Stop Chasing Quotes This Week, Start Controlling the Conversation

There’s one phrase that producers dread hearing but hear far too often:

“Can you just give me a quote?”

On the surface, it sounds like a green light. A buying signal. A clear opportunity. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll realize it’s anything but.

When a prospect asks for a quote right out of the gate, what they’re really saying is:

“I don’t know what else to ask, so I default to price.” “I’ve never been taught how to evaluate insurance or risk.” “I don’t know what makes you any different from the last guy who called.”

And yet, too many producers still jump when they hear that line. They scramble to gather information, rush a submission to market, and spin their wheels quoting for someone who doesn’t understand how to buy, let alone how to value what you’re selling.

This blog is your real-time playbook for flipping the script when a buyer just wants a number. Whether you’re knee-deep in Q4 or just having a packed week of prospecting, this article will help you stop chasing quotes, and start controlling conversations that lead to real wins.

The Red Flag You’ll Hear This Week: “Can You Just Quote This?”

Let’s be honest, the words “just quote this” are often the beginning of a time-wasting rabbit hole.

Here’s what usually happens:

• A prospect asks for a quote

• The producer rushes to collect loss runs, SOVs, and applications

• Submissions go out to market, often incomplete or rushed

• The producer waits… and waits… and eventually finds out the buyer stayed with their current agent, or picked a cheaper option without a second thought

Sound familiar?

This cycle happens because the buyer is driving the process, and they don’t know how. When they default to asking for quotes, it’s because no one has ever shown them how to evaluate risk, how to assess advisory value, or how to make strategic insurance decisions.

Your job isn’t just to provide numbers. It’s to redirect the entire conversation.

What They Really Mean When They Ask for a Quote

When a buyer leads with price, don’t get offended. Get curious. Their mindset isn’t malicious, it’s misinformed. And that’s not their fault.

Here’s what’s actually going on behind the scenes:

1. “I don’t know what else to ask.”

They’ve been conditioned to treat insurance like a commodity. It’s no different than comparing car models or selecting an internet provider. That’s the level of thought most buyers have been trained to apply.

2. “I’ve never been taught how to buy strategically.”

No one’s ever shown them how loss control, claims management, and policy design connect. They think cheaper premiums = smarter decisions because that’s how the last five agents sold them.

3. “I don’t know what makes you different.”

Unless you show them early and often, buyers have no reason to believe you offer anything other than another quote. They’re not trying to devalue you, they just don’t know what real value looks like in this context.

When you understand why they’re asking for a quote, you’re in a better position to lead with education, not frustration.

Flip the Script in the Moment

So what do you say when someone hits you with the dreaded “can you just quote it?” Here are three ways to shift the conversation in real-time without sounding defensive or dismissive:

Option 1: Ask a Clarifying Question

“Absolutely. To make sure I give you something meaningful, can I ask a few quick questions first to understand what you’re trying to accomplish?”

This buys you time, redirects the focus to goals, and shows that you’re not just a quote machine, you’re a professional.

Option 2: Focus on Outcomes

“I can definitely quote this, but I’ve found that the right solution depends a lot on what outcome you’re looking for. Are you trying to reduce cost, improve coverage, or address a specific risk?”

This reframing puts the buyer in a consultative headspace, and sets you apart immediately.

Option 3: Introduce Your Process

“Most people I work with start by asking for quotes, but they usually find the real value comes when we walk through the risk first. Would you be open to a short conversation to see if we’re a fit before we talk numbers?”

Now you're not just selling insurance. You're offering a better way to buy it.

The 3 Things You Should Be Teaching This Week

If you want to take control of buyer conversations this week, you don’t need to overhaul your process, you just need to lead with education. Here are three key ideas you should be teaching every time someone says “just quote it.”

1. What Impacts Pricing Beyond the Quote

Explain that insurance pricing isn’t like picking from a menu. Underwriters look at:

• The story behind losses (not just the numbers)

• Quality of risk control programs

• Broker reputation and completeness of submission

• Narrative quality, how the business is positioned

When a buyer understands how their business is presented, they start to value your role in influencing the market’s perception.

2. Why Quoting Without Underwriting is a Setup for Failure

Use plain language:

“If I send your info to five markets without context, they’ll give me what I call a ‘defensive quote,’ something to protect themselves, not help you. But if I underwrite the story first, we can get quotes designed to win your business.”

This makes you a strategist, not a salesperson.

3. How the Buying Process Determines Success

Show them that the process matters just as much as the price. Help them see:

• Bidding the account every year destroys continuity and leverage

• Choosing a broker based on price alone leads to poor service and claims management

• Making decisions without understanding total cost of risk is like driving with one eye closed

When you elevate the conversation, you elevate your position.

Tools to Help You Win the Conversation

Don’t just rely on words. Reinforce your message with visuals and tools that back your process and make your value clear.

Use Your Sales Visual

Break out your workflow diagram:

• Letter of Engagement

• Risk Assessment

• Carrier Strategy

• Implementation

• Stewardship

When you walk buyers through this visual, they realize,

“This is NOT how my current agent does it.”

Provide a Risk Diagnosis, Not a Quote

Offer a simple risk scorecard, coverage audit, or claims review. Don’t just ask for declarations pages, offer insight.

“Let’s take a look at where the gaps are first. Then we can talk about what to quote.”

This positions you as a diagnostician, not a commodity broker.

Leverage a One-Pager: “Why We Don’t Just Quote First”

Create or use a document that explains:

• The dangers of blind quoting

• How strategic buying works

• What your process includes

• What good outcomes actually look like

Leave it behind after meetings or attach it to follow-up emails. Let it speak for you even when you’re not in the room.

Conclusion: Reclaim Your Time, Reclaim Your Value

The next time someone says “can you just quote it,” don’t hear a buying signal, hear a teaching moment.

Your role as a producer isn’t to chase numbers. It’s to change how buyers think about insurance.

Because when you control the conversation, you control the outcome.

And that’s how you:

• Save time

• Win better business

• Build clients who trust you

• And stop the quoting hamster wheel for good

Final Thought: You’re not just quoting policies. You’re guiding business owners through one of the most important financial decisions they make all year.

Teach first, advise second, quote last. That’s how you win, this week, and every week.

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