As the holiday spirit thrives, finding the motivation to sell can sometimes be a struggle. While the season is jolly, it can also dampen an insurance agent’s production and overall motivation. Don’t let this holiday season pass you by. The end of the fourth quarter is an excellent time to drive conversions with the right approach. Leveraging impactful selling strategies, the holiday season can truly be the most wonderful time of the year.
Common Reasons For The Holiday Season Sales Slump
To help your sales team avoid a holiday sales slump, start by acknowledging the common obstacles you encounter. Here are four common issues your insurance sales staff may face while selling during the holiday season:
- Prospective clients and current customers can be more difficult to reach.
- Holiday spending can have prospective customers feeling more budget conscious and apprehensive.
- Forming relationships can be more difficult because prospective clients are too distracted by holiday festivities.
- Agents may pause their marketing efforts because they don’t think they will be successful in December.
Four Successful Sales Tactics To Help Your Team Overcome The Holiday Slump
Most insurance agents have experienced one or more of the challenges described above during the holiday season. For successful holiday selling, you’ll likely need to alter your approach a bit.
#1. Change Your Method Of Contact
Do you notice that your clients do not respond to or open emails as often in December? Are your cold calling attempts leaving you in the dust? If you are having difficulty using your standard communication methods to reach your contacts, now is the time to change up your strategy. Consider sending text messages to your top clients or connecting with customers via social media. Evaluate your email subject lines and determine if you can make some adjustments to entice your customers to open your messages. Also, consider altering your phone outreach schedule. If you typically call someone in the evening, consider calling them in the morning or afternoon. Refer to your CRM or another database to see if you notice any trends from successful conversations last year.
#2. Focus On Promoting Savings Offers & Incentives
Create personalized messages that outline any savings potential your current customers may receive by taking advantage of a new offer or year-end discount. Highlight how your services can be a solution to one of their concerns and pain points. Make sure you effectively convey the dollar amount or percentage your clients could save. Make sure your messages are consistent throughout all mediums. For example, if your company sent out a mailer, make sure your emails and phone scripts match the mailer content. Upsell opportunities could result from savings-inspired conversations.
#3. Get Personal & Embrace The Season
The holiday season is an excellent time to be more personal with your clients. Consider avoiding the auto-generated greeting and sending handwritten cards to your best customers. Send friendly text messages with well-wishes for the season. Avoid overt automation and embrace personalization wherever you can. By reconnecting with clients, you might receive referrals or set up appointments for after the holidays. Compared to email, your clients may be more likely to open a holiday card, especially if they are already looking for cards in their mailbox from family and friends.
Also, remember to show your clients and prospects who you are. If you or your company is engaged in charitable or volunteer efforts during the holiday season, include this info in your updates.
#4. Keep Your Advertising Live During The Holiday Season
If you typically run digital marketing campaigns or purchase online leads, do not go dark during the holidays. You never know who might need your services, and pausing lead buying and digital campaigns creates more distance between you and new conversions. By maintaining insurance advertising efforts during the holidays, you are opening yourself to opportunities for new business. Remember, keep the season bright and avoid going dark.
Stay Motivated During The Holidays
One of the best ways to overcome selling challenges during the holiday season is to stay motivated. Focus on working new leads and channel your energy into productive activities. Keeping your sales staff motivated and focused during the holiday season can be tough, but nothing is more refreshing than quality prospects to contact. The experienced ZipQuote team is committed to providing high-quality insurance leads and calls. Click here to learn more about how ZipQuote can help you grow your business. Contact us!