BLOG: The #1 complaint about insurance agents

Twenty minutes in, the prospect said, "Perfect! That's exactly what I want." Forty-five minutes in, the prospect's enthusiasm seemed to subside. Lynne Wallace explains why.

Insurance News

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Have you heard the one about the insurance agent who finally got the chance to meet with the prospect of his dreams? The timing was right. The prospect was ready. She needed exactly what the agent was selling and was eager to meet. The presentation went off without a hitch.

Twenty minutes in, the prospect said, "Perfect! That's exactly what I want." The agent continued, explaining details, giving examples, and telling stories. Forty-five minutes in, the prospect's enthusiasm seemed to subside. Her comments now were brief or non-existent. She glanced at her watch. Fifty-five minutes into the meeting, the prospect stood up, extended her arm for a handshake and said, "Well ok. Thank you very much for stopping by. This is good information. Let me reflect on it and get back to you." She never called back and didn't return the agent's subsequent calls. In fact, the agent heard, through the grapevine, that she had cautioned another potential customer to "stay clear" of his presentation.

The agent was deeply disappointed and frustrated by the outcome. He had no idea what had turned her off. Was she just "practice quoting"... pretending she was interested so she could feed his information to her current agent? His imagination ran wild. The truth...he almost had her at "hello" but "over-talked" himself right out of the order.

The #1 complaint about insurance agents is that they talk too much and lose focus of what is relevant for the client or prospect. There is an epidemic of "over-talking" professional insurance agents. "Why?" you ask.

The answer is simple. Gifted insurance people invest heavily in their education. They become coverage experts. Day-to-day, they wade through interesting and tricky risk management and claim scenarios. They are busting at the seams with details, examples, and great stories to share. But guess what? No one really wants to hear much about it. Even if a client loves the way we take care of them, they may wish we would do so with a lot less words.

People who over-talk often know it but believe that once they fully download, their audience will find the value worth the wait. Well in today's time-starved business world, that's a dangerous rationalization.

There is a cure for over-talking. Here are the highlights...

Treatment for "Over-Talking:"


  • Talk a third as much as they do. A quick example is good, but when it comes to long stories about the past, they're over it before you start.

  • Stay on their agenda.

  • Watch the clock. Be time sensitive.

  • Inquire about relevance. Ask midway or sooner if the conversation is tracking with their expectations.

  • If you can see them, watch the body language. Are they engaged? Distracted? Done?

  • If you had them at "Hello," stop selling and help them buy.
Lynne Wallace is the CEO and president of VANTREO Insurance Brokerage and co-founder of NDOI, the National Directory of Insurance.

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