SALES AND MARKETING
ONE-MINUTE MOTIVATION
Manage Your Sales Process
Master these four skills and you will succeed in closing more sales.
Robert Arzt, CLU, ChFC, LLIF
Every sales process ends in one of two
predictable ways: a completed sale
or a lost sale. Learning how to expertly
manage the sales process will enable you
to close more sales and provide the best
possible service for your clients.
In this second of a series titled “ 15
Sales Success Factors,” you will find the
skills you need to close sales more efficiently and minimize lost opportunities.
You must realize that you will become
whatever you practice and believe in.
Practice these four behaviors and watch
yourself succeed.
Effective questioning and listening.
Learning how to question and listen effectively will enhance your ability to better understand and communicate with
your clients and prospects. Listen when
your client is speaking to you instead of
thinking about your response. This eliminates the embarrassment that comes
from a hasty analysis of a client’s needs.
Repeat to the client what he has said to
confirm that you have understood him
correctly. Preface your comments with
phrases like, “So let’s see if I understand
this correctly.” Ask open-ended questions that provide the client with the opportunity to give you more information.
Continue to probe until you are confident
that you understand the client completely
and avoid guessing or assuming what the
client means.
Offer targeted solutions. To figure
out the best solution for your client’s
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situation, you need to get to the root of
the problem and then analyze several solutions. Weigh various pros and cons of
each solution until you find the best one
for your client. Then, you can recommend this option to your client, along
with an explanation of how it will meet
his needs.
Take the example of Advisor A. He
faithfully studied his company’s products
to ensure that he understood the advantages and disadvantages of each and how
they related to a variety of different situations and clients. The advisor was better able to offer targeted solutions to each
client. He also highlighted the short- and
long-term consequences of his solution.
The result is that his customers felt well
informed and trusted his expertise.
Adapt to each customer. Do you find
yourself repeating the same sales
pitch over and over? Do you ap-
proach all your clients in the
same way? If you answered
yes to these questions, then
chances are that you’re losing
sales simply because you’re
not adapting your approach
to each customer. The ability
to adapt increases your
ability to close more
sales by allowing you to
personalize your message to each client. It
necessitates behaviors,
such as considering all
possible options to address a situation and a
willingness to change
your approach in light
of new evidence.
When you have a
complete understanding of all your company
products, you will have
all the tools necessary to adapt to your
client’s needs. Create lists of how each
product fits a customer concern. Practice
and try out different sales approaches and
keep records of those you find the most
successful under specific circumstances.
As you adapt to your clients, they will respond more positively to your message.
Set new goals. Advisors who focus
on results close more sales and provide
their customers with superior service. By
constantly setting new goals that stretch
your abilities and push you beyond minimum standards, you will help your sales
to flourish. Also, maintain a sense of urgency regarding your ability to solve
problems and serve others. Plan your
tasks to match your goals to ensure that
you do not work against yourself.
To get inspiration from leading pro-
ducers and performance coaches, be
sure to read the articles at www.advisor
today.com/resources/home_motivation.html.
Robert Arzt, CLU, ChFC, LLIF, is president
and founder of Insurance Coach U. Visit
www.insurancecoachu.com/assessment to
participate in a free questionnaire that evaluates your strengths and weaknesses for
the “ 15 Sales Success Factors” articles. Insurance Coach U is also offering a free coaching session to Advisor Today readers. Send
an email to bob@insurancecoachu.com.
