It is pension season again..time to revisit an old post….

For those of us who market in the Pension arena, we know that this is “Pension Season.” Small businesses throughout the country are making decisions on the current plans or deliberating whether to put in a new plan of some kind. How can we help our clients to make a decision by the end of the year? Here are some tips from the Sandler System that has worked for me.

 Create a sense of urgency. Establish the consequences of your clients not taking action. Think about what your clients have to lose by inaction. Forget features and benefits and talk about the hard value of the pension program in measurable terms. Be able to articulate this to your clients and prospects. Provide creative solutions to help your clients. Specifically give them a “real” picture of the tax savings and the advantages of acting now as opposed to later. We can help you with this so don’t hesitate to call us for support.

Do lunch. Take your client to lunch to thank them for their existing business. This is an opportune time to tell clients how much you appreciate them. Let them know they are an important part of your business, and you will strive to maintain the partnership. Review the history of the account, and let your client do the review. For instance, The Sandler Selling System suggests opening the dialogue by asking questions like: How long have you been doing business together? How satisfied is the client with your services? How does the client feel you could improve your service, and in what areas? Ultimately, this type of activity will help cement the relationship, and like an annual review can give you the opportunity to discuss the idea of pensions – and why making that choice by the end of the year is a good idea.