Selling Strategies Summit Guarantees More & Better Sales Results – Rev 3

“How can I sell more” is one of the most commonly asked questions we get from advisors and agents. So, I decided to ask 15 leading selling strategists that question in this year’s Selling Strategies Summit. The answers I got are guaranteed to take your business and sales to the next level!
One of the best ideas from ProducersWeb columnist and advisor expert, Lew Nason, of the Insurance Pro Shop is something we all did when we got into the business but for many of us may have slipped by the wayside… send each client and prospect a newsletter. While some advisors send newsletters, many send the newsletter via email, which according to Lew’s research is often not read and not nearly as effective. He recommends folksy, heartfelt newsletter because this allows us to connect at a deeper level with your clients and prospects. When we connect at a deeper level our clients and prospects know we care – which results in more sales.
Lew also shares another great strategy, which he refers to as the “heartfelt letter.” The purpose of the “heartfelt letter” is to let those close to you know that you care about them and are there to help them with their financial matters. He recommends sending it to all your family and friends. This strategy is great because it allows us to let those we care about know we care without being pushy or “sales-y” or straining our relationship.
Lew also shares some other amazing strategies including educational workshops, the power of double duty, the power of asking the right questions and likely the most important: fact finding.
Riche Campe of ProAdvisor Coach shared insight on the power of setting BHAG’s - Big Hairy Audacious Goals. Riche is arguably one of the best-known coaches for getting producers to their next level. Riche says goals are dreams with deadlines. When we take the time to set our personal and professional BHAG goals, create a plan to achieve them, the results are amazing – not the least of which is increasing sales.
Advisors often forget another great strategy - the power of peer influence. Riche shares how important it is to create an informal group of peers that share similar goals. Our peers keep us on track by providing us input and advice so we can more easily achieve our goals. He recommends peer support personally and professionally. By looking over our shoulders and rooting for us, our peers are like a GPS system designed to get us back on course when we get off course. .
Riche also shares a great referral strategy that he calls “favorable introductions”. Instead of asking all your clients for referrals, focus on the top 20% of your ideal clients. You can quickly duplicate your most ideal clients, adding 6 to 12 new ideal clients per year. Imagine what that can do to your bottom line!
While most advisors have a 96% failure rate, Sid Walker, founder of Selling Without Wrestling, has a 90% success rate. He does it through reverse psychology selling. Instead of pressuring prospects to buy, he recommends giving prospects the ability to opt out if anything we say or do doesn’t feel right, a low-key approach. Sid also shares insight on educational based selling to make more sales. He stresses the power of asking good questions and as the author or How to Double Your Sales By Asking a Few More Questions gets this first-hand.
When we put our prospects at ease, their defenses drop and the result is more clients and more sales! Letting go of our need to control what the client says or does is the secret. Sid stresses that the focus be on how we can best serve the prospect and maintain the relationship (not sell). Then everything improves, especially our sales!
He shares another great strategy for getting more referrals without alienating our clients. Before asking for referrals, ask your clients if they are comfortable giving you referrals. This helps you maintain your relationship and business with that client. Very few advisors have been taught to first confirm if the client is open and willing to give referrals before they begin asking for them! When we first ask if our clients are comfortable giving referrals, the result is a better retention and more sales.
There are many more nuggets of actionable content in these interviews. The complete interviews with Lew, Riche and Sid will be available to all advisors for free at www.SellingStrategiesSummit.com.