If you sell life insurance over the phone and find yourself overcoming objections or “hard closing” at the end of a phone conversation, you’re probably not using trial closes.
A trial close is used to get the prospect to agree with you WITHOUT making a decision throughout the conversation. Let me show you what I mean.
Here are some sample trial closes life insurance agents selling over the phone use:
Is that what you had in mind?
Does that work for you?
Does that make sense?
Is that what you’re looking for?
Would this be important to you?
Is this financially realistic?
If they disagree or say “no” to your trial close, you address that situation right there. Forget about your script or the quotes you’re about to run. Follow up by asking why they feel the way they do and let them tell you what they want. Be a great listener and repeat back what they said or give them the information they need to move forward. Now you’re on the same page with them and can continue.
When your prospect agrees, you have to keep getting them to agree throughout the conversation. Get them used to saying “yes” by using trial closes throughout the conversation.
Getting a “no” to a trial close can be a GOOD thing. Hear me out.
When you get your prospect telling you what they want, it builds rapport quicker than anything. Walls start coming down. They become interactive with you. The key is acknowledging what they’re telling you by repeating it back. For example: “Just to make sure we’re on the same page…(repeat what they said)” or “Great, thanks for clarifying. Just so I understand you correctly…(repeat what they said)”.
When you use these trial closes you’re making sure you understand your prospect. Your prospects will feel you genuinely care about what they’re trying to accomplish. You’d be surprised how many agents don’t LISTEN to their prospects.
I used to make it a goal to try and hit 5 trial closes every phone call. I literally had a paper next to my monitor that listed all the trial closes I mentioned above. Now the trial closes come naturally.
You’ll have less objections when you present the rate if you use trial closes throughout the conversation because it’s no longer a hard close. You’re on the same page and working together and in many cases you can “assume the sale”.
