How To Leave A Persuasive Message That Makes Leads Call YOU Back

By Jeremiah Desmarais

When you buy shared leads, your message HAS to be more compelling than the other agents’. Think about the typical message you leave. When prospects play it back, are you making a case so convincing that they won’t even think about responding to anyone but you?

What Makes A Message Ordinary And Absolutely Forgettable

Your prospect hits “Play” on her answering machine:

“Hi, this is a message for Nancy Scott. I’m Rob Robertson, an agent with ABC Insurance. I’ve been selling insurance in Handsome Falls for 14 years. I represent six national carriers, including Major Insurance Company, for which I am a Top Ranked Producer in the state. I understand you’re interested in purchasing a policy and I’d love to work with you to find the most affordable one to fit your needs. I do need you to provide me with a little more information so I can start looking up plans, so give me a call back when you have the time. You can reach me at 555-1234. Again, that’s Rob Robertson and I’m with ABC Insurance. Have a great day.”

Now why doesn’t she call you over other agents? Because it’s a bad message. Didn’t you notice? It’s:

Boring. You drop your credentials right away to build trust. But that makes a BORING message. Instead of getting your lead’s attention, you’ve made her tune out.

Long. A message this wordy demands at least 20 seconds of attention. And if it starts out dull, your lead will only give you about 8… or less.

Deleted. What reason does the prospect have to save your message, let alone call you back? Her only “incentive” is the vague promise that you can find the “affordable plan that fits her needs.” And that’s what every other agent is saying.

Even worse, you told her she’s going to have to “provide” information and “work” with you. It sounds like talking to you is going to take some time…the one thing she doesn’t have! That’s why she went on the internet to research insurance in the first place …for convenience.

What’s more, you close by suggesting she call you back…when she has time. You’re inviting her to put your message out of mind!

How To Create A Stand Out Message That Is Absolutely Persuasive

An effective message needs to be:

Interesting. Which messages do you listen to start to finish? Probably the one from a person ready to buy a family policy. You even take notes, because this message is highly relevant and interesting to you. Your message has to be the same for your prospect.

To the point. Get their interest and then get right to the point. Trim out all the words that don’t entice your lead to take action. The best messages are more like teasers...they promise the listener they’ll solve a problem or gain something valuable if they return the call.

Memorable AND persuasive. When you share leads, your message is NOT the only one on your prospect’s machine. Give your prospect a real incentive to call you, not fluff. Don’t use any words that make talking to you sound like work. And don’t wimp out at the end: always tell the lead to call you back.

Take all that and roll it into one compelling message:

“Hi Nancy, Rob Robertson, ABC Insurance here. I understand you need health insurance coverage. I just helped a family of four like yours find a plan that fell $89 a month below what they had budgeted for. I’m seeing at least 3 plans that look like they’ll be a perfect fit for you. Let’s go over them real quick; call me at 555-1234, and again it’s Rob Robertson."

Tip: If you’re using an autoresponder program to automatically email quotes to your leads you can add this compelling line to your message:

“I just shot you an email with some plans that look like they’ll be a perfect fit. Call me and we’ll talk about them real quick: 555-1234…”

A PERSUASIVE message isn’t weak and is never vague; it gives your prospect reasons to pick up the phone and choose you.

About the Author: As Director of Marketing & Creative at Norvax, Jeremiah Desmarais works to build results-driven marketing strategies that create more sales. His team executes the B2B and B2C marketing initiatives that touch Norvax’ client base and carrier relationships on a daily basis. He is author of several white papers, and has been a contributor to the Agent Sales Journal, Health Insurance Underwriter as well as a guest speaker at various carrier events and workshops. He welcomes feedback at jdesmarais@norvax.com

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