The Referred Lead Card System

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The Second Sale Which I Call The Hitch

The Secret Weapon Of The Super Stars 
And The Big Producers.


The referred card system or what I call the hitch is
your most important sale.

The referred lead card system is by far your absolute best way to generate referred leads and get a warm insurance sales lead or prospect.

If you have not created a  referred lead card system to help you generate referrals, then here are a couple of ideas for you that have been proven to be very successful. If you are serious and really want to improve on getting more leads, do not be glancing over this page. Read it completely, not once but twice. The write down some notes to get started.

Our agency used these two referral concepts for over 20 years to help generate insurance sales leads. We trained many new associates to use these two systems. I will now share them with you.

  • The Referred Lead Card System
  • The Appreciation Dinner

Once you become comfortable with them, you will be working smarter and not harder. a referred lead card system requires a complete system to make it work effectively. 

But before we go further into detail we need to talk about your mind set.

Understand, everything we do in the sales business is a selling situation.

If you plan on generating insurance agent leads (prospects), using a referred lead talk, you must realize first and foremost that your referred lead talk is a sales presentation. It is your second sale whether or not you make the first sale or not. 

In other words, when you start asking for referrals, it immediately turns into a selling situation. It requires a 100% commitment and a strong desire, and it will probably even feel awkward at first, but once you get it, you will love it.

Watch this VIDEO on referred lead card system and why referred leads can be your lifeline to success. Then return back to this page and view the actual referred lead card and the actual presentation.



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Here is what usually happens with a new agent when asking for referrals.

They say something like, is there anybody you can refer me to?

Well, if you ask that question, which is a closed end question (yes or no answer) guess what, the client says no, of course and where do you go from there.

So for you to increase your income and make your life easier lets go through the process by using a proven and tested referred lead sales presentation.

If you take the time to develop this sales presentation for referrals, you will enjoy an unlimited supply of prospects to call on. Now follow along, and lets work on your life support system we call the referred lead card system.


Let’s take a look at how it should be done using
the referred lead card system

This concept made me and my life insurance agents a lot of money over the years and the life insurance agents I trained that learned and used this life insurance prospecting system were the premium leaders in our agency.

Are you still with me? Good.. The referral card was a perforated card, so that the bottom ½ of card could be separated and mailed to the referral, and the top part provided the detailed information which I used as my filing card and phone calling reference card.

(You will need to get some referred lead cards printed up using the example below)

This referred lead concept made me and my life insurance agents a lot of money over the years. The life insurance agents I trained that learned and used this life insurance prospecting system were the premium leaders in our agency.Referred lead Card Example

Click here for Free Insurance Industry Resources  
then click on the financial services link and the insurance link


The first thing you must do is set the stage for getting referrals.

How do you do this? You have to prepare the prospect mentally if you want to get referrals from them by using the entire process of the referred lead card system.

When I started my interview process and opened up my computer or put my sales material out on the table, I slowly slid 3 referred lead cards just to the side of my material in full sight of prospect. By doing this it would allow me to transition to them at end of interview as well as letting him/her see them. By doing this, I am preparing him/her visually and mentally. It also made sure that I would not forget to ask for them at end of interview.

At end of interview, whether he/she buys or not, you start your referred lead sales presentation as follows:

Mr. Prospect I know you know a lot of people, people you work with, play with, etc.. And as you realize my business is meeting people and sharing ideas with them, like I shared with you today. Do you feel that you gained some insight about financial planning (or what ever product you sell?)

(now gently slide those 3 referred lead cards in front of you with pen in hand) Mr. Prospect if your were in my shoes, who would you go out and want to share some of the ideas i shared with you today. Who is first person that comes to your mind? Who would you call to go out to dinner with, play golf, fish, hunt, etc. (give couple choices here, help him/her)

Then shut up and let him think. His/her mind is now working, thinking, searching. When he blurbs out that first name, write only the name down on the top of card and slip second blank card to top and then say, who else?, after second name, you say who else? And go to third card, who else? (keep other cards available because sometimes the spouse will start providing names or he/she will continue with other names.

After they stop giving you names whether it is one or seven, then come back to the body of each card and say, can you tell me a little about Mr. Friend, where does he work, etc. (see card)


Handling Refereed Lead Objections:

Sometimes objection may come up such as:

"Well I really don't know anyone." In that case I would say....Mr Prospect, sometimes we put the names of people in our phone book, I would ask spouse to get their phone book and see if that might help them think of someone.

Another objection is "I don't like to give names out," in that case I would say Mr. Prospect I can appreciate that, however I found from past experience that many people I have been referred to were greatly appreciative of seeing the type of work I do, (just like you were today, keeping in mind that you were referred by John Q. Prospect.)

Sure, by now your saying wow, this takes a lot of time. Yes and that's because it is a selling situation using a proven presentation. If I ended up with 3 referrals and did not sell this prospect anything, guess what! I still made $510. Remember each card was worth $170. Get the right mindset.

Mail those cards out asap. Once you get completed referred lead cards from client , it is imperative they be sent out within 5 days. They are like a hot potato. After 5 days they cool off fast. During this 5 day period the referral will probably come into contact with referrer and he/she may set the stage for you. Many times when I called, the nominator had already set the stage for me. this is vital for the referred lead card system to be effective.


Phone calling those referrals:

Now let’s make the phone call:

Mr. Referral this is Mr. Agent. I recently sent you out a referral card from john prospect, I am giving you a courtesy call to see if we can get together sometime and show you the type of work I do. Our first get together is to first find out if there is anything we have in common. I am always looking to meet new friends, are daytime or evening appointments best for you?

Shut up and wait for a response.

Why this works : What is the psychology of this process? It is because we have made it simple for the prospect. How?

Quite simply we took a complex question (who do you know) which encompasses the entire spectrum of people he knows, and worked it down to only asking for one name, and helped jog his/her memory. Then we go who else, who else, etc. (one name at a time)

Most agents ask the generic "who do you know" and this encompasses the prospects full arena of people and blurs his ability to come up with anyone.

That is usually why you will get no names. But by starting out and asking for one specific name, it keeps it simple. Think about it.


You should then consider using the  Appreciation Dinner Concept after you built a client portfolio of around 100 people by using this referred lead card system.

Learn and Earn



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