"99.5% WILL FAIL.." - SAM

What is the dog's name? Is that one of those hairless pups?
He is alternately "Debit Dawg" or "Rock Dog". He's my alter-ego. I'm a debit agent and also a musician. I don't know what kind of dog it is. I found the picture online a few years ago and thought it was cool, so I adopted it!
 
My first insurance gig was with Combined Insurance. That was back in 1979. 75% of the time we were door knocking and the other 25% we were running and renewing stubs, with hopes of adding on amendments. I worked there for a year and was considered a stud.

I can unoquivickly say in my 40 plus years of sales: Door knocking is the worst job I have ever had in my life. The only thing I can even imagine that might be worse is Telesales.


FTR

I did collect unemployment for 4 weeks in 1981.

I use to door knock too, I'll agree it wasn't the most funnest thing I've ever done, but it gave me thick skin and I highly recommend it for new agents who need cash flow. Too many agents wait around a few weeks for their dm to come in, when they can go to their backyard and make some money.

Regarding telesales, I've been working the phones since I have a large cast on and honestly it isn't that bad.. I ordered 50 leads, still no sale but I was expecting much worse. I'm going to keep trying. All my leads I've ordered are with a 2 hour radius of Detroit so worst case if I can't commit to them over the phone, I'll visit them when I heal.
 
I use to door knock too, I'll agree it wasn't the most funnest thing I've ever done, but it gave me thick skin and I highly recommend it for new agents who need cash flow. Too many agents wait around a few weeks for their dm to come in, when they can go to their backyard and make some money.

Regarding telesales, I've been working the phones since I have a large cast on and honestly it isn't that bad.. I ordered 50 leads, still no sale but I was expecting much worse. I'm going to keep trying. All my leads I've ordered are with a 2 hour radius of Detroit so worst case if I can't commit to them over the phone, I'll visit them when I heal.
What type of lead did you order? Close rate should be at least 3%. If not then your presentation needs work. Also you need to call each lead at least 3 times per day.
 
What type of lead did you order? Close rate should be at least 3%. If not then your presentation needs work. Also you need to call each lead at least 3 times per day.

My presentation needs a ton of work. I'm recording my calls tomorrow so I can critique myself.

Leads were off shore marketing. I've only called each person once, three seems like a lot but I'm going to try it.

Thanks for the advice!
 
My presentation needs a ton of work. I'm recording my calls tomorrow so I can critique myself.

Leads were off shore marketing. I've only called each person once, three seems like a lot but I'm going to try it.

Thanks for the advice!

You will not make it in telesales with offshore leads. The quality is way too low, and the people who are interested are the bottom tier FE client that you dont want.

We tried Avatar leads when they were still legal. They were cheap, and our ROI was good, but the quality of business was horrendous. It also lowered our average app count per agent, and total sales dipped.

Im sure it can be done, but once cash flow is healthy, I would personally find a more reputable way to market myself.
 
I come to this forum to get new insight on how to sell insurance. Many of the best threads come from those two guys. Much of the animosity towards them as of late is because of their stance on tele sales and door knocking.

It appears to me most of the successful tele sales agents are glued to the phone 40 hours a week. Most door knockers spend far more time in the field than I do. Who in their right mind would want to do that when they could work half the hours and make the same or more money?

just my opinion
Finding someone to teach you how to do it is the problem,
 
I was been taught by some of the best insurance agents in the country while at Combined. Believe me, I can door knock with the best of them. I just do not like doing it. It is for the most part a big waste of time and gas, when compared to working scheduled appointments.

Take the last two days for instance. I had 8 appointments, 5 on Wed and 3 on Thursday. Got stood up twice on Wed and wrote the other 3. On Thursday got stood up once, but still wrote 3 with a husband and wife.

the monthly premiums were $118 67 41 102 114 110

After a 2 hour drive I was at home on the couch at 3:45 pm Thursday. Very rarely, if ever, would I have a day like that door knocking. I think those would also be pretty decent numbers for a telemarketer. The question in my mind is would I rather work 5 days or a day and a half?
 
I was been taught by some of the best insurance agents in the country while at Combined. Believe me, I can door knock with the best of them. I just do not like doing it. It is for the most part a big waste of time and gas, when compared to working scheduled appointments.

Take the last two days for instance. I had 8 appointments, 5 on Wed and 3 on Thursday. Got stood up twice on Wed and wrote the other 3. On Thursday got stood up once, but still wrote 3 with a husband and wife.

the monthly premiums were $118 67 41 102 114 110

After a 2 hour drive I was at home on the couch at 3:45 pm Thursday. Very rarely, if ever, would I have a day like that door knocking. I think those would also be pretty decent numbers for a telemarketer. The question in my mind is would I rather work 5 days or a day and a half?

When you say door knocking are you talking about cold knocking or knocking with leads? I find it hard to believe that a fella like you would take longer than 2 days to get through 5 doors knocking leads through a route planner.
 
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