Appointment Setting Archives | Page 2 of 3

Prospect Qualification and Appointment Setting to Land More Meetings

This article was published on December 21st, 2020 in Insurance Journal.

The objective of prospecting is to find quality opportunities to narrow the sales funnel, and then consistently target that focused group with marketing messages to get noticed. For insurance brokers, you have the luxury of finding third party list sources that start you off knowing key data about your prospect universe. Instead of chasing non-qualified prospects — or worse, not even knowing who your prospect universe even is — prospecting followed by properly executed appointment setting leaves no rock unturned.

Every prospect on your list is a new opportunity to qualify, disqualify, set a callback or land a sales meeting for a producer. Phone outreach is the best way to land more sales appointments and the only way to determine if, in fact, the opportunities in your local universe or target industry are sellable. Phone outreach is also one of the only ways to incite two-way communication between a buyer and a seller, which will then lead to more closed deals.

What Is Strategic Prospecting Through Appointment Setting?

Appointment setting, also known as telemarketing, is based on strategically conducting calls in order to schedule introductory sales meetings with decision-makers. For best results, the prospects are pre-qualified through a qualification process, based on specific parameters set by your agency. Typically, to get in the door with workers’ compensation or property/casualty insurance, the qualifier is either total premium, or at least, staff size. Chasing opportunities that equate to less than $1,500 in annual commission is not good use of time or marketing dollars. Instead, reserve those opportunities to close for inbound only… Read more

Jessie Geevers Appointment Setting, Insurance, Lead Qualification Process, MarketReach Blog, Prospect List Management Comments Off

The Benefits of Crafting a Well-Written Prospecting Script

The most daunting part of making a sales call is preparing for the unknown. Will I reach decision-makers? What kind of questions will the decision–maker ask? Am I prepared with the best responses? Enter the sales script! Think a script is only useful for newbie salespeople? Think again! With the new year comes an opportunity to dust off old material and think of our messaging in a new way. This also allows for an opportunity to showcase new technology, services or offerings you’ve recently added. Taking the time to craft a script that is timely and relevant can mean the difference between a closed deal (great intro, effective probing questions and a convincingly delivered Value Proposition) and a lost opportunity (due to a poor introduction and lack of engagement questions that lead to a summary dismissal).

Consider these benefits of taking the time to craft a new prospecting script: (more…)

Jessie Geevers Appointment Setting, Cold Calling, Telemarketing, Vending, Coffee and Micro-Markets Comments Off

Uncover Your Agency’s Value Proposition

—Reprinted with permission from Professional Insurance Agent Management Services Inc.—

In addition to a reliable prospect list, your agency’s value proposition is arguably the most vital element of your overall marketing messaging. A value proposition explains how your product solves customers’ problems or improves their situations. Let’s face it, it’s not always easy to differentiate in the insurance industry. From our work helping insurance agencies get sales appointments with their prospects, differentiating (on paper) has proven to be the most challenging piece of the sales process—but it is the most important first step toward an effective sales strategy.

It’s easy for an insurance agent to be a quote shop, but in an effort to not become commodity-based, let’s explore how to uncover the value proposition to get the insurance buyer’s mind away from just thinking about the price of a policy. That is not to say that the cost shouldn’t be part of the prospects’ mindset, as saving money often is the first consideration. However, how you save them money is part of your value proposition. A solid value proposition demonstrates credibility and expertise while developing trust.

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Amanda Puppo Appointment Setting, B2B, Insurance, Marketing, PRESS, Telemarketing Comments Off

The Consultative Sell on an Introductory Sales Call

Ask Questions To Learn About Your Prospects’ Wants And Needs

It is easy to fall into the trap of “I’m calling to give you a quote” rather than engaging in a meaningful dialogue. Asking good questions is the best way to learn more about your prospect’s needs and desires while, at the same time, building rapport. Rather than being viewed as “another Insurance agent”, you will become a valued advisor. This technique is referred to as consultative selling.

It would be easy if there was one right set of questions to ask that would always guarantee responses that we want. The best approach is to create a mix of open-ended questions that get your prospect talking, along with questions that easily yield a “yes” response or get the prospect thinking of what their current broker is NOT doing for them. (more…)

Amanda Puppo Appointment Setting, B2B, Cold Calling, Insurance, Sales, Telemarketing Comments Off

Don’t Let Your Pipeline Dry Up this Summer!

Summertime is here: the weather’s hot – but don’t let the summer heat wilt your business. In fact, summer is a great time to market – no matter what type of business you have.

Sure, it’s true, more people go on vacation during the summer, but that doesn’t mean that companies shut their doors and head to the beach for the entire three months of summer. The average worker gets two or three weeks off, and the rest of the time it’s business as usual.

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Amanda Puppo Appointment Setting, B2B, Lead Generation, Marketing, MarketReach Blog, Sales, Telemarketing Comments Off

Appointment Setting – Today’s Leading Sales Strategy

We all know and love movies like ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ and ‘The Boiler Room.’ They give us an inside peek of what the sales world is like: fast-paced, addictive, and deceptive. Well, that’s how Hollywood depicts it. As much as there is to love about these movies, they have tarnished the reputation of the sales industry and created mass confusion about what appointment setting is. Luckily, we have research and industry statistics to explain what appointment setting is, what the benefits are, and why it’s best to outsource the practice.

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