800 number

[Frank Stastny]

Still takes a lot of marketing to get those three to call, but I'm committed to marketing my business for the long haul.

Isn't that called "work"?

Prospecting is the work part of selling insurance. Most agents want someone else to do that for them, like "who has the best leads for sale". Buying names and addresses on post cards is not real prospecting. What you are doing is real prospecting/marketing.

Selling insurance is he fun part of the business. One has to do the work before one, or even two, can have fun selling.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Imagine that you're sitting there trying to sell insurance to someone either a state away or hours away and in the mean time the person looking for insurance who owns the business 5 blocks away has no idea you exist. It's a bit scary for me to think that five years from now I'll be chasing people down trying to sell them insurance while hundreds/thousands of people in my surrounding area are actively seeking it out.

 

[The New Guy]

Nice looking updated web site John. I will be in the market for a site very shortly, may have to give your sister a call. Any idea on the price for a non family member?

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Just give her a call - she's very reasonable. I designed the quote template myself since I want as much info as possible before I send out quotes.

 

[Frank Stastny]

Imagine that you're sitting there trying to sell insurance to someone either a state away or hours a way and in the mean time the person looking for insurance who owns the business 5 blocks away has no idea you exist. It's a bit scary for me to think that five years from now I'll be chasing people down trying to sell them insurance while hundreds/thousands of people in my surrounding area are actively seeking it out.

Why is it that fishermen on the east end of the lake go to the west end to fish and fishermen on the west end of the lake go to the east end to catch fish?

I fish in my back yard, literally and figuratively.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

If people aren't contacting you it's not because of a bad marketing plan, it's no marketing plan. I'm not saying that every lead source needs to be shut down - but I can see now that a percentage of what you make should be re-invested into local marketing and over time you're less reliant on lead sources as more and more people are contacting you.

I do not regret buying internet and telemarketing leads. What I regret is not supplementing them with local marketing.

 

[Frank Stastny]

...but I can see now that a percentage of what you make should be re-invested ...

I do not regret buying internet and telemarketing leads. What I regret is not supplementing them with local marketing.

Buying leads is a great way to supplement your marketing/prospecting efforts and I also have had success with them. However, I believe they should only represent a small portion of one's total effort.

Agents fail in this business, not because they can't sell, but because they either don't know how to or don't want to prospect/market.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

It's a graduating scale - initially heavily focused on buying leads with some local marketing then as time goes by it's the reverse - almost no purchased leads.

Agents are overwhelmed with the cost of print ads on local publications - and there's usually a lot of them. Just one ad in one publication has little to no effect - especially when the agent yanks the ad after a few weeks.

What's needed is to pay for a yearly ad in one publication (which are HUGE discounts over weekly ads) then week by week, month by month, place more and more.

Community events? You or a representative should be at every one of them. Table or booth space can be as little as $50. Over time when your name is known it has a cumulative effect. People have instant faith in you if they recognize your name.

This, of course, means you're out of "sales mode." You cannot build a name in the community by "closing" or "slamming" people. The method requires a more consultative approach. No one's gonna refer or recommend you if they themselves felt pressured.

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

http://marylandquotes.com

Oh...Thanks. I didn't realize it was you!

 

[J.R.]

It's a graduating scale - initially heavily focused on buying leads with some local marketing then as time goes by it's the reverse - almost no purchased leads.

Agents are overwhelmed with the cost of print ads on local publications - and there's usually a lot of them. Just one ad in one publication has little to no effect - especially when the agent yanks the ad after a few weeks.

What's needed is to pay for a yearly ad in one publication (which are HUGE discounts over weekly ads) then week by week, month by month, place more and more.

Community events? You or a representative should be at every one of them. Table or booth space can be as little as $50. Over time when your name is known it has a cumulative effect. People have instant faith in you if they recognize your name.

This, of course, means you're out of "sales mode." You cannot build a name in the community by "closing" or "slamming" people. The method requires a more consultative approach. No one's gonna refer or recommend you if they themselves felt pressured.

Let me know the next time you will be at a community event so I can properly show my support