Five to Watch: Knowing how to close the sale

LoHudBy TARA WEISS
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original Publication: March 19, 2006)

These five women are at the top of their individual fields. They are all salespeople and they all have one thing in common: They know how to close the deal.

What's the key to a salesperson's success?

It's about listening to a client's needs and then matching it with their product.

Contrary to popular wisdom, they all agree that it's more important to focus on a good fit instead of trying to sell a client on something that won't work for them. It's not sell, sell, sell. It's about finding a match — kind of like a marriage.

Linda Rey, Sales and marketing manager, The Rey Insurance Agency, Sleepy Hollow The best advice offered to Linda Rey was this: If you're in sales, you have to pretend that you're financially independent.

As the head of the life, health and retirement unit of her family's business, The Rey Insurance Agency Inc. in Sleepy Hollow, those words have served her well. That's because unlike auto and homeowner insurance — types of insurance that are required — Rey must find clients for insurance that's optional.

She's doing something right. Rey recently was named an Emerging Leader by Westchester's American Association of University Women, and in October was named Business Woman of the Year by the Westchester Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Fifty percent of Rey's clients are looking to purchase life insurance so they can protect their family. She also has clients looking to provide their employees with financial planning.

Rey, 39, has spent the last 20 years working in insurance, but only returned to the family business two years ago.

To get a client base started, she joined organizations such as the Sleepy Hollow Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club and the Westchester and Rockland Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.

"What I found was people wait until they see that you've been around for a while and you're interested," Rey says. "That was one thing, just getting yourself in the community with roots. People want to see that you're around and that you will be around and that you know what you're doing."

Networking is a big part of finding clients. She attends business functions, gets business cards and makes follow-up calls. So is cold calling. Rey spends a lot of time visiting prospective clients in their businesses.

"You really have to put yourself out there and get out of your comfort zone," Rey says. "Sales is about meeting people and talking to them and reaching out to find out if they have any pressing issues that they want to discuss. It's persistence but not in an aggressive way but trying to reach out to as many people as you can but not being desperate. They know right away if you're hungry."