How do you close deals in a remote role when you're not in the same room as your prospect? Without the usual face-to-face cues, how do you know if your pitch resonates or falls flat?
Without that in-person connection, building trust and credibility can feel more challenging. It’s also tough to tell if your product demo is hitting the right notes without those visual signals to guide you. That uncertainty can lead to awkward silences, making it harder to land the sale.
The good news is that with some adjustments, you can captivate and persuade remote audiences just as well as in-person ones. Read on as you discover techniques to better qualify and connect with prospects remotely, and learn how to lead polished product demos that highlight your key differentiators.
What Is Sales in InsureTech?
InsureTech is a space where insurance meets advanced technology. You’ve got the word “insurance” blending right in with “technology,” which means using tech innovations to make the insurance world more efficient and cost-effective.
By combining insurance services with advanced technology, InsureTech improves processes and customer experiences. Sales in this field involve promoting new digital products to insurance companies, brokers, and consumers. To succeed here, you really need to know your stuff – both the ins and outs of insurance and the latest tech trends.
As a sales professional in this field, you'll typically focus on:
- Digital Insurance Platforms: You'll be selling software that lets insurance companies offer their products online. Imagine yourself promoting a platform where customers can compare and buy policies right from their smartphones.
- Data Analytics Tools: You might be demonstrating a mobile app that allows policyholders to submit claims instantly – complete with photo evidence and GPS data. Talk about making life easier.
- Claims Management Systems: Your role involves offering tech that streamlines the claims process. You could be demonstrating a mobile app that lets policyholders submit claims instantly, complete with photo evidence and GPS location data.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software: You'll provide tools to help insurers manage customer interactions more effectively. Think of a CRM system that taps into social media to track customer sentiment and preferences.
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Solutions: You'll be selling AI-powered tools for fraud detection, customer service, and underwriting. Imagine showing off a chatbot that handles basic customer inquiries, freeing up human agents for more complex tasks.
Your sales process often involves:
- You’ll be the go-to person for explaining new technologies and their benefits. This might mean organizing webinars or creating detailed whitepapers that break down how AI can enhance underwriting accuracy. It’s all about helping clients see the real value.
- You’ll also show how your solutions tackle specific challenges in the insurance world. Imagine yourself presenting case studies that highlight how a claims management system cut processing times by 50% for a company just like theirs.
- You’ll often find yourself juggling discussions with various stakeholders like IT departments, actuaries, underwriters, and C-suite executives. Your job? Persuading them all about the value of your product. It’s all about making sure everyone sees the benefits.
- Closing the deal is just the beginning. After that, you’ll likely be offering training sessions and setting up regular check-ins to ensure everything runs smoothly. Your goal is to help them adopt the new technology with ease, making the transition as seamless as possible.
The InsureTech market is booming, and guess what? That means there's a growing need for sales professionals who know their stuff. Insurance companies want to improve their operations with new technology, and they need people who can guide them through this process. As an InsureTech sales expert, you're in a great position. You connect innovative solutions with insurers who want to modernize.
Core Skills for Remote InsureTech Sales
Mastering remote presentations is only one piece of the puzzle. To generate more qualified leads and close deals in the virtual selling environment – InsureTech sales professionals need a diverse skill set. But what exactly are the must-have capabilities that set truly excellent remote sellers apart?
The core skills you need stretch from asking the right questions to handling customer objections over text and video. Sharpening your abilities in these areas can help build that same trust and confidence that comes from in-person sales, even when you’re selling online.
To really grow in remote InsureTech sales, you’ll want to develop and polish a specific set of skills:
1. Digital Communication Proficiency
- You will need to explain complex concepts clearly through video calls, emails, and instant messaging. You could break down a machine learning-based underwriting system in simple terms during a Zoom call.
- You must understand digital etiquette and how to build relationships virtually. This includes knowing when to unmute, how to engage a group on screen, and making relevant small talk.
- You should excel at active listening and interpreting non-verbal cues in digital interactions. Pay attention to subtle signs of interest or confusion, even when dealing with video lag or poor connections.
2. Technology Literacy
- Proficiency with video conferencing platforms is a must for remote InsureTech sales. You might seamlessly switch between Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet depending on client preferences.
- Familiarity with digital sales tools and CRM systems helps track and manage customer interactions. For instance, you might use Salesforce to log client communications and set follow-up reminders.
- The ability to troubleshoot basic technical issues ensures smooth sales interactions. Like a tech navigator, a good InsureTech sales professional can quickly guide a client through audio setup or screen sharing problems without missing a beat.
3. Self-motivation and Time Management
- A successful salesperson often sets daily goals for themselves, like making a certain number of calls or sending out proposals. It’s all about tracking your progress and keeping yourself motivated without someone looking over your shoulder.
- Effectively prioritizing tasks and managing your time really makes a difference when you’re working from home. You might try the Pomodoro Technique, where you focus on high-priority leads for 25 minutes and then take a short break. It helps keep your energy up and your productivity high.
- Maintaining a healthy work-life balance plays a big role in achieving long-term success in this field. So how do top performers do it? You might establish a dedicated workspace, set clear working hours, and engage in regular non-work activities to recharge.
4. Adaptability and Resilience
- Being flexible with your sales strategies really pays off in InsureTech. You might find yourself shifting gears from promoting an entire insurance platform to zeroing in on specific features that really address your clients' immediate needs, especially when the market gets tough.
- Dealing with rejection in a virtual sales world takes some serious resilience. When you hear "no," think of it as an opportunity to gather feedback and fine-tune your pitch for the next prospect.
- Staying competitive means committing to continuous learning and adapting to new tech and sales techniques. Successful sales pros often carve out time each week to dive into the latest industry trends or get hands-on with new sales tools.
Strategies for Success in Remote InsureTech Sales
You've mastered your remote presentation and selling skills, but converting more prospects in InsureTech requires strategies that fit the industry's specific sales process. But how can you stand out in a crowded space?
These techniques help InsureTech sales professionals cut through the noise and build strong, trusted client relationships:
1. Building and Maintaining Virtual Relationships
Building and keeping virtual relationships in InsureTech sales needs a personal touch. Hop on video calls to add that face-to-face connection, and match your communication style to each client's vibe. Are they friendly? Keep it casual. More formal? Adjust your tone.
Regular check-ins with personalized content – like industry news or tailored solutions – keep you on their radar. These simple strategies help create a more engaging remote sales approach that really connects with clients.
2. Creating Compelling Virtual Pitches
Creating effective virtual pitches is key in InsureTech sales. Make presentations that look good on video calls, using clear images and not too much text. Tell stories about how your products have helped other companies to make your ideas easier to understand. Practice your presentation to feel more confident and handle any tech problems that might come up.
3. Remote Prospecting Techniques
Finding new clients in the virtual world of InsureTech sales doesn't have to be a headache. Start by using social media, especially LinkedIn, to find and connect with potential customers. Join online events and webinars where you can meet people interested in insurance technology.
Lastly, make the most of your CRM system – it's a goldmine for identifying high-value prospects you can approach. In fact, a HubSpot survey found that 41% of CRM users said remote selling was easier for them, compared to just 23% of non-users.
4. Virtual Negotiation Skills
Negotiating deals online requires a different set of skills. Learn to pick up on digital cues, like changes in tone or pauses in conversation, to understand how your client is feeling. Use online tools that let you and your client work on proposals together in real-time. When faced with objections, have a plan ready to address them clearly and confidently, even when you're not in the same room. Remember, good virtual negotiation is about finding solutions that work for both sides, just like in person.
Challenges in Remote InsureTech Sales
Selling InsureTech solutions remotely comes with its own set of problems. From technical glitches to building trust without face-to-face meetings, these challenges can test even the most seasoned sales professionals. But what separates top performers from the rest? It's often their ability to turn these obstacles into opportunities for growth and connection.
This is how you can cope with these remote selling challenges and come out on top:
1. Combating Zoom Fatigue
- Give your eyes (and your clients') a break by scheduling some downtime between video calls. You might try the 50-10 rule: 50 minutes of call time, followed by a 10-minute screen-free break.
- Not every interaction needs to be a video call. Sometimes, a good old-fashioned phone call or a well-crafted email can do the trick, especially for quick updates or simple questions.
- During internal meetings, suggest "camera-off" times to your team. This can help everyone feel less pressure to be "on" all the time and reduce overall screen fatigue.
2. Addressing Customer Concerns Virtually
- Build a digital toolbox of resources to tackle common questions. You could create short, snappy videos explaining tricky InsureTech concepts, or put together a FAQ document that you can quickly share during calls.
- When explaining complex ideas, don't just tell – show. Use screen sharing to walk clients through your InsureTech platform, just like you're sitting right next to them.
- Let your clients take your product for a test drive. Offer virtual demos or trial periods, so they can see firsthand how your InsureTech solution could make their life easier.
3. Building Trust Without In-Person Interactions
- Consistency is key when building trust remotely. Follow through on every promise, no matter how small – if you say you'll send an email by EOD, make sure it's in their inbox before 5 PM.
- Transparency goes a long way in the virtual world. Be upfront about what your InsureTech solution can and can't do, and don't shy away from discussing potential implementation challenges.
- Use social proof to your advantage. Share case studies, testimonials, or even set up virtual meet-and-greets with satisfied clients to help prospects feel more confident in your offering.
As we wrap things up, keep in mind that success in remote InsureTech sales really comes down to being adaptable, communicating well, and embracing new technologies. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just getting started, these strategies will help you connect with clients, close deals, and contribute to the digital transformation of the insurance industry, no matter where you are.
Ready to take your InsureTech sales career to the next level? At Strategic Recruiting Partner, we specialize in connecting top talent with exciting opportunities in the InsureTech industry. Reach out to our team today and let's explore how we can support you to become a remote InsureTech sales pro.