Conflicting Motivations

People often have conflicting motivations. Sometimes this is known as "approach-avoidance conflict". The closer you get to a particular positive goal, the stronger you feel the accompanying negative aspects. On the one hand a prospect wants to reduce insurance costs. On the other hand, he worries that spending less money could mean the coverage or service won’t be as good. Switching insurance agents or carriers (or making any kind of business decision, really) involves change, and anticipating change often brings anxiety that unexpected complications or “problems” may ensue. Decision-makers are apt to feel, “The devil I know is better than the devil I don’t know.”

Often suspects aren’t even aware of their conflicted feelings and hesitancy. Instead of talking about their underlying concerns, they might say they’re “all set”, or procrastinate about scheduling a time for a meeting. Skillful producers and teleprospectors need to anticipate and recognize the real issues behind a suspect’s hesitation and offset them with reassurance and encouragement.

The importance of dealing with suspects’ unstated reservations can’t be underestimated. It’s worth noting that doctors who are regarded as caring, attentive, and understanding are less frequently the subjects of medical malpractice suits. When it comes to offsetting prospects’ hesitancy and approach-avoidance conflicts, satisfying their emotional needs (by being patient, showing empathy, etc.) is, initially at least, more important than the technical solutions and expertise a skilled agent might later bring to the table.