6 Things NOT to Do When Leaving a Voicemail

Voicemail messages are a powerful tool if done right!

There are 6 things you should definitely not do when leaving a voicemail message, regardless of whether it is a prospecting voicemail or a message for your best customer.

Definitely DON’T:

1. Speak with a bland voice.

It’s amazing the number of voicemail messages I hear where the person leaving the message has zero energy and a totally bland voice.

2. Drone on without any real purpose to the message.

If in doubt as to what you’re going to say, then write it out ahead of time.

3. State your phone number so fast the other person has to listen to the message twice.

When giving your phone number, do it slowly and distinctly, regardless of whether you expect the person to return the call or not.

4. Make the call while you’re standing in the middle of a wind tunnel or highway.

If the person you’re calling is important, then doesn’t it make sense to make sure they can hear your message? Remember, audio quality is going to be lost anyway just by the mere fact the other person is listening to a recording of it.

Don’t make the quality any worse by being in a location where there is background noise.

5. State how you will call them back in a couple of minutes.

If that’s the case, then why are you leaving them a message to begin with? Saying you will call them back means the message you’re leaving them now is a waste of your time and theirs.

6. Not leave your name and who you are.

Surprising the number of messages that get left where the person leaving it doesn’t leave both their first and last name. Just because you know who you’re calling doesn’t mean they know who you are.

Voicemail messages are an effective tool if used properly and it starts by not doing the stupid stuff.

 

Holiday Party Conversation Starters

With holiday parties just around the corner, now is the perfect time to master our holiday party conversation starters so we can answer the most common question: “What do you do for a living?”

In the September 23, 2013 Investment News issue asked a variety of advisors how they respond to the question: “What do you do for a living?”

Out of the eight that were quoted, two began with: “I am a CFP®” and “I am a professional”. Three began with: “We are, We believe or We help.” And only one began by asking if he could first ask a question.

So what are the most effective elevator speeches or holiday party conversation starters? The first step is to be clear on who you serve (your ideal client), why you serve them and what value you provide. Next you need to create starters to ensure your message resonates with the person you are talking with. For example, if you are talking with a retired couple and you specialize in working with this niche by creating a plan for them that ensures a bright financial future, you need a conversation starter.

In this case, when asked: “What to do you do for a living?” you could respond by asking: “Do you know how retired couples are faced with a variety of decisions on what to do to ensure their financial future is bright and that they don’t outlive their money? I help them design a plan to ensure they make the best choices for a bright future.”

So why is this approach more powerful than “I am” or “We believe”? First, when we begin with “I am” or “We believe”, the other person either tunes us out or puts their defenses up because they think they will be sold, persuaded or convinced to do something. Instead, when we ask a question, we engage the prospective client and encourage them to participate and tune into a conversation with us. We dramatically increase our odds of continuing the conversation which allows us to learn more about them and determine if a follow up meeting makes sense.

So before you get your party attire on, take a minute and write out your new holiday party conversation starters and then practice them. Master your starters until you have a winning dialogue that will engage prospects in a conversation. This will dramatically increase your odds of getting to know your prospective clients, as well as provide an opportunity to continue your conversation discussing what you do and the value you provide

 

Turkey Calls

Everyone sends Holiday Cards or Christmas Cards.  Many send birthday cards and then there are those who send "thank you for your payment cards."  Few though, if any, send "Thank You" cards at Thanksgiving.   Wait a second, I thought Thanksgiving was supposed to be about "Giving Thanks?

Wednesday, November 25, 2009, I received a phone call from my Insurance Agent who left the following message on my voicemail:

"This is Jeff, your Insurance Agent calling.  My team and I wanted to call you today to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.   If you are traveling this weekend please travel safe and most of all....enjoy those you will be with, including family and friends.   Please keep our phone number (555-1212) handy this weekend and know that you can call us at any time this weekend should you need our help.   We appreciate your business...Happy Thanksgiving!" 

I have received the same, or similar, message from Jeff each year since. My bank doesn't call me at Thanksgiving.  Nor does my phone company. Or the gas company.  Jeff is unique in that he is the only person I receive a phone call from at Thanksgiving! 

I did some homework and came to find out that Jeff sends this message to his 2,000 households for Thanksgiving each year.  All 2,000 households received the same message.  All 2,000 households hear from their Agent each year!

Have you called ALL of your customers this year? If you’re like many agency producers I coach...you have NOT called all of your customers this year.  In fact, I will bet some of your customers haven't received a phone call from you in two, or three years.

If you haven't been able to call all of your customers in the past year, or two, how did Jeff do it?  How does Jeff make 2,000 phone calls every year for Thanksgiving?   Jeff uses a Call Center to make the calls for him....using his voice!   Are you ready for this....it costs Jeff 12 cents per call....or $240 to call all of his customers.

A Call Center?  Yes indeed....a call center such as www.voiceshot.com or www.callfire.com.   There are a bunch of companies out there that can provide a similar service. I've come to like Voiceshot and Callfire the best.   

I highly recommend following Jeff’s lead in calling your current customers this Thanksgiving.  For twelve cents per call, it is a simple way to reach your current customers at an important time of year and when they least expect the call. 

Note....Jeff is only calling his current customers and these are NOT Sales Calls.  This is a simple "Thank You" call to existing customers.

For help in setting up Thank You Calls this Thanksgiving, simply call me for assistance.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING and THANK YOU for reading our work!

Start a conversation

Prepare for more sales!

Long term care is becoming an increasingly more important issue in this country. The aging baby boomer population in the United States is approaching 80 million. As Americans continue to live longer, millions may face the prospect of needing or providing long term care at some point in their lives. November is Long Term Care Awareness Month and is a great time to focus on spreading the word about the need to have a plan for long term care.

https://www.genworth.com/sales-center/long-term-care-insurance/education/cost-of-care.html#

7 TIPS for Boosting Your Year-End Numbers

With fewer than ten weeks to go in 2013, I've put together a list of the most effective ideas for my agent friends to boost their holiday sales.

1. Keep your schedule filled with appointments. If your goal is 8 appointments, don't "try" to keep 8 - keep them. If you need to fill your time slots with existing clients, turn those visits into referral opportunities.

2. Look through the information you've taken from existing clients to determine if there's any way in which you haven't yet served them. Maybe you need to discuss converting an existing term policy. Maybe you haven't discussed long-term care with them. Is there a client who wouldn't be helped by increasing his or her liability limits? Find out!

3. "Up" your offers. A client who needs $300,000 in life insurance might agree to $500,000 if given the option. A client who can put aside $300/month for investing might be able to stretch that to $500, if you explain the benefits. Just ask. If 1 in 4 prospects says "yes", your year-end numbers will increase dramatically, just like that.

4. Ask for referrals as a way of helping someone start next year with a bang.

"Joe and Betty, thanks for letting me know how helpful I've been to you in getting your insurance protection plan in order. With the end of the year coming, I'll bet you have at least a couple of friends who might like to get a new start on their financial situation for the New Year and may want the kind of service you're getting. Who comes to mind that could use a hand?"

5. Focus on reaching out to people with whom you already have a connection. How many people gave their names to you at the county fair or a Home Show who you couldn't reach right afterward, so you then just dropped those leads? Instead of cold calling people you've never met, revisit those "failed" contacts, starting with the most recent. If you can't reach someone by phone, or drop a quick email. If you do connect, those people who you have met at least once are far more likely to agree to make an appointment with you than total strangers are.

6. Slow your fact-finding interviews down. It may seem counter-intuitive, but you'll turn more first appointments into [first and] second appointment sales if you ask more questions, especially about consequences of acting and not acting. It's not good enough to ask how someone feels about a million dollar insurance need. Dig deeply into the consequences of not having that insurance in place. (If they can't keep the house, where will they live? Is that okay with them?) Then, make sure your presentation addresses the consequences that they brought up in response to your questions. (This will ensure that they can stay in their house, at least until the kids start college.)

7. When it comes to services they need, don't please your prospects or clients, and don't sell to them, serve them. If they're telling you that they're going to put off applying for the insurance they need, and you believe that the delay does not serve them, tell them passionately that they're wrong. Be proud of being in sales, but don't sell, and don't put having them like you above doing what's best for them.

Put your emphasis on existing clients - the people who already do business with you and will be joyous to rave about you to those they love. If you need more tips on serving up the right surprises, contact me.

Either way, keep delivering what you do best, and keep REACHING...