Fraternity-Testvériség, 1968 (46. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1968-09-01 / 9-10. szám
Let Our Federation Serve Your Entire Family COMPLETE FRATERNAL LIFE INSURANCE SERVICE HUNGARIAN REFORMED FEDERATION OF AMERICA 3216 NEW MEXICO AVE., N.W. WASHINGTON, D. C. 20016 Call Our Local Representative! Find their names, addresses and telephone number on back page. SERVICING Little things mean a lot Service is a most important aspect of life insurance and thoughtfulness can help increase persistency, aid repeated sales, and make referred leads more readily obtainable. How often do clients call to notify you of a change of bank? Do you mail them the authorization card and instruct them what to do or do you see them personally? A client in this situation called me recently and I told him to expect me at his home that evening. I drove 60 18 miles, helped him with his card, and sold him additional insurance. He was surprised that I would drive that far just to service him. I could have mailed the authorization form; but because I took the trouble to call on him personally, he was glad to buy additional insurance. What about birthday cards? Have you been mailing them out? About five months ago I sent a birthday card to the wife of a prospect and you can imagine how I felt when she came personally to thank me; it was the first birthday card she had ever received. A birthday card should be followed up. Failure to do so means losing a lot of potential sales. It’s like sending out direct mail pieces and not calling on the returned leads. Phone each prospect, wish him a happy birthday, and open a conversation. You’ll be surprised how happy he will be to talk to you and through this conversation new business will develop. This year I also started to call clients’ children. One of the parents usually answers the telephone and I say, “just remembered it was Arlene’s birthday and want personally to wish her a happy one.” Listen to what the parent says when calling the child to the phone . . . “Arlene, our insurance man wants to talk to you,” or “Do you remember our insurance man? Well, he wants to talk to you.” It might be minor, but the little phrase “our insurance man” means a lot to me. For one thing, it reminds me that I am their insurance man; for another, the parents are reminding themselves that I’m their Agent and also informing their children of this fact. What I’m really doing is establishing myself as their only life insurance man and also cultivating my future markets. Has a child ever interrupted your presentation? How many times have you heard prospects tell their children either to keep quiet or to leave the room? Did the child cry? Have you a solution to the problem of a crying child? I have. Lollipops! They work wonders. All I want is for the child to be quiet so that I can make my proposal. Besides, while the child is crying, the parents are in a bad mood and this can hinder or ruin a sale. A lollipop will dry up those tears. In addition, that lollipop has made you a friend for life. Everytime I pass by my clients’ homes, the children wave at me and tell their parents they just saw “our insurance man.” When I arrive at their home, the children drop whatever they are doing and rush to greet me; their parents are usually not far behind with a warm welcome. Try the lollipop method. My sales average about 75 policyowners a year on cold calls and direct mail and I rewrite about 20% of these the following year. They may be cold calls at first, but because of the little services I do for them, I have gained new friends and developed new business. Cold calls become warm friendships. Service is the important thing if you want your clients to respect you, to be loyal to you, and to buy their life insurance only through you! H. J. I. Luke, American National
