There are 2 types of sales people in the Personal Lines Insurance Business. Order takers and sales people. Order takers typically look for the low hanging fruit. The client is already on the phone, wants to buy today and has a means of payment. There are no objections and the effort required is minimal. They sell the product(s) they’re most familiar with so they “don’t have to deal with” another carriers software. Most agencies with more than a handful of agents have a few order takers on their staff. They’re the ones usually complaining about rates, the quality of leads, the confusing software and the awful advertising the agency invests it’s money in. Unfortunately, you can spot them anywhere.
The sales person sees every lead as an opportunity. The sales person hardly complains about anything. They constantly have a positive attitude. If there’s something they disagree with, they take it to someone that can do something about it with an idea or two on how to improve the situation.
The sales person turns the prospect that wants to wait to buy insurance, into a buyer today. The sales person convinces the prospect their product and service is better than their competitors so price isn’t an issue. The sales person studies and learns the products their agency sells so they never miss a cross sell opportunity.
They’re not surfing the internet or taking personal calls during work hours. They walk in the office every morning focused and ready to sell insurance. They set daily goals for calls out, emails out, letters out, referral calls out and they don’t leave until they accomplish them. They have tenacity and ask every person they speak with for referrals. They go through 100’s of business cards every week and generate more business on their own than the agency’s leads provide.
Order takers are a dime a dozen. You’re better off with a CSR that sells than a full time order taker. Order takers will disrupt the workplace and should be offered additional training and coaching. If they can’t be turned around, give someone else an opportunity, chances are you’ll look back and wonder what took you so long to make the change.
