I started thinking about 2018 and my business plan for the year back in October. When I think of the way I approach my clients and prospects I think about how I can listen better to their needs and provide them with the best service I can possibly give. Which leads me to thinking about how people respond to different sales tactics.
I sometimes wonder how those pushy salespeople do so well. I realized they all use fear to drive their customers. Why is it that our society responds so positively to such negative approaches? You see this in the way news is reported. Products and services are marketed and worst of all food that is being promoted.
When did it become ok to get away from honest, educational-based selling? Has our society become so desensitized that this is the only way to sell to them? I recently read this blog from Hubspot about this very phenomenon and unfortunately wasn’t surprised at all.
If we as a society are aware this exists why don’t we choose to change that? Choose not to react to these tactics, demand that we as a society change. I don’t agree with this way of selling. I am committing to my clients and prospects that I will do nothing but educate and bring them the right information to make a decision based on what their personal needs and aspirations are.
The insurance and financial industry are notorious for these types of tactics and I believe that’s a huge reason so many people view this industry in such a negative light. We are providing society with tools to protect their families, build wealth, and defer taxes. How can something so important and valuable be seen as something so negative? I’ll tell you, greedy individuals who use fear to sell things to clients that don’t need or can’t afford them. Pushy salespeople that con clients into products that aren’t suitable.
I want to be a part of the change that’s needed in our industry. The change that will keep regulation and government agencies from trying to control and alter how we do business. As a whole, our industry needs to work on getting rid of the bad eggs. Stop employing these sales tactics. Create a collaborative environment where sharing information and building client relations is a top priority. As an industry, we need to make a conscious decision to be here to serve the greater good. To put clients 1st and make the sales process easier to understand. We need to create more streamlined processes that will allow clients to be more involved in the overall design of their futures. I know that some of the products and services we sell are complex but there is a way to make it more client-friendly. Let’s work on taking out the frustration and pushy fear-based tactics. Let’s get elementary with our clients and bring them value.
In 2018, I vow to change the way our industry is viewed by the general public. Share this post and join me in taking a stand for the people. Let’s create harmony in the industry to foster a more educational sales approach to the very important thing we do for a living. Which is protecting those that don’t know how to do it for themselves and their families. I hope that you can get on board to help change how our industry is seen. This is a prestigious position to hold and I want you all to hold your heads high when you tell people what you do. Stop trying to make it sound like something more than what it is. We are insurance agents and we are proud!! Happy Selling!