| In approaching this topic I decided that the best | | | | inspirational leader and is co-founder of the |
| way to illustrate a methodology for someone | | | | famous publishers 'Connant Nightingale'. His works |
| wishing to develop the skills needed for a | | | | and those of some of the world's most |
| successful career in insurance is to describe the | | | | accomplished Sales trainers became my No 2 |
| ways in which I acquired the knowledge that | | | | resource. I remember driving around every day |
| enabled me to make my own financial | | | | between calls listening intently to the words of |
| independence. | | | | people like Brian Tracy, Jay Abraham and Stephan |
| It may surprise you to know that the training | | | | Covey, what a great education in success that |
| that prepared me best was not anything to do | | | | was. As I continued reading and listening I |
| with insurance, selling first and foremost is a | | | | discovered the secrets of success, like the Pareto |
| communication skill so education in terms of | | | | Principle, Time Management and Henry Ford's |
| command of a good vocabulary and the ability to | | | | Principles of Mass Production all off which I applied |
| express an idea is fundamental. | | | | to my work. |
| Next comes the ability to present your idea to an | | | | I had the good fortune to be introduced to a |
| audience whether it be one other person or a | | | | member of The Million Dollar Round Table which is |
| group of people. This is probably the one skill that | | | | an International Insurance organisation. He was |
| most people find daunting. I know from my own | | | | leading the Life Insurance Association in the UK at |
| experience, I was quite articulate but the thought | | | | the time and I was persuaded to Qualify as a |
| of standing up in front of a group of people | | | | member and attend their annual conference in |
| frightened the living daylights out of me, yet at | | | | America. |
| the same time I knew this was something I had | | | | That meeting changed my life. The buzz of the |
| to overcome if I wanted to make a living as a | | | | 6000 attendees and the way that the greatest |
| salesman. The solution came to me from a book. | | | | Insurance Salesmen of their day, stood on the |
| So many answers have come to me from books | | | | platform day after day to share their stories of |
| that they have become my No 1 resource for | | | | how they had built their success, excited and |
| information on any subject I am interested in | | | | inspired me so much that I have attended that |
| learning about. Anyway this particular book was | | | | meeting every year since for the past 30 years. |
| "How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success In | | | | Soon after that meeting I decided to Specialize in |
| Selling" by Frank Betger one of the all-time great | | | | Selling Pension Schemes to Company Directors |
| Insurance Salesman. | | | | and groups of Employees. I automated the |
| In it he described the exact same fear of | | | | production of appointments for myself by using a |
| standing before a group to sell and the solution he | | | | part-time Phone sales person who I had trained to |
| found was a local Public Speaking Group where in | | | | make appointments for me with LTD Company |
| a very short while he was able to conquer his | | | | Directors. |
| fear. | | | | I had prepared and rehearsed a presentation that |
| That was good enough for me so I found such a | | | | would convince 90% of the audience to join my |
| group in town and I joined. All I had to do was to | | | | scheme on first hearing and I also set up a |
| pick a subject I knew a lot about and talk about it | | | | part-time clerical assistant to deal with the admin |
| for 2 minutes. Apart from the instructor we were | | | | of the proposals. |
| all in the same boat with our fears but because | | | | Then I started to earn my fortune. |
| the task was so small everyone managed to | | | | I subsequently went on to multiply my system |
| stumble through it. Little by little the time we | | | | across the country through branches in which I |
| were asked to speak for was increased, each | | | | recruited appointment makers (telesales) and |
| little success added to the feeling that we were in | | | | salespeople who I had trained to give my |
| control and soon I was enjoying my new found | | | | Presentation (my set of Magic Words). Later I |
| power. | | | | was able to repeat the process with a colleague |
| And that is what it is, the ability to stand up and | | | | when we formed what we built into the largest |
| express yourself in an exited and animated way | | | | network of Insurance brokers in the UK during |
| is a valuable power that surprisingly few people | | | | the following eight years. |
| possess. If you are in the insurance business | | | | I have since given 'word for word copy' of the |
| Betger's book is required reading, It is still in print | | | | presentation that made me successful to |
| at Amazon. | | | | hundreds of insurance people in our network and |
| Like most other salesmen I was looking for a set | | | | have been surprised by the fact that hardly |
| of words or a script that would clinch the sale | | | | anyone has taken the words and run with them. |
| under any circumstances, so I joined the local Life | | | | Which brings me to this conclusion, you have to |
| insurance Society branch meeting to talk to my | | | | make your own set of magic words in a |
| peers about such magic words but like me they | | | | presentation, based on an undeniable belief in the |
| mostly had the usual array of rebuttals and | | | | value of your product and service and presented |
| closing tactics. | | | | in an enthusiastic and dramatic way while |
| I did eventually find the one magic word and that | | | | answering all the objections you have ever met |
| word is "ATTITUDE". This i learned from a series | | | | so that no obstacles are left to stop your |
| of Audio tapes by Earl Nightingale. He is an | | | | prospect from buying. |