Beware Cold Solutions Marketing

[L5tc]

Or investors union which is the parent company. Don't be a schmuck like me. They "book" appointments but brow beat old people to say yes and once they say yes you're charged. These are not quality appointments. I'm not saying they should guarantee annuities are there or how much or will there be a sale.

It's a very clever scam which works for them. They could book an appointmen with a golden retriever if it sound like the dog barked "yes" for and proposed appointment date.

 

[policy doctor]

Never heard of them but thanks for the ALERT!!

Are you selling annuities now? I just got an email that Conseco has a 4 yr fixed paying 5%/yr for all 4 years. Not bad, considering tax-deferral and short surrender time. Also a good way to get people introduced to annuitites.

Going back to your appts....telemktg is hard work and usually a temp job for many. So they will ram appts since they (co)bonus for volume, or quantity of set appts. Hard to get people to pick up the phone anymore.

I just ran an "inquiry" type lead that for almost a month would not answer the phone, or return my follow-up phone call. (med advantage) I just stopped by on my return home, and heck she was home and i wrote her up. She admitted she never picks up until people start talking, (screen) or gets a message from a known.

 

[honestagent]

I almost hired them to do my MAs back in October; I had talked to somebody and I was apprehensive so I did not do it.

Thanks for the post.

To this day, I firmly believe, nobody's going to set you up the way you set yourself up. Bottom line guys, nobody will clean your house the way you clean your house no matter how much you pay him/her.

 

[L5tc]

More on Cold Solutions

I was referred to them by an agent! I needed to jump start some stuff that this guy touted them highly.

It's ruse - they send out a card in your designated area that tells people "you may have an annuity that has come due." It's blue collar ruse because anyone who knows anything about finance would throw the card out.

What happens? Most people make the appt with CS because they think you FOUND them money. I had another old lady who thought that her annuity expired and was wigging. Then there are the ones who think you have personnal information and want to make the appointment to scream at you!

Don't say it - I know I'm a schmuck, as they say in NY. Yes I sell annuities and call me stupid on this but I won't replace an annuity with a 4K penalty for an 81 year old lady.

I was incredibly expensive and with hindsight I could have hired a telemarketer and done something like this better for myself.

I don't believe I should make my living scaring the s&&t out of old people who bought annuities in savings banks.

 

[planner22]

Did you close any appointments that you went on and how many appointments do you get for 3000 bucks?

 

[L5tc]

No Closes

I got 45 appointments with some promotion they had on. I have 11 left I got to see about 8? out of more than 30 calls and I'm not bad on the phone! It is an absolute cold call for me when it's supposed to be a booked appointment.

The people Cold Solutions/investors union books appointments with THINK that the company has found them money but they're too embarrased to ask the "call center" so they accept an appointment. By the time an agent calls these people realize what's happenening and they are fired up for bear - or they're embarrased and come up with the dumbest excuses not to meet. WHAT'S THIS ABOUT!!!! that's what I always get. I saw one 81 year old who thought her annuity was going to expire!! I spent the whole appointment calming her down! She got me into talk to her senior center so it wasn't a total loss. I can review annuities without scaring the beejeezuz out of these people.

On a certain level it works. Just send out a card that says "Your annuity may have come due and you need to call our center to find out."

Put in a phone # asking them to call "The Annuity Service Center" hold your nose and pretend you're an operator - then switch the call back to yourself to try to book the appointment! You can't do any worse.

 

[NHB_MMA]

Put in a phone # asking them to call "The Annuity Service Center" hold your nose and pretend you're an operator - then switch the call back to yourself to try to book the appointment! You can't do any worse.

 

[L5tc]

Thanks for the smile... I was cracking up when I wrote it, at least I'm laughing about it now.

 

[janetpetri]

In response to your dissatiffaction. I will tell you the Cold Solutions program has been a blessing to me. I question someone who has had more than 40 appointments and couldn't sell one.

I sell almost half of every appointment set for me. I have used their program for more than 3 years and not every appointment is great but all in all they are a great program for someone that wants to grow their business.

The Cold Solutions appointments people I see absolutely have assets. I would highly recommend this program to anyone. I have talked to many other Cold Solutions agents that feel the way I do and we discuss some of the issues with clients and I have had clients thank us for helping them. This seems to be the only program that does work. Not all marketing programs work for everyone.

 

[Mr. Bill]

Janet, I completely disagree. Nice post of yours but I don't believe a word of it. I have NEVER met an agent that had a positive experience, and Cold Solutions/Investors Union has been shut down in many states, which really speaks for itself.