Watching industries pivot in this brave new post-COVID world has led to an explosion of internet learning and its acceptance in the marketplace. We were forced to
One common pain point for benefit advisers is a lack of quality prospects entering the sales funnels. It is easy for people to accept the status quo and take the path of least resistance.
Let's start with the need to nurture. A baby needs love, cuddling and guidance as to what is safe and unsafe in their world. Parents need to cover the electrical outlets, feed them, and keep peas and corn from entering their noses when they are toddlers. This is also true for your masterclass; you will protect, inspire and teach your participants.
Read more:
Establishing trust is another critical step. Your kids learn to trust that they can come to you when they are in trouble over time because, as a parent, you are consistently providing value through lessons learned and reliability. The reward for parents is when their teenager calls them from a party where they are exposed to underage drinking, and they know you will be there to get them. In your masterclass, this will manifest itself when you demonstrate that you read the regulations or insurance contract and can guide them as a trusted adviser on compliance or claims reduction, keeping them safe and protected.
Addressing needs is next. Parents understand their kids' pain points, desires and obstacles. How do they learn this? Car rides worked best for me. I had a captive audience. They were not old enough to drive themselves and would eventually start talking about what was on their mind, and what they were facing. I would hear things like, "My teacher wants me to go above and beyond, but I don't know what that means." Your masterclass is the same. You have a captive audience. They are online wanting to learn. You just need to listen to identify their true pain points and then find resources to help. You get to be the hero who connected the dots. They will remember that you listened and cared, just like your kids.
A lot of this comes down to relationship building. Parents are in it for the long-term. They invest time and effort into building a relationship with their children that will last a lifetime. Your masterclass is a way for you to invest time and effort into your prospects. When you do this, your rewards will be greater than your expectations. Just stay focused on coming from a place of helping.
Finally, it's all about adaptability. The needs of your prospects change over time just like the needs of your kids as they grow. Communication strategies take shape with the changing times. A marble jar to teach kids about chores and rewards will work with a toddler, but not a teenager. The same is true for your prospects. What worked prior to COVID-19 is not as relevant in our post-pandemic world.
With your basic parenting skills in mind, identify your prospect profile. Go beyond facts like number of employees, industry or revenue. Look at your client base and determine what the decision makers you serve care about. What are their goals and obstacles? You will find a common thread.
My clients care greatly about making compliance easy, user-friendly navigation of benefits for employees and providing affordable benefits. When I look deeper at my clients, they are always learning and want to make a difference inside their workplace. Once I understood unaddressed pain points, I was able to create a virtual masterclass. These pain points are the topics of your classes.
Read more:
If a prospect's pain point is that rising healthcare costs are erasing company raises, you would offer a class with tips to stop this. From there, you can develop an unlimited number of deeper-dive classes that include coalition programs, Section 105 plans, underwriting questions to ask — you get the idea. It must be framed around their pain points, not your offerings.
Practice your skills in the virtual world. I have found it extremely difficult to look into the camera, but you must if you want your prospect to feel like you are directly talking to them, and you are, so let them feel it. Ask for permission to record. You need to be able to evaluate what you did well, and what you might do differently. Ask class participants these same questions. It is their experience that matters.
Building a masterclass sales funnel is like parenting, but much easier. You aren't on duty 24/7. You aren't changing diapers, and you don't have to find a babysitter to take a day off. If you combine the technology advancements with paying it forward, your classes will grow a quality sales funnel. Happy prospecting!
