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Why This 1 Communication Method Hinders Life Insurance Sales

There’s no sense bemoaning dying sales methods.

Cold calling.

Blind targeting.

Scripted sales.

If they don’t work, it’s time to get rid of them.

But it’s not because you aren’t good at these methods. It could be what helped you get to where you are.

The reason you need to ditch them is because consumers no longer respond to them.

Now brace yourself. There’s another sales method that could be in permanent jeopardy: voicemail.

Bear with me as I explain.

In the beginning...

When the phone was first invented, it solved a huge problem.

People could finally communicate without having to be face-to-face or writing a letter.

The phone solved this “lag time” problem; however, a lingering issue prevailed.

If people weren’t around to answer the call, the person making the call couldn’t deliver the message.

Fast-forward several decades, and the phone answering system and voicemail lands on the scene.

This show-stopper solved the huge problem of being able to relay a message, without the recipient being present.

It also gave many insurance businesses the ability to cut costs. Now, you didn’t need a receptionist to answer phones.

Your phone system did it all.

best life insurance agent

Getting real

Shift ahead again a few decades, and messaging has changed once again.

Putting your customers on hold has dangerous consequences. According to studies, about a third of consumers will hang up after one minute on hold. But customers become frustrated after holding for only 20 seconds.

Our culture is becoming more fast-paced by the second, and customers are not willing to wait.

So what do you do with your phone system? Your receptionist savings?

Many successful corporations are getting rid of voicemail entirely, including Coca Cola and JP Morgan Chase.

Because voicemail isn’t timely, many people hang up and search for other methods to use  –  like sending a text or using website chat feature.

It doesn’t even occur to millennials to leave a voicemail message; it’s just not in their nature to do so.

Not surprisingly, this group doesn’t like to receive voicemails either. It’s time consuming to listen to the messages and then respond with a return phone call.

Solutions to use

Our agency staffed a receptionist position for the first 70 years we were in business. We finally adopted voicemail about 20 years ago.

Although we still offer both services (using a receptionist and voicemail), we find that our customers would rather email us first before they leave a voice message.

And we've even seen a greater utilization of text messaging as a way to communicate.

The bottom line is there are far more effective ways to communicate today than in years past.

So I’m not saying you have to get rid of your phone system or voicemail.

But you do need to consider additional avenues through which customers can get a hold of you, such as:

  • Text messages.
  • Forwarding your voicemail to your smartphone.
  • Email messages.
  • Website chat.
  • Or social media.

Do you need to expand your communication methods beyond your phone system?

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