Highly successful insurance salespeople become proficient by mastering the basic tools and techniques that eventually become habit and are used instinctively to close sale after sale. But they have to be taught, trained and managed.

Most sales comprise three distinct phases:

• The Pre-Approach of a qualified prospect — selling the appointment.
• The Fact-Finding process — where the sale is made.
• The Close — finalizing the transaction.

Pre-approach

When the appointment is made, send the prospect a confirmation of the date and time and a list of items to have for the meeting, such as current summary of insurance, losses in the past three years, recent payroll or sales audits, and current policies. This accomplishes two things:

1. If the prospect balks and refuses, then you don't have a prospect. Walk away.
2. If he/she does comply, then you know you have a serious prospect.

Fact-finding

This is the most critical phase of the sales process and where the sale is made or lost. If you listen very carefully to what he says he needs, the prospect will tell you how to sell him. Using a Fact Finder, which you modified to suit this particular prospect, begin to identify and collect facts and information via questions, physical observations, and document review. Gather standard information like name, address, square feet, sales, payroll, and so on — or just about everything you need to complete (later) a typical Commercial Insurance application such as an ACORD 125.

Then move to collecting specific facts about the business by careful questioning: How did it get started? What exactly does the business do? How and where is it done? How do they make a profit? What are his future plans? Now you have the prospect talking about what he likes best — his business — and he is becoming more open and comfortable.