A compelling collection of effective closes

Assumed close - Take the application, which had been previously placed on the table when showing the clients the product brochure, pick up your pen and say, “Mrs. Client, what is your middle initial?” and start completing the form.

Medical qualification close - “Mrs. Client, right now the decision is not really yours. Because of your medical conditions, the decision is really the insurance company’s. So let’s complete the application and see if the insurance company will even cover you.”

30-day-free-look close - “Mr. Client, don’t worry if you can’t decide which benefits you really want. You actually have almost three months to make a final decision on the benefit selection – like taking lifetime coverage vs. five years. The reason is it could take from four to 10 weeks for the insurance company to issue a policy. (The longer period of time is due to any delays in obtaining medical records from your doctor.) Then you have a 30-day free look, which means that when I return to deliver the policy in person, you have 30 days from the delivery date to modify the benefits or even to cancel the policy.”

Here are some other transitional and closing statements that I have collected:

• “If you have the plan, I hope you never use it. However, if you have to use it, it’s there for you. You win both ways.”
• “We are going to transfer the risk from (Mr. and Mrs. Jones) Insurance Company to (Carrier Name) Insurance Company, just like you have transferred the risk on your car, health and home.”
• “Health is not a question of ?if, but when.’ Most of us are going to be unhealthy. The question becomes will you need care for a few days or a few years? The longer we live, the greater the risk for needing care – either at home or in a facility.”
• “If you think $(annual premium) a year is challenging, what would $2,500 or $3,500 a month in LTC bills do to your budget or life savings?”
• “You are doing this for each other. In case one of you needs care or goes to a care facility, you don’t want to leave the spouse impoverished.”
• “I am assuming your estate is for your children, not the care facility. Without this plan, the care facility stands between you and your wishes.”
• “I’ve found this is the lesser of two evils. You can use a long term care plan to protect your estate or you can use your estate to pay for LTC.”
• “You have been conservative all your life – you have worked hard for many years. I don’t think you want to give that to the care facility.”
• Explain that you have seen first-hand the trauma involved with putting a spouse in a nursing home.