There Are Two Ways to Sell
“There are two ways to sell: the right way, and again, and again, and again.”
An old sales saying
Most of us read that line and nod at the first half. Of course we sell the right way. We tell the truth, we put the client first, and we would rather lose a sale than win one we are not proud of.
The second half is the one that separates people who build a business from people who used to be in insurance. Again, and again, and again. Same calls, same follow-ups, same smile on the hundredth day as the first. The right way gets you in the door. Again and again keeps you in the business long enough to matter.
The right way
Selling the right way starts with remembering who is across the table. In our world, that is a 66-year-old trying to make sense of a Medicare letter, a young dad thinking about what happens to his kids if he doesn’t come home, or a couple trying to make their retirement savings last. They are trusting us with things that matter.
The right way means we listen before we talk. We recommend what fits the person, not what pays best. We explain the trade-offs plainly, and we tell people when the answer is “you’re already in good shape.” It means doing the work with integrity when nobody is watching, because we believe our work is a calling and not just a job.
That part is not optional. But on its own, it is not enough.
Again, and again, and again
Here is the unglamorous truth about this business: the best agents are not always the most talented. They are the ones who keep showing up.
They make the calls on the days they don’t feel like it. They follow up a fourth and fifth time, politely, because people are busy and life gets in the way, not because they are pushy. They call clients they already helped just to check in. They go to the senior center lunch, the church event and the chamber breakfast, even when last month’s turned into zero appointments.
None of that is exciting. All of it compounds. A “no” today is very often a “not yet,” and the person who is still around when “not yet” turns into “now” is the one who gets to help.
What the numbers say about not quitting
You don’t have to take our word for it. The research keeps landing in the same place.
- It takes about 8 touches to get a first meeting. RAIN Group’s prospecting research found an average of 8 touchpoints to land an initial meeting with a new prospect. Their top performers needed about 5, because they were better at it, not because they gave up sooner.
- Showing up fast matters as much as showing up often. Harvard research reported in 2011 found that companies contacting a lead within an hour were nearly 7 times as likely to have a real conversation with a decision maker as those that waited even an hour longer, and more than 60 times as likely as those that waited 24 hours (summary).
- Most people quit before persistence pays. In that same study of 2,241 U.S. companies, 23% never responded to the lead at all.
- Our industry loses most of its new people early. LIMRA has reported that roughly one in two new life insurance recruits leaves the industry within two years, and only about 31% of new agents were still in the business after four years (source).
You may have also seen the popular claim that “44% of salespeople give up after one follow-up.” It gets repeated everywhere, but nobody can point to where it came from, so we won’t lean on it. The real numbers above make the point well enough: the business rewards the people who are still standing.
What “again and again” looks like in a real week
Persistence is not a personality trait. It is a schedule. Here is what it looks like on our team:
- Calls first. Block the same time every day for outreach and protect it like a client appointment.
- Follow up until you get an answer. A missed call is not a no. Plan for five or more touches across phone, text, mail and a face-to-face visit.
- Check on the people you’ve already helped. A birthday call, a plan-review reminder, or just “how are you doing?” Your best referrals come from clients who know you didn’t disappear after they signed.
- Show up in your community. Be the familiar face at the events where your clients already are.
- Track it. Count your dials, conversations and appointments every week. What gets measured gets repeated.
- Don’t do it alone. Persistence is a lot easier with a team that notices when you are tired and calls you back to the work.
Keep showing up
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
The right way and the persistent way are not two different paths. They are the same path, walked every day. Do the work with integrity, then do it again tomorrow, and the day after that.
If you’re an agent who wants to build a business on faith, integrity and consistency, with a team that will hold you to it, we’d love to talk. Reach out to Elevate Life Team at (573) 778-8227 or visit elevatelifeteam.com. The right place. The right time. The right people.
