Editor’s note: This post was originally published on 9/1/16 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehension.
If you want to sell life insurance, your prospects must like you.
Bottom line.
If you’re not likeable, they won’t buy from you.
Before you can get people to like you, you’ll need to find out what it is that people are attracted to.
What do people like about you?
What is it that draws people?
When you know the answers to these questions, you can build a successful prospecting strategy and network of connections.
Here are our best life insurance prospecting tips for increasing your likeability.
Make it about them
People will be more apt to like you if you are interested in what they have to say and do.
When you meet people, ask about their work, interests and activities.
Learn their favorite sports teams and ask what they do in their free time.
Basically, you need to get the question ball rolling – but don’t just ask rote questions.
Respond with interest and enthusiasm.
Ask follow-up questions about their industry, how they got started, their marketing tactics and anything else that’s relevant.
Talk less
For some of you, this step will be a tough one.
If you’re an extroverted verbal processor, you love to do the talking.
Take it one step at a time and try to use fewer words.
Yes, a discussion requires that both parties do some talking – but be careful not to dominate the conversation.
Keep your answers short and sweet and keep the focus on the prospect. Be a GREAT listener!
Avoid the spotlight
Stroking your ego during a meet and greet with a potential prospect is a surefire way to lose the connection.
Instead of bragging about your success or accomplishments, downplay them instead.
Showing humility is an attractive feature that will increase your likeability.
Cast attention in the right direction
While you’re working on stepping out of the spotlight, you should know the right place to shine that light: on life insurance prospects.
Ask lots of questions about what they’ve done, milestones they’ve reached and successes they’ve had.
When you show interest in that, you become more interesting.
Be choosy about what you share
Avoid sharing your political beliefs with prospects or talking politics at all.
Your worldview should generally stay out of conversations with your life insurance prospects, as these kinds of discussions tend to become heated and/or could alienate prospects, causing them to not like you.
If they don’t like you, they won’t work with you.
Avoid negativity
Maybe you don’t like a mutual acquaintance or someone you work for or with – and for good reason.
Perhaps you’re struggling with a personal issue. Bottom line? Your prospects don’t want to hear about it.
Avoid being a complainer or a Debbie Downer.
Doing so will detract from your likeability. People don’t want to be around a negative person.
Don’t give advice
Even if someone is talking about their problem or challenge, people generally don’t want to get advice.
They just want someone to listen.
Your chance to share your advice comes when you’re helping the person choose options for their life insurance.
Keep it light
A likeable person is also enjoyable to be around.
You don’t have to be the life of the party (hogging the spotlight) to be fun.
Just keep the conversation light and focus it around easy topics and you’ll attract people to you.
The key to life insurance prospecting success
Take this top prospecting tip and put it to good use.
Always be working on your likeability factor – avoid negativity, advice-giving and talking too much.
Keep the conversation light and always focused on the prospect.
You never know when an everyday conversation could turn an acquaintance or new connection into a customer.
How has your personal interaction with life insurance prospects affected your success?
