Lenann McGookey Gardner, the president of YouCanSell.com, wrote a terrific article for Business Week last October. It’s short and every insurance agent should read it.

Here’s the nut:

When working with a prospective client, it is imperative that you consider his or her ego in the process. As you make the sale, you want to come across as the expert in whatever you do. Your prospect, naturally, does not know nearly as much as you do about this subject, so right from the get-go if you're not careful, your prospect may feel dumb. And that works against you in the sales process!

Most people know very little about insurance. What’s more, it’s a complicated subject that’s full of jargon and concepts with hair-thin distinctions. Add to the mix that insurance is incredibly important to people’s well-being, and you’ve got a recipe for a nervous customer—one who will simply stop dead in his tracks if he’s overwhelmed.

“People who feel dumb move away from the person who made them feel that way—in this case, you,” says Gardner.

And who will they move toward? The agent who does three things:

• Skips using jargon and buzzwords you hear around the office


• Distills complex concepts into understandable bits of information without sacrificing nuance or insulting their intelligence by dumbing it down too much


• Ensures the consumer has a handle on the important information by asking questions and offering help when necessary

Ultimately, you want your expertise to comfort and help your prospect, not call attention to his gaps in knowledge.

“Ask your prospects for their opinions and concerns. Ask them what they would like to have happen,” says Gardner. “And then, when you offer to give them that thing they want, you are serving them rather than making them feel stupid.”