Insurance Leads - Tips for Closing Insurance Leads

Internet insurance leads are by far the freshest sales leads yet devised. It takes only seconds for an Internet lead company to receive a request from an online consumer, validate the information provided by the prospect, and forward it via email to a subscriber to the lead service. The Internet lead is also uniquely self-qualified, first by initiating the search for a solution on the Internet and second by proactively filling out the form asking for contact. Not surprisingly, Internet insurance leads are easier to close than other leads, but closing them still requires a blend of courtesy, empathy, aggressiveness, and persistence.
Use email. Internet insurance leads include an email address. Do not overlook this tool. The Internet insurance lead is computer savvy and spends more time at the keyboard than the average person. Email is their link to the world. Send a personalized message, introducing yourself and your company. Tells the prospect how you gained their contact information and why you think you can help them. If you do not already use an email signature, start now. Treat it as a mini-biography, telling your prospect your name, company name, and website address.
Clear your mind. A bad day can adversely affect your call, so make sure you are in a positive frame of mind before picking up the phone. Focus for a moment on the prospect. This person is unknown to you, but you can help free them from their financial or other anxieties. You can be their hero if you set aside your own worries and focus on theirs. In return, this stranger can help you on your road to success.
Do not delay. You no doubt have many things to do, but calling your insurance lead has to be at the top of your priority list. Depending on when the lead was sent to you, the prospect may still be online when you call. That means you can begin your conversation while the prospect is in solution mode. Besides, waiting even a few minutes opens the door to a competitor. Although you may have signed up for “exclusive” leads, nothing will prevent the prospect from visiting another website and asking for another quote.
Persist. If you do not receive your insurance lead in real time, and sometimes even if you do, the prospect may not answer your first call. Stay positive, and direct your energy into being persistent. Continue to call back until your make contact. You should call no less than six times in a day. Be sure to hit the key hours in a work day: before the day begins (7 to 9 am), during lunch (11:30 am to 1:30 pm), and check-out time (5 to 7 pm). If you have not made contact by the end of the first day, leave a message.
Mention their request. The fact that the Internet lead initiated the contact with you is a huge advantage. Be sure to leverage this by immediately reminding the prospect of the action they have taken, and how you can help. Identifying the Internet as the source of your call carries a bit of a “wow” factor that makes you look technology-forward, savvy, and capable of solving problems.
Be aggressive but courteous. After you have connected with the consumer, sell yourself, your solution, and your company. Never assume that the business is yours. Stay aggressive and focused. Convince the prospect that you are their advocate, offering the best solution for their particular situation.
Ask for the sale. When you have identified a solution certain to help the prospect, ask him or her for a commitment. You might offer a trial close first, such as asking if the client as any more questions. If not, make a definite, assumptive statement, “I will email these documents to you” or “What is a good time to set an appointment?”

A frequent contributor to online and print publications, Bradley Steffens is the author of twenty nonfiction books for children and young adults and coauthor of seven more. His newest book, Ibn al-Haytham: First Scientist, is the first biography to be published in English about the medieval Arab scholar known in the West as Alhazen.