How to Sell Insurance to Friends

Approaching friends and family members about a business proposition can be delicate. People you are close to can take a solicitation poorly, putting a strain on your relationship. Likewise, the danger you face as an agent is that you may be so guilt-ridden about trying to sell a policy to friends that you fail to do your best work, and present a weak or apologetic recommendation for a solution that your friend clearly needs. It doesn't have to be that way.

• 1

  Serve. Go into the conversation with the mindset that you aren't doing this to get a sale, but to help a family or small business. Friends know you well, and they have an acute sense for when you get "commission breath."

• 2

  Change the subject. Do not try to shoehorn a personal conversation to business. Tell your friend "I'd like to put my agent hat on for a minute. Do you mind?" Then be a consummate professional.

• 3

  Affirm your commitment to confidentiality. Your friend may be concerned that some private information he divulges to you may leak to other people in your circle. Remind your friend that confidentiality is very important to you, and that nothing that is said at this table will leave this table. Not even your spouse will know.

• 4

  Keep it simple. Take the term sale, rather than the whole life sale, if the term sale does the job at the moment. Don't pressure. Your friends will come around as clients once they trust you as an agent and not just as a buddy.

• 5

  Ask them the following question: "Do you have any objection to me being your agent?" Most of the time, the answer is no. If the answer is yes, you'll know right away.

• 6

  Ask for the business. Tell them flat-out, "I need a check for the first month's premium." Make it out to the company on the application." You close a friend just as strongly and confidently as you close the sale with someone you've never met before the interview.