Success does not happen accidentally. There is a science behind establishing a habit of productivity. Productivity can lead to better efficiency, a boost in sales and increased client retention. No matter how much experience you have, top-producing insurance sales agents should strive to master four habits to increase their productivity.
#1. Clean Up Your CRM
As a sales professional, your CRM is an essential tool to the growth of your business and profitability. The more details and information you collect, the more personalized your approach will feel to each prospect and client. After each prospective client interaction, you should update your CRM with the new information you gained. Furthermore, try to do this after each call since the details are still fresh in your mind. Consequently, you can schedule follow-ups based on the unique needs of each client. Your CRM can help you collect valuable insights from your customers.
#2. Create & Maintain A System To Sort Leads Productively
Consider the consumer characteristics that mirror the traits of your best customers. Evaluate the demographics and geographic locations of your existing customers. As well, consider the common traits of prospects that typically are more difficult to convert. Use this data to create simple consumer profiles to help you sort new leads. Be sure to clearly indicate the category of each lead after every conversation and sales interaction. This way you can focus on spending time on the contacts with the highest propensity to convert. Above all, the more you understand your client profiles the better your lead buying process will be later.
#3. Create A Schedule For Outbound Communication & Follow-Up
Sending essential follow-up communications, like email and text messages, to your leads and clients can be time consuming. Determine what percentage of your communications can be automated and what messages need to be more personalized. Create a schedule based on conversion best practices that will empower your outbound communications.
You might want to schedule different blocks of time for outbound calls and emails. This may depend on where your prospects are in the sales funnel. For instance, consider grouping all clients on their second and third follow-up into one group and current clients into another. Maintaining a schedule should help you balance your time in the areas that help you grow your profitability.
#4. Prioritize Prospecting To Boost Productivity
If you committed to a high-quality lead buying strategy, you should prioritize time for prospecting new leads. Some sales professionals recommend allotting the first hour of your day to prospecting new leads. No matter how stellar your customer service skills are, you should focus on prospecting. If you don't, your pipeline will deplete and your business will slow down. Moreover, insurance agents get busy and leave prospecting efforts until the end of the month. Subsequently, this happens after they realize their closing rates are lower than expected. Prioritize prospecting as part of your daily tasks to maintain a steady flow of new business.
BONUS TIP #5: Evaluate The Power Of Your Tech Stack
Once you’ve developed a keener strategy for increasing your productivity, review your tech stack. This will ensure your tools are working as hard as you are toward your business goals.
Sales productivity is a balanced combination of effective habits and efficiency. Closing more deals does not need to include hiring more staff or increasing the number of hours an agent works every day. By committing to the practice of the four habits described above, agents have the opportunity to boost their success strategy. ZipQuote’s platform provides agents with the confidence in consistency, quality and service. Zipquote’s predictive lead generation process allows the platform to quickly respond to a rapidly evolving marketplace. Click here to learn more about how ZipQuote can help you grow your business. Contact us!