
1. Always respect their time: Everyone is busy, so make your appointment setting calls and meetings short, sweet and to the point. Always inquire about what time of day is best for them to meet, whether it is morning, afternoon and night. When you are in the home, make sure you are mindful of their time and don’t drag out the appointment.
2. Show up on time: Although this sounds like a no-brainer, sales people still show up late to appointments. Like in my previous point, everyone is busy, so respect their schedules. If you say you’re going to show up or call someone at a specific time, then do it.
3. Offer relevant product: Here at National Agents Alliance, we demand that our agents only sell products that our clients can truly afford and best fits their needs. Attempting to sell a product that’s stretches their budget, only because that means you’ll receive higher commission, will cause you to automatically lose respect and credibility with your clients. Plus, they will ultimately cancel their policy. Before you start making suggestions or talking about your product, make sure you have a comprehensive understanding of their situation and the type of coverage they are seeking.
4. Don’t pitch: No one likes, or responds well, to a sales pitch. Instead, engage your prospect in conversation to find out what type of product and coverage they need. That will put you and your client on the same page, and instill trust that you are only trying to help them—not to just make a buck.
5. Turn down the sale: Every now and then, you will have a client that actually needs someone else’s services instead of yours. If your product or service doesn’t meet your client’s needs or solve their problem, it is better to refer them to someone who can. You will establish integrity and trust with your client by truly looking out for their best interests.
If you want more tips on how to improve your selling techniques, NAA University is the one-stop training shop for National Agents Alliance. NAAU will teach you the ins and outs of the business and prepare you to meet with clients. For more tips and information on effective selling and how to build trust with your clients, please visit naauniversity.com.
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The Top 4 Life Insurance Misconceptions
When it comes to family and loved ones, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Life has a way of throwing curve balls when least expected—sometimes they’re good, sometimes they’re bad. This is exactly why families should always be prepared for the worst, but hope for the best. In preparing for the worst, life insurance is the way to create a safety net for a family.
While many people choose to forgo this dreary discussion due to their lack of understanding or uneasiness of approaching such a gloomy subject, it’s one that can save a home and a family from reaching the depths of poverty.
As a team member with National Agents Alliance, it’s important to know of and be able to properly dispel misundertandings concerning life insurance for your clients. To help clear up some of these items and help consumers to better understand life insurance, LifeHealthPro.com has dispelled some common misconceptions surrounding this valuable asset. See if you know these and how to handle them:
Misconception: Maintenance is not required.
This isn’t something you purchase then file away in the cabinet until you need it years later. It is something that needs to be evaluated and updated as life begins to change. For example, a husband and wife in their early 20s will need to update their policy as they begin having children and purchase a house.
Misconception: Life insurance is only for those who are married with children.
This is not true. In fact, many young single and savvy people start their financial plans early on and choose products that will pay dividends later on. In fact, whole life insurance policies appreciate over time, so it may make financial sense to invest in a life insurance policy now. The premiums are likely lower, as opposed to later in life when the costs go up and don’t have the same value as an older policy.
Misconception: There are no financial benefits for the living.
Whole life insurance offers many benefits that can help those who are still living. With whole life you have the option to borrow against it, borrow on the policy’s cash value for retirement needs, use as a down payment on a first home, pay college tuition or pay down debt.
Misconception: Employers will make sure employees are covered.
Life insurance isn’t always a perk that an employer provides their employees. Even if your employer does include life insurance in your benefits package, that could change over time. Economic circumstances could force an employer to reduce coverage or eliminate plans altogether, which could create gaps in coverage. It’s always a good idea to have your own policy to ensure that all the bases are covered.
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What Will Happen If I Can’t Pay My Life Insurance Because Of An Illness?
Many consumers have asked what would happen if I was sick and unable to work, thus not being able to pay my monthly life insurance premiums. This is a very real scenario that happens to millions of people nationwide, and the threat of losing that policy can put their family in financial ruin in the event of their death.
But, there is no need to worry; hope is not lost. There are steps that you can take to protect your finances and your life insurance policy should you become ill and unable to meet your monthly payments. One way is to have a waiver of premium or critical illness insurance.
You may be able to add a “waiver of premium” when you purchase your policy at an additional cost. This waiver protects you after you have fallen too ill to work for a period of time, which is determined by your individual policy. Instead, your insurer pays these premiums for you, which keeps your life insurance policy active during this time. But, this isn’t just a broad safety net. You would have to meet the specific definition or incapacity determined by your insurer to be eligible.
Depending on your waiver terms, your insurer will continue paying your premium until your policy expires, you’re able to return to work, or you no longer meet the definition of incapacity.
But, say you’re a worst case scenario: You not only cannot pay your life insurance premium, you can’t pay your mortgage or monthly bills either. This is where critical illness could help.
Critical illness can be added on to your life insurance policy or purchased alone, which will pay out a tax free cash sum upon the diagnosis of a critical illness that your policy covers. This money can be used however you feel is necessary.
You never know what may happen to you down the road; it’s always a good idea to purchase additional coverage to fill the gaps in your life insurance policy. Too little coverage is worrisome, but it’s never a bad thing to have too much coverage.
These are very real concerns on clients’ minds, as a National Agents Alliance team member, be sure to address these concerns and the options available to help cover them.
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About Half of Clients Are Happy With Their Life Insurance Agent’s Advice
Are you being the best agent that you can be?—and by that I don’t mean having the most sales or the strongest team. I mean, are you providing your customers with good advice; explaining their benefits and policy options clearly and in a way that they understand? According to a recent survey, only about half of current owners of life insurance are happy with the advice they received from an agent who sold them a policy, LifeHealthPro.com reports.
The Deloitte Research survey looked at 1,071 U.S.-based life insurance policyholders and 1,000 individuals without life insurance in June 2011. The survey found that in learning about life insurance benefits, coverage needs, option and costs among current buyers, most satisfied reviewing their employee benefits package (67%), followed by speaking with an insurance agent (59%) and reviewing information packages from an insurance agent. Satisfaction levels were lower among those speaking with a financial planner (44%) and those either speaking with a bank representative or reviewing information packages received from a bank (36%).
When speaking with a client, it’s important to simplify what you’re trying to say—not because your client is not intelligent; it’s because it’s easier to understand when it’s in simple terms and not in confusing industry jargon. If you give a client a clear understanding of what they are buying and how it can benefit them—along with all the fine lines, and terms and conditions—you build trust and create repeat customers that will refer their friends to you.
In addition, the survey also found some other interesting points:
Among current policyholders who had received solicitations, two-thirds (67%) came directly from life insurers, with other sources, including agents (37%) and banks (30%), trailing behind. Twenty-six percent also reported receiving cross-selling offer from their auto insurers.
Furthermore, only about one-third of current buyers strongly agreed (14%) or agreed (21%) that they bought life insurance because of advice from a family member, friend or business associate. A similar percentage said they purchased it because of a recommendation of an insurance agent. Thirty-seven percent noted they were impressed by the brand name, reputation and/or rating of the insurer.
When current holders of life insurance were asked about factors that had influenced their last purchase decision, more than 8 in 10 (84%) either strongly agreed (35%) or agreed (49%) that they bought a life policy because the price was affordable, LifeHealthPro.com reports.
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Work Hard While Working Smart
With National Agents Alliance we teach you to work smart. This involves figuring out what you can do to reduce the amount of work that takes up a lot of time with very little return, and capitalizing on the tasks which make the most money. Spend some time identifying your daily tasks and focus on which the ones that will produce the most money and concentrate on making these stronger.
If you’re always spending time with irrelevant tasks that eat up the clock you will find yourself losing focus, getting frustrated and most of all wasting precious time you could be using building relationships with clients. Remember your clients are number one and taking time away from them will leave them feeling forgotten and any chance of referrals and future business will be gone. Working smarter is attainable and if you need guidance don’t hesitate to use National Agents Alliance and your upline.
National Agents Alliance’s operating credo is: “Your clients don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” NAA takes a personal interest in each of our clients. That is why working hard but still working smarter is very important. If you have more focused time you will be able to know your clients’ wants, needs, and desires and can recommend the best financial strategies that will ultimately provide exactly what the client needs.
Make sure you are utilizing our resources mentioned in a previous post to learn, build and take action.
A National Agents Alliance Future 