Write More Bonds with these 3 Steps

• March 14, 2018
• by Tom Peck
• Articles

Have you ever wondered why that bail bonding company across town is writing so many bonds? You’re doing everything you can to market your business in an effort to get the calls to come in, yet there’s still something missing. Here are the top free three things you can do right now to write more bonds this month and every month thereafter.

Sharpen your Phone Etiquette.

When you get a call to your office, you have to think of every single caller as a potential client. Yes, many people are just calling around and shopping for the ‘best price,’ but many people are shopping for more than that. We all know that rates for bail bonds are pretty standard from one company to another, but we often fail to realize that people make a company, not the rates.

In every industry, people tend to do business with people they like. Have you ever called a few different service providers and felt that one of them just gave you a ‘good feeling’? Most of us have, and we based our buying decision based off of that feeling. That’s the sort of feeling you want to give to every call that comes into your bonding company. Every. Single. Call.

If you aren't the one answering your phone, then you need to listen to what your staff is saying. You'll be surprised!

To illustrate the power of being likable over the phone, think about this…

Let’s say a person calls three other companies before yours for the ‘best price’ only to find out that most companies’ rates and qualifications are similar. Now, they’re on the phone with you. What do you do? Do you tell them your rates and let them say, “I’ll call you back?” or do you tell them your rates, express a genuine interest in helping them, answer their questions, and close the deal?

If you ever end a phone call with the other person saying “I’ll call you back,” then you’re probably not communicating your desire to help them well enough over the phone.

Become a Pro at Follow-up

A bail bonds business is like any other business in that we rely on people calling us to inquire about our services. Therefore, every single phone call that comes into your office is the lifeblood of your business. Sure, you’re not going to have every single call become a co-signer on a bond, but just think about how many voicemails you haven’t followed up on. Think about how many people said, “I’ll call you back” and never did.

Looking at your company as a business that relies on leads (phone calls) and wrapping your head around the fact that any one of those phone calls, voicemails, texts, or “call-backs” of a potential client could be the one thing that increases your revenue by several thousand dollars each month. Return voicemails and call people back instead of waiting for them give you another call.

Improve your Sales Tactics

If you are on the front line of a business, then you are in sales. If you are a business owner, then you are in sales. If you’re in customer service, then you’re in sales. If you are a bondsman… you get the point. It doesn’t matter if you are a large company or a one-man operation. If you aren’t going to sell your service, then who is?

Sales aren’t about pushing a service. It’s all about identifying needs and thoroughly communicating the benefits of your service. It starts with proper phone etiquette and follow-up and ends with more money in your bank account. The middle part of the process is very simple. You get the caller to agree to come in and sign the bail bond. There are so many sales lost due to the fact that the company never directly asks the person for their business. It’s a very simple process that can improve your success rate!

During the phone call, ask qualifying questions about the co-signer and if they fit your guidelines, determine a good time for them to come into the office to sign the paperwork. If they don’t know, give them two different time slots and ask which one would be better for them. After that, tell them to come into the office to sign the bail bond at that time and give them directions to your office over the phone. Make them repeat it to you so you know they have written it down.

It seems very simple, but if that is your only take away from this, you’ll sign more bonds. I guarantee it.

To Summarize

Remember that customers buy from people they like. It’s not all about price. Don’t make them like you as part of a sales gimmick. Just be likable. Follow-up with messages and people who said they’ll call you back. Answer a potential client’s questions directly and try to pre-qualify every call that comes in. If you’re on the phone with the co-signer, walk them through coming into the office at an agreeable time. Do these things and you’ll see that this year will be your bonding company’s best one yet.

Tom Peck is a sales and marketing consultant for Bail Bonding Now, an Atlanta bail bonds company servicing Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Clayton, and Gwinnett County.