Want Something? Ask For It.
November 25th, 2008 by Jeb Foster
Do you know how most politicians win elections? They ask voters to vote for them.
Seriously. I’m no Karl Rove or David Plouffe, but I can say with confidence that asking for votes is a winning campaign strategy.
Ok, candidates must also give voters reasons to vote for them, but there’s an important point at which the candidate has to stop giving reasons, ask directly for votes and then hope for the best.
The same holds for insurance agents. Do you want the sale? Make sure your prospect knows it and tell him or her explicitly. It usually makes for a nice closing statement: I would love to provide you with insurance, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns, etc., etc.
By stating your own wishes, you add an important layer to your prospect’s thought process: When it comes time to buy a policy, he or she will compare prices, name brands, coverages, etc. But that person will also do a quick calculation: Which agent asked for my business? Which agent wants me?
In a world of infinite choices, most of them indistinguishable from each other, many consumers just want a reason, however small, to pick one or the other. That way they can move on. Ask for their business and you give them a reason.
Somewhere in the transition from adolescence to adulthood we lose the instinct to make things simple: we forget to make plain our desires.
To be sure, you won’t always get what you ask for. But you’ll increase your odds greatly if the world knows what you want.
