In one of our previous posts on how to sell insurance over phone calls, we saw how calls were an important insurance distribution channel and how essential cold calling scripts for insurance businesses.
Whether an insurance agent is experienced or a fresher, a cold calling sales script for insurance businesses is crucial because it helps you:
- Guide the conversation, so you don’t go off-track and lose focus of the objective.
- Ensure that you don’t miss any crucial points and answer any common questions.
- Be prepared for any objections that could otherwise end the conversation prematurely.
- Encourage your prospects to purchase insurance from you.
One crucial point to note here is that cold calling sales scripts for insurance agency need to be tailored differently for various audiences’ specific needs and business goals. You’ll have to craft one that is specific to your requirements. To help you with that, we’ll go over the steps involved in crafting a cold calling insurance script to make your calls more successful.
Elements of a cold calling script for insurance sales
Be it an income protection insurance, life insurance policy, health insurance, business insurance, or even auto insurance, as an insurance agency or provider, you need to keep in mind five important elements to craft a compelling cold calling insurance script. You can just swap the insurance type with yours in these scripts.
- Strong opening.
- Rapport building.
- Call objective.
- Prospect objections.
- Closing.
Let’s take a look at what each element entails.
1. Start with a strong introduction.
We all know building trust and getting to a stage where your prospects purchase insurance from you, a hook is important. When you place cold calls as a sales rep, after the initial greetings, you have ten seconds to grab their attention and get to the point quickly. You can make use of the elevator pitch form to introduce yourself. Elevator pitches are known to be short and sweet, and ideally last an elevator ride.
Why?
Think about this. A 25 year old woman may not be interested in a life insurance as compared to a 50 year one, simply because she is in the early stages of her life.
In these initial moments, you must build a rapport with them and show value in continuing the conversation. If unsuccessful, the contact may be polite and come up with objections to end the call or hang up without notice.
Hence, after the initial greetings, your opening needs to hook them by demonstrating:
- What value will they be getting out of the call and from your insurance agency?
- Why should they continue talking to you?
- How can you make their lives easier?
One way to do that is by showing your prospect the pain point. Here’s an example of a strong opening:
Sample script for a strong introduction
{Lead Name}, I have an unusual business in a not-so-unusual industry.
I’m from <insurance agency> and I work with home and business owners like you in the area. Recently, I saved a client a fortune with a mortgage protection insurance after an unexpected mishap, that too at a 15-20% lesser cost than what she was used to paying.
My clients come to me because I have a unique skill in handling complex insurance plans and helping people with one that works best for them. I’m calling today to ask you, are you insured for ALL types of accidents in your house?
<Pause for further details>
2. Build rapport with the prospect
You may have noticed how the sample above ended with open ended questions. Asking your prospect questions is a subtle way to continue the conversation and learn about them in just a few minutes. This helps you build trust and establish credibility.
Most people disconnect the call if they hear a sales call coming. If they don’t hang up and answer the question with genuine interest, you can be sure that your opening was a success.
But that’s just the first barrier, especially if this is your first call or your prospect’s first time getting an insurance. You now have to listen carefully to their answers and work up the conversation from there.
Building rapport will go a long way in positioning yourself as a trustworthy provider, and for that to happen the last thing you want to do is use insurance industry jargon.
Your focus should be to make the call about the prospect, listen to them, and show them the value of your offering that aligns with their pain points. For instance, a health insurance call might sound very differently for a senior citizen as compared to a young one. At the same time, you should also be prepared to handle other issues.
Here’s how to guide the conversation after the opening (from the above sample):
Sample script for building rapport
Lead: Yes, I believe I’m covered for all accidents/I recently purchased one.
Caller: Well, that doesn’t sound very assuring. Are you confident that your insurance company covers you and your family?
Lead: I guess.
Caller: Could you tell me which insurance policy your current is cover is? Let me check it out for you and let you know what’s covered.
<Get details and look for shortcomings in the insurance plan that you can offer>
Caller: Well, {Lead name}, you made a good decision with this insurance plan. Unfortunately, I see that you’re not covered for natural disasters with this insurance provider. Aren’t you a little worried about that?
Lead: Well, I am, but I guess it’s highly unlikely; we live in a safe place.
Caller: Surely, but there’s always a chance that I’m sure you wouldn’t want to take, especially when your family is involved. Sometimes an unexpected injury can cost a lot and keep you from working for maybe even months. What if I told you that for the same price range right now, with my insurance company, you could be covered for natural disasters too. Would that interest you?
Lead: Sure, that sounds interesting.
3. Get to the objective of the call.
Once you’ve aligned the value of your offering with the prospect’s pain points and piqued their interest, it’s time to get to the objective of the call.
Now, keep in mind that buying insurance is a big decision, and a lead will not make that decision over one phone call. It will take some time and nurturing to get the lead to that point.
At this point, your objective should be to keep the conversation going while demonstrating your offering’s value. Explain why they should buy insurance from you and not your competition. You could achieve this by:
- Offering free quotes based on their needs, as the second nature it is in the industry.
- Scheduling an appointment/meeting to explain more about your offering face to face.
- Sharing the advantages of your company’s policy and why it would benefit them.
- Asking them if they’re making the best use of their existing policies.
- Getting their contact information and preferred means of communication to share more details about the offering using qualifying questions.
Here’s a sample of how you could craft your cold calling scripts for insurance.
Sample script for when your prospect has shown interest: (They’re already hooked and only need a little more encouragement)
Lead: Sure, that sounds interesting.
Caller: Great. As I mentioned earlier, our customers have saved at least 15% with our insurance plans without compromising on the coverage. I’m sure you’d like that too. Would you like me to give you a free custom quote on an insurance policy that would be best suited for you?
Lead: Sure.
Caller: Great. Could you let me know if you have any specific preferences for your current policy?
Lead: Not exactly; I just want it to have maximum insurance coverage for my entire family and me.
Caller: Got it. I’ll send you a quote that’ll be a good fit for you by the end of the day and call you back for a quick chat on the 23rd at around 5:00 pm. Would that be suitable for you?
Lead: Sure.
4. Be prepared for objections and handle them.
An essential aspect of your cold calling scripts for successful sales is anticipating objections and strategies to overcome them. There’s a good chance your prospect may already have a plan. You’ll rarely ever come across a prospect who will not resist your offering.
While some of them would be genuine (and you can’t do anything about them), most objections would just be smokescreens to avoid taking the conversation further.
Why?
Generally, this is because the lead probably is not confident about the product or doesn’t trust you entirely. But don’t let it discourage you because this trust and confidence are built over time.
So whenever you’re faced with objections, your goal should be to continue the conversation. If you can do that, you’re on the right path.
Here are some common rebuttals that you can include in your insurance cold calling script for common objections.
Sample script for when the prospect is not interested
Objection 1: I’m not interested in buying insurance plans right now.
Caller: I understand. I just want to point out that you can get our insurance plans at a really good price now; I can lower your policy costs. We are known for our competitive quotes. But later, you might end up paying a lot more for a lot less. Moreover, you never really know what’s going to hit you. Wouldn’t it be wise to be prepared for it as early as possible?
Note: Show them the importance of getting the insurance policy immediately rather than waiting to hook them.
Sample script for when the prospect already has insurance policies
Objection 2: I already have an insurance policy from a popular insurance company and I won’t be able to afford insurance anymore. I’m happy with my current plan.
Caller: I understand {Lead name}. But it won’t hurt getting a free quote, right? Can be of a little extra help, if you ask me. There’s absolutely no commitment for you to buy. Plus, you might even find the new quote to be much more lucrative than the existing policy of your insurance company. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to miss out on saving more and getting more insurance coverage, right?
Sample script for when the prospect doesn’t show interest
Objection 3: I don’t have time to talk right now.
Caller: I completely understand. How about I call you again at 5:00 pm today? Would that be a good time for you?
Objection continues: No, I won’t be.
Caller: How about a little late tomorrow then? Would 6:00 pm be fine? Or is there any other time that would be convenient for you?
Lead: Tomorrow, 6:00 pm seems fine.
Note: It’s highly unlikely that the lead would give you a specific time to call back on their own. So you have to keep suggesting time and dates until they do.
Once you decide on a mutually convenient time, make sure to move them to the next phase and get in touch with them then. A call center software, like CallHub, that allows you to schedule these callbacks will come in handy here. The software automatically dials the contact at the designated time, ensuring that you don’t miss the follow-up.
5. Close the call with a positive tone
The final aspect of your cold calling scripts for insurance is the closing. How you close the call is as important as the opening.
Why?
The closing is the part of the call that the lead is more likely to remember most distinctly than any other part. To make the most of it, here’s what your closing should include:
- A quick summary of everything discussed. Make sure it’s not longer than a line.
- Next steps that you will be taking, or how are you going to proceed further.
- Gratitude for speaking with you, irrespective of they had a policy request or not.
Here’s a sample of the closing for an insurance cold call script.
Sample script for closing the call
Caller: Alright {Lead name}, just to summarize, you’re interested in a policy that includes natural disasters too and covers your whole family at the current price.
I’ll email you a free custom quote by the end of the day today on {confirm email id}, is that right?
Lead: That’s right.
Caller: Great. So you can go through the quote and get back to me if you have any questions. Our review process just takes 24 hours. I’ll get in touch with you again on the 23rd at 5:00 pm and let you know in detail. Does that work for you?
Lead: Sure.
Caller: Great, thank you so much for giving me your valuable time today. I look forward to speaking to you again. I’ll follow up with you soon. Have a great day.
Note: The best time to cold call is between 4 pm and 5 pm.
Cold calling best practices you should follow.
While the sales scripts are crucial for an insurance cold call’s success, other factors impact it too. Here are some best practices to ensure your prospects choose your insurance product over a competitor’s.
Rehearse the script beforehand
When speaking to the prospect, you should sound confident and the conversation must flow naturally. Little improvizations go a long way and practising your script can ensure that. One great way to do that is to test out different scripts to see which works best.
Maintain a friendly tone when speaking
A friendly tone ensures that the prospect warms up to you and becomes more attentive and helps you keep them on the phone longer. Make sure to maintain this tone even if the prospect is rude to you in the beginning. Smiling, even when the contact can’t see you, helps. Also, don’t drag your pitch; it should last for an elevator ride, for instance.
Ask questions
People like talking about themselves, and it’s an easy way to build rapport. It also keeps them engaged in the conversation and conveys that you are there to fulfil their needs and not just push your product.
Actively listen to what they say
Don’t just ask questions for the sake of it. Implement active listening during your conversations and make a note of everything they say. Make them feel like you empathize. This will help you handle different situations as they need to be. You can use this information to build upon the conversation and also use it for future nurturing. Make sure you follow up with them after your conversation so they don’t forget about you.
Use the right tools
In CallHub, you can make notes on the calling dashboard while speaking to the prospect. Since CallHub syncs with your CRM(Customer relationship management), these notes are automatically imported to your CRM for future use. You can also mark cold leads as so, and follow up with them in a month or so.
What’s next?
There’s no doubt that insurance cold calling scripts make a huge impact on the calling success rate of insurance agents. Once you’ve crafted a strong script, all you need is a phone system to make these calls, one that helps you follow the practices above.
Make sure to go for a solution that has the following features:
- Displays the script on the calling dashboard for reference.
- Enables you to take notes during the call so you can use that information in future conversations.
- Allows you to easily schedule callbacks or set dispositions like “requires more information” to organize your follow-ups better.
- Provides you with detailed analytics reports for you to measure cold calling success.
- Lets you send a text through the call center dashboard as a follow up to the call, so you stay on top of their minds (because it’s personal and supports multi-channel targeting).
CallHub checks all these boxes and offers much more. Why not sign up for free and give it a try!
Featured image source: Jr Korpa
