Asking for referrals..?

Question

I am a new Insurance agent (P&C,L&H) and would like advice on the age old question of whats the best word tracks for asking a client for referrals?Either after a sale or after an appointment?
Thank you

Answer 1

Go to www.guaranteedleadsinc.com or call them at 1-866-721-5217 they can help you with training.

Answer 2

Hi, your friendly insurance rep here again! :)

There are plenty of scripts you can use. The general idea is not to sound scripted though, so a better idea is to use an IDEA rather than canned words.

The idea to use is this one:

1. Ask them what value they got from working with you. If they can't think of anything, you did not do a good enough job to be referrable. Find some way to offer them real value and then ask again. If you did provide value, they will mention it. Let them remember it for themselves and go over it in their own minds.

2. Ask them if any of the people you heard them talk about during your appointments would think the same way about how you help people. While working with Client A, you should be writing down a lot of notes. Part of that is writing down every name they utter. It's important for two reasons. First, it helps you understand them. For example, you can't reallyhelp them determine how to handle beneficiary assignment if you haven't asked who they want to have as beneficiaries. Second, it gives you a list of folks they know to ask about at referral time.

Good questions include (for life insurance sales):

"Have you thought about who you would want to take care of your children if you both died in common accident?" - whoever that person is will be someone VERY important to the client, and be bound to them by strong trust bonds. if you are worthy of a referral and they recommend you, it's very likely you will get an appointment.

"Who are your top 5 picks for executor of your wills and trusts?" - another important one to know, because if you are not recommending to your life clients that they get their will and trust and powers documents in order you are not serving them well. And those people will also be trusted, close folks.

"What attorney do you use for documents like wills and trusts?"
"Who do you use as your accountant?"
"For your application, what are the names, addresses and phone numbers of your primary care physicians?"

These questions give you information about who the trusted advisors are in their world, who you may work alongside to help them, and gives you more names.

By the time you get to asking for referrals, you should be able to judge from the tone of the conversation and the subjects discussed which names to bring up. Ask by name. if they said "jane would take care of the kids" ask if Jane would feel as strongly as they did about what you do, and if they think it would be important to them that, if Jane had to take care of THEIR kids, that Jane also had life insurance?

Notice that what you are asking there is not for money. You're asking them if they would like to provide value for a friend and add another indirect layer of protection for their own kids.

The secret to getting referrals is to provide actual VALUE and help your clients SEE it and then just ASK.. Read Bill Cates referral books. (Cates with a C, not hte computer guy) And never, ever, ever take advantage of someone or embarass them for having given you a referral.

Respect must be given at all times, value must be given at all times, and trust must be earned at all times. And always, always, always say thank you for eveyr referral even if no sale results from it.

Answer 3

After a sale, ask your new client, "Could you get out your address book and enter my name and phone number - people lose business cards." When they have entered your contact information (and still have their address book open, ask "Is there ONE person in your address book that might benefit from knowing me and the good service I provide?