Ask for questions.

The application is on the table. You've reinforced the need/want and reviewed your recommendations. You have shown how life insurance is the only direction to follow, and you've reviewed the riders. Be on the lookout for buying signs. Keep quiet, listen, and watch for opportunities to encourage and reinforce your prospect's realization of the benefits of the plan. In effect, you're asking your prospect to give the plan a final check. If there are any concerns to be addressed, they will surface.

Ask for two opinions.

This part of your strategy is designed to begin getting favorable responses from the prospect.

"If you don't have any other questions, Bill, there are a couple of questions I would like to ask you. The first is about the plan itself. Do you feel that the plan I have recommended accomplishes the things you want to do?"

This question is designed to get your prospect to buy into the value of the work you have done on his or her behalf. The question almost always gets a favorable response.

After your prospect indicates his or her approval of the plan, immediately move your eyes from your prospect to the application, which is now positioned in front of you, and begin to record information on the application. This is a major transition from soliciting opinions to taking action. The purpose of the strategy from this point on is to get your prospect to join you and act positively on your recommendations. You begin by asking the second question.

"The second question is this, Bill: is the amount I'm recommending about right? Is it an amount you're comfortable with?"

When you refer to the amount, you can be referring to either the premium, or the death benefit. You may meet some resistance when mentioning the amount. However, you have two important issues working in your favor.

1. The amount is based on information you received when fact-finding, thus it is an amount that your prospect has suggested. Diplomatically alluding to this fact can help get your prospect back on track, if needed.
2. You have already positioned the meeting into an action-taking mode. Your prospect will feel more like this is a dotting the "i" and crossing the "t" issue and less like this is an opportunity to offer a serious obstacle. The important attitude to develop and maintain is that the sale must be closed now.