4 Mistakes Agents Make After the Sale
You presented to your customer and you closed the deal! Congratulations! Now you're done, right? Nope! After most agents complete the sale completely they stop working with the customer. What MOST agents don't realize is that there are a series of steps that should and must take place after every sale.
I am always surprised when I talk to agents and find that they do not complete one or all of the steps. We are going to cover 4 HUGE mistakes agents make after completing the sale.
Mistake #1: Agents don't follow business through underwriting.
This is a MUST, MUST, MUST for any sale that an agent complete. I am baffled at the number of agents who simply do not follow their business through the underwriting process. Some don't even go that far. I have agents who, after making the sale, will wait 2 or 3 weeks to submit the application to the company. They do this for no other reason other than pure laziness!
This is nonsense. Once you complete the sale submit the application to the company as soon as humanly possible. Once you've confirmed that the company has received the application, follow it through underwriting. Check on your business, at a minimum, every-other-day. Repeat until the business is issued and paid.
The problem with not doing this is that if there is a problem with the policy or if the underwriter needs further clarification about an issue you can get back to them as soon as possible. This in turn will allow you to get the policy issued quicker which in turn will allow you to get paid quicker. And after all isn't that the whole reason we do this?
Mistake #2: Agents don't contact the customer upon once policy is issued.
This is a strategy I learned from my good friend Steve. After he watches the business through underwriting and sees that it is issued, he immediately calls the customer and shares the great news with them. Here is how it goes, "Gladys, I've got great news! You qualified for the program we discuss. You know what that means, right? You can get as much as you want. They should mail the policy to me in the next couple of days. As soon as I get it I will call you to set up an appointment to deliver it and go over it with you."
Other than a little small talk or dialogue, that is pretty much it. He does this so that the customer doesn't have to wonder what is going on with the policy. Many of our customers want to know the second they are approved because so they can make arrangements to have the funds available in the account, cancel previous policies they might be replacing, or simply because they want to know the status of their application. This also gives you a second point of contact after the policy has been sold. This helps solidifying the sale.
Mistake # 3: Agents don't deliver the policy.
I am not implying that in every situation you should deliver the policy. But you should always deliver the policy if you think there's a possibility that customer might cancel or you think there's a possibility that you can increase coverage upon return to their home or if you think that you can get referrals.
My friend Steve always says "the mailman is never going to save the sale." By this he means that if they simply receive the policy in the mail they might have questions and not take the time to call you. If you deliver the policy and the customer is considering cancelling it, this gives you a chance to talk with them.
Additionally, when you deliver the policy you have an opportunity to super-size the sale. That brings us to...
Mistake # 4: Agents don't ask for referrals upon delivering the policy.
You have all heard the phrase "Would you like fries with that?" Or "Would you like to super-size that?" This is one of the greatest marketing strategies in history, the up-sell. If you thought that in final expense the up-sell did not exist, you are wrong and missing $1,000's of commission every year.
When you deliver your policy, you now have 3 points of contact after the sale has been complete. This is above and beyond what the customer has EVER experienced with an insurance man. Most insurance agents are lazy scum who want nothing more than an easy buck. You are different. You are not lazy. You are professional and willing to go the extra mile to earn their business. The customers recognize this behavior.
When you follow the policy through underwriting, contact the customer upon approval, and deliver the policy, you have earned the right to ask for referrals from that customer. If you are an agent and would like to learn a referral process that actually works... Please contact us or sign up for the training program. I promise you will not be disappointed. If you are an agent of ours, feel free to contact us directly to find out how you can use this superstar referral system.
Mistake #1: Agents don't follow business through underwriting.
This is a MUST, MUST, MUST for any sale that an agent complete. I am baffled at the number of agents who simply do not follow their business through the underwriting process. Some don't even go that far. I have agents who, after making the sale, will wait 2 or 3 weeks to submit the application to the company. They do this for no other reason other than pure laziness!
This is nonsense. Once you complete the sale submit the application to the company as soon as humanly possible. Once you've confirmed that the company has received the application, follow it through underwriting. Check on your business, at a minimum, every-other-day. Repeat until the business is issued and paid.
The problem with not doing this is that if there is a problem with the policy or if the underwriter needs further clarification about an issue you can get back to them as soon as possible. This in turn will allow you to get the policy issued quicker which in turn will allow you to get paid quicker. And after all isn't that the whole reason we do this?
Mistake #2: Agents don't contact the customer upon once policy is issued.
This is a strategy I learned from my good friend Steve. After he watches the business through underwriting and sees that it is issued, he immediately calls the customer and shares the great news with them. Here is how it goes, "Gladys, I've got great news! You qualified for the program we discuss. You know what that means, right? You can get as much as you want. They should mail the policy to me in the next couple of days. As soon as I get it I will call you to set up an appointment to deliver it and go over it with you."
Other than a little small talk or dialogue, that is pretty much it. He does this so that the customer doesn't have to wonder what is going on with the policy. Many of our customers want to know the second they are approved because so they can make arrangements to have the funds available in the account, cancel previous policies they might be replacing, or simply because they want to know the status of their application. This also gives you a second point of contact after the policy has been sold. This helps solidifying the sale.
Mistake # 3: Agents don't deliver the policy.
I am not implying that in every situation you should deliver the policy. But you should always deliver the policy if you think there's a possibility that customer might cancel or you think there's a possibility that you can increase coverage upon return to their home or if you think that you can get referrals.
My friend Steve always says "the mailman is never going to save the sale." By this he means that if they simply receive the policy in the mail they might have questions and not take the time to call you. If you deliver the policy and the customer is considering cancelling it, this gives you a chance to talk with them.
Additionally, when you deliver the policy you have an opportunity to super-size the sale. That brings us to...
Mistake # 4: Agents don't ask for referrals upon delivering the policy.
You have all heard the phrase "Would you like fries with that?" Or "Would you like to super-size that?" This is one of the greatest marketing strategies in history, the up-sell. If you thought that in final expense the up-sell did not exist, you are wrong and missing $1,000's of commission every year.
When you deliver your policy, you now have 3 points of contact after the sale has been complete. This is above and beyond what the customer has EVER experienced with an insurance man. Most insurance agents are lazy scum who want nothing more than an easy buck. You are different. You are not lazy. You are professional and willing to go the extra mile to earn their business. The customers recognize this behavior.
When you follow the policy through underwriting, contact the customer upon approval, and deliver the policy, you have earned the right to ask for referrals from that customer. If you are an agent and would like to learn a referral process that actually works... Please contact us or sign up for the training program. I promise you will not be disappointed. If you are an agent of ours, feel free to contact us directly to find out how you can use this superstar referral system.
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