What You Should Initially Get From Prospects
At least fifteen times a day I take a call from an agent wanting advice about a client (i.e. which company, what's the premium, what benefits, etc.). I don't mind helping when I can, and it's actually one of the parts of my job that I really enjoy. However, at least once a day I am surprised by an agent wanting advise about what to do with a prospect that they don't have enough information on.
For example, I had an agent call me last week wanting to know what to do for a prospect of his that had a heart attack some years ago. The agent couldn't tell me the mans date of birth, when he had the heart attack, if he had stints or a bypass, what medications the man was on, or even if he used tobacco or not. Then the agent seemed to get angry that he had to call back the prospect and bother him again for more information. In some ways I honestly do understand the agent's frustration. I hate to have to go back to clients/prospects for things that I should have gotten to begin with.
That's why I created a prospect page (see attached) in my early years as an Insurance Producer. I always keep one and fill it out with as much information as possible when I first talk to a client. It has virtually everything I need to know about a client when getting quotes ready for them.
You will want to know their name, date, address, telephone number, if they are confined, if they require the use of oxygen or a wheelchair, what health issues they have/had including dates-treatment-outcome, a list of their medications, if they have ever had a DUI and when, height/weight, tobacco usage, what their occupation is, if they require assistance with ADLs, what type of coverage they are looking for and for how much (what are they trying to accomplish with Life Insurance) as well as how much do they want to spend. Also, I keep up with how I received the prospect's information (i.e. referral, lead, cold call, etc.) on my prospect pages. Finally, this is where I keep my notes, follow-up information, and any other pertinent information.
An important part to remember when filling it out is that just because the client says they have "No" health issues, it's always best to go ahead and ask what medications they take. You will be surprised how many people believe they don't have any health issues because they take a medication for it.
All in all, a little bit of up-front information will go a long ways in helping you get the right products to the right prospect, and save you a lot of time in the long run. So try and make a habit of getting the pertinent information about your client up-front, and you will have a lot easier job with presentations and issue.
