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By Thomas F. Slattery
When I began in the corporate market, every call was
a cold call. I obtained names from industrial directories and asked to
speak to the president, vice president of finance, or vice president of
human resources. The higher up the better.
Much to my surprise, I was able to get in the front
door. To me, it’s much easier to get in the door when talking to
the top person. My approach is simple and direct: “My name is Tom
Slattery. I’m with Northwestern Mutual, and I work in the executive
benefits area. This involves showing companies how they can provide supplemental
benefits for their key executives. What is your schedule like next week?”
Once I’ve secured an interview, these are some
of the questions I typically ask:
- What is your group life insurance formula?
- What happens at age 65 to your group life insurance?
- How much long-term disability do you have?
- Who pays the premiums for your group DI?
- Do you have any nonqualified plans?
- Who are the key people you want to hold on to?
- Are there people you wish to do something for?
- Will giving them more cash help solve their problems?
- Are you doing everything you would like for key
people?
- What keyman retirement plans do you have?
- Would you like to do something special for those
people who are really important to you and other employees?
You may want to change the order of these questions
depending on what products you have to offer and how much experience you
have in the corporate market. However, these should help you brainstorm
ideas for pitching to executives and human resources managers. As always,
the key is to have a focused, tailored approach to each potential client.
This eTIPS is taken from Advisor Today's 300
Sizzling Sales Ideas. A new edition of this book is in the process
of being published by the magazine.
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ideas and timeless tips you need to fine-tune your prospecting techniques,
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Dozens of top producers—including industry experts featured in Advisor
Today—have contributed their most profitable ideas to Sizzling
Sales Ideas. Just one of these ideas could help you earn hundreds
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Don't miss your chance to own Sizzling Sales Ideas. Watch for your
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information.
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