Mastering the Art of Sales: Tips for Insurance Agents

Learning to master the art of selling is essential to your success as an insurance agent. Mastering sales means understanding it is not just about closing deals, but sales is also about building relationships with your clients and providing them with the best possible service. After this conversation on sales mastery, you will walk away with the knowledge you need to become a master of sales in no time.

Know Your Products

The first key to sales mastery for insurance agents is to know your product portfolio inside and out. This means understanding the different types of insurance policies you have in your portfolio, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of each. You should also be able to explain complex insurance concepts in simple terms that your clients can understand.

Investing time in learning about your products will allow you to have the knowledge to confidently sell to a wider variety of clients. Understanding each product, who it is beneficial for, and having a general idea of an ideal client for each plan or product can help you more effectively assess a client’s options once you understand their needs. For example, understanding the underwriting for different Medicare Supplement carriers, or knowing Medicare Advantage plans work well for seniors on a low to fixed income. For those who travel a lot, a Medicare Supplement plan may make the most sense, as the client can go to any provider who accepts Medicare.

Understand Your Clients’ Needs

The second step on the path to sales mastery for insurance agents is being able to understand your clients’ needs. This means doing in-depth fact-finding in order to identify their problems. This will make it easier for you to understand how and which products you offer may be a good fit. Make sure you are always taking the time to listen and ask questions to uncover their unique circumstances and concerns.

Active Listening

Active listening is listening closely to a speaker, understanding what they are saying, responding, and retaining the information for later. Practicing active listening when fact-finding with clients will help you build more meaningful relationships and trust with them. Using active listening, you will improve how you listen to their tone, body language, and choice of words they use when describing their situation.

Open Ended Questions

Make sure to ask open-ended questions during this process. This makes the client feel more comfortable and encourages them to share more information about their situation. Stay away from simple “yes or no” questions – this often leads to not getting as many details as one could have about a client’s situation.

The more you know about their unique needs, the better you can help them.

By implementing the strategies above, you can tailor your sales pitch and product offerings to address their specific needs and offer solutions that solve their problems and meet their budget. You will also have built a level of trust and a good relationship with the client, which is one of the biggest factors when it comes to retention and referrals.

Build Trust and Rapport

This leads us to our third sales mastery tip for insurance agents building trust and rapport with your clients. Establishing a relationship based on mutual respect and understanding is crucial to gain your clients’ trust.

Transparency

To build trust and rapport, you must be authentic and transparent. Be honest about what you can and can’t do for your clients. Be clear and honest about products that you believe will solve their problems, and what fits in the budget. Show them that you are not just trying to close another sale, you are genuinely trying to solve their problems, and guide them in the right direction to find products that may be the solution.

Be Empathetic

Show empathy and understanding for their situation and be willing to go the extra mile to help them achieve their goals. Being able to empathize and show clients you understand their feelings and value what they have to say is irrevocably important. When they express their concerns about a product, price, or anything be sure to address it with empathy, rather than simply attempting to sell harder. Ensure their concern is resolved or rework your offerings or solutions to better meet their needs and alleviate concerns and objections.

When clients feel that they can trust you, have a genuine relationship with you, and feel as though you worked to provide them with a unique solution, they are more likely to remain your clients, as well as refer their family and friends to your insurance agency.

Use Effective Sales Techniques

The next, and probably most “salesy” step to sales mastery is to make sure you are using effective sales techniques. Below are some proven techniques to help you up your sales game:

Sales Tactics

• Ask open-ended questions to uncover clients’ needs and concerns.
• Use stories and examples to illustrate the benefits of your products.
• Use social proof to demonstrate that others have had success with your products.
• Create a sense of urgency to encourage clients to take action.

Using these sales techniques effectively requires regular practice and adapting these techniques to your clients’ unique circumstances. The more you start to incorporate these techniques, the better they will flow. You will see an impact on your business in no time.

Continuously Growing

The fifth key to sales mastery is continuously improving your skills as an insurance agent. The best advice we can give for this is to keep an open mind, and always look for opportunities for growth. The insurance industry is constantly growing and evolving, so, naturally, it is important for insurance agents to keep up. Find training and coaching opportunities, attend industry events, and stay up to date with the latest trends and best practices.

Mentoring & Coaching

Industry events can help you keep track of the most important trends in the industry you are in. In the ever-changing insurance industry, it is important to stay up to date on the latest information. You can also network with others in the industry at these events, learn from industry leaders, and connect with others who are in your field who are looking for growth. Growing your network is important, both digitally and in person.

Industry Events

Industry events can help you keep track of the most important trends in the industry you are in. In the ever-changing insurance industry, it is important to stay up to date on the latest information. You can also network with others in the industry at these events, learn from industry leaders, and connect with others who are in your field who are looking for growth. Growing your network is important, both digitally and in person.

Trends & Technology

Following trends and the flow of new technologies will help you stay at the cutting edge of innovation and allows you to stay ahead of the competition. As technology grows and changes, so does the way insurance agents – and clients – use it. Depending on your product, ensure you are using the proper channels for the target market. For example, 10 years ago, Medicare beneficiaries did not have a heavy online presence. Today, more than 80% of seniors use social media on a typical day.  This prevalence of social media is growing and changing, and it’s important to keep up with the best way to market to your target demographics. New technologies can open new paths and help you find new leads and new clients.

Client Feedback

To continuously improve your skills, you must be proactive and curious. It is always important to seek feedback from your clients and colleagues and use it to identify areas for improvement. Getting feedback from your clients can help you understand your clients’ experience. You can ask them directly for feedback, send out a survey, or ask them for reviews. Be sure to take any concerns or criticisms clients’ have into consideration, empathize with their experience, and work to ensure that in the future, the client experience is nothing but positive. Keep a good headspace about criticism – it is crucial to growth and success.

Set Goals

Setting goals for yourself and tracking your progress has been proven to heavily assist in improvement in any skill. Also, be willing to take risks and try new approaches. Set yourself some S.M.A.R.T Goals, these are goals that art Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Setting challenging but achievable goals can lead to better outcomes, and you are more likely to achieve your goals.

Focus on Adding Value

While the five keys to sales mastery are essential, there’s one secret that can take your sales game to the next level: focus on adding value. Instead of focusing sales conversations and client meetings on selling products and closing a sale, turn the focus on providing top-tier service, and show them how the products meet their specific needs & budget. This works in tandem with the fact-finding and trust that we discussed above. Show them the value that your products add to their lives, and how it will provide them, and their family will have peace of mind and save them money in the long run. Applying the “how” and “why” to their specific situation shows you understand their problem and have customized the offer to their needs.

Becoming a master in sales requires that you are willing to go above and beyond to help them achieve their goals, and always put the clients’ interests first.

Wrapping Things Up

Sales mastery is essential for insurance agents who want to succeed in a competitive marketplace. By knowing your products, understanding your clients’ needs, building trust and rapport, using effective sales techniques, continuously improving your skills, and focusing on adding value, you can become a top-performing agent who provides exceptional service to your clients.

Want to learn more about how you can step up your sales game? Give us a call at 800.962.4693 or call your marketer directly.

Click here to download our latest handout – 12 Sales Tips to Master the Art of Selling