5 Common Sales Mistakes You Might Be Making (And How to Fix Them!)

There’s nothing better than the thrill of victory and that sweet sensation when you close a sale! But what about the times when you don’t make the sale?

Rather than seeing lost sales through an agony-of-defeat lens, let’s take a closer look at why that sale fell through.

We’re examining five of the most common sales mistakes you might be making, and how to fix them.

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1. Coming Across Too Salesy

Everyone has that stereotype of a salesperson in their mind — the one wearing an awful plaid suit that keeps telling them what they need to buy.

Put your focus on the person — talking with them, getting to know them and what they need.

Don’t play into that, because it’s not what people want. Clients can smell a sales pitch from a mile away, especially if it’s presented as a pitch filled with industry jargon or generic sales terms.

Put your focus on the person — talking with them and getting to know them and what they need. You want there to be a sale, but don’t lose your humanity to make it happen. Your clients are all different, and Medicare is not one size fits all. Help your clients get the best possible fit you can!

2. Not Establishing Trust

There’s a saying in sales about people buying from people. And while that is true to an extent, as far as insurance goes, sometimes, people buy from people because they don’t really have other options. They have to buy from people.

But will they buy from someone who seems like they don’t have their best interest at heart or uses flashy language but doesn’t really answer their questions? Are you giving them a reason to buy into you, as their insurance agent?

Become a trusted agent who builds trust and rapport with your clients.

Instead, use a sales method that relies on building trust and rapport with your clients. Become the trusted agent. Explain their options, answer their questions, and work with them to find solutions to their coverage concerns. If you provide them with enough value over time, they should see you as their trusted agent, rather than just an insurance agent.

Remember, people can tell very quickly if you’re trying to build a relationship with them or if you’re just about the sale.

3. Leads Aren’t Pre-Qualified

Are you taking a good look at your leads before making your calls, or do you just dive right in? If you’ve been doing the latter and not having much luck, try weeding through your leads first. Make sure you know as much as you can about what your leads expressed interest in discussing and have a plan ready of what to discuss before you pick up the phone.

Know that your leads are interested in discussing and have a plan before you pick up the phone.

Quality leads are important, too. That’s where a field marketing organization (FMO) can really help independent agents, as they often offer lead programs to their agents. One of many services we offer our agents here at Ritter are few different lead programs for agents who work with us.

4. Asking the Wrong Questions or Not Enough

Are you actively fact-finding while you’re meeting with clients, or are you doing most of the talking? Rather than asking yes or no questions that don’t allow the flow of conversation to continue, use open-ended questions to get your client talking. Try questions like:

• “What has changed since the last time we met?”
• “What do you like about your current plan?”
• “How would you evaluate your current coverage?”
• “Why aren’t you satisfied with your current coverage?”
• “How does that make you feel?”
• “What concerns you about switching to a different plan?”
• “Does that make sense, or can I offer a few more details?”
• “What do you think so far?”

A good rule of thumb is to stick to how, why, and what questions, as those usually involve a more detailed, conversational answer.

5. Not Actively Listening

Not being an effective listener is the number one sales mistake where a lot of us get into trouble. We’re so focused on the thing we want to mention next that we’re not actively present in the conversation.

It can be difficult when you have that list of things you need to address in a meeting. It’s OK to have notes out during a meeting to refer to. There’s no rule that says you have to memorize your sales presentation. And honestly, your client will likely be impressed and see that you put in prior effort and planning.

But how do we actively listen?

• Pay attention when your client is talking and look them in the eye.
• Listen to what they’re saying, try to picture it in your mind.
• Keep an open mind, don’t interrupt, and don’t bring up your own suggestions. Let them finish their thought, even if it ambles around a bit.
• Ask questions if you need clarification, but again, make sure they’re open-ended questions that put the ball back in your client’s court.

In addition, active listening also means paying attention to body language. Sometimes, people will say that they understand, but you can see on their face that they don’t.

Active listening also means paying attention to body language.

Paying attention to all these factors as you go will help you know how to keep the conversation moving in a way that feels natural, rather than feeling forced or like you’re following a pre-determined script.

When you have a sale that falls through, take some time to think it through and evaluate what happened. Allow yourself to process that mistake with grace and learn from it so you can come out of the gates swinging next time. And don’t forget that we’re here to help if you need it.

FMOs like Ritter have a lot of resources to help, whether it’s learning more about a certain product, reviewing your portfolio, helping you get leads, or applying some serious tech solutions to your business. We can help with all of those things, and we’re just a quick and free registration away!