Why You Should Be Using Sales Tools

We hear from many Financial Services agents that they tend to “wing” life insurance sales.

Sure, there are tools like fact finders, personal needs assessments, and agendas that can be used, but many agents seem to prefer a more natural conversation when it comes to selling life insurance. They feel that using this technique increases their credibility and is less robotic. Some even say it helps clients feel more at ease because of the lack of formality.

But what does your business miss when you don’t use sales tools as part of your process? “Winging” the sales process may increase the chance that you may not collect all the needed information. We’re all humans who make mistakes and it’s possible to forget to ask a question or gather an important piece of information. Using tools will ensure accuracy, prevent underwriting delays and keep you or your team from having to go back to the client to ask more questions. You can keep sales tools from feeling robotic by designing them to be part of a casual conversation.

These tools can also be very helpful to your clients. Life insurance isn’t always a fun topic. For some it tends to feel overwhelming and complicated. There are a lot of new terms that are being introduced and a client may have a hard time keeping up with the conversation. Using visual tools and even hands on activities can help them identify the risks of not having life insurance and to truly understand their needs for coverage.

Having a fact finder, a calculator, a meeting agenda, or personal needs assessment allows the client to be more involved in the conversation. It allows them to interact with a large amount of information, some of which may be new to them, in different ways. This creates engagement in the process instead of making the client feel as if they are in a lecture and being told they need something they don't understand the benefit of.

We challenge you to look at your current sales process and ask yourself:

• What tools would make your team more effective and credible? 
• What tools would allow for more engagement and better understanding for your clients?

Your vendors may have some recommended tools and we encourage you to start with those. They can always be improved upon, but typically they are great starting points. The goal is to use one and make adjustments to fit your sales methods as needed. We also encourage you to talk to your Optimal Outcome business coach for suggestions.