In making a winning presentation there are many key ingredients. It is clear, that without a good concise and structured presentation you will not be successful in the insurance business. We will talk about choosing a product, structuring a presentation, trial closing and closing. The following presentation has been instrumental in the success of many professionals in the insurance industry.

The first is to choose the right product to sell. This will require a little homework. The right product must have as many, or more features and benefits than the majority of the products you would be competing against.

The right product must be easy to use. Example; if you are selling Health Insurance the client must be able to receive benefits just by using his card. The client does not want to do paperwork to receive benefits. The client wants the Physicians office to do the claiming.

The right product MUST be competitively priced. The product does not have to be the cheapest - but it has to be in the bottom 20% of the market price, or you will unfortunately struggle. Remember a benefit rich - competitively priced product gives you confidences is to take all appointments. You know that your product outperforms and is less expensive than the majority on the market so consequently you don’t need to qualify only to confirm that they have coverage and it’s not with your company.

Once you find a product that is benefit rich and competitively priced, call the Department of Insurance in your state and get a complaint ratio on the company underwriting the product you are considering to sell. Keep in mind, if you place a lot of business with a company who does not deliver on it’s promises you may lose other business/products you have placed with that valuable client. Not to mention the customer service problems and headaches a ill-performing product can cause.

The primary purpose of a presentation is to focus your client on the similarities and positive differences between your product and the one they currently own. To do this the client must have a copy of their current policy when you meet with them. If the current policy is not there call the client’s current carrier and get a description of benefits and current premium.

Do not reschedule the appointment for lack of a policy, it is our job to make the client’s decision an easy one. So as an agent, we call the carrier and get the information, this information is vital if you expect the client to make a decision.

The easiest way to focus the client on the similarities and differences of the products in an easy to understand manner is by using a T-SHEET; a piece of paper with a line down the middle. The client’s current product on one side and the your product on the other. A synopsis of benefits from both carriers, and note any significant limitations in their current plan, indicate the premiums for plans.

A T-Sheet has a few very important influences on the client. First, it takes their mind off the rest of the market and focuses them on their current product, and if your product a better value for them.

Second, it gives the client a minds picture of both products on one piece of paper,-side-by-side, one clearly should be a better option for them and their family.

Third this makes the decision making process as simple as possible for the client. They are not forced to take a 20 or 30 page policy, and a 5-10 page brochure and try to draw conclusions on their own. The T_Sheet puts it right in front of them in an easy to recognize better option- your product.

The T-Sheet should only take 10 minute and at this point the client has an overview of both products and you should trial-close. A good trial close needs to work 100% of the time. What I recommend is to set-up the trial close on the telephone, after you set the appointment. Once the appointment time is set say to the client, "This will only take 10 minutes and then you’ll judge whether or not we can go any further, fair enough?" This statement /question is very valuable not only in setting up the trial close but also in taking some of the fear out of the appointment.

Let’s face it anybody that has sold insurance has been stood-up or has been reschedule. It happens, the reason it happens (if not for a valid reason) is because the client fears a large loss of TIME. Eliminate that fear and you will greatly reduce the number of reschedules and stand-ups.

The trial close that I recommend is "IN your opinion, do you feel we’ve shown you more coverage for less Money. (If you chose the right product to market this will be the case the vast majority of the time.)

The client can respond in 3 different manners, to that question.

1. " Yes" - start taking the application

1. "maybe" or "it looks good so far" —you must do more selling. A brochure presentations highlighting the key points in the brochure and the t-sheet again and some additional features
2. Client can get upset and suggest that we are asking for the business to soon. Remind them of the telephone call when you set the appointment that they would judge in the first 10 minutes whether or not they would go any further. Turn your palms up and shrug your shoulders. At this point the client realizes he ahs made a mistake and will try to prove for the rest of the appointment that he is really nice person.

When the client responds with a guarded positive response, "looks good so far" and we have to ask a 2^nd Trial close "in your opinion do you feel we have shown you much more coverage for less money. Same as trial close #1 except for the word MUCH. During the brochure presentation you reinforce the key points of the T_Sheet and also add or highlight a few additional benefits so now it’s much more. The client again responds in a few different ways

1. yes- start taking application
2. Client can give you a condition a condition is a reason you cannot overcome.

And will stop you from doing business Example (pending a diagnostic test and you are presenting health insurance

1. Client can give you an objection

Objections are great and if answered you can do business. The way to answer an objection is to isolate it. "Other than that is there any other reason you can’t start an application now!" Client say " No, that’s it" Then proceed to rephrase the objection as a question," so what you are asking is if ……….." Then answer the question and you have an application.

The problem is in today’s market we do not get objections very often because clients know we’ll close them. The #1 client response at the end of a presentation is "I WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT". If we could have a close that works in this situation our closing percentage would skyrockets would our income. Well, here is a close that will work 50% of the time, if someone says they want to think about it

Client says "I want to think about it" or some other reasonably similar excuse.

First it’s important to put this client in context. We have been with him /her for approximately 30 minutes. We have shown them a product that they have said in their opinion is better coverage at a savings on two occasions. We have developed a good rapport - this client wants and feels obligated to buy: but, nevertheless, is hesitating. Why? It is important to realize at this point that there is no logical reason. Remember people buy or do not buy based on emotion and justify the decision logically. So let’s address that emotion- it must be fear- , doubt or indecision. The client is just procrastinating at this point, so let’s close addressing that emotion.

TIME IS COMFORT

What your saying BILL is that you would like to have time to feel comfortable with your decision aren’t you? (Client says yes) Great! (pause) I’ll tell you what -- Why don’t we go ahead and get the paperwork started. We will finish everything-complete --and date it all for next Tuesday the . (Always use the following Tuesday’s date) that will give you Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and all day Monday until 5:00 PM to think about it. We will ship off your application at 6:15 on Monday. If during that time you have any questions please call me. You have my office and home phone numbers. I f you want me to hold on to the application for another week or return it to you just let me know. I will be happy to do so. Remember I work for you"

"But Bill help me help another family in the time period I would have to come back to doe your paperwork. I am already here let’s just go ahead and finish it up "(if appropriate and it was difficult to get in touch with and schedule an appointment because he/she was busy ..Remind them of that) "Also Bill, I have found in my life and most of my clients agree that we never truly feel comfortable with a decision until we have made it don’t you agree? "

If you structure your presentations in this manner your income will soar, and the time you spend with your family will increase. The T-Sheet and the brochure presentation is very easy to master and they keep the benefits logical, organized and concise, maintaining the clients focus, so you can close the sale!!! A WINNING PRESENTATION!