Get a 3 ring binder and place dividers in it that separate your scripts into categories similar to the following:
SALES
1. Auto Sales Conversation
2. Homeowners Sales Conversation
3. Life Sales Conversation
4. Commercial/Small Business Sales Conversation
5. Investment Sales Conversation (Variable Products, Fixed Products)
6. Props/Proofs & Other Media Sources to be Used at the Point of Sale
1. Persuasive Facts and Figures
2. Current News Articles/Magazines Articles
3. Sales Conversation Tools/Visuals/Graphics or Other Produced Sales
Discussion Platforms Used at the Point of Sale.
MARKETING
1. Other Scripts
a. X-date Phone Script
b. Follow-Up Phone Script
c. Premium/Price Change Phone Script
d. Claims Handling Phone Script
e. Review/Insurance Check-Up Phone Script
f. Confirm the Appointment Phone Script
g. Competitive Auto/Homeowners Quote Phone Script
h. Follow-Up/Re-quote Phone Script
i. Complaint Handling Phone Script
j. Thank You for Your Business/Birthday/Congratulations Phone Script
k. Auto/No Home Phone Script
l. Home/No Auto Pphone Script
m. Multi-line or Life Phone Script
n. No Automatic Bank Withdrawal to Pay Premium Phone Script
o. Service + 1 Phone Script or Walk-in Script
p. I Just Want a Quote Phone Script
q. 30 Second Commercial Script/or Introduction Script
r. Referral Scripts
2. Objections & Concerns Scripts
a. No Need
b. No Money
c. No Time
d. No Interest
3. Processes (Who, When, Where, How, What): Step by Step Plan of How a Particular Marketing Process will be Executed, When it Will be Executed and by Whom.
a. External/new business marketing
1. X-dating for Auto Competitive Quotes
2. Call-in/Walk-in quotes
3. Referral System
4. Community & Civic Events/Church, Clubs, Membership to
Organizations, Events
5. Centers of Influence; e.g. apartment complexes, realtors, small
businesses
6. Telemarketing
7. Friends/Family/Acquaintances
b. Internal/Retention & Cross Selling Processes (Who, What, Where, When, How)
1. New Customer Follow-Up System
2. Premium/Price Change System
3. Claims Handling System
4. Review/Insurance Check-Up System
5. Small Business/Commercial Marketing System
6. Requote/Follow-Up System
7. Motorcycle/Bike Night System
8. Birthday Card/Thank You System
It may initially appear that putting together a “script” book is unnecessary work, but it isn't. Think of it this way; if we require of doctors and airplane pilots and lawyers, for example, to be professionals who know their craft inside and out by way of study, memorization and deliberate practice; then why should we require any less of ourselves?
Also, If we desire to be taken seriously and to earn the privilege of being called a sales professional, then we need to take up the responsibilities akin to what it takes to earn that title.
Scripting is Harnessing the Power of Words
Scripting is the means by which insurance agents can earn the title of “professional, expert, advisor and trusted consultant.” It is the work, duty and responsibility of insurance sales professional to be able to effectively communicate with individuals as powerfully as possible in order to persuade them to do those things they need to do for themselves; like buy insurance.
Scripting is the means by which that is accomplished.
“To be understood is a luxury.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
It’s time to get into the “luxury business.”
Copyright © 2010 - Tony Cefalu
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Hire for the Position and Not the Person
I know I have written about this before, but it merits repeating. Be very specific and deliberate about who you hire and for what reason. Don’t hire someone who is talented in an area that you have determined is NOT critical to the agency’s success. That would be tantamount to putting a “square peg” into a “round hole;” it’s just not going to work.
But agents and business owners make this mistake quite often. They interview candidates for a specific position, intending to hire someone who will fulfill a role the business unit needs. But then something happens to derail the process.
While interviewing different candidates, someone impressive interviews for the job…The only problem is that this individual, although talented and clearly someone who could contribute to the right business opportunity, doesn’t have the skill set or background the business needs at this time in order to move forward and grow.
But they are hired nonetheless in the hope that they can be converted to the needed role anyway…Or, they are hired and accommodated to perform a role other than originally intended at the sacrifice of the business unit’s real needs.
As presented, the above scenario of hiring the person because of their obvious talent and abilities versus hiring for the position isn’t always a disaster for the business owner. There are exceptions in such instances, but they are rare.
Have a detailed staff handbook with a detailed job description within it that outlines specifically the tasks and duties of the position your business needs in order to prosper. Using the template of the handbook and job description as a guide, recruit an individual who can satisfy the requirements of the position as outlined.
To hire someone for any other reason aside from fulfilling the requirements of the job description is a poor business decision.
Copyright © 2010 - Tony Cefalu
But agents and business owners make this mistake quite often. They interview candidates for a specific position, intending to hire someone who will fulfill a role the business unit needs. But then something happens to derail the process.
While interviewing different candidates, someone impressive interviews for the job…The only problem is that this individual, although talented and clearly someone who could contribute to the right business opportunity, doesn’t have the skill set or background the business needs at this time in order to move forward and grow.
But they are hired nonetheless in the hope that they can be converted to the needed role anyway…Or, they are hired and accommodated to perform a role other than originally intended at the sacrifice of the business unit’s real needs.
As presented, the above scenario of hiring the person because of their obvious talent and abilities versus hiring for the position isn’t always a disaster for the business owner. There are exceptions in such instances, but they are rare.
Have a detailed staff handbook with a detailed job description within it that outlines specifically the tasks and duties of the position your business needs in order to prosper. Using the template of the handbook and job description as a guide, recruit an individual who can satisfy the requirements of the position as outlined.
To hire someone for any other reason aside from fulfilling the requirements of the job description is a poor business decision.
Copyright © 2010 - Tony Cefalu
Thursday, June 24, 2010
The Difference Between a Life of Fiction and a Life of Fact
Imagine it is game day, The Ohio State Buckeyes are playing the last game of the regular season against, none other than, the Michigan Wolverines. It's one of the greatest sports rivals in the American sporting world.
Called out of retirement at age 49 is Tony Cefalu, running back extraordinaire, to join the offensive lineup as the team's "ground threat" along with quarterback great, Terrell Pryor.
In the huddle, Pryor calls the next play; a running play that traces it's steps behind the lead blocking of the right offensive tackle. The plan is to have the "ageless running back," Tony Cefalu, get the ball. Pryor calls, "break," and the offensive team lines up along the line of scrimmage to prepare for battle.
Under center, Pryor begins to call the play and immediately assesses that Michigan is "stacked" with defensive players off right tackle; poised perfectly to tackle the running back great, Tony Cefalu. It was as if the entire Michigan defense was in the Ohio State huddle when the play was called.
Without hesitation, Pryor decides to change the play at the scrimmage line mere seconds before the ball is put into play. He does this by way of an "audible," a tactic used by quarterbacks to change a play just seconds before the ball is hiked. Usually, an audible is a voice command "code" comprised of a word such as "red," or it can be a number, or it can be a combination of the two.
The "codes" used by quarterbacks are different for every team and every game so they can't be "deciphered" by the opponent teams. Audibles in football allow teams to immediately adjust their offensive play to match the real time changing conditions in a football game within a matter of seconds.
So when an immediate change to an offensive play is required to match the ever fluid situation of a game, it can be done instantaneously, imperceptibly, effectively; and everyone on the team knows the "code" and everyone knows what they have to do as a result. The key to a successful "audible" call is planning, practice and situational awareness.
The ball is snapped, Pryor hands it off to Cefalu and he runs off the left tackle as the audible indicated. As a result, he ends up recording one of the longest running plays for a touchdown in college football history! Ohio State wins the game and captures the Big Ten Conference Championship outright while earning a berth to the national title game...which, incidentally, they win handily.
A lesson drawn from this story is this; In order to be able to deviate...one must have something to deviate from...such as an effective "game plan."
In Order to be Able to Deviate...One Must Have Something to Deviate From
What does all this have to do with sales and sales success?
First of all, the scenario painted is born of my dreams and fantasies of being a college football player for one of the greatest teams and schools on the planet; The Ohio State Buckeyes. So please, forgive the indulgence...I couldn't resist the urge to "come out of retirement" for this blog article and to dream a fantastic scenario as the one where I am running back for the Buckeyes.
Secondly, what I am hoping to illustrate with this story is a principle of success that is often lost among sales professionals. That principle is the principle of preparation.
When coach, Jim Tressel, has the OSU football team take the field of play, do you think there was a lot of planning and preparation that went into their practices and their formations before ever stepping onto the gridiron? Absolutely; no successful team takes the field of play without a lot of preparation and planning ahead of the actual game itself.
Before each game, how many basic offensive plays do you think have been planned, scripted out, memorized and practiced by each member of the OSU team in order to win a game? The answer is this; a lot.
It can be argued conservatively that there are at least 15 different basic offensive formations within the OSU arsenal along with as many different variations for each play that a team of their caliber might be expected to execute on the field. Therefore, the different combination of plays that can be potentially called is...enormous. Hence, teams have "play books" which are guarded closely and studied religiously by each player in order to be ready for "game day."
Coach Tressel has won 5 national championships in major college football; 4 of those titles he won while head coach of Youngstown State University in Division I-AA Football. The other title, many of us remember vividly, was during the perfect season year in 2002 with The Ohio State Buckeyes in Division I-A Football.
Winning is not an accidental thing; it is a deliberate action.
The Will to Win is Not as Important as the Will to Plan to Win
You Can't Win Titles without Great Players...But You Can Lose Titles with Great Players
Over the years, I have had the privilege of meeting with and working with hundreds of sales professionals and leaders in trying to improve their sales results and to build upon their skills as business owners. Most of them are brilliant people who are quick witted, smart and possess the social skills that I can only describe as enviable. They exude success.
Quite often, I silently marvel at the ease in which they wield their talents and apply their skills as sales experts. But for as many individuals I meet who possess the will to be successful, have great talent and skill in delivering a persuasive sales presentation; just as many end up failing as sales professionals. Why?
It's not for the Lack of Talent that Sales Professionals Fail...It's for the Lack of Planning to Win that Many Fail
In order to be able to deviate...one must have something to deviate from...as in a plan of action. Do you have a written plan; a game plan of sorts, that you can follow and deviate from, if necessary, in order to be successful?
I'm not speaking of a written business plan only. I am referring to a written document that goes beyond a business plan; that outlines what to say, what to do, who will say it, who will do take action and when it will all happen and with what outcomes.
Do you have your marketing processes planned out and kept in a written document?
Do you have your scripts planned out and kept in a written document?
On "game day," are you prepared to execute your marketing processes or deliver a scripted sales conversation? Do you know what to say? Do you plan and prepare to win?
How do you prepare your team (staff) to be successful? Do you review your processes and scripts periodically with your agency staff?
Where is your "game book," and do you execute on it? When with a customer in a sales situation, are you able to call a sales audible in order to shift the conversation to the ever changing dynamics that are an inevitability when working in a "people-centered business" such as insurance sales and financial services?
Don't fool yourself. The difference between a successful career has a lot to do with planning for success. For me, the difference can be thought of as either leading a life of fiction or a life of fact and meaning as an agent.
The life of fiction can be illustrated by the agent who is continually looking for that "good idea;" that secret formula which will guarantee success and grow the business without any real effort or investment on the part of the agent. That kind of solution doesn't exist.
A life of fiction is a life of no growth; that ignores the practical matters of scripting, planning and deliberate execution on those marketing processes and sales ideas we all know will work for any agent; only if acted upon.
In contrast, the life of fact and accepting the realities of business ownership as an agent-owner where planning and execution go hand-in-hand with being successful is a life of growth, profit and increased income.
Fact versus fiction is a choice between following a path as a "make-believe" business professional or a substantive and successful agent-owner with results, credibility, and the respect of your peers. Which path do you want to follow?
Copyright © 2010 - Tony Cefalu
Called out of retirement at age 49 is Tony Cefalu, running back extraordinaire, to join the offensive lineup as the team's "ground threat" along with quarterback great, Terrell Pryor.
In the huddle, Pryor calls the next play; a running play that traces it's steps behind the lead blocking of the right offensive tackle. The plan is to have the "ageless running back," Tony Cefalu, get the ball. Pryor calls, "break," and the offensive team lines up along the line of scrimmage to prepare for battle.
Under center, Pryor begins to call the play and immediately assesses that Michigan is "stacked" with defensive players off right tackle; poised perfectly to tackle the running back great, Tony Cefalu. It was as if the entire Michigan defense was in the Ohio State huddle when the play was called.
Without hesitation, Pryor decides to change the play at the scrimmage line mere seconds before the ball is put into play. He does this by way of an "audible," a tactic used by quarterbacks to change a play just seconds before the ball is hiked. Usually, an audible is a voice command "code" comprised of a word such as "red," or it can be a number, or it can be a combination of the two.
The "codes" used by quarterbacks are different for every team and every game so they can't be "deciphered" by the opponent teams. Audibles in football allow teams to immediately adjust their offensive play to match the real time changing conditions in a football game within a matter of seconds.
So when an immediate change to an offensive play is required to match the ever fluid situation of a game, it can be done instantaneously, imperceptibly, effectively; and everyone on the team knows the "code" and everyone knows what they have to do as a result. The key to a successful "audible" call is planning, practice and situational awareness.
The ball is snapped, Pryor hands it off to Cefalu and he runs off the left tackle as the audible indicated. As a result, he ends up recording one of the longest running plays for a touchdown in college football history! Ohio State wins the game and captures the Big Ten Conference Championship outright while earning a berth to the national title game...which, incidentally, they win handily.
A lesson drawn from this story is this; In order to be able to deviate...one must have something to deviate from...such as an effective "game plan."
In Order to be Able to Deviate...One Must Have Something to Deviate From
What does all this have to do with sales and sales success?
First of all, the scenario painted is born of my dreams and fantasies of being a college football player for one of the greatest teams and schools on the planet; The Ohio State Buckeyes. So please, forgive the indulgence...I couldn't resist the urge to "come out of retirement" for this blog article and to dream a fantastic scenario as the one where I am running back for the Buckeyes.
Secondly, what I am hoping to illustrate with this story is a principle of success that is often lost among sales professionals. That principle is the principle of preparation.
When coach, Jim Tressel, has the OSU football team take the field of play, do you think there was a lot of planning and preparation that went into their practices and their formations before ever stepping onto the gridiron? Absolutely; no successful team takes the field of play without a lot of preparation and planning ahead of the actual game itself.
Before each game, how many basic offensive plays do you think have been planned, scripted out, memorized and practiced by each member of the OSU team in order to win a game? The answer is this; a lot.
It can be argued conservatively that there are at least 15 different basic offensive formations within the OSU arsenal along with as many different variations for each play that a team of their caliber might be expected to execute on the field. Therefore, the different combination of plays that can be potentially called is...enormous. Hence, teams have "play books" which are guarded closely and studied religiously by each player in order to be ready for "game day."
Coach Tressel has won 5 national championships in major college football; 4 of those titles he won while head coach of Youngstown State University in Division I-AA Football. The other title, many of us remember vividly, was during the perfect season year in 2002 with The Ohio State Buckeyes in Division I-A Football.
Winning is not an accidental thing; it is a deliberate action.
The Will to Win is Not as Important as the Will to Plan to Win
You Can't Win Titles without Great Players...But You Can Lose Titles with Great Players
Over the years, I have had the privilege of meeting with and working with hundreds of sales professionals and leaders in trying to improve their sales results and to build upon their skills as business owners. Most of them are brilliant people who are quick witted, smart and possess the social skills that I can only describe as enviable. They exude success.
Quite often, I silently marvel at the ease in which they wield their talents and apply their skills as sales experts. But for as many individuals I meet who possess the will to be successful, have great talent and skill in delivering a persuasive sales presentation; just as many end up failing as sales professionals. Why?
It's not for the Lack of Talent that Sales Professionals Fail...It's for the Lack of Planning to Win that Many Fail
In order to be able to deviate...one must have something to deviate from...as in a plan of action. Do you have a written plan; a game plan of sorts, that you can follow and deviate from, if necessary, in order to be successful?
I'm not speaking of a written business plan only. I am referring to a written document that goes beyond a business plan; that outlines what to say, what to do, who will say it, who will do take action and when it will all happen and with what outcomes.
Do you have your marketing processes planned out and kept in a written document?
Do you have your scripts planned out and kept in a written document?
On "game day," are you prepared to execute your marketing processes or deliver a scripted sales conversation? Do you know what to say? Do you plan and prepare to win?
How do you prepare your team (staff) to be successful? Do you review your processes and scripts periodically with your agency staff?
Where is your "game book," and do you execute on it? When with a customer in a sales situation, are you able to call a sales audible in order to shift the conversation to the ever changing dynamics that are an inevitability when working in a "people-centered business" such as insurance sales and financial services?
Don't fool yourself. The difference between a successful career has a lot to do with planning for success. For me, the difference can be thought of as either leading a life of fiction or a life of fact and meaning as an agent.
The life of fiction can be illustrated by the agent who is continually looking for that "good idea;" that secret formula which will guarantee success and grow the business without any real effort or investment on the part of the agent. That kind of solution doesn't exist.
A life of fiction is a life of no growth; that ignores the practical matters of scripting, planning and deliberate execution on those marketing processes and sales ideas we all know will work for any agent; only if acted upon.
In contrast, the life of fact and accepting the realities of business ownership as an agent-owner where planning and execution go hand-in-hand with being successful is a life of growth, profit and increased income.
Fact versus fiction is a choice between following a path as a "make-believe" business professional or a substantive and successful agent-owner with results, credibility, and the respect of your peers. Which path do you want to follow?
Copyright © 2010 - Tony Cefalu
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Personal Note
I will resume blog posts, pencasts and twitter soon. I have been busy with a personal project for the past two months that should conclude shortly. Thanks you for your patience. TC
Copyright © 2010 - Tony Cefalu
Copyright © 2010 - Tony Cefalu
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Fail Your Failures Fast
One the biggest challenges facing the small business owner, or agency owner, is the challenge of hiring competent talent and training them to do the job well. Talent acquisition is one of the most difficult processes for an agency owner to undertake for a number of reasons, least of which is the time and money invested in recruiting, interviewing and managing a new employee in order for them to bring in a positive return on your overall investment in them.
Acquiring the right staff, for the right position at the right time can be the difference between continued profitability and viability as a presence in the marketplace or a slow, financial death for an agency owner.
As the old sports cliché goes; “You can’t win championships without good players; but you can lose championships with good players as well.” In other words, staffing issues for the agency owner exist in two distinct realms; the realm of recruiting good talent and the realm of managing good talent. The successful agent owner has to learn to operate in both spaces in order to thrive or even survive in today’s hyper-competitive marketplace.
The following principles regarding talent acquisition & assessing the hired individual for continued employment purposes is from a “high level” perspective. I leave it to you to decide on the details of how you can execute on these principles and develop an effective agency team.
1. Take your time in screening and interviewing candidates when looking for talent to work in your agency. Hiring is a significant commitment; it’s nothing you should hurry along. Be patient…
2. Recognize that your first hire into a position may not be the last hire you make for that position. Oftentimes, it takes several hires before the right fit for the position is discovered.
3. Never be in a hurry to commit relatively large sums of money and additional emotional and intellectual equity into someone…The process of hiring must be a deliberate process and not random. It must also be a cautious process…without urgency if at all possible. So, always be on the lookout for talent. Keep a scouting book with you that will contain a running list of names and contact information of possible future candidates for consideration. Keep resumes on file for that day when you find yourself in need of a staff person unexpectedly.
4. Fail your failures fast. People reveal themselves rather quickly as a general rule. If the “omens” are not good; that is, if the new hire’s performance is subpar early on in the on-boarding process as a new employee, make the decision to fire them quickly and decisively.
Recruiting and hiring is a lot like buying and selling a stock on the
New York Stock Exchange. Too often, once an investor decides on a stock and purchases it, they become “married” to it, in a sense. That is; an investor often holds on to the the stock even though it is performing poorly. Even though every indicator is suggesting that the investor minimize their losses by selling at a price lower than they had originally purchased the stock, the investor can’t let go.
As a result of “hoping against hope,” the stock does not “come back” and the losses the investor might have sustained yesterday, pale in comparison to the losses they face now from waiting too long to sell.
Don’t do that to yourself or your business. It’s okay to fire someone who is not performing in the position they were hired to fulfill…
Fail Your Failures Fast…Or else suffer the consequences of a bad decision turning into a disastrous decision for the entire business venture.
Copyright © 2010 - Tony Cefalu
Acquiring the right staff, for the right position at the right time can be the difference between continued profitability and viability as a presence in the marketplace or a slow, financial death for an agency owner.
As the old sports cliché goes; “You can’t win championships without good players; but you can lose championships with good players as well.” In other words, staffing issues for the agency owner exist in two distinct realms; the realm of recruiting good talent and the realm of managing good talent. The successful agent owner has to learn to operate in both spaces in order to thrive or even survive in today’s hyper-competitive marketplace.
The following principles regarding talent acquisition & assessing the hired individual for continued employment purposes is from a “high level” perspective. I leave it to you to decide on the details of how you can execute on these principles and develop an effective agency team.
1. Take your time in screening and interviewing candidates when looking for talent to work in your agency. Hiring is a significant commitment; it’s nothing you should hurry along. Be patient…
2. Recognize that your first hire into a position may not be the last hire you make for that position. Oftentimes, it takes several hires before the right fit for the position is discovered.
3. Never be in a hurry to commit relatively large sums of money and additional emotional and intellectual equity into someone…The process of hiring must be a deliberate process and not random. It must also be a cautious process…without urgency if at all possible. So, always be on the lookout for talent. Keep a scouting book with you that will contain a running list of names and contact information of possible future candidates for consideration. Keep resumes on file for that day when you find yourself in need of a staff person unexpectedly.
4. Fail your failures fast. People reveal themselves rather quickly as a general rule. If the “omens” are not good; that is, if the new hire’s performance is subpar early on in the on-boarding process as a new employee, make the decision to fire them quickly and decisively.
Recruiting and hiring is a lot like buying and selling a stock on the
New York Stock Exchange. Too often, once an investor decides on a stock and purchases it, they become “married” to it, in a sense. That is; an investor often holds on to the the stock even though it is performing poorly. Even though every indicator is suggesting that the investor minimize their losses by selling at a price lower than they had originally purchased the stock, the investor can’t let go.
As a result of “hoping against hope,” the stock does not “come back” and the losses the investor might have sustained yesterday, pale in comparison to the losses they face now from waiting too long to sell.
Don’t do that to yourself or your business. It’s okay to fire someone who is not performing in the position they were hired to fulfill…
Fail Your Failures Fast…Or else suffer the consequences of a bad decision turning into a disastrous decision for the entire business venture.
Copyright © 2010 - Tony Cefalu
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Dating Taught Me a lot About Success in the Sales Profession
I was never a “babe” magnet…And “mojo” was a “no-go” for me when growing up. Okay; who am I fooling, it is the same for me even today as an adult! I don’t possess that ‘X” factor when it comes to meeting women or getting a date.
Experience has a lot to do with maturity and an understanding of circumstances and the facts of how life is and works. For me, I have looked at my past…as pathetic it may seem to others, and have been able to interpret it in a positive light as best as I can.
The sum total of our experiences is only relevant and valuable to the extent that we interpret and apply correctly the lessons of the past to the present time. For me, looking back at my dating experiences proved to be the best proving ground for my future success in the sales profession.
I Heard “No Thanks, I’m Not Interested,” a lot…Unfortunately.
Yes, that is true; I would ask girls out on a date only to hear them say back, “No thanks, I’m not interested.” It got so bad that when I would approach a girl to ask her out, I would say something like this, “I know you’re probably busy, but would you possibly be interested in going out tonight for dinner?”
Of course with such an approach to women, I was predisposing myself for rejection so that the “let down” wasn’t so painful. It wasn’t a good tactic, but then, I’m not the first person to have ever behaved that way. I’m sure of that…I was so used to rejection that I helped set it up whenever “prospecting” for a date.
How about with you; are you guilty of the same behavior? Maybe it isn’t in the dating realm that you can be accused of applying the same logic and tactics, but what about in the sales arena? Don’t do that to yourself…Don’t predispose failure and serve up rejection for yourself by the very things you do or even say to people. Be hopeful, be positive and expect…success. Expect that you will get “the date.”
Lesson #1: Expect a date when you ask for one. Don’t predispose yourself to fail…If you do…then you guarantee failure will happen.
Even a Blind Squirrel Finds a Nut Every So Often
Then it happened; she said, “Sure, let’s go out.” Crap; “What do I do now?” I really hadn’t expected to get a “yes” from anyone! Then it hit me; I should have expected a “yes” all along.
Why; because I kept asking women if they would like to go on a date. It stands to reason; the more women I asked out…and the more often I asked them, eventually someone was going to say, “Yes.”
Lesson #2: The secret to “mojo” is to ask as many women…as often as possible to go on a date with you. The Law of Large Numbers is the secret to “mojo.” So work your mojo and be persistent in asking people to meet with you about insurance. Ask a lot prospects…as often as possible, and eventually someone will say “yes,” I guarantee it.
You Miss 100% of the Shots You Don’t Take
Hockey legend, Wayne Gretzky, is credited with the above saying. He is right. If you don’t try; you don’t get…what you want. After becoming numb to hearing, “No thanks, I’m not interested,” I decided that I would employ my process of asking a lot of women as often as possible if they wanted to go on a date.
Not being particularly gifted with a lot of mojo, I figured my persistency coupled with simply “asking” for a date to as many women as possible would pay-off; and it did.
Lesson #3: Sometimes you score…sometimes you don’t. You never know until you take the shot. So take the shot and talk to that prospect you have always wanted to talk to but haven’t worked up the nerve to do so yet…Ask for the sale even if you think they won’t buy…If you don’t take the shot, you can’t score. (I know; I am going to catch all kinds of crap for using this analogy.)
Fish Where the Fish are Swimming
Obviously, this is another analogy I am going to pay the price for…In any event, what I mean here is that if I was going to be asking women out on a date, I had to go where the women were located in order to do that…Sounds logical, doesn’t it?
Well, if it is so logical, someone please explain to me why so many agents sit in their offices expecting prospects to just magically appear so they can sell them something? I can come to no other conclusion than that some agents must actually think that way; expecting “the sale” to walk right through their agency doors.
People are not like that; they don’t come to you to buy…you have to go to them to get them to buy. So, fish where the fish swim. Seek out prospects actively. Think about where they are and how you can approach them to start a sales conversation.
For me, I never waited around aggressively for a date to show up at my door or to call me on the phone. I knew it wasn’t going to happen. So, I went out to where they were and I would meet them and talk to them. That’s how you get to know people and that is how sales are eventually made. It is the same with our industry and our customers.
Lesson #4: Swim to where the fish are swimming. Don’t randomly wait for opportunity; seek opportunity out. If you want to get a date, go to where the dates are waiting. If you “wait aggressively” for something to happen; you will end up “aggressively lonely.”
Just Having Fun
The point of this entire message is not to disparage women or reduce them to something less than “human.” Women are to be respected as individuals. I hope that I am clear on that point.
Women are to be revered as the civilizing force in the world. They are our equals, our partners, companions, friends, soul-mates and loves. As my “idol” and mentor, Mr. T would say, “I pity the fool” who would think otherwise! (I am sure I lost some people on that last comment.)
So, I do not want to be misunderstood when I draw parallels to dating and the sales profession as if I am discounting the place of importance women have in our lives both personally and professionally.
I draw the parallel of dating and prospecting in the insurance industry all in fun with no intention to belittle or offend anyone. With that said, I did learn a lot of lessons while dating that unwittingly prepared me for a successful career in sales; those lessons summarized are:
Lesson #1: Expect a date when you ask for one…Or else, why bother asking.
Lesson #2: The Law of Large Numbers is the secret to mojo. Therefore, anyone can have mojo, or sales success, if they are willing to be persistent in approaching as many people as often as possible in engaging sales conversations.
Lesson #3: Sometimes you score…sometimes you don’t. But you’ll never know if you could have scored without first taking the shot and trying. If you never take the shot, you can’t score and win. It’s impossible…So take the shot and find out what sales success feels like.
Lesson #4: Swim to where the fish swim. Get up; and get going to where the prospects are swimming; else you will never make contact with them and will never get the opportunity to sell them anything.
That’s what dating taught me about being successful in the sales profession. Now get out there and find yourself a date; I mean, find yourself “a customer.”
Copyright © 2010 - Tony Cefalu
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Ideas are a Dime a Dozen...
“Action is the measure of intelligence.” Napoleon Hill
Too often we are in search of that secret marketing formula that gets the phone ringing and customers coming in to buy. We hold seminars, showcase the “big hitters” in sales production at conventions, host discussion groups, and publish “best-practices” all in the hope of discovering the hidden treasure of sales success thought to be cloaked among the privileged and the elite class of sales professionals.
But for a nominal fee of $600, or some other ridiculous amount, it can be made available to the “masses” either by book or CD/tape. I heard it said that instead of learning the tricks of the trade, why not just learn the trade! This is sound advice for all of us—sales professionals and non-sales professionals alike.
Learning should Lead to Action. Simply "Knowing" Means Nothing.
"Action is eloquence.” William Shakespeare
There’s no substitute for the sales professional who “gets is done” in terms of results and sales growth and profits. Getting it done reigns supreme over the sales professional with ChFC, CLU, FLMI, AIC, CFP and any other designation the insurance and financial services industry can envision.
Please do not misunderstand me. Professional designations are important. They lend a lot of credibility to the competency of an insurance & financial services professional. But they mean absolutely nothing beyond proof of an individual’s ability to pass a test if the knowledge gained in these courses is not applied to everyday life as a professional.
Don’t confuse your classroom attendance and book learning with accomplishment and results.
One is simply the means to accomplishing the other if put in proper perspective. I have known people to be involved in all kinds of activities, attending sales seminars put on by marquis named sales experts who hold every designation imaginable. But they fail to link learning to results.
I believe in being a lifelong learner of the sales profession and the insurance industry. I am one of the biggest advocates of personal development and growth, particularly through the many opportunities our industry provides for its people. What I am an enemy of is knowledge for knowledge’s sake. For me, the display of real genius is in the application of what we know and have learned to the benefit of customers and the industry.
“I can’t spare this man; he fights.” Abraham Lincoln on Ulysses S. Grant
One of the most frustrating things facing President Abraham Lincoln was the failure of his generals to “execute” on the battlefield. As brilliant and learned as they were, their weakness was in failing to place their best efforts into how to execute those battle plan strategies and ideas on the field in order to defeat the enemy.
Of the military leaders President Lincoln could have chosen to lead the union forces; he chose the unpolished, but accomplished and results driven, Ulysses S. Grant over other learned and sophisticated generals of the time. Why; because Grant linked knowing...with doing. That was genius.
I know for many sales managers and agents managing their sales teams this frustration is all too familiar. Yes, ideas are precious, they are generated often times out of adversity or the need to overcome some difficult obstacle and they are not to be taken lightly when conceived and envisioned.
But, ideas are a “dime a dozen” if not executed.
Do not put your best effort in coming up with or co-opting the next big sales or marketing idea. Put your best effort on the execution of those ideas you already know to be effective and successful. The real “magic bullet” solution to most sales problems and slumps is the simple need for execution.
Examine your in-book and out-of-book customer base and marketing strategies. Write down the two to three strategies you know to be successful if executed. Be careful not to overburden yourself with too many strategies. Simply choose the top two or three strategies that will work. Once that is done, now work them! Execute. Invest your time; your energies into making something happen.
Act, Do, Execute.
While others continue to rack their brains and search the endless horizon for sales ideas and strategies, you’ll discover the true secret to success . . . execution.
In regard to those circumstances that you can control, stop the excuses that are so common to other sales professionals who are not growing or experiencing increased customer retention. Quit delaying the time for action on those things you know to be effective marketing processes and sales techniques that you can employ.
No more reasons why you aren’t doing something, or aren’t growing. No more searching for the answers to business success; you know the answers . . . They have been presented to you countless times through training, experience, books, colleagues, and observation…
Don’t think me insensitive or out-of-touch when I challenge you in this manner. I do understand that business ventures vary, that they are not the same and that no two markets or their demographics are the same either. Yes; I do understand that many variables come into play in order to drive the success that many of us dream of in life.
What I am challenging you to do is to reflect on your efforts, consider your circumstances and look at them through the prism of honest self-evaluation. It takes courage to do that and I applaud anyone who makes an honest assessment of their agency efforts.
In those instances where you have a measure of control to act, do and execute on a process or idea…I say, “Do it, and you will be glad you did.”
The choice is yours. If not for any other reason, “Do it for…you.”
Copyright © 2010 - Tony Cefalu
Too often we are in search of that secret marketing formula that gets the phone ringing and customers coming in to buy. We hold seminars, showcase the “big hitters” in sales production at conventions, host discussion groups, and publish “best-practices” all in the hope of discovering the hidden treasure of sales success thought to be cloaked among the privileged and the elite class of sales professionals.
But for a nominal fee of $600, or some other ridiculous amount, it can be made available to the “masses” either by book or CD/tape. I heard it said that instead of learning the tricks of the trade, why not just learn the trade! This is sound advice for all of us—sales professionals and non-sales professionals alike.
Learning should Lead to Action. Simply "Knowing" Means Nothing.
"Action is eloquence.” William Shakespeare
There’s no substitute for the sales professional who “gets is done” in terms of results and sales growth and profits. Getting it done reigns supreme over the sales professional with ChFC, CLU, FLMI, AIC, CFP and any other designation the insurance and financial services industry can envision.
Please do not misunderstand me. Professional designations are important. They lend a lot of credibility to the competency of an insurance & financial services professional. But they mean absolutely nothing beyond proof of an individual’s ability to pass a test if the knowledge gained in these courses is not applied to everyday life as a professional.
Don’t confuse your classroom attendance and book learning with accomplishment and results.
One is simply the means to accomplishing the other if put in proper perspective. I have known people to be involved in all kinds of activities, attending sales seminars put on by marquis named sales experts who hold every designation imaginable. But they fail to link learning to results.
I believe in being a lifelong learner of the sales profession and the insurance industry. I am one of the biggest advocates of personal development and growth, particularly through the many opportunities our industry provides for its people. What I am an enemy of is knowledge for knowledge’s sake. For me, the display of real genius is in the application of what we know and have learned to the benefit of customers and the industry.
“I can’t spare this man; he fights.” Abraham Lincoln on Ulysses S. Grant
One of the most frustrating things facing President Abraham Lincoln was the failure of his generals to “execute” on the battlefield. As brilliant and learned as they were, their weakness was in failing to place their best efforts into how to execute those battle plan strategies and ideas on the field in order to defeat the enemy.
Of the military leaders President Lincoln could have chosen to lead the union forces; he chose the unpolished, but accomplished and results driven, Ulysses S. Grant over other learned and sophisticated generals of the time. Why; because Grant linked knowing...with doing. That was genius.
I know for many sales managers and agents managing their sales teams this frustration is all too familiar. Yes, ideas are precious, they are generated often times out of adversity or the need to overcome some difficult obstacle and they are not to be taken lightly when conceived and envisioned.
But, ideas are a “dime a dozen” if not executed.
Do not put your best effort in coming up with or co-opting the next big sales or marketing idea. Put your best effort on the execution of those ideas you already know to be effective and successful. The real “magic bullet” solution to most sales problems and slumps is the simple need for execution.
Examine your in-book and out-of-book customer base and marketing strategies. Write down the two to three strategies you know to be successful if executed. Be careful not to overburden yourself with too many strategies. Simply choose the top two or three strategies that will work. Once that is done, now work them! Execute. Invest your time; your energies into making something happen.
Act, Do, Execute.
While others continue to rack their brains and search the endless horizon for sales ideas and strategies, you’ll discover the true secret to success . . . execution.
In regard to those circumstances that you can control, stop the excuses that are so common to other sales professionals who are not growing or experiencing increased customer retention. Quit delaying the time for action on those things you know to be effective marketing processes and sales techniques that you can employ.
No more reasons why you aren’t doing something, or aren’t growing. No more searching for the answers to business success; you know the answers . . . They have been presented to you countless times through training, experience, books, colleagues, and observation…
Don’t think me insensitive or out-of-touch when I challenge you in this manner. I do understand that business ventures vary, that they are not the same and that no two markets or their demographics are the same either. Yes; I do understand that many variables come into play in order to drive the success that many of us dream of in life.
What I am challenging you to do is to reflect on your efforts, consider your circumstances and look at them through the prism of honest self-evaluation. It takes courage to do that and I applaud anyone who makes an honest assessment of their agency efforts.
In those instances where you have a measure of control to act, do and execute on a process or idea…I say, “Do it, and you will be glad you did.”
The choice is yours. If not for any other reason, “Do it for…you.”
Copyright © 2010 - Tony Cefalu
Monday, January 25, 2010
Emotionally Centered and Logically Dispersed...Oh My!
When our passions, or emotions, are aroused, the emotional side holds the rational in check, insinuating itself in precedence and importance in the decision-making process. We are simply “hardwired” this way through a fast-track neural network where rational thought runs indirectly connected with the body’s functions.
Emotions actually stimulate the mind three thousand times faster than regular thought, verifying that in most situations, emotions move a person to act faster than rational thought ever could. This is one of the underlying reasons why our choices are based on approximately 80% emotion (Emotionally Centered) and 20% on selective logic (Cognitive Consciousness).
“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudice and motivated by pride and vanity.” Dale Carnegie
We are logically dispersed, first of all, because our rational thinking (logic) is not at the core of our natures; emotions are at our core, and logic is thus dispersed out from the decision-making process. Secondly, we are emotionally centered and logically dispersed because of the way in which logic is used to support the emotional decision to decide and act. Logic is used only to the extent that it supports the emotional decision to buy or act. In other words, the use of logic is scattered (dispersed); it only becomes relevant and useful at various points in order to justify an emotional decision or act, such as the decision to buy something.
We are Emotionally Centered Creatures that are Logically Dispersed in our Thinking to Act & Decide
It is a well-known fact that the physiology of our brain is divided into two clear and distinct hemispheres. Although connected, the two hemispheres possess separate functions and traits. The left side is the quantitative side of our thinking. It is detail-seeking, rational, factual, and analytical in its processing and understanding. It is the rules and regulations side of our mind that crunches the numbers, counts the“debits and credits,” plans each step, organizes into parts, reasons logically and puts things in their literal context. It is triggered by information and gives place to the quantifi able. It is stirred by statistics and satiated with a diet of facts, figures, and data.
On the other hand, the right side of the brain is that part of the mind that puts each piece together; forms pictures; gets a feeling; and is stirred by stories, visuals, humor, and vocals. It understands the meaning and relevance of things. It is the conceptual side of the brain where beliefs, hope, and intuition reside. And, as a matter of fact, it is also the seat of our emotional centeredness and instinct and our urge to decide to act on something.
Once we understand this point—that our emotional selves and decision-making abilities are right-brain functions—we, as sales experts, “will immediately see the relevance of learning to speak the language of the right brain,” both literally in our sales discussions and practically in our marketing and sales strategies.
Don’t Be a Half-Brained Sales Professional
Don’t be the kind of sales professional that is always trying to appeal to the logic of the left brain when speaking to customers. Be in your right mind, stimulate the customer’s emotions, and understand their emotional centeredness for what it is—the natural and dominant factor triggering the customer’s impulse to buy.
I am not talking about sales manipulation. That is an entirely different thing and a concept I wholly reject. I am talking about being a complete sales expert—one who uses logic, reason, and accurate data and features to support the emotional criteria of why someone would buy a product or service for themselves.
All the facts, all the logic, all the rational reasons for buying something are vain unless we make contact emotionally with the customer. It is not the “what it is” that closes the sale and prompts the customer to buy; it is the “what it does” for them in meeting an emotional reason or need for buying that moves them to action. I call that the “emotional criteria” for buying.
“Action springs out of what we fundamentally desire…and the best piece of advice which can be given to would-be persuaders, whether in business, in the home, in the school, in politics, is: First, arouse in the other person an eager want. He who can do this has the whole world with him. He who cannot walks a lonely way.” Harry Overstreet, Influencing Human Behavior
Whatever the emotional criteria for wanting to buy, the sales expert must uncover it in order to present the most compelling reason (right-brain stimulus) to the customer for buying.
Sales pioneer and insurance legend, Ben Feldman of East Liverpool, Ohio, sought the customer’s emotional reason for buying through a strategy he called the “disturbing question.” He would ask the hard questions of people, the emotional questions, the questions that struck at the heart and core of what people face, and pointed out how we, in the insurance industry, could assist them in avoiding or minimizing the risks that they face every day.
In the insurance and financial services industry, this is the one critical skill that separates the “good” from the “great” sales professionals.
“Customers are not always right. They make mistakes; they forget things; they get confused. But customers are always emotional.” Jannelle Barlow & Dianna Maul, Emotional Value
Copyright © 2010 - Tony Cefalu
Emotions actually stimulate the mind three thousand times faster than regular thought, verifying that in most situations, emotions move a person to act faster than rational thought ever could. This is one of the underlying reasons why our choices are based on approximately 80% emotion (Emotionally Centered) and 20% on selective logic (Cognitive Consciousness).
“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudice and motivated by pride and vanity.” Dale Carnegie
We are logically dispersed, first of all, because our rational thinking (logic) is not at the core of our natures; emotions are at our core, and logic is thus dispersed out from the decision-making process. Secondly, we are emotionally centered and logically dispersed because of the way in which logic is used to support the emotional decision to decide and act. Logic is used only to the extent that it supports the emotional decision to buy or act. In other words, the use of logic is scattered (dispersed); it only becomes relevant and useful at various points in order to justify an emotional decision or act, such as the decision to buy something.
We are Emotionally Centered Creatures that are Logically Dispersed in our Thinking to Act & Decide
It is a well-known fact that the physiology of our brain is divided into two clear and distinct hemispheres. Although connected, the two hemispheres possess separate functions and traits. The left side is the quantitative side of our thinking. It is detail-seeking, rational, factual, and analytical in its processing and understanding. It is the rules and regulations side of our mind that crunches the numbers, counts the“debits and credits,” plans each step, organizes into parts, reasons logically and puts things in their literal context. It is triggered by information and gives place to the quantifi able. It is stirred by statistics and satiated with a diet of facts, figures, and data.
On the other hand, the right side of the brain is that part of the mind that puts each piece together; forms pictures; gets a feeling; and is stirred by stories, visuals, humor, and vocals. It understands the meaning and relevance of things. It is the conceptual side of the brain where beliefs, hope, and intuition reside. And, as a matter of fact, it is also the seat of our emotional centeredness and instinct and our urge to decide to act on something.
Once we understand this point—that our emotional selves and decision-making abilities are right-brain functions—we, as sales experts, “will immediately see the relevance of learning to speak the language of the right brain,” both literally in our sales discussions and practically in our marketing and sales strategies.
Don’t Be a Half-Brained Sales Professional
Don’t be the kind of sales professional that is always trying to appeal to the logic of the left brain when speaking to customers. Be in your right mind, stimulate the customer’s emotions, and understand their emotional centeredness for what it is—the natural and dominant factor triggering the customer’s impulse to buy.
I am not talking about sales manipulation. That is an entirely different thing and a concept I wholly reject. I am talking about being a complete sales expert—one who uses logic, reason, and accurate data and features to support the emotional criteria of why someone would buy a product or service for themselves.
All the facts, all the logic, all the rational reasons for buying something are vain unless we make contact emotionally with the customer. It is not the “what it is” that closes the sale and prompts the customer to buy; it is the “what it does” for them in meeting an emotional reason or need for buying that moves them to action. I call that the “emotional criteria” for buying.
“Action springs out of what we fundamentally desire…and the best piece of advice which can be given to would-be persuaders, whether in business, in the home, in the school, in politics, is: First, arouse in the other person an eager want. He who can do this has the whole world with him. He who cannot walks a lonely way.” Harry Overstreet, Influencing Human Behavior
Whatever the emotional criteria for wanting to buy, the sales expert must uncover it in order to present the most compelling reason (right-brain stimulus) to the customer for buying.
Sales pioneer and insurance legend, Ben Feldman of East Liverpool, Ohio, sought the customer’s emotional reason for buying through a strategy he called the “disturbing question.” He would ask the hard questions of people, the emotional questions, the questions that struck at the heart and core of what people face, and pointed out how we, in the insurance industry, could assist them in avoiding or minimizing the risks that they face every day.
In the insurance and financial services industry, this is the one critical skill that separates the “good” from the “great” sales professionals.
“Customers are not always right. They make mistakes; they forget things; they get confused. But customers are always emotional.” Jannelle Barlow & Dianna Maul, Emotional Value
Copyright © 2010 - Tony Cefalu
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
We "Do Things" because We Desire Things...
All the facts, all the logic, all the rational reasons for buying something are vain unless we make contact emotionally with the customer.
It is not the “what it is” that closes the sale and prompts the customer to buy; it is the “what it does” for them in meeting an emotional reason or need for buying that moves them to action. I call that the “emotional criteria” for buying. “
Action is Directly Tied into our Emotions...We "Do Things" because We Desire Things...
"Action springs out of what we fundamentally desire…and the best piece of advice which can be given to would-be persuaders, whether in business, in the home, in the school, in politics, is: First, arouse in the other person an eager want. He who can do this has the whole world with him. He who cannot walks a lonely way.”
Harry Overstreet, Influencing Human Behavior
Whatever the emotional criteria for wanting to buy, the sales expert must uncover it in order to present the most compelling reason (right-brain stimulus) to the customer for buying.
Be Disturbing...Speak Disturbing...Be Disturbing...And You Will Succeed in Sales
Sales pioneer and insurance legend, Ben Feldman of East Liverpool, Ohio, sought the customer’s emotional reason for buying through a strategy he called the “disturbing question.” He would ask the hard questions of people, the emotional questions, the questions that struck at the heart and core of what people face, and pointed out how we, in the insurance industry, could assist them in avoiding or minimizing the risks that they face every day. In the insurance and financial services industry, this is the one critical skill that separates the “good” from the “great” sales professionals.
“Customers are not always right. They make mistakes; they forget things; they get confused. But customers are always emotional.” Janelle Barlow & Dianna Maul, Emotional Value
Copyright © 2010 - Tony Cefalu
It is not the “what it is” that closes the sale and prompts the customer to buy; it is the “what it does” for them in meeting an emotional reason or need for buying that moves them to action. I call that the “emotional criteria” for buying. “
Action is Directly Tied into our Emotions...We "Do Things" because We Desire Things...
"Action springs out of what we fundamentally desire…and the best piece of advice which can be given to would-be persuaders, whether in business, in the home, in the school, in politics, is: First, arouse in the other person an eager want. He who can do this has the whole world with him. He who cannot walks a lonely way.”
Harry Overstreet, Influencing Human Behavior
Whatever the emotional criteria for wanting to buy, the sales expert must uncover it in order to present the most compelling reason (right-brain stimulus) to the customer for buying.
Be Disturbing...Speak Disturbing...Be Disturbing...And You Will Succeed in Sales
Sales pioneer and insurance legend, Ben Feldman of East Liverpool, Ohio, sought the customer’s emotional reason for buying through a strategy he called the “disturbing question.” He would ask the hard questions of people, the emotional questions, the questions that struck at the heart and core of what people face, and pointed out how we, in the insurance industry, could assist them in avoiding or minimizing the risks that they face every day. In the insurance and financial services industry, this is the one critical skill that separates the “good” from the “great” sales professionals.
“Customers are not always right. They make mistakes; they forget things; they get confused. But customers are always emotional.” Janelle Barlow & Dianna Maul, Emotional Value
Copyright © 2010 - Tony Cefalu
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