In the last issue of Update we looked at making telephone appointments. Whilst existing clients are relatively easy to see, new business prospects can be more difficult to get in front of. This month we look at the seven points covered in more detail:

Turn cold calls into warm calls by writing to the prospect before calling.

When you call to make an appointment, you have no idea how convenient your call may be. In order to make the prospect a bit more positive about the call there are a number of techniques you can use.

Mailshot – telephone call – send information before the call with a covering letter. You can then tell the prospect what you are calling about and when.

Telephone Call – Mailshot – Telephone By ringing the prospect before the Mailshot you can qualify their interest in your products and services before the Mailshot goes out. They can screen the people who are simply not interested in insurance or who are not responsible for it.

The above may seem overkill, but the extra effort is well worth it in the long run because it increases your chances of success in getting the appointment.

Set aside a period of time each week for telephone appointments.

Appointment booking is never easy even though the principles are fairly simple. Regular activity in this area using a planned approach will produce a steady stream of appointments in the long term.

Remember the conversion rates – 1,000 calls per year or 20 per week, which should generate four appointments per week.

You will find over time that although it is impossible to say whether a particular prospect will say “yes” and agree to see you, it is possible to look at larger numbers of potential clients and calculate what percentage will accept an appointment.

Prepare any research in advance and have all relevant information to hand.

Have in front of you the list of calls you wish to make, along with any literature or product/ service information should you be asked by the prospect.