How to Create a Roadmap for Selling During the Pandemic

By all accounts it looks like we will be dealing with coronavirus well into 2021. In fact, it could be years before the country returns to some semblance of normalcy. This does not bode well for brokers unwilling to change the way they do things. For those willing to adjust however, the pandemic offers new opportunities to impress clients and increase one's book of business.

In sales, it is all about the roadmap. You establish a roadmap for obtaining and culling leads, making the sales pitch, and closing the deal. Rest assured that you are going to need a new roadmap for selling in the coronavirus era. Even when infections fall below the pandemic threshold, we will still be dealing with the aftermath.

Below are some suggestions for creating a new roadmap. A well-developed roadmap will not only buttress your sales for the coming year, but it will also improve your reputation as a broker who knows how to get things done.

Study Your Clients' Businesses

Now, more than ever, it is important that brokers understand the businesses their clients are engaged in. Why? Because some industries have been more impacted by coronavirus than others. The tech and travel sectors are perfect examples. Tech companies have experienced comparatively little impact because workers can work from home and customers still need their products. On the other hand, the travel industry has been decimated. People do not travel when they are being told to isolate at home.

This stipulates that brokers approach selling differently within these sectors. You are not going to approach the owner of a major travel agency the same way you would approach the owner of a tech company. You have to understand each client's business in order to know how to approach them.

Learn More about Your Carriers

Carriers are undergoing changes just as employers are. They are having to adjust their plans, premiums, and everything in between. You will not be able to effectively sell benefits over the coming months if you do not have a firm grasp on what your carriers offer.

The point here is to avoid having to say "I don't know" as often as possible. You might not know all of the answers upfront, but you should at least know as many as you can so that your discussions with clients inspire confidence.

Hook up with a General Agency

If you are not already affiliated with a general agency, now is the time to change that. A general agency gives you greater access to a larger portfolio of options. A general agency can also work with you to better serve your clients. You will be in a much stronger position with the general agency at your side, compared to going it alone.

Don't Forget the Personal Side

One of the biggest enemies of effective sales is forgetting the personal side of things. In other words, it is dangerous to think of your clients only as revenue streams. Businesses are owned by people. Businesses employ people. All of those people have their own life circumstances to deal with. Sometimes, showing a little compassion is more important than closing the sale.

As you create your new roadmap, try to think of ways you can more effectively communicate with clients on a more personal level. Perhaps a phone call every now and again would help. When possible, face-to-face meetings are more personal than video chats.

Selling benefits in the aftermath of coronavirus is not going to be easy. But if you are willing to adapt to a new roadmap, you can still succeed in the ben