Antecrastination
By Jerome M. Kohn, CLU
I suspect I am not the only one who resists changes in his or her status, who if at rest likes to stay that way (such as when the alarm clock goes off in the morning), and who once embarked on a project is difficult to get headed off in some different direction. If that project is a worthwhile one, perhaps the latter propensity is not so bad. But the former situation, more commonly known as lethargy, is about as useful as a parasol in a cyclone. Inducing a body at rest to start upon some productive activity is no mean trick, yet one we all should master if the body happens to be our own.
I don’t know what kind of an explosion to tell you to rig up to get yourself moving, some of us require bigger ones than others, but we should each devise some external stimulus of sufficient magnitude to get us off and running. In my early career days, I made a practice of getting to the office ahead of my manager. When he arrived, we would head across the street for a cup of coffee, and then I was off on my rounds. A simple thing like that is all that is necessary — it might be 10 o’clock chiming on the courthouse clock (nine is better), the ending of the morning radio news, a factory whistle, any external signal not governed by our own tendency to remain at rest.
Points That Help You Sell
• When you close, probe for objections. This simple technique can increase your persistency dramatically. A new client will be far less likely to question the need for his new policy if you’ve eliminated all doubts before you sell the policy.
• If you notice a policyholder who is delinquent in premium payments, it may be worth your time to make a personal call. First, your attention may help to save the policy from lapsing, and second, you may uncover some underlying financial difficulties with which you can help.
