Imagine your top salesperson calling a selected account. He builds rapport with the client, asks pertinent questions, paints a convincing picture of your value-added offerings, and then says, “Thank you for your time.” As he leaves, he says, “Have a great day.” “Wait! You might think, “He forgot to close.” Yes, he did. A close is the key to any sale. Many marketers neglect to close sales every day, so they forget to include the “call-to-action” in their marketing materials.
Brochures are often smaller than you’re used to seeing. You will find the contact information in tiny font on the back of the brochure. There is not much information on Web sites that are close to the user’s location. What does the reader do next? Nothing.
These are some examples of call to actions:
- Good: Contact us today. You will be glad that you did.
- Better: Don’t delay to save money. Click, call or e-mail.
- Best: Respond before noon Friday to receive an additional $10,000 coverage.
When there are sweetening options, calls to action will be stronger. We tend to rush into the important stuff in insurance sales. When is your x date and when can I get my loss runs? These questions are too important to be answered early, which can hurt your chances of success. It is better to start with low-risk, compelling offers that will ease prospects into your sales cycle.
What’s an offer?
Every day, consumers are bombarded by offers.
- Buy one and get one for free
- Enjoy up to 65% Discount
- Get an iTunes free download with every latte
These offers have an impact on our decision-making, regardless of whether we like them or not. Offers have been shown to increase response rates time and again. We often forget to make offers in business. Yes, we offer a complimentary consultation or a free quotation. But so does everyone else. What can you do to get prospects to join your sales team? You’re losing lead generation opportunities if you don’t do anything extraordinary.
These are some small offers that will lead to an easy YES:
- Subscribe to your tip of the Month or educational newsletter
- An analysis of loss experience to help your prospect compare his loss experience with others in the same risk category
- Get a FREE report that will help you improve your prospects’ profits
- An educational seminar or Web conference
- White papers
- Case studies
- Sales scripts
- Tools for selling
- Calculators for the industry
Small offers make it easier for prospects to say yes and are more likely to help them move through the sales cycle. Because the average insurance sales cycle lasts a year, small offers can be a way to keep your prospects in mind year round without costly in-person visits. Information-hungry business people are a constant source of information. They’re always looking for new ways to make their jobs easier, more efficient, and better. A small request for information will get them back much quicker than if they have to give x-dates.
Do you want to offer price discounts?
Maybe. Price discounts can be a good offer if low-price is a key value proposition . Make sure your offer is consistent with your key value proposition, and attracts the customers that you desire.
When, how and where should you make offers?
Grab every opportunity. Include offers in your e mails, on your website and in your direct mailings. To find the best offer, test different offers.
Where can I start?
- Consider the pain points of your customers. What information and tools can help them solve their problems? Do they lose sales because of price objections? If they do, then give them a script to overcome price objections.
- Consider your success stories. Let’s think about your success stories. Can you tell us a story (case-study) about how one customer overcame a industry headache?
- Consider your expertise. What are you experts in that no one else has? It can be packaged into a compelling deal.
It’s important to make it sellable!
Insurance marketers often create small offers but neglect to market them. You should use the same marketing tactics that you use to sell insurance when selling small offers. It is crucial to get your prospect to say yes. The key is your small offer, so make sure to sell it strategically. Your newsletter, seminar, or free report should make your audience feel that it cannot live without you. You can’t sell unless you have the prospect in your sales cycle.
