Salespeople need a specific set of sales skills in order to achieve success during the course of their career. While there are many skills that come in handy for any sales position, there is a list of “top skills” you’ll benefit from when selling insurance.
Today, we’ll share with you a list of 9 invaluable sales skills you need to help you achieve success when you sell insurance with Howe Insurance Services.
Top Sales Skills You’ll Need for Success
While there are many skills you can have to build your business, you will need these 9 sales skills to help you get a jumpstart in your career selling insurance and to help you to maintain your momentum.
1. Prospecting
Sales positions that are built on lead generation, appointment setting, and closing the sale all revolve around prospecting. Even if you have some telemarketing for your company you’ll want to be able to talk to people. Communication is the key to life, and it will help you keep your pipeline full. Most companies won’t teach you the proper art of prospecting. Prospecting properly includes asking for referrals, speaking at conferences, writing articles, creating valuable content, joining clubs and associations, attending workshops and seminars, and networking in various ways. This is your business so the outcome is based upon your activity.
2. Asking the right questions
When you talk to your prospects do you know what to ask them? If you fail to ask the right questions you’ll fail to generate sales. Even the most experienced salespeople can get by temporarily with enthusiasm rather than asking the right questions. Don’t ask what we call “low value questions”, but rather targeted questions. If you want to be different, ask your prospects what their goals are, and the challenges they believe they face.
3. Listening
Listening is a lost art, and it will cost you money if you don’t perfect your listening skills. If you focus all of your attention on your prospect, you’ll be listening to what they are asking you and telling you. This is a win-win for you both.
4. Ability to present
When selling insurance, your ability to speak and present go hand in hand. The content and your verbal presentation are the two main points of any presentation. You want to be clear and direct when you speak. Look at your prospect rather than away from him. Narrow down what you plan to include in your presentation, otherwise you’ll include too much information. Avoid using words like “Um”, “well”, “maybe”. There will be a time when you don’t know something. Just be honest with your prospect and let him know that you will find someone who can answer the question.
5. Rapport-building
Building rapport with your prospects is important prior to making a presentation. Rapport means that you are making an effort to make a deeper connection with your prospect. This isn’t about finding common ground, but rather it’s about understanding the problem they face. If you don’t know, ask.
6. Handle objections
Being argumentative doesn’t accomplish anything for anyone. It’s important that you know how to overcome objections in a way that not only lets the prospect know that you were listening, but that you understood what they said to you. The three steps to handling these objections the right way include 3 steps; empathize, clarify, and seek permission to offer the solution. This is probably one of the top 3 sales skills in our book!
7. Persistence pays!
You have probably heard a thousand times that persistence is the key to building a business. Persistence will always pay off, and of course it shows that you don’t give up easily. This means it’s important to be creative in order to keep your name top of mind with your prospect. Don’t badger them with endless phone calls, letters, or emails, but find a way to “mentally hang out” with them while you are away.
8. Be organized
Being organized can get you through in a pinch! Make sure that all of your paperwork or electronic files are organized neatly and in a way that allows you to access them quickly. The same applies for your schedule as well. Work on a schedule and outline your days, weeks, and months ahead.
9. Focus
If your life lacks purpose you won’t be able to focus. Focus means that you hone in on one thing at a time and give it everything you have. When you are meeting with someone, don’t answer your phone. Turn it off to avoid distraction. When you are supposed to make sales calls, don’t check your email. Scheduling out your day and organizing your work week will help with this.
You cannot have the success you want unless you take action, but taking action isn’t enough. You need to stay focused and organized in this hectic world we live in, and it’s important that you become dedicated to sharpening these “sales skills” if you wish to succeed with us at Howe Insurance Services!