Advice cold calling please

[toc3]

I am currently asking for any advice regarding cold calling on businesses. Mostly small employers. Please add to or rip apart the following.

Phone: Good Morning, my name is xyz, I am a local independent Life and Health insurance agent. I represent abc company, we specialize in lump sum cancer and heart attack plans for small groups. Do you currently have a benefit plan in place for your employees? If so would you be open to looking at what I can add to your plan?

Please all seasoned agents, don't be afraid to criticize. This is why I am here asking for advice. Thanks.

 

[Delta76]

Try it and see how it works, then improvise and adapt. My guess is you're going to get a lot of "we don't need anything like that", "we already have health insurance and can't afford anything else", or "we have or already looked at AFLAC". Not trying to discourage you, just giving you the reality. The best way to sell supplemental, in my opinion, is to find the savings on the health sale and use it to fund the supplemental policies.

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

Phone: Good Morning, my name is xyz, I am a local independent Life and Health insurance agent. I represent abc company, we specialize in lump sum cancer and heart attack plans for small groups. Do you currently have a benefit plan in place for your employees? If so would you be open to looking at what I can add to your plan?

OK, you asked for it -- this is not only awful, but you won't get any results!

Nobody cares about anything in your verbiage. As soon as they hear insurance, you're done.

Think about this: folks care NOT about what it IS, but what it DOES...

Better: "This is xyz. I apologize for the intertuption - I specialize in helping small business enhance their benefits - at no direct cost. Do you currently have benefits for your employees?"

 

[toc3]

OK, you asked for it -- this is not only awful, but you won't get any results!

Nobody cares about anything in your verbiage. As soon as they hear insurance, you're done.

Think about this: folks care NOT about what it IS, but what it DOES...

Better: "This is xyz. I apologize for the intertuption - I specialize in helping small business enhance their benefits - at no direct cost. Do you currently have benefits for your employees?"

Ok, I like that. Lets go further. Assume I am the employer. and I say yes we do have benefits for our employees.

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

"Tell me a little about them..."

Your goal is to get into a conversation.

 

[Delta76]

You just got some great advice, the key to any cold call is simply to get into a conversation as soon as possible.

 

[mcleanbr]

One step further:

I'm xyz from xyz and I help business owner like yourself improve their business by reducing taxes 10% or reducing medical cost 30%. Please forgive me if I am interrupting and I will be brief not to waste your time. Do you have 10 minutes or can we set up an appointment?

Put yourself in their shoes and be a business owner. Do not sell stuff or waste their time. What's in it for them. Time is money. Good luck and be professional.
Bruce

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

Way too much...way too soon!

A very tired approach, and not at all effective...

 

[djs]

One bit of advice - don't think the business owner doesn't know that you want to sell something. Thats pretty much a given. You have to make it a believable reason for them to want to proceed.

To me, the line of reducing tax by 10% or reducing medical costs by 30% may get them involved in a conversation, but they will approach it from the point of view that you lack credibility (remember, their agent already used this line). How can you do this when no one else can?

This works better with consumers than it does businesses, at least in my experience.

The other line -

"This is xyz. I apologize for the intertuption - I specialize in helping small business enhance their benefits - at no direct cost. Do you currently have benefits for your employees?"

gives them 2 important pieces of information in 10 seconds:
- You specialize
- No direct cost (which is always heard as no cost)

Now, I would switch "have benefits" to "offer benefits" but beyond that, I think this is a much less confrontational approach.

Both methods will work, I'd be a lot more comfortable with the 'specialize' pitch. It does have to match you and your approach though.

Dan

 

[xrac]

You just got some great advice, the key to any cold call is simply to get into a conversation as soon as possible.

Hey Delta I like the avatar! What gives with sandwichs?

I do not consider myself to be a really good cold caller but what about scripting it like this:

"Mr. Big Wig, my name is xyz, I specialize in helping small employers provide additional supplemental benefits to their employees at no out of pocket cost to the employer resulting in a savings for both the employer and employees. Do you see how benefits like that could help your business?"