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Spotlight on Outstanding Community Referral Sources

James Gramp

James Gramp

Sales Coordinator / Independent Insurance Agent

With his signature common sense, quiet good humor, and brilliant customer service, Jim is the other half of the RBI phone answering dynamic duo! An Arizona native, Jim manages agent relationships for the East Coast and specializes in the RBI agent tools, especially the Agent Market Edge. Jim has been a licensed health insurance agent for over a year, and has worked at RBI for 2 years. An accomplished bassoonist, he is known around the office for his amazing musical skills. In addition to keeping busy around the office, Jim frequently contributes to our blog, bringing a new agent’s perspective to the RBI online presence.

Spotlight on Outstanding Community Referral Sources

Sales Coordinator/Independent Insurance Agent: James Gramp


My focus for this part of the year is on the Dual Eligible population, something you would know if you read my last post (shame on you if you didn’t!), “Your Best Month Yet.”  The most successful ways I’ve reached this population are Direct Mail and Community Marketing.  Both methods are very effective but today I’ll be focusing on community marketing by building outstanding community referral sources, especially in the Dual Eligibles/Low Income Subsidy (LIS) market.

Community Referral Sources - do your homework!

To gain community referral sources, do your homework!

Do your homework: Prepare for the meeting

Effective referral leads are worth their weight in gold.  Think about it: they’re almost always referred to you by someone they trust, which helps you break through the most important barrier between you and making the sale; earning trust. If you want to succeed in gaining community referral sources, and then in appointments from these referral relationships, you must build a name for yourself as the “Medicare Expert” in your community. The first step is to obviously have the knowledge to be an expert. This means not just the ins and outs of Medicare, but also research the focus group you’re targeting. For instance, I’m targeting Dual Eligible/Low Income Subsidy members, and locations in the community that interact with them. I need to research both. Hint: If you don’t know where to start for your target market, call us! That’s what we’re here for.

Where’s Waldo? Find the Decision Maker

There’s a lot more to community marketing than going to provider offices/food banks and asking if you can put up a flyer in their office. The trick is to find and educate the decision maker or influencer, that is, the person or people that interact with the potential members on a daily basis. Community Referral SourcesThe influencer will be doing the actual referral, so they need to know what you do. How do you help seniors save money? The answer in my case is by helping enroll members in the ‘Extra Help’ or the state Medicaid (AHCCCS in AZ) program. Influencers also need to understand that your consultations are 100% free of charge. You do not want to go in to a networking meeting looking like a typical salesman looking for your next sale — that’s a great way to get shown the door. You want your “pitch” to be centered around the value you bring to the table: the education and extra financial help you provide your clients.

Show me the money! What’s in it for the influencer?

Not only do you have to show the benefit you provide to your clients, you also have to show the decision makers or influencers the benefit they have of working with you.  A lot of what you say at this point is specific to the type of facility. Take a dental office, for instance. Dental office patients who are on Medicare and Medicaid qualify to enroll in Dual Special Needs Plans, which can give them up to $xxxx.xx in dental coverage as long as that particular doctor ins “in-network” for that carrier.  If these potential members enroll, you’re literally putting money in their pockets that they can only use to fix their teeth.  In my appointments with dental office influencers, I make this statement: “Not only do I help my clients save money with these federal and state programs, but for my clients that qualify I can get them on a plan that gives them $xxxx.xx in comprehensive dental coverage. That would be additional dollars to your top line with minimal effort on your part. If I can get your patients more money to get their teeth fixed would you refer your patients that have questions about Medicare/Medicaid to me?” Patients will be more likely to schedule appointments for major work if they don’t have to cover the costs out of pocket, and the dental office will see this value. The decision for the influencer is very straightforward at this point, because I have shown them how the referral relationship will impact their bottom line.

At RB Insurance Group, we pride ourselves on our ability to help the Dual Eligible population! Our staff has personally enrolled thousands of individuals in Dual Special Needs Plans.  Trying to get into the D-SNP market? Watch this webinar! Give RBI a call today to get contracted and learn about the incredible opportunity you have to truly make a difference.


2022 AHIP
2020 ahip discount certification
OEP

Spotlight on Outstanding Community Referral Sources

James Gramp

James Gramp

Sales Coordinator / Independent Insurance Agent

With his signature common sense, quiet good humor, and brilliant customer service, Jim is the other half of the RBI phone answering dynamic duo! An Arizona native, Jim manages agent relationships for the East Coast and specializes in the RBI agent tools, especially the Agent Market Edge. Jim has been a licensed health insurance agent for over a year, and has worked at RBI for 2 years. An accomplished bassoonist, he is known around the office for his amazing musical skills. In addition to keeping busy around the office, Jim frequently contributes to our blog, bringing a new agent’s perspective to the RBI online presence.

Spotlight on Outstanding Community Referral Sources

Sales Coordinator/Independent Insurance Agent: James Gramp


My focus for this part of the year is on the Dual Eligible population, something you would know if you read my last post (shame on you if you didn’t!), “Your Best Month Yet.”  The most successful ways I’ve reached this population are Direct Mail and Community Marketing.  Both methods are very effective but today I’ll be focusing on community marketing by building outstanding community referral sources, especially in the Dual Eligibles/Low Income Subsidy (LIS) market.

Community Referral Sources - do your homework!

To gain community referral sources, do your homework!

Do your homework: Prepare for the meeting

Effective referral leads are worth their weight in gold.  Think about it: they’re almost always referred to you by someone they trust, which helps you break through the most important barrier between you and making the sale; earning trust. If you want to succeed in gaining community referral sources, and then in appointments from these referral relationships, you must build a name for yourself as the “Medicare Expert” in your community. The first step is to obviously have the knowledge to be an expert. This means not just the ins and outs of Medicare, but also research the focus group you’re targeting. For instance, I’m targeting Dual Eligible/Low Income Subsidy members, and locations in the community that interact with them. I need to research both. Hint: If you don’t know where to start for your target market, call us! That’s what we’re here for.

Where’s Waldo? Find the Decision Maker

There’s a lot more to community marketing than going to provider offices/food banks and asking if you can put up a flyer in their office. The trick is to find and educate the decision maker or influencer, that is, the person or people that interact with the potential members on a daily basis. Community Referral SourcesThe influencer will be doing the actual referral, so they need to know what you do. How do you help seniors save money? The answer in my case is by helping enroll members in the ‘Extra Help’ or the state Medicaid (AHCCCS in AZ) program. Influencers also need to understand that your consultations are 100% free of charge. You do not want to go in to a networking meeting looking like a typical salesman looking for your next sale — that’s a great way to get shown the door. You want your “pitch” to be centered around the value you bring to the table: the education and extra financial help you provide your clients.

Show me the money! What’s in it for the influencer?

Not only do you have to show the benefit you provide to your clients, you also have to show the decision makers or influencers the benefit they have of working with you.  A lot of what you say at this point is specific to the type of facility. Take a dental office, for instance. Dental office patients who are on Medicare and Medicaid qualify to enroll in Dual Special Needs Plans, which can give them up to $xxxx.xx in dental coverage as long as that particular doctor ins “in-network” for that carrier.  If these potential members enroll, you’re literally putting money in their pockets that they can only use to fix their teeth.  In my appointments with dental office influencers, I make this statement: “Not only do I help my clients save money with these federal and state programs, but for my clients that qualify I can get them on a plan that gives them $xxxx.xx in comprehensive dental coverage. That would be additional dollars to your top line with minimal effort on your part. If I can get your patients more money to get their teeth fixed would you refer your patients that have questions about Medicare/Medicaid to me?” Patients will be more likely to schedule appointments for major work if they don’t have to cover the costs out of pocket, and the dental office will see this value. The decision for the influencer is very straightforward at this point, because I have shown them how the referral relationship will impact their bottom line.

At RB Insurance Group, we pride ourselves on our ability to help the Dual Eligible population! Our staff has personally enrolled thousands of individuals in Dual Special Needs Plans.  Trying to get into the D-SNP market? Watch this webinar! Give RBI a call today to get contracted and learn about the incredible opportunity you have to truly make a difference.


2022 AHIP
2020 ahip discount certification
OEP

Dual-Eligibles for Newbies

Join us for our first live Medicare Intensive: “Dual-Eligibles for Newbies”

“Dual-Eligibles for Newbies” is a 4 week program designed to get you activated and motivated to increase your sales by 5 sales per week!  Learn how to find Dual-Eligible opportunities, and how to take advantage of them!

 

Save the dates now:

January 10 at 10:00 AM – “Dual-Eligibles for Newbies, Pt. 1”

January 17 at 10:00 AM – “Dual-Eligibles for Newbies, Pt. 2”

January 24 at 10:00 AM – “Dual-Eligibles for Newbies, Pt. 3”

January 31  at 10:00 AM – “Dual-Eligibles for Newbies, Pt. 4”

 

 

Not in Arizona?  Join us by live stream through our secure link, available to contracted agents!

 

Please note: you must be appointed with a DSNP Carrier with RBI to be eligible to attend.  If you are not yet contracted with RBI for a Dual-Eligible product, click here for a list of carriers.  Please call 1-800-997-3107 for more information!

 

Check out our other great trainings!  Click here to see the full calendar.

 

Dual-Eligibles for Newbies

Join us for our first live Medicare Intensive: “Dual-Eligibles for Newbies”

“Dual-Eligibles for Newbies” is a 4 week program designed to get you activated and motivated to increase your sales by 5 sales per week!  Learn how to find Dual-Eligible opportunities, and how to take advantage of them!

 

Save the dates now:

January 10 at 10:00 AM – “Dual-Eligibles for Newbies, Pt. 1”

January 17 at 10:00 AM – “Dual-Eligibles for Newbies, Pt. 2”

January 24 at 10:00 AM – “Dual-Eligibles for Newbies, Pt. 3”

January 31  at 10:00 AM – “Dual-Eligibles for Newbies, Pt. 4”

 

 

Not in Arizona?  Join us by live stream through our secure link, available to contracted agents!

 

Please note: you must be appointed with a DSNP Carrier with RBI to be eligible to attend.  If you are not yet contracted with RBI for a Dual-Eligible product, click here for a list of carriers.  Please call 1-800-997-3107 for more information!

 

Check out our other great trainings!  Click here to see the full calendar.

 

Think Outside the Box: Hospital Indemnity for ACA Clients

Here at RBI, we are using the month of January to focus our thinking outside the standard AEP-box, with lots of training and materials to increase your sales. Earlier this week we heard from Tom O’Neil with a closer look at Hospital Indemnity products, with a highlight on Guarantee Trust Life (GTL). But there’s more to Hospital Indemnity.  Let’s go deeper.

Why Hospital Indemnity for ACA clients?

Young Indemnity Couple

Some carriers have very affordable options for people under age 65.

As senior insurance agents, we often don’t think about folks in the age group under age 65. These folks are “young people,” and therefore usually outside our focus.  But many are struggling with health plans under the Affordable Care Act that feature high deductibles and out of pocket expenses. These folks are looking for alternatives.  And if you have a Hospital Indemnity product, like GTL, Medico, or Equitable, these clients could actually be a gold mine.

Hospital Indemnity is a great gap product for people in this age group. Most of the time, Hospital Indemnity carriers have very affordable options for people under age 65, often as low as $30-40.  Furthermore, most clients would be willing to pay this monthly premium, just so that they are protected from getting hit by a high deductible payment if they needed to visit the hospital.  In my opinion, overlooking this demographic is the same as leaving money on the table.

Where to find these clients

The best way of reaching this type of client is to talk about what you do.  For example, I actually got a client during AEP simply from wearing my button down shirt with my business logo on it.  A gentleman at the next gas pump asked me about it, and before you knew it, he asked for a business card. When the time was right, he called me up and I was able to get him enrolled in a plan that fit his needs.  Agents tend to minimize their experience and ignore the people around them every day. People who know you, people who you meet in your daily life, have no idea what you do. Spend 3 minutes with these people, tell them exactly what it is that you do, hand them a business card.  It will be the least expensive lead you ever have.

Brand Package Image

RBI can help you update your business cards and more!

 RBI can help you get started with Hospital Indemnity for ACA clients

We can help you plan out your approach to getting into Hospital Indemnity products. If you are thinking, “well, I don’t have a Hospital Indemnity plan,” contact RBI at 1-800-997-3107 for information about contracting with carriers in your area. RBI works with a great design team who can help you updateyour business cards, letterhead and so on, at discounted prices.  Above all, get comfortable talking about your own expertise, and practice your elevator speech.  I know you’ll see results.

Keep an eye on our event calendar for great webinars and in-person events to up the ante with your business this year! Click here to see full details.

Dual-Eligibles for Newbies

Join us for our first live Medicare Intensive: “Dual-Eligibles for Newbies”

“Dual-Eligibles for Newbies” is a 4 week program designed to get you activated and motivated to increase your sales by 5 sales per week!  Learn how to find Dual-Eligible opportunities, and how to take advantage of them!

 

Save the dates now:

January 10 at 10:00 AM – “Dual-Eligibles for Newbies, Pt. 1”

January 17 at 10:00 AM – “Dual-Eligibles for Newbies, Pt. 2”

January 24 at 10:00 AM – “Dual-Eligibles for Newbies, Pt. 3”

January 31  at 10:00 AM – “Dual-Eligibles for Newbies, Pt. 4”

 

 

Not in Arizona?  Join us by live stream through our secure link, available to contracted agents!

 

Please note: you must be appointed with a DSNP Carrier with RBI to be eligible to attend.  If you are not yet contracted with RBI for a Dual-Eligible product, click here for a list of carriers.  Please call 1-800-997-3107 for more information!

 

Check out our other great trainings!  Click here to see the full calendar.

 

Dual-Eligibles for Newbies

Join us for our first live Medicare Intensive: “Dual-Eligibles for Newbies”

“Dual-Eligibles for Newbies” is a 4 week program designed to get you activated and motivated to increase your sales by 5 sales per week!  Learn how to find Dual-Eligible opportunities, and how to take advantage of them!

 

Save the dates now:

January 10 at 10:00 AM – “Dual-Eligibles for Newbies, Pt. 1”

January 17 at 10:00 AM – “Dual-Eligibles for Newbies, Pt. 2”

January 24 at 10:00 AM – “Dual-Eligibles for Newbies, Pt. 3”

January 31  at 10:00 AM – “Dual-Eligibles for Newbies, Pt. 4”

 

 

Not in Arizona?  Join us by live stream through our secure link, available to contracted agents!

 

Please note: you must be appointed with a DSNP Carrier with RBI to be eligible to attend.  If you are not yet contracted with RBI for a Dual-Eligible product, click here for a list of carriers.  Please call 1-800-997-3107 for more information!

 

Check out our other great trainings!  Click here to see the full calendar.

 

Better Results with Community Marketing

ICYMI -La Vida Felicidad Family Fun Festival. How to use community marketing at family oriented events.

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the 3rd annual Family Fun Festival in Los Lunas, New Mexico. More than 600 people showed up for fun and information supporting a great nonprofit, La Vida Felicidad. La Vida supports Life quality for children and families, adults, and seniors, through advocacy and individualized services in collaboration with community partnerships. Most of their relationships are with those that support individuals with developmental disabilities.

Meet More People and Find More Clients with Community Marketing.

Agents are always asking how to get in front of more potential clients. This Family Festival was a perfect example of how to do that. Get out of your booth and explore the event to see who else is there. True, it was not our usual target market yet we still found relationships to nurture and develop ongoing business.  Don’t just sit on your butt waiting for people to come to you, get out there and mix it up! All of these relationships (even with other vendors) are just waiting for you. We haven’t even talked about the grandparents that stopped by our booth who were attending the Festival with their grand-kids.

Community Marketing

Charlie Ferrell Having a great time in Los Lunas, NM

While this wasn’t our normal sales event, the Family Festival was a great place to make community contacts. There were booths for dental and vision services for low income families. All of the major Medicaid providers were there as well. We forged some great relationships (and got their cell numbers) with those individuals that can actually help our clients with their Medicaid issues when they arise.

Native American parents of children with developmental disabilities asked us to speak to their service coordinators next month too. Additional community and tribal resources were also available to assist those families in need. We spoke to everyone we thought we might be able to use as a contact sometime in the future.

Confusion is Common and Your Knowledge is Power.

Most seniors I spoke to agreed that Medicare is quite confusing to someone turning 65 and don’t know where to turn for answers. I had great conversations with a couple of participants that were/are turning 65 soon. I told them to call Social Security and apply for Medicare as soon as they get home. These beneficiaries were just waiting for their Medicare cards to appear. All of their friends told them the cards come in the mail 3 months before you turn 65. It turns out they didn’t know that they had to apply for Medicare because they were not receiving Social Security benefits yet.

They were lucky that one had a birthday in June and the other in July and both are still in their initial enrollment period. Several others stopping by our booth filled out a “Permission to Contact” (PTC) card allowing us to give them a call for this year’s AEP.

Be on the lookout for events being held in your community. Using community marketing, you never know where your next client or contact may come from.

Remember that Sales events must generally be posted with most carriers with a 10 day or 2-week notice. You can hand out business cards and other sales literature and collect PTC cards.  You may discuss plan specific benefits and collect enrollment applications. Educational events do not require any  carrier registration but you can only talk with potential members about Medicare in general terms. You are not allowed to “hand out” business cards but you can make them available on your table and encourage participants to “Take a card”. Any materials must be general in nature. Collecting personal information or PTC of any kind is not allowed.

Contact us for all of your questions regarding how to register a sales event with the carrier. If you have questions about what is or isn’t allowed at marketing events, check out the guide to what a Secret Shopper will be looking for here.  RBI and Medicare Compare really do make it happen for you!

Top Ten Ways to Promote Yourself on a Budget

Top 10

We are all searching for free or inexpensive marketing methods to increase our bottom line. We at the Agent’s Advantage have compiled our top ten low-cost (and no-cost) ideas which will pay dividends year-round. Some immediately, others long-term.

  1. Ask for referrals! You know someone is going to talk to your client’s friends. It might as well be you!
  2. Host monthly educational events i.e. “Medicare 101” at your local senior center, church or apartment complex. Educational events do not have to be reported to CMS. Knowledge sells!
  3. Become an active member of your community and establish yourself as THE Medicare insurance expert. Consider purchasing ad space in newsletters, sponsoring BINGO, or volunteering at a senior center.
  4. Never underestimate the power of social media. Studies are showing that over 56% of adults 65 and older with internet access use Facebook, and that number is increasing. Create a Facebook page for your agency (even if you’re the solo agent!) Post content specifically geared toward your community. Share local events, interesting news updates, feel-good stories, and insurance-related articles that are relevant to your clients. Facebook is a gReferral Leads Quotereat way to stay in front of your clients.
  5. Network, network, network! Join a local business networking group. Check with your local Chamber of Commerce, Business Networking International  or Meetup.com. Make connections and get your name out there!
  6. Get to know the media. Cultivate relationships with local newspaper, television and radio reporters. Pass along story ideas and make yourself available as an expert on all things Medicare-related. Ask to be a guest speaker on a local radio show to discuss important senior issues. The media is a great resource for increasing your name recognition.
  7. Promote your clients! Did you recently help a coffee shop owner pick out the perfect Medigap plan? Exchange advertising! Ask them to promote your agency on social media and local business review sites, and do the same for them.
  8. Boost your reputation by asking friends and clients to write honest (and hopefully positive) reviews of your services on social media. Be sure to set up your Google Business Profile.
  9. Built a website and use your logo and URL everywhere. Professional-looking websites can be built easily and expensively (even free!) on sites such as Wix, Weebly, WordPress and Blogger. Not very web-savvy? Check out Fiverr for inexpensive virtual assistance!
  10. Talk to Financial planners about what they are doing for their clients as they age into Medicare. Most Financial Planners budget for medical costs but lack the expertise to find the best fit for their clients.

Remember… he who climbs a tree and hollers is the one that gets the dollars!

Subscribe the The Agent’s Advantage weekly roundup to get more sales advice, right in your Inbox. Simply click the link and enter your email address. RB Insurance will never sell, rent or share your information.

 

Increase Your Cash Flow with Hospital Indemnity plans

As the National Sales Manager, I have spent countless hours on the road, teaching agents, conducting training sessions, and hosting recruiting events. I have realized that, no matter how diverse my audiences may be, certain things are universal- such as the unmistakable way my audience’s eyes glaze over as soon as I mention Hospital Indemnity plans. Most agents understand Indemnity plans in theory. They also agree that it is important to include a variety of ancillary products in their portfolio. But when it comes down to it, the majority of agents do notHospital Building bother to pitch Indemnity plans to their clients. Whether they don’t fully recognize the value, or the flat out don’t know how to sell it- RBI is here to help!

“Never leave money sitting on the table.” The old sales adage rings true. If you are not selling your clients an indemnity policy to complement their low-premium Medicare Advantage plan, that is EXACTLY what you are doing! Indemnity plans are extremely affordable, and you will quickly become your client’s hero once he or she experiences the benefits after that first hospital visit.

The primary concern of my Medicare Advantage clients is often, “How on earth will I pay for a hospital stay?!” I have also had several clients who grew frustrated with the high cost of Medicare Supplements, yet were afraid to switch to Medicare Advantage with their higher Hospital co-pays.. In either case, my solution was to enroll them into a low-premium (or no-premium) Medicare Advantage plan, along with a hospital indemnity plan for added coverage.

I never sign up a client for the “bare minimum.” It is better to have more coverage and not need it – than to not have it when you need it! Hospital costs continue to rise, and insurance plans evolve, but the health of my clients is generally not improving. I make sure to cover them for a hospital stay a little above and beyond the current hospital copay amounts. I do this because if a higher amount of coverage is needed at a later time, chances are they probably will not be healthy enough to pass the underwriting necessary to increase coverage. So far, not one of my clients has turned down the extra money they received from filing a claim.
RBI offers agents a variety of ancillary product carriers- GTL, Equitable, American Continental and Medico. GTL’s Advantage Plus plan is the only plan with a guaranteed issue period for ages 64 ½ to 65 ½. Bill Ellsworth, Vice President of Equitable, recorded an excellent presentation last year on how to sell hospital indemnity during a Medicare Advantage appointment. Frankly, it is probably the best training example I have ever seen, and I strongly recommend all Equitable agents seek it out on the Equiline broker site. Following Bill’s outline, I am confident you will be able to increase your commissions throughout the year.

Health products are the only products you can discuss during a Medicare appointment. You must make sure your client understands the need as you make your presentation. Show them the holes in their current plan, then fill it with an indemnity policy. All of the indemnity products can be cross-sold during an MA appointment. There is even a “Hospital Indemnity Plan” checkbox on the generic CMS-approved Scope of Appointment form most of us already use.

An Indemnity Webinar Invitation

Join us on Thursday, April 7th at 10:00 am (MST) for a webinar about how to cross sell indemnity products year round to protect your clients and increase your commissions. This is particularly important since carriers are now prorating all MA commissions other than a person that is new to Medicare.

 

 

 

Mastering sales is just like learning to ride a bike

I remember I had just started a new sales job when it was time to teach my oldest son, Chaz, how to ride a bike. It wasn’t easy at first because he didn’t want to ride it without the training wheels. Until one day some neighborhood kids laughed at him.

“Dad, I want to take the training wheels off,” he said, holding back tears. 

I had encouraged him to take them off weeks earlier, but I didn’t press him. I knew there would come a time when he would want it bad enough to pursue it without carrot and stick motivation. We took the training wheels off and he got on the bike. The extra little wheels that made the bike safe were gone, and for the first time he couldn’t place both his feet on the pedals unless he moved forward. He had to build momentum.

Our long driveway was mostly straight and had a slight grade. I started him in the middle and held on for several attempts as he pedaled, learning balance and steering. At about the tenth time, I took him a little higher up the driveway and we began going down the hill. As you have probably guessed by now, I let go.

I still continued to let him know I was there, but at this point he was doing it all on his own. He was still telling me to hold him, not knowing I had already let go. He looked over his shoulder and saw I wasn’t there. He panicked and fell. After he checked for broken bones and realized he was OK, I started to laugh.

He did too. Through that experience, I learned that riding a bike and getting better at the sales process have a lot in common. You may already have drawn from this life metaphor things that relate to your own experiences, but there are a few specific things I want you to focus on the most.

  • Know your fears. What really scares you?  For most sales professionals, it’s rejection. The antidote? Don’t take it personally. Get over it! Rejection is going to happen because it’s part of the process. For others, fear of failure is at the top of their minds. It’s overcome by making goals, visualizing success and taking action in spite of conditions and circumstances. Movement is the best cure for this fear. Be persistent in spite of rejection or temporary failure. One lost opportunity or setback does not make a winner quit. They keep going. Resolve to be persistent until experience brings you competence, which will in turn give rise to confidence.
  • Know your product. Many sales people have not taken the training wheels off. They constantly need someone to help them with the products for which they should be the experts. Memorize your products’ features. Convert them into benefits your clients need.  Know what your product will do and what it won’t do. If possible, experience the product at work in your life and through your clients’ experiences. You must understand how your product will meet your clients’ needs.
  • Know your limitations and stay on the straight path. Most sales people don’t start with finesse and skill. They start out as order takers. Order taking may help you close 15 percent of your opportunities, but is not the way to build momentum for a sustainable career. How do you get to a 60 percent closing rate? Through the experience of objections, rejections, falling and failing. The school of hard knocks will teach you the little things along the way that help you evolve — to help you get better.

When I think of how I got started in sales, I am amazed and humbled by my success. Then I remember Chaz on that bike. Less than six months later he was building ramps and jumping over boxes. He had converted fear into skill. That skill brought confidence in trying new and daring things. For sales professionals, that translates to new opportunities for growth and development, facing a new set of fears and challenges with faith in your abilities.

Having seen thousands of sales people make the same progression, I’m qualified to say that mastering sales is just like riding a bike!

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