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Donna
Kozik
Freelance Copywriter & Consultant
Phone: 619/297-1749
E-mail: Donna@DonnaKozik.com
Web site: http://www.DonnaKozik.com
Writing
sample from Agent Exchange magazine, a publication for
Erie Insurance Agents
© Erie
Insurance Group
The Phone Ranger
What can
two hours and a telephone get you?
A lot of
business, according to Charles Groesbeck, a 19-year
veteran of the insurance industry.
“The competitive auto market is creating a
tremendous opportunity for agents to sell ERIE products
with the help of their friend, the phone,” said Charles,
a member of the Bill Flinn Insurance Agency in Bethel
Park, Pa.
Q: Why do you hold such strong faith in telemarketing?
A: It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s inexpensive, it’s
different – and it works!
Many companies are soliciting through the mail, but
I’m the only agent calling. There’s no replacement for that two-way communication with
prospects. I
focus on selling ERIE’s homeowner’s and auto policies,
but another bonus is that I get a lot of life leads.
People will even say, “I’m not really
interested in car insurance, but do you sell life
insurance?”
Q: What are the “musts” of successful telemarketing?
A: Be very straightforward with the products you are selling and
keep conversations brief.
I open with “I’m Charles Groesbeck, with Erie
Insurance here in Bethel Park,” so people know I’m
right in their neighborhood.
Once the person expresses interest, the most
important thing is to get the expiration date.
Then I file the x-dates and call interested parties
back a month before they’re up for renewal – about the
time they are receiving renewal notices. X-dating is easier than ever because people have been
inundated with solicitations for auto insurance and
realize it’s a competitive market.
Q: How do you determine who to call?
A: I lease a Cole’s Directory and concentrate on four of the
suburbs close to the Flinn Agency.
It’s interesting that I can call one street and
get no takers and then call the same street 10 months
later and it’s a whole different story.
The point is to contact people. Those who aren’t
actively shopping for insurance usually have clean records
and are the type of risk ERIE wants.
Q: When is the best time to work the phone?
A: Evenings are extremely successful for me between 6:30 and 9.
Some nights go so well I hate to quit, but I never
call past 9 p.m.
I find Monday nights are an especially great time
because fraternal organizations and clubs rarely plan
things then. You
can find interested people anytime.
I’ve found leads calling in the middle of the
afternoon, Saturday morning and Friday night.
If you don’t have an appointment with someone
else, pick up the phone!
Q: How many interested parties do you get during a night of
work?
A: I can contact 50 people in a two-hour period and will
typically get 10 very interested parties.
I concentrate on getting an x-date and then moving
on. If the person is extremely interested, I get the specifics
from his or her declaration pages and then work out an
apples-to-apples comparison.
And, because of ERIE’s prices and our agency’s
service, if I can compare rates, I can sell.
I sell to 50 percent of the people I quote – a
high percentage for any salesperson.
It’s due to persistence and timing.
Q: Some Agents have “phone reluctance” because they
fear hang-ups or rudeness.
How do you deal with the inevitable rejection?
A: When people tell me they aren’t interested, I
don’t think of it as rejection; I think of it as bad
timing. It’s just a matter of whether people are concerned about
their insurance rates at the time you call.
And I find people are actually friendly, not rude
or nasty. It’s
either “Yes, I’m interested,” or “No, thank
you.” The
more you do it, the more proficient you’ll become.
Eventually, you’ll love telemarketing as much as
I do!
Sidebar:
The Do’s and Don’ts of Telemarketing
Do’s
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Do be
sincere and straightforward
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Do get x-dates
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Do
enunciate
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Do
move quickly
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Do
follow up with a business card
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Do
stay in your office’s neighborhood
-
Do
use the competitive market to your advantage
Don’ts
=== END
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Donna
Kozik
(619) 297-1749
Donna@DonnaKozik.com
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