how good are the leads

"How good are the leads?"Why do (struggling) prospective insurance agents always ask me that question, as though their own personal skills and ability to work a lead is irrelevant?My knee-jerk response is, "Well, that depends. Let's hear your approach." After which I'm typically compelled to say something like, "hmm... I'm pretty sure that your particular leads will be... uhhh... horrible."It seems like nine out of 10 agents use a variation of, "Hi, Mark, did I catch you at a bad time? Hey listen, Mark, I see that you're with (Fill in the Blank) and I know I can save you a lot of money. In fact, I'll be in your neighborhood this week and I'd like to set up a meeting. Would Tuesday at 2:00be good, or would Wednesday at 10 a.m. be better?"Ugh.Look, self-employed people and business owners hear essentially the same "pitch" almost every day of the week, and you've got less than 40 seconds to engage their brain, capture their imagination and, in no uncertain terms, let them know that they'd be absolute fools to blow you off.What's special about you? What do you have or do that virtually eliminates the competition? What could you say within the first 40 seconds that would cause a complete stranger to feel like a total jackass for not, at the very least, granting you the courtesy of their undivided attention for just 20 minutes?All you need is a unique and compelling benefit statement like the one below. See if you can reduce it to around 40 seconds, by cutting out the marshmallow fluff while sparing most of the meat and veggies. Modify to fit your speaking style, product or service and personality so that it feels comfortable and genuine.And remember, just relax and have fun. Your objective is to help. Forget about commissions, if you want to make the big bucks!Think benefits, benefits, dollarized-benefits..."Hello, Joe? Joe, this is (Your Full Name), and I know you're busy so I'll get right to the point.""I'm a health insurance specialist. That's what I do best. I customize cost-reduction, tax-saving strategies, specifically targeting self-employed people like you. My clients typically save over 40%... and that's just part of the story. I'll show you how to multiply your benefits, eliminate your out-of-pocket expenses and slash your income taxes to the point that, in effect, your health insurance is virtually free!""You know, with gasoline headed to four bucks again and the economy in a recession... and folks like you and me, Joe, getting hammered year-after-year with double-digit rate increases.... we've got to stretch those dollars as far as possible, right?""Well, generally speaking, Joe, what's better for you... mornings, afternoons or evenings?"Congratulations. Your foot's in the door.

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