Aflac

[2112Greg]

Re: Aflac Kool Aid

That's not a bad price, but Josh, I would change your signature because you're not selling leads, you're selling lists. There isn't anything wrong with that, but the word 'lead' implies that some kind of contact has been made and there is an indication of interest on their part.

Just my opinion and I may actually take you up on your offer in a couple of weeks.

Bummer about the Aflac experience, but it's more common than not. And scheduled benefit plans like Aflac and Colonial Life are terrible. I have a far better solution for accident, CI, cancer and such.

 

[pcbinsurance]

Re: Aflac Kool Aid

A competing list company email blasted me today and I checked out their site and I thought this was interesting on the blog they had:

Several times a day I’m asked by agents if we provide leads… no we provide data. There is a very clear difference between data and a lead and many know the difference and many use the term “lead” loosely.

A “lead” is a person or entity that has the need/reason/interest and the authority to purchase a product or service. Typically a lead is a person or entity that has an immediate or recent interest otherwise this might be considered an “aged” lead.

“Data” is merely a collection of facts, values and information.

Every product or service has a target audience or demographic of whom would buy that product. They key difference is IF there is a recent or immediate interest. Below are some facts about “leads” and “data” as well as some advantages and disadvantages of prospecting each.

LEADS:
Cost more than data.
Real-time leads, depending on your business, could cost any where between $5 and $150 per lead.
Age leads are less expensive as they could be several weeks or months old and as little as 50 cents per lead.
There is a recent or immediate interest.
May have already been called by other agents.
More competition as the lead is likely shared.
Require immediate contact with the prospect.

DATA:
ALOT less expensive than leads where you could purchase one piece of data for 3-5 cents.
There has been no expressed interest made to you.
They more than likely have not been called by other agents.
Less competition with other agents if there has been no formal request made by the person.
You have the ability to purchase data based on many filters including:
Business data: geographic area, sales volume, SIC code, # of employees and many more.
Consumer data: geographic area, household income, age, gender, homeowners and many more.

I encourage a healthy mix of both as you don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket. Now you know enough to be dangerous…good luck!

 

[Josh]

Re: Aflac Kool Aid

That's not a bad price, but Josh, I would change your signature because you're not selling leads, you're selling lists. There isn't anything wrong with that, but the word 'lead' implies that some kind of contact has been made and there is an indication of interest on their part.

I appreciate the feedback, but the referring to them as leads was a decision I made after a great deal of consideration. The bottom line on that point is that it's the term for the list business. SalesGenie.com is probably one of the largest companies (owned by InfoGroup which did over half a billion dollars in revenue last year) and they use the term leads. Most dialer systems refer to the lists as leads. Most list companies call them leads. I agree personally that a lead implies more than a name and a number which is why I'm trying to coin the term "cold leads".

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

Re: Aflac Kool Aid

The bottom line on that point is that it's the term for the list business.

Seems like a short-sighted philosophy...

Are you concerned about your customers/clients, or are you more concerned about "the list business"? Are your competitors buying anything from you? Seems to me that the "bottom line" for many customers (including me) would be "telling it like it is", as opposed to "telling it like YOU think it should be".

If you want to copy your much larger competitors, and their shading of the truth - have at it. There's a very large (and growing) segment of the market that values the truth - even if it's inconvenient, and will reward businesses for it.

 

[pcbinsurance]

Re: Aflac Kool Aid

It's hard to keep track of these list/lead companies.

Salesdialers.com has List Giant as an "advertiser" on their home page, yet I figured out that the email blast that came to me today came from www.salesdatalist.com which is owned by the good folks over at salesdialers.com. On their blog (I quoted above) they don't think a list is a lead either....yet they support List Giant which calls them leads.
To me, they can call these leads if they want but I'll call them lists.
It looks to me like Josh has the best deal on targeted lists by a good margin. I use referenceusa through the library but if I ever need lists in bulk, Josh is the guy I'll go to.
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Actually, List Giant's website calls them lists but on salesdialers.com, the popup ad says they are leads.
Well, you should call them cold lists.

 

[Josh]

Re: Aflac Kool Aid

Seems like a short-sighted philosophy...

Are you concerned about your customers/clients, or are you more concerned about "the list business"? Are your competitors buying anything from you? Seems to me that the "bottom line" for many customers (including me) would be "telling it like it is", as opposed to "telling it like YOU think it should be".

If you want to copy your much larger competitors, and their shading of the truth - have at it. There's a very large (and growing) segment of the market that values the truth - even if it's inconvenient, and will reward businesses for it.

I can and do appreciate your position, but it's not a question of ethics. There are entire industries that call a lead what most of us would agree are lists. Some of my competitors will call them "likely responders" which I think crosses a line.

It's not a matter of copying them, it's a matter of using the terminology they use. Insurance agents call simplified issue whole life policies final expense and term policies mortgage protection, are you supposing that those are misleading terms because in fact they are their respective types of insurance?

If you read through the descriptions of the lists on my site or anywhere I discuss them I make it perfectly clear what I'm offering. If the industry calls a targeted marketing record a lead, why should I use a different terminology? If there is a reason to, I'm all for it, but I also don't want to confuse the consumer by them going to sales genie and looking at leads and then looking at my site and seeing lists. That make sense?
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It's hard to keep track of these list/lead companies.

Salesdialers.com has List Giant as an "advertiser" on their home page, yet I figured out that the email blast that came to me today came from </title> <title>SalesDataList, Telemarketing, Residential, Business, and Consumer which is owned by the good folks over at salesdialers.com. On their blog (I quoted above) they don't think a list is a lead either....yet they support List Giant which calls them leads.
To me, they can call these leads if they want but I'll call them lists.
It looks to me like Josh has the best deal on targeted lists by a good margin. I use referenceusa through the library but if I ever need lists in bulk, Josh is the guy I'll go to.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Actually, List Giant's website calls them lists but on salesdialers.com, the popup ad says they are leads.
Well, you should call them cold lists.

I'm working on having a graphic that will replace the LG graphic on the SalesDialers website. In talking with them they agree that there are too many list vendors associated with their company so they're going to be focusing on myself plus their inhouse product (the salesdatalist.com) which is more of a high volume/low quality solution. They told me to get that graphic to them a week ago and I still haven't done it, so shame on me there.

 

[CashFlow]

Re: Aflac Kool Aid

I have never worked for aflac, but a buddy of mine did a few months ago and he seems to be having a rough time as well. I feel for all you aflac guys out there. That is one rough gig. Good luck to ya.

I too worked for AFLAC for about a year.. had its ups and downs.. Worked for two DSC's and learned quite a bit, but I never quite set the world on fire there as I thought I would.. I would say the experience taught me a lot about myself, and that I do well independently, but working on my WI Property exam right now, and I should be in at an independent agency that has offered me a nice position.. hopefully anyway!

 

[bfriz]

Re: Aflac Kool Aid

Thanks to this forum I began Monday doing FE and have several bites!

I will find some way to do 10,000 in premium each year with Aflac to keep my residuals for 10 years but I wont do much over that!

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

Re: Aflac Kool Aid

Thanks to this forum I began Monday doing FE and have several bites!

Sounds great! And by "bites", you mean?

 

[pcbinsurance]

Re: Aflac Kool Aid

Aunt Betty and Uncle Ned are "ALL IN" on some final expense.