For many of the most successful producers, client service is so vital to their business that it's written into their mission statements. Client service, as mentioned, involves a variety of formal and informal contacts over an extended period. Perhaps the most important of these is the periodic plan review.
As Raymond Triplett, CLU, ChFC, explained, "Clients should consider plan reviews as something that is expected, just as they expect to get a notice from the doctor, or dentist, when it's time for a checkup."
With these visits, and informal service contacts in between, you are able to anticipate problems and opportunities, not just react to them — or miss them entirely. In addition, many more prospects will be developed through on-profile referrals and introductions. Just as important, plan reviews enable you to demonstrate that the "commitment to service" you talked about during the initial sales cycle was not an empty promise.
Prepare! Prepare! Prepare!
Generally, plan reviews should be conducted annually with on-profile personal market clients, while quarterly reviews are recommended for most business and professional market clients.
Prepare carefully for each plan review and work from a full deck of information. Client relationships have one foot in the past, as well as one in the present. Before the meeting, check your client's file to review needs and wants, concerns, objectives, and other topics that were discussed in previous plan reviews and other contacts. Determine what you want to accomplish during this session. Then, prepare an agenda based on those objectives.
Try this! Consider sending confirmation letters two weeks before plan reviews. These letters should outline the meeting agenda, suggest what (if anything) the client should do to prepare, and reconfirm the date, time, and location of the meeting (your office conference room preferred). (See "Plan Review Reminder Letter.") Enclose a Policyholder Annual Update (Form 2237).
Ohio National is not affiliated with, nor does it endorse or sponsor, any particular prospecting, marketing or selling system.
