MRL #041- Dynamite Drop-Ins (For Scared-ey Cats)

If you haven’t noticed yet…

I tend to be a bit of a contrarian.

When others are zigging I prefer to zag.

Sometimes it serves me, other times—not so much.

Like the time I started doing drop-ins during COVID.😳

I got thrown out of almost every office I walked into.

One lady even shoo-ed me out with a broom.

“Really?”

No, not really.

I’m just joshin’ you.

Believe it or not, after having done hundreds of drop-ins, I can honestly say…

I’ve NEVER Been Thrown Out Of A Single Office… Not Even During COVID!

Not once.

Maybe, it’s the eye patch…

Maybe, it’s because I’m 6’8”…

Maybe, it’s the 70’s era mustache…

I don’t know.

Whatever the reason, I’ve never been thrown out.

And chances are, you won’t either.

So, if you’ve been too scared to try drop-ins till now…

STOP Being A Scared-ey Cat!

“Wait?! Who you calling scared, Max?”

Easy, Big Chief 😅…

I only assume you don’t do drop-ins… because, the truth is… I didn’t do them for the longest time, either.

I was scared to death.

I just knew as soon as I walked into that first bizness, they were gonna whip out their steely fangs and bite my head off.

Fortunately, that never happened.

The fear was all in my head.

Kinda like cold-calling…

After you finally make a few… you realize it’s no big deal.

If I haven’t convinced you to start doing drop-ins by now, I probably never will.

But, if I have swayed you, let’s talk…

How To Actually Do Drop-Ins

But first, a few things to remember…

1. We’re interrupting their busy day

2. They almost certainly don’t wanna talk insurance

3. We do NOT want to open the door with “quoting”

With all that in mind, let’s continue to…

STEP 1: Walk In The Door And Mozy Your Way Over To The Receptionist’s Desk

If there’s not a receptionist’s desk there’s always somebody floating around you can ask for help.

If you know the Decision Maker’s (DM) name, ask the receptionist if they’re available.

If you don’t know who the DM is, ask the receptionist:

“Who’s in charge of the insurance program for you guys?”

Next…

STEP 2: Be Prepared For One of Three Replies…

Reply #1: Hold on, I’ll get him/her for you.

Reply #2: Oh, I’m sorry. They’re not available at the moment.

Reply #3: Oh, I’m sorry. We don’t allow solicitations.

Expect replies #1 and #2 the vast majority of the time.

Despite what that little silver sign says on their front door… almost no one is gonna pull the “NO SOLICITING” card on you.

And even if they do, they’re always cordial about it.

Call me full-of-crap, but…

You’re gonna be surprised how often the receptionist stands up, walks down the hall, says a few inaudible words, and the DM just walks out and meets you on the spot.

STEP 3: Have A Conversation (You Know… Like An Actual Human)

Try opening with something like:

“Hey Sue, I was visiting with XYZ down the road and just wanted to stop by while I’m over here and say hello.”

They’re either gonna be receptive or not.

You never know which.

One thing is for certain though, they will respect you for having the stones to drop-in face-to-face.

(Which could pay huge dividends if they never even see their current agent).

If the DM seems open to a conversation hit em’ with curiosity around “due-diligence” (we teach you how to do that here).

If they’re not open to a conversation…

Step 4: Leave Them With A “Value Piece”

A “value piece” could be a market update…

An article on a recent nuclear verdict in your state…

A cheat sheet on “5 Steps To Mitigate Cyber Risk In 2023”…

Doesn’t really matter.

Just needs to be something valuable to their bizness and their industry.

If the DM isn’t available, leave the “value piece” with the receptionist and ask them to give it to the DM when they get in.

Then simply…

STEP 5: Thank Them For Their Time And Exit

Now… you’re probably thinking:

“Wait… walk in? Have a conversation? Leave them a market update? And say thank you? That seems kind of obvious. I didn’t need to read this! I could’ve done all that on my own!”

That’s exactly the point.

There’s no super-secret-ninja hack.

The hack is just mustering up the stones to get off your keister and get out there.

Like everything else in life, there are no shortcuts.

It’s just a matter of doing the boring work.

Over… and over… and over again.

So, get off your tookus and go knock on someone’s door this week.

Ok, that’s enough out of me.

You have your marching orders.

See you next Sunday.

Kick ass take names,

Max “Ain’t Skeer’d” Revenue

P.S. If you found this letter helpful… there are 3 other ways we can help you:

1. The Producer Playbook- The Step-By-Step Guide To Building A $1,000,000 Book of Business (From Scratch)

2. The Max Revenue Show- Our weekly podcast (available just about everywhere).

3. The Max Revenue Channel on YouTube- Weekly videos from Micah “The Zen Master of Commercial Insurance” Salas, including his new series “Diary of a New Producer”.

P.S.S. Be on the lookout for more emails from me this week. Gonna start sprinkling in a few more when I’m feeling froggy.

If you find the additional tips, strategies, and motivation to be a nuisance… you can unsubscribe below.

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