Five things new agents do on the phone that cost them the sale

Listen to a hundred recorded calls from first-90-day agents and the same five things show up.

1. Talking through the pause. After you ask a health question or a closing question, the silence is the client thinking. New agents fill it with a new question or a reassurance and reset the client's train of thought. Ask, then wait. Count to five if you have to.

2. Quoting before the health questions. "It'd be about $58 a month" before you know about the insulin or the stent. Now the real quote is $84 and you've lost trust. Health first, always.

3. Reading the script. Clients can hear it. Know the script well enough to say it in your own words, in the order that matters: who you are, why you're calling, confirm the card, health, present, ask for the draft.

4. Ending with "so let me know." That's not a close. "Let's get the paperwork started so you're covered by Friday, which account does your Social Security go into?" is a close. New agents are scared to ask for the money. Ask for it.

5. One call and done. The client who says "call me back Thursday" and gets a call on Thursday at the time they said closes at a high rate. The one who never gets the callback because the agent was chasing new leads is a lost policy you'd already paid for.

A sixth, for the field. Sitting down and then opening the presentation folder before asking a single question about the person across the table. Ask who the card was for. Ask who'd handle things. Then open the folder.

Record your calls and listen to three a day. It's the cheapest coaching there is.

What's the phone habit you had to break?