You’re giving a presentation to a brand new client.
You have all the statistics, you explain the product clearly, and you know the client has a need for what you’re offering.
But there’s something missing. There’s a certain sparkle that just isn’t there... but you can’t quite put your finger on it. What’s missing from your presentation?
It’s simple: sincerity.
And how do you show your client that you have their genuine, best interest at heart? Well, it turns out that it can be as easy as one simple phrase.
You know that a client probably doesn’t understand everything you’ve told them. And you even pared down the information to the bare minimum.
Medicare is complex, life insurance can have a lot of fine print, and annuities can be hard to wrap your brain around.
At the end of the day, your clients are looking to you as the expert. They want your recommendation, but they need a reason to believe that you’re making a genuine one.
The best way for you to do this is to somehow show that even you would buy it.
Here are some of the things you could say to establish that sincerity:
- This is the policy I bought for myself.
- This is the policy I would buy for myself.
- This is the policy I will buy for myself when the time comes.
- This is the policy I sold to my grandmother.
- This is the policy my spouse has.
In every case, you’re showing that this is a product you stand behind – so much so that you recommended it to you or your closest loved ones.
David Ly Khim of HubSpot says, “It’s easier to be passionate about — and sell — a product when you genuinely believe in it. The most effective salespeople actually use their product and believe in its value.”
Let’s say I’m in the market of buying new flooring, and I’m meeting with a flooring expert. He’s going through his presentation, and he’s talking all about these different flooring options.
- Well, this flooring is scratch-resistant,
- This flooring is the most popular,
- This flooring can stand up to water leaks,
- This flooring has the best warranty, and
- This flooring is the best value.
All of that is great, but at the end of the day, I’m probably still scratching my head thinking something like, “Umm… so which flooring should I buy?”
How much more effective would it be if the flooring expert said this instead: “This is the flooring I have in my home.”
You see?
Tom Szaky of the New York Times explains, “If you are not sold on the product or service, it will be an uphill battle to sell someone else. Your lack of conviction will scream through.”
And here’s Adam DeGraide of Insurance Thought Leadership: “If you yourself do not believe in a product or service, how do you expect consumers to believe in it? You cannot possibly expect to make a sale if this is the case!”
It’s undeniably powerful when you love a product or service so much that you bought it yourself or sold it to a family member.
And if you wouldn’t buy it yourself, and you can’t see yourself recommending it to a family member, maybe you should start asking yourself if this is really in the best interest of your clients.
If you bought the policy for yourself or sold it to a loved one, we already know that your passion and love for the product is compelling. But is that enough to sell your client?
The answer is yes — and here’s the 2-part combo deal that explains why:
If you tell a client that you bought the policy yourself, it’s understood that you know the product through and through.
Some clients may worry that you don’t know the ins and outs of a policy, even if that’s not the case. They’re wondering things like:
However, all of that changes when you explain that it’s the policy you have yourself. They immediately know that you 1) have close experience with it, and 2) you think it’s not only necessary, but vital.
They immediately feel relief that the product is worth their money — and not because you’re telling them that it is, but because you’re so convinced of this that you have it yourself.
You need to be aware that globally, consumers aren’t prone to trust you. In fact, a new survey from Ernst & Young found that people are more likely to trust supermarkets, banks, and car manufacturers over the insurance industry.
That’s not the best news for you, but here’s why it won’t affect you.
Long story short: Your client may not trust the insurance industry, but they see that you trust your product, and that helps them trust you.
When it comes down to it, you’ll drink the weird, green drink because your friend took a sip and said it was awesome.
You’ll start going to that Crossfit thing because your brother gained 10 pounds of muscle last month.
And your clients will buy insurance from you because you bought it yourself.
And that’s all there is to it.
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