by: Lewis Nason
A few weeks ago, I wrote a series of articles about how I started and succeeded in life insurance sales during one of the worst recessions in history. And, now Id like to share some ideas on how you can make your life insurance sales career Recession Proof!
Most insurance agents will have a very tough time selling life insurance (or any other insurance products, investments or services) during a recession, because people are not willing to add to their monthly expenses. In fact, most people are looking for places and ways to cut their expenses. They are worried about what might happen if prices rise, mortgage interest rates rise, real estate values drop, the stock market collapses and they lose their job.
However, if you think about it, their overall financial concerns arent much different than at any other time in their lives. They are still concerned about meeting their financial obligations each month; making their mortgage payments; saving for their childrens education; and saving for retirement. The only real difference is that during a recession people are forced to focus their attention and deal with their financial problems right now. They are looking for real help and immediate solutions to their financial problems! They want to reduce or eliminate their debt, cut unnecessary expenses, reduce income taxes, revise their investment strategies, and more! And, the great part is they are much more willing to sit down and talk with a financial advisor, if that advisor is adept at, and focused on, helping them to solve their immediate financial problems.
Many insurance agents using the life insurance sales systems like ‘Missed Fortune’, ‘Infinite Banking’, ‘LEAP’, ‘College Funding’, ‘Money Merge Accounts’ and others are already having a problem attracting the right prospects, setting appointments and closing sales in this struggling economy. While these are all good, and maybe even great sales ideas, in a good economy, they have two basic flaws in a struggling economy 1. They are selling a product or service that requires people to spend additional money. 2. They are weak in delivering a unique marketing message to consistently attract the right prospects.
If you want to sell life insurance when money is tight, then you must focus on solving peoples immediate financial problems. You must deliver your special marketing message to become the financial advisor people want to see. You must help people to Find the Money.
The Found Money Management marketing message is We help people to get what they want without them taking any additional money out of their pockets! Its about helping people to wisely reposition their spending and assets to eliminate debts, improve their cash flow, and reduce income taxes. And, well show you how you can do it all, without changing your current lifestyle! The main theme of Found Money Management is, Helping People To Live Debt Free and Truly Wealthy.
Here are just a few ideas on how you can help your prospects to reduce or eliminate debt, reduce income taxes, improve their cash flow, and get all the life insurance they need and want Without them taking any additional money out of their pockets, or changing their current lifestyle!
Can you help them to reduce or eliminate their debts and improve their cash flow?
* Do they have multiple credit cards and charge accounts with large balances and high interest rates? Could they consolidate all that debt onto one credit card with a lower interest rate and reduce their total payments?
* Do they have cash value in their life insurance policy they could use to pay off their high interest credit cards, or a car loan? Aren’t they better off borrowing from themselves and paying themselves back, instead of paying someone else the interest?
* Do they have untapped equity in their home that they can use to reduce or eliminate their debts? Could they take out an equity line of credit?
* Can they refinance their mortgage, to take out some equity and lower monthly payment to improve their cash flow? Mortgage interest is tax deductible. So, they save on income taxes, while reducing their debt and improving their cash flow.
* Can they borrow money from a 401k to pay off their credit card debts?
Can they reduce the premiums on their existing insurance policies to improve their cash flow? And, use that money to pay down their debts, or buy the life insurance they need?
* Do they have low deductibles on their health, auto or homeowners insurance? If they increase their deductibles, how much money would they save?
* Do they have an opportunity to receive a discount on their homeowners, auto and liability insurance policies by putting them with the same company?
* Do they qualify for health insurance through their employer at a reduced cost? Can they cut benefits to reduce their costs?
* Do they have a Critical Illness policy, DI policy, or Long Term Care Insurance policy with long-term benefits? Example: Having a “to age 65” benefit period on their DI policy is fine, but if it prevents them from getting the life insurance they need to protect their family, is the long-term benefit on these policies really necessary? What is the higher priority?
* Do they have low priority riders on the above policies? Could you free up money by removing these riders?
* Do they have cash value polices that can be paid-up with dividends?
* Can you recommend a lower priced quality company for any of their current insurance? Make sure it’s truly in the prospects best interests.
Are they funding a retirement plan? Does it make much sense to be putting money into a retirement account making 10% when they are paying out 17% on their credit cards?
* Are they putting money into a Roth IRA? If they need more life insurance to protect their family, couldn’t they use a cash value policy for their retirement savings, instead of a Roth IRA? Doesn’t a cash value life insurance policy build tax-deferred and generate tax-free income just like the Roth IRA?
* Are they putting more money into a 401k, than is matched by their company? Could they use some of that additional money to pay off their debts and get the life insurance they need?
* Are they are using a traditional IRA, SEP, etc Again, if they need more life insurance to protect their family, couldn’t they instead use some of the money they are putting away for retirement to fund a cash value policy?
Can you help them to reduce their income taxes?
* Could they write off a home-based business? Do they have a hobby they could write off as a business?
* Are they missing any tax write offs? Should they go from the 1040EZ short form, to the long form for tax savings?
* Can you change any of existing their taxable investments, to a tax deferred investment?
These are just a few of the creative ways you can help your prospects to Find The Money. By following these Found Money Management strategies and learning how to deliver your special marketing message, you’ll attract a steady stream of the right prospects to you, set more appointments and youll close more sales. And, youll really be helping people to improve their current financial situation, without asking them to spend more money or change their current lifestyle. Youll become the advisor people want to see!!!
If you are thinking this requires a lot of work and education, you are right.
However, consider what other viable options do you have during this recession
Using these marketing and sales strategies you can
Make Your Life Insurance Sales Career Recession Proof
Yours in success,
Lew Nason
The Nine Out Of Ten Guy
Claim your free Report “How to Attract & Sell Your Perfect Prospects” at
http://www.FastInsuranceSales.com
Where you’ll learn how to make 6-figures a year in insurance.