Effective prospecting is key to finding new agents and clients. Prospecting can be done in many ways. There are both active and passive methods. Some of the active prospecting methods include Personal Observation and Public Speaking, Agent Referrals and Networking, as well as Agent and Client Referrals and Networking. Passive methods include direct mail campaigns, newspaper advertising, and the internet. While both passive and active prospecting can produce results, they have different efficiency and effectiveness. Understanding these differences will help you maximize your success.
Although passive methods can be simple to implement, they are inefficient. These methods attract 1) “tire kickers”, 2) people who are looking for work, 3) price-shoppers, and 4) people just looking to make some money. These methods can produce great results, and may uncover amazing people who will become agents or clients. However, the quality of these results is generally poor. These methods generate a lot of activity, but very few prospects end up becoming agents or clients. Although passive methods seem to be efficient, they generate so much useless activity that they are extremely inefficient.
While active methods take longer on the front end but are much more efficient, they are much faster and more effective. Because they are more effective, interviews/meetings can only be generated with people who are interested in working with you and share your passion and purpose. Agents are often drawn to you because they can identify with what you stand for and see this as an opportunity to build a career. They also see this as an opportunity to grow their financial portfolio. Clients choose to work with you because of who you are and the respect and admiration they have for you. Active methods are more effective than passive methods. Agents who have been recruited using active methods in the past are more productive and loyal to clients.
Why active prospecting is more effective
For Recruiting:
Effectively identifying candidates with an owner mindset is key to a successful recruitment program. Candidates who have an owner mindset are more likely to take initiative than candidates with an employee mindset. An owner mindset makes candidates self-starters who see the relationship between their success, and how much effort they put in. In fact, this is what they thrive on. They are independent thinkers and take initiative. They also tend to succeed when given the opportunity to make their own decisions. These candidates are the backbone of any successful sales team. Active recruiting allows for you to identify potential owners and employees right away.
– People who respond in recruitment advertisements are usually looking for something more than the current situation. They may be unhappy in their current job or have no job. Think about whether you would rather have a potential agent who is happy and productive at work or one who is unhappy and perhaps even unproductive. Territory builders prefer to hire people who are happy and productive. They are looking for someone with a positive attitude and excellent work habits. You will find agents who are more like your ideal in terms of productivity, attitude, drive, and other qualities. This results in agents who are positive, productive, and successful.
Are you frustrated by the performance of your agents? Do you wonder how to motivate them. This is a common problem in the industry. This problem is due to the way agents were recruited. Many agents are recruited via advertising. However, the manager may not communicate what they are passionate about. It’s difficult to attract and retain the right people, people who are productive, happy, and energetic. If you are skeptical about this observation regarding the power of personal attraction, take a look at your agents to see who is the most productive and responsive. They are usually the agents that you recruited, not the ones you “inherited”. You create an opportunity for candidates to see your values and what you stand for. Attracting like-minded people is what you do.
Prospecting:
People will do business with those they enjoy. You can only get to know others by meeting people. Prospecting passively doesn’t help them get to know you. They simply respond to what they have read.
People will be attracted to people who stand for something and have a purpose. Spend time clarifying what makes you different from others and communicating your purpose effectively will help you attract clients who are like-minded and will become loyal to you.
Building a relationship is the best way to retain clients. They will become price-shopping clients if they don’t have a relationship. They will become loyal clients and refer their friends to you if you have a good relationship. It is a way to continue your success.
Active prospecting can help you attract the people you want. It allows you meet only those people who will succeed and stay with your company.
Get out of the advertising and internet rut. Get out there and start prospecting!
