Do You Know What Your Customers Want?

Bob owns a local insurance agency and is the proud father of two sons.  One of them had just graduated college and had taken his first job upstate and was soon to be married.  At his new job the employer allowed his insurance agent to speak with the new hires.  The son told him that he no interest in purchasing a life insurance policy from him as his father runs his own agency that had just put him through school.  The agent was unfazed and asked if the could speak anyway and gave his best pitch about how his policies were better than what his fathers company offered.  The son then called his father to explain about the meeting with the agent and that he wanted a policy but would buy it from him.  When Bob's son drove back to town to spend the weekend with the family he asked his dad about the policies he sold.  He was happy with his fathers explanations until they came the point about guaranteed purchase options (allows you to buy additional insurance at a later date).  The son asked "Dad, does your company sell that feature?" "Well yes we do" said the father "But I didn't know you were interested in that."  "I am as a matter of fact" said the son.  "I know I'll need more insurance down the road and this way I"ll know when and for how much I can get it."  Bob wrote up another application and included the feature.  In the process he learned a valuable lesson that he swears he won't forget.  The first is that had this customer been anyone but his own son he would have lost the sale to the other agent.  Secondly, never assume that you know what your customers need and want. Find out what they are looking for, show them all their options and let them decide.