Kitchen table order: needs, then health, then money

Ask ten field agents how they run a sit and you'll get ten answers. The ones with the best close rates run the same order.

Needs first, five minutes. Who's the coverage for? Who would handle the arrangements? Have they been through this with someone recently? Do they have anything in place already? You're not selling yet. You're finding out what the card was really about, and there's always a reason.

Health second, ten minutes. All of it, in the order the application asks, before any product comes out of the folder. Medications, hospital stays, the big diagnoses, tobacco, build. Say "I ask everyone these; the answers decide which company gives you the best price." Clients answer honestly when they understand why you're asking.

Money third, and only two options. Now you know the carrier. Present a face amount that covers what they said the funeral costs, and one step down. Two options, two premiums. Three options creates a debate; one creates a yes-or-no.

Then the draft. "Which day does your check come in? We'll set the draft a few days after so it never bounces." That question closes the sale for you. If they answer it, they've bought.

Where agents break it. Product first, because the folder is comfortable. Then the health questions reveal a problem, the quote changes, and the client feels tricked even though nothing dishonest happened. Order fixes that.

Time on the table. Forty minutes is plenty. Sits that go past an hour usually mean the agent talked too much in the first ten.

What order do you run, and where did you learn it?