One Simple Trick to Turn a Customer Into a Friend

The world of sales generally accepts that “customer” and “friend” should stay two separate titles. And while I agree that you shouldn’t sell to your friends (unless they come to you first), I do believe it’s important to establish a friendly rapport with your customers. Today, I’m sharing with you one simple trick I use to break the ice and build rapport in insurance leads appointments.

Why You Need This

If you’re going into an appointment with an insurance lead thinking you’ll be strictly “just business,” it’s going to be harder to do what you need to do. Selling can be an exercise in trust; you’re asking these people to sign paperwork and fork over some cash, so you need them to know you’re on their side. 

Show You Care

When it comes to sales, people don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care. So when I’m at someone’s house for an appointment, what I like to do is take note of something interesting in the room; maybe a photo on their wall or a unique piece of furniture. I’ll ask them to tell me about it, and I really listen and express genuine interest. It’s a great way to break the ice and put the customer in a more relaxed state.

The 100-Year-Old Table

I’ll give you an example. Last week I was at this guy’s house, and we were sitting at his dining room table. I noticed this table looked pretty distinct; it wasn’t something you could just go out and buy at the furniture store. So I said to him, “Tell me about this table.” The guy’s face lit up. He started telling me how it’s been in the family for 100 years, how his great-great-grandfather in England built it, how it made its way over to America with his family. I could tell that this table really meant something to him, and I did genuinely find it pretty interesting.

The Walls Come Down

As I listened to this man tell me about how important this table was to him, I could see his walls coming down. He was in a different emotional state, and he could see that I really cared. It had nothing to do with insurance — but it had everything to do in the sale.

So, you don’t have to be best friends with your customers. You don’t need to go to barbecues at their house every week. But when you can establish a friendly rapport during an appointment, people remember you and they like you. And that’s how you get referrals, and get people to keep up their deals and payments. So if you want to practice turning your customers into friends, grab some fresh life insurance leads from Dirt Cheap Life Leads.