FE TELE-SALES OBJECTIONS

[theinsuranceman]

Hey guys, everyone can answer the objections I'm about to throw out. But if you respond with an answer or suggestion let us know how much experience you have with FE tele-sales. If you have zero experience that's ok by me, as sometimes a novice can get a pro to design a new angle to making the sale happen.

Assume these objections come after a 30-45 minute very thorough presentation.

Objection #1: I never do anything over the phone.

Objection #2: My daughter told me to never give my bank account info to anyone over the phone.

Objection #3: Can you just mail me something?

Objection #4: I need to think about it, (or need to check around) call me back in a few week.

Situation #1: You get a voice mail on the 1st call to this lead, do you leave a message? Why or why not? If so, what's your message?

Situation #2: You've called the lead's phone number 5-10 times per day between 9 am - 9 pm (the lead's time zone) multiple days with no answer. What do you do with this lead? Mail them something? Throw it away thinking it has a higher probability of being a "no"? Save it thinking it has a higher probability of being a "yes" because if you're not making contact with them then other agents are also not making contact with them? Something else?

Situation #3: Do you find there are particular times/days when people are easier to catch by phone?

Situation #4: Do you use anything to make YOUR phone number have the same area code as the number you are dialing? If so, what do you use? Does this help you very much with making contact?

I know the pat answer is to work live transfers and you eliminate the "contact the lead" problems.

Feel free to join this discussion.

 

[WinoBlues]

*

OK, Bye. I'll let your sister know we talk. This is my cell, call or text me if i can help.

 

[ncaggie]

I don't do telesales.
Objection# 3. If your looking information that's why I'm calling! What type of information was you looking for?

 

[somarco]

Assume these objections come after a 30-45 minute very thorough presentation.

You are doing something wrong.

I am 100% telesales, Medicare, not FE, but still all over the phone.

If objections come up it is within the first minute or so. "I already bought'.

Really? What plan did you buy?

Either they engage me or they don't. If they don't, I say goodbye and hang up.

No way I would ever spend that much time on the phone (30 minutes plus) and get an objection. But then, I don't make it a one call sale.

I ask questions, make notes, feed them information during the initial call and by follow up email.

I don't sell them, but they almost always buy from me.

 

[m10509]

Buy more leads

 

[somarco]

FYI . . .

Had a guy contact me this week. He originally landed on my site almost a year ago (August 2017). His plan was to wait until the fall of 2018, retire, then he and his wife would both go on Medicare in October.

We had numerous conversations and (mostly) emails last year.

Then I heard nothing from him, nor did I reach out to him.

This week he sent me an email to make sure he was doing what was needed to enroll for an Oct effective date. We pretty much picked up where we left off.

Following up after a year with no contact is unusual. The longest I have gone before someone bought was 4 or 5 years with no contact.

Most buy within a few weeks of the initial contact. The average is probably around 6 weeks but could be longer.

Many come back to me 3 - 6 months after the initial contact.

I never "close" anyone by asking them to buy. Yet most of those where I spend 30 minutes or so on the phone eventually buy from me.

My point is, the OP needs to do something, or a number of things, differently if he is getting blown off after 30 - 45 minutes on the phone.

And why is he peddling FE leads (signature) when (presumably) he is not making as many sales as he thinks he should?

 

[PA Bill]

I don't do telesales but I would think you would handle objections the same way you would in person. The son or daughter thing comes in many forms. Often it is a very effective smokescreen when they don't want what is being sold. I mean do really you think they need their kids to make decisions for them?

p.s.- I actually learned this from an old lady who told me that when she wanted to get rid of a salesman, she would just tell him she needed to talk to her "son down in North Carolina". Works every time!

 

[theinsuranceman]

FYI . . .

Had a guy contact me this week. He originally landed on my site almost a year ago (August 2017). His plan was to wait until the fall of 2018, retire, then he and his wife would both go on Medicare in October.

We had numerous conversations and (mostly) emails last year.

Then I heard nothing from him, nor did I reach out to him.

This week he sent me an email to make sure he was doing what was needed to enroll for an Oct effective date. We pretty much picked up where we left off.

Following up after a year with no contact is unusual. The longest I have gone before someone bought was 4 or 5 years with no contact.

Most buy within a few weeks of the initial contact. The average is probably around 6 weeks but could be longer.

Many come back to me 3 - 6 months after the initial contact.

I never "close" anyone by asking them to buy. Yet most of those where I spend 30 minutes or so on the phone eventually buy from me.

My point is, the OP needs to do something, or a number of things, differently if he is getting blown off after 30 - 45 minutes on the phone.

And why is he peddling FE leads (signature) when (presumably) he is not making as many sales as he thinks he should?

Good afternoon Mr. Somarco,

You are selling Medicare and I'm selling FE. I've been doing FE tele-sales since 2005 and FE face 2 face sales since 2006. I have a pretty good handle on both methods. I do not struggle with either method either. FE is a one shot close 95% of the time. Anyone who is successful with FE will agree with that. I've never sold Medicare advantage or supps so I can not say if that is more of a "3 to 4 touches needed" before the sale happens.

The reason I put these objections out there is because I'm sure all FE tele-sales agents hear these objections, just like FE field agents hear the same 4 or 5 objections as they relate to field sales. FE agents who work leads, DM or TV or TM, get blown off over 50% of the time as over half the leads won't buy after a good warm up and presentation.

I'm looking for ideas or suggestions that might get me 1 or 2 extra sales per 20 TV leads via FE tele-sales. That's the primary purpose of this forum correct? I'm pretty sure I can get about as high of a tele-sale closing % as any up here. But I'm always sharpening my spear for the hunt.

As far as leads in my signature: I don't peddle leads and I don't touch the leads (except mine). The TV leads that are 60 sec. old are provided by my carrier for my agents and agents all over the country. Leads come directly from the home office to the agent.

 

[theinsuranceman]

I don't do telesales but I would think you would handle objections the same way you would in person. The son or daughter thing comes in many forms. Often it is a very effective smokescreen when they don't want what is being sold. I mean do really you think they need their kids to make decisions for them?

p.s.- I actually learned this from an old lady who told me that when she wanted to get rid of a salesman, she would just tell him she needed to talk to her "son down in North Carolina". Works every time!

Lol...that's what I ask each one of my new clients that I pick up via tele-sales to say to any other insurance men/women who call or knock on their door. Glad to hear it's working!

 

[theinsuranceman]

Lol...that's what I ask each one of my new clients that I pick up via tele-sales to say to any other insurance men/women who call or knock on their door. Glad to hear it's working!

As far as the "talking to their daughter" thing, I usually say "that makes perfectly good sense to me. She may have a question or 2 herself and it gives her a chance to meet me over the phone. I'll do a 3 way call with her, you, and me right now....what's her number again"?

I was hoping to get other FE tele-sales vets to respond. Then I was going to open my bag of tricks and share also. None of the other FE tele-sales agents have offered anything yet. We shall see.