The Subtle Art of communicating with an Angry Life Insurance Lead

No matter what sector of the economy you work in, it is imperative that you acquire the skills necessary to calm an irate lead and transform the interaction into a beneficial one.

Bill Gates' response to a question regarding how to deal with an irate lead was, "Your most disgruntled clients are your best source of learning."

An angry prospect indicates that there is something in your service, or product, or the interaction that is the reason behind triggering the psychological reactions. This could be the case in the majority of cases. At some time in your professional life, you are going to have to deal with it, regardless of how you feel about it.

Nevertheless, there are approaches one can take to deal with these conditions without losing their cool.

Explore five different approaches that spread awareness about the subtle art of communicating with angry life insurance leads.

1. Stay calm:

The most effective method for handling exclusive life insurance leads that are a little angry is to approach them in the same manner as you would any other customer, namely, by being cordial and speaking in the appropriate manner. When you meet in person, make sure to smile and look the lead directly in the eye. Always maintain a cheerful expression even when you're on the phone.

Maintain your composure and try not to take anything that is said to you personally, regardless of what they say. Instead, make it clear to these customers that you value their feedback and are available to address their concerns whenever they arise.

Do not speak louder than necessary or display any signs of hostility. A pleasant posture may make any scenario much better than it needs to be, but an unfriendly approach can significantly worsen any situation and escalate the matter more than it should have.

2. Listen actively:

Not listening enough is one of the most common errors made by insurance salespeople. Talking over real-time life insurance leads is difficult enough on a good day; try to imagine the impact it has on a potential customer who is already having a bad day.

Of course, when you're a salesperson, you'll be doing a lot of talking. However, it is essential to understand when listening is more productive, and talking to an angry customer is one of the few instances.

Don't ignore what your customers are saying, either. Listen to what they have to say. Listen carefully, figure out what's upsetting them, then come up with a workable solution.

3. Apologize:

Apologizing is always a good first step when dealing with irritated life insurance leads for agents, regardless of the sales error you’ve made. You should apologize completely if you were wrong. To explain why you haven't yet given the promised quote, you could say something like, "I'm sorry. To put it simply, I feel your frustration. I need to check with the service provider about something else, and I certainly will get back to you shortly by the end of the day today.

Even if you didn't do anything wrong, please express your regret for any trouble this may have caused. Say something like, "I'm sorry, but the prices from last year aren't accurate any more." My price estimates are always time-based. Let me double-check the specifics, though.

A sincere apology will demonstrate your willingness to assist. But don't make it dragged out too much longer than necessary.

4. Offer a solution:

It's not uncommon for the best life insurance leads you’ve gathered to want to vent their frustrations. If you can't improve the pipeline by providing a solution, at least strive to make the customer happy.

Some potential customers, however, might want to hear more specifics, such as the aforementioned examples. It's best to get the quote out to the first possible prospect right away. In the second case, be sure that the previous rates are still applicable.

Always focus your response on the specific problem at hand. Avoid pressuring an upset customer to buy from you. These people are probably not ready to make a purchase from you at this time. You can still close more business by offering a solution.

5. Follow up:

It's normal for leads to want to "let it all out." Even if you can't help the pipeline or the client, you should do everything you can to make them happy.

However, some potential buyers might request more details, such as the ones provided above. Quickly distributing the quote to the first viable lead is recommended. If the latter is the case, double check that the old rates are still in effect.

Maintain a laser focus on the issue at hand whenever you respond. You should never force a frustrated customer to make a purchase. These quality life insurance leads are likely not prepared to buy insurance from you at the moment. Providing a solution can still help you close more deals.