Life leads | Mortgage leads | Leads For Insurance Agents| California

Life leads | Mortgage leads | Leads For Insurance Agents | California | National

MONTHLY ARTICLE

NEVER GIVE UP!

By Mike Corente

In World War II, during a dark and losing time, in one of his infamous speeches, Winston Churchill walked out on stage in front of a hushed and very attentive Parliament and said, “Never…never…never, never, never give up!” Following this brief but powerful statement he turned and walked off the stage. The crowd went wild and morale was boosted in the British common people and his military troops throughout the European and African continents.

At times, I recite these few powerful words to agents who find themselves in a sales slump. It’s true this can be a very difficult career and it’s not meant for everyone. On the other hand, the rewards are high financially, personally and professionally. If you have invested effort, time and money to go to school to get your insurance license, why throw it all away? Have you done everything you can to turn your sales around? Looking at it step by step, see if you have given yourself a chance to succeed or are you set up for failure without even knowing it?

1) Genuine Prospects Not Supporters. You shouldn’t rely on your “center of influence” (family and friends) to support your career choice. You should find a good lead system, one you can rely on ongoing. I know from my many years of experience working mortgage leads that if I did not have 15 to 20 leads per week I could not make very many sales. A good lead system is a must no matter how experienced you are. Selling outside your circle of friends and family will gain you confidence in your sales ability. It’s easy to sell to Uncle Bob, but how about Mr. Consumer? Can you live on referrals? What happens when you have come full circle and you have solicited all of your friends and family? Finding a lead system or program keeps the “pool of genuine prospects” full.

2) Proper Training. You will notice I have emphasized the word proper. I feel that many agents are launched out on their own with improper training, little training or no training at all. Go back to the fundamentals! A simplistic example would be if you do not have the basic fundamentals of a proper golf swing and you continuously “slice” the golf ball because of an improper grip, no matter how much you practice, you will nearly always slice the ball. You can hit 100 golf balls a day but if you lack the fundamentals you will hit 100 slices every time. Often when I am training or re-training agents I hold my thumb and index finger about one (1) inch apart and tell them there is that much difference between an agent making $30K per year and $100K per year. You should be properly trained in any niche market you are selling. Know your stuff and strive to be an expert in your field. Use your resources such as your up-line, sales manager, books, tapes, seminars and the Internet.

3) Am I Giving 110%? I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many years of coaching football. From the little Pop Warner players on up to high school varsity. I have always admired the players with heart. The ones that give 110% every practice and every game. I admire these players, many times, more than those with the natural gifted ability because of their effort. I appreciate hard work and believe a reward is earned because of it. Success does not come with a small price tag but like a fine wine, a luxury car, or financially secure future, it is worth it. You should be disciplined by setting a regular work schedule. Many of us do not punch the clock. We enjoy being our own boss, and as the boss we set the pace. What is your level of effort?

4) Enthusiasm Breeds Success. I have learned there is a direct link between success and/or failure and attitude. Throughout my many years of recruiting, I have met some interesting people. Honestly, those with a positive outlook are generally more successful than those who focus on the negative. I personally try to reflect a positive attitude when working with prospective agents, existing agents or home office staff. I make it a point to smile even when talking on the phone because it comes through in my voice. I believe working with a positive attitude is not only healthy but leads to increased productivity as well. Some agents blame their lack of success on slow underwriting, slow economy, bad leads, bad territory, or a variety of tragedies and natural catastrophes. They yell at underwriters, rant and rave at customer service, and complain to agency support staff trying to help. What does this accomplish? Although problems may arise from time to time, this is not back breaking work in the hot sun or the freezing rain. We have it pretty good, double check your attitude!

Even the greatest baseball players fall into slumps, but Never…never…never, never, never give up! Re-evaluate your leads; brush up on your training, sales approach and product knowledge. Give it your all. Go back to the basics and remember why you chose this profession to begin with. Work hard, laugh much, and live well.

Good luck and good selling!