The Story
A senior lady we'll call Kathy was referred to me by one of my clients and wanted me to help her with a new Medicare Advantage plan. When I sat down with her, I found out she was only drawing about $600 a month in Social Security benefits. Her disposable income was $0. She was in a very uncomfortable spot. As I dealt with her issue, I found she qualified for several low income programs that she had not signed up for yet. She had already talked to several agents up to this point who had been glad to sell her a plan, but they really didn't offer her a solution to her problem. After getting approved for the special programs, she is in a much better position financially. On a recent stop to her apartment building, she went on and on about how much she was loving her coverage. Empathy made the difference. Understanding the clients needs and finding the best solutions for her situation, made a drastic difference in her life. The programs I helped her with did not benefit me at all. I wasn't paid because she was able to get on those programs. But...it was the right thing to do for the client.
My first job in the health insurance field, was for a captive agency in a call center type environment. One of the trainers was named Shannon. She would do live sales calls with a room full of new agents to show us how it was done. What I witnessed in that room was some of the worst unprofessional sales I have ever witnessed. There were times she was literally screaming on the phone at the client, telling them that they were just stupid if they didn't buy her plan. The sad part was, many people would give in to her bullying and buy from her. I just sat there and thought, "I would never buy from an agent like this."
I did a stint with a company that wanted me to help them get a telesales department going. I ran into several things the training manager was telling agents to do that were downright unethical. One of them was not to compare the client's current plan with what you were selling. If their current plan was better than what the agents were offering, he didn't want that to get in the way of a sale. You see how twisted it gets. Empathy has gone out the window. This same company asked me to lie to Humana. I quickly made a decision to leave that situation because it didn't align with my ideals of how people should be treated.
Salespeople are trained to push through the rejection. Don't take no for an answer. Push through the no's until you get a yes. I don't believe in the "get a sale at any cost" mentality. It's downright unethical. Empathy has to be part of the sale. You as a consumer should never feel pressure when making a decision to purchase something. Yes, sales are important to consumers, salespeople, and businesses but there is a right way and a wrong way to approach it.
Sales can be divided up into two categories: Professional Sales and Unprofessional sales.
- Professional Sales: only sells when there is a need or a desire for something. They will always be courteous, empathetic, and thinking of how they can help you whether they make a sale or not. They build your trust over time and form a relationship with you.
- Unprofessional Sales: only thinks about themselves and getting a sale. They will be rude, pushy, and even unethical if they think it will make a difference. They want to make a sale, and they want to make it now. They call this a One Call Close. They use pressure to break you down and get you to say yes.
See if this sounds familiar...
You get a sales call at a bad time. You politely tell the person that you are preoccupied but they continue to blab away as if you didn't say a thing. Again you politely make it known that you don't have time for this call. What does the salesperson do? They continue on like they are deaf or something completely ignoring you in the process. Does this sound like someone who will be empathetic to your needs? This is unprofessional sales in action. No empathy for you.
We are living in a world where there is less and less empathy. People just don't care about one another anymore. And I think this is compounded when businesses and salespeople are involved. I've listed some steps below to help you avoid unprofessional salespeople and find a health, life, or Medicare professional who will show some empathy to your needs.
The Problem
Empathy is defined as the ability to understand the feelings of another. It seems businesses and salespeople today are only looking out for themselves. They don't care what they sell you, as long as they sell you something. It doesn't matter if it's a good fit for you as a consumer or not. Too many businesses and salespeople are tuned into WIIFMP: What's In It For My Pocket and that doesn't help you as a consumer. There's no empathy for others and this is particularly true of Health, Life, & Medicare insurance agents who try to sell you a policy over the phone from a call center.
The Solution
- Decide to ONLY work with a Professional Insurance Agent who will be empathetic and have your best interests at heart. Buy from someone you trust.
- Make a decision to NEVER buy Health, Life, or Medicare Insurance from someone who calls you out of the blue on the telephone. HANG UP THE PHONE! They don't have your best interest at heart. You call the agent of YOUR choice.
- Take all the time you need to make your decision. Have thicker skin than the salesperson you are talking to. If you are feeling pressured or pushed into a decision and aren't sure, don't buy.
- Know what you are buying. Don't buy a product you don't understand. The Consumer's Guide to Buying Insurance can help you. You can download it at the bottom of this page.
