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You met with the client and made the sale.
Congratulations! You're all done and can move on to the next potential client - right?
You might want to reconsider that!
It's important that your practice management plans recognize that many times your very best prospects are right in your current client database. Don't leave business on the table or the opportunities to continue serving the needs of the clients you already know. Put a specific plan in place to cultivate your database, produce more sales opportunities and cultivate stronger relationships.
I use a "2-2-6 Program" to serve and cultivate my database. Here's how it works. Use your Client Relationship Management (CRM) system to trigger important follow-up reminders. You can also ensure you cover these steps by entering calendar reminders in your Outlook calendar or smart phone right after you close the sale.
2-2-6 Program:
- 2 Weeks After the Sale: Send a personal email and/or call the client to see if they have any questions that have popped up about the financial products they chose.
- 2 Months After the Sale: Follow up in two months to ask if the client has any questions concerning their new policy and how it works.
- 6 Months Later: Follow up in six months to review coverage, ask if they have had any life changes that might require added coverage.
Your client could have any number of issues suddenly appear in their lives. Here are just a few reasons the 2-2-6 program and annual reviews are so important:
- Death of a parent, spouse or child
- Receiving an inheritance
- Divorce
- New additions to the family via adoption or birth
- New marriage
- Seeing a friend/family member struggle with health and financial concerns related to long-term care needs
- Health change/issue
Most carriers are now paperless, so you don't receive clients' annual statements from carriers via postal mail anymore. These used to be good reminders to reach to your life and annuity clients. Now, you need to have your own system to trigger follow ups.
You can gather this information by logging into the carrier websites to view your clients' annual statements each month. This is an important practice management task. Once you gather the updates, be sure to make the follow-up calls and you may very well uncover new needs with your clients.
If you don't have time to retrieve the annual statement information from carriers, you can choose to use a technology solution. These technology solutions are generally subscription based and they do the research for you! These systems locate all the policies you've written under your license number from all the carriers you choose. Information is provided such as, policy anniversary date, annuity in-force premium amount, if the term period still allows for conversion, etc. It feeds the information right to your inbox. It's a small investment to help you continue to mine your database and provide valuable service to your clients. Keep in mind, people like to do business with someone they have done business with in the past.
In addition to utilizing the 2-2-6 program and annual reviews, here are a few additional tips:
Relationship Building: Your clients should not just be clients; they need to become part of your extended family. Keep in touch with a friendly call or card. And if you’re placing your client in a position of success, why wouldn’t they inform fellow members of their church, bowling league, county club, etc., about the value that you bring to their household. Every sale and just a meeting with a new prospect warrants a thank you note. Even a “no sale” could possibly lead to a wider referral base of future sales. When you are confident you have helped the client and built an ongoing relationship, you can feel more comfortable asking if they have friends or family that might have similar needs (referrals).
Client Advisory Board: Creating a client advisory board provides valuable feedback about your practice from clients. It's an effective and inexpensive way to learn how to improve customer service, the office experience and your overall practice.
We all know this is a relationship business. Be sure you are structuring your practice for success.
Contact the Partners Advantage Brokerage Team for additional information and complete sales assistance: 888-251-5525, Ext. 700
Oscar Toledo, Director of Sales and Marketing, Partners Advantage
Oscar Toledo has spent 18 years in the insurance industry as a business consultant and in personal production. He has helped hundreds of financial professionals and agencies grow their life, annuity and linked benefits business by providing innovative sales concepts, extensive product knowledge and superior support. He has also qualified for the Million Dollar Round Table for several years as a personal producer - CA License #0E38226. He can be reached via phone: 888-251-5525, ext. 124 or email at otoledo@partnersadvantage.com.
For financial professional use only. Not for use with consumers.
The information in this article is for general information only.
Always follow your firm’s policies and procedures regarding review and use of third-party templates, creation and distribution of client and prospect materials, hosting of client and prospect events, offering giveaways or prizes, and your firm’s employment process.
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