Leads and dialers

[mickeyma]

What product are you selling? Big thing in final expense now is to use auto dialer machine and if they want more info press 1.

Live transfer calls means you have to be at the office just sitting there waiting and waiting and waiting for the phone to ring. I'd rather deal with reply cards or telemarketing leads and I can call at my convenience.

I used a telemarketing firm last year for mortgage protection and I made money on it. They would email the appointment schedule every morning.
Unfortunately, they went out of business so I continued my direct mail to new mortgages.

There are companies that will offer telemarketing machines with life insurance scripts. One advertised in the $5,000 range, which I felt was ridiculously high. Do a google search.

 

[retread]

One of the advantages of the Cheetah dialer, is that you don't have to use the "Auto" dial feature. It has a "Power" dialing feature that works like this:
1) You buy your call list, download it to your call list manager.
2) Scrub your numbers against the DNC list, sort however you choose your list to present to the dialer. (You need to know the software.)
3) Bring up the dialer, and start at the top with the first prospect. When finished with that call (either speaking, busy, ans machine, or hangup), log the results, and click on the next name.

By doing this, the machine is not dialing the next number until you are through with the current call. You command the action. "Predictive" dialers start dialing while you are still on the line with your current prospect, and can connect before you are through with your current call. This is where you get into trouble... silent calls are tracked by the FTC/FCC. If you use a Predictive dialer, you have to show by audit proof that you keep those dead calls below 3%, or be subject to punitive action. Even an Auto dialer can get you in trouble if you aren't on top of things. By just using the Power dialer, I don't have the machine begin dialing until I am ready to speak to the next prospect. No problem.

 

[Ramond B]

You are absolutely correct about the 3% abandonment rate. You must stay below that. Cheetah does work as it lets you do one at a time however its not the most efficient from my experience. There are other hosted solutions that dial from 2-3 lines per agent still keeping drop rate below that 3%.

These are the big boys but they require long term contracts and / or set up fees....

-Five 9 (dot) com
-solus one (dot) com


These services are month to month with no contracts.....

-Best Rate Referrals (dot) com
-MortgageDialer (dot) com
-Broker Mojo (dot) com


My personal Favorite...

-Magnalogix (dot) com


You can do a search on hosted predictive phone dialers and find all kind of providers, just make sure they have the support you need because as RETREAD mentioned above knowing the software is key. Pick a company that has an IT person dedicated to you as like anything new there is a learning curve. Find a company that will hold your hand through the first couple weeks of the system.

Hosted predictive dialing is the wave of the future for any industry in which you have to prospect over the phone. the CRM and data management software with in the systems are very powerful, EVEN ALLOWING YOU TO HIRE TMs TO WORK FROM HOME WHILE YOU CAN VIRTUALLY MANAGE THEM IN REAL TIME! Thats goos stuff for work from home agents that want to ramp up but hate cold calling them selves. People think about hiring a TM all the time but then they either hesitate or don't do it because they don't have the space and they cant trust them to work from home. Now you can do that and watch them dial in real time from your computer all while the server is recording all calls for training purposes. Some providers will allow the TM to click a button and transfer any prospective deal right to you.

Anyhow i just thought there should be more said about hosted dialers than just the good old CHeetah. Its simple cheap and branded but truly there are better services out there that all keep you compliant and offer much better features. Just do some research on them and you will find a whole new world out there to help you increase your business.

 

[retread]

Yep, you get what you pay for! Cheetah is cheap compared to what you describe, and it has some serious drawbacks. But consider that this small investment can be trashed if I get tired of it, and in the meanwhile use it sparingly without having to use it daily to get my money's worth. No way would I put a lot of money into a long-term contract or high dollar dialer.

Some people drive cheap cars (I do), and others drive luxury cars. Both get you from A to B (hopefully!).

 

[djs]

For $2.40 an hour, you can use Jade CRM Hosted Predictive Dialer - The Jade Service Provider I don't do enough dials (telemarketing style) to justify a predictive dialer, but I frequently need to dial 40-100 people for a similar thing.

It's not the greatest of all systems, but it works very well for what I need. It can do predictive dialing, or one at a time dialing.

I wouldn't recommend it for hard-core telemarketing, since at some point, the monthly fee is less, but for limited calling, it does work pretty well. I prepay a certain number of hours, and use them as I need.

There are lots of solutions out there.

Dan

 

[Beach Broker]

Another thing you might consider is creating leads through actual direct marketing.

The great thing about getting leads through direct marketing (ie effective direct mail, joint venture mailings, endorsed mailings, cross selling other agents books, yp's and magazine ads) is that your positioning is much better.

The phone is inherently a poor positioning device. In this biz, good positioning changes the entire sale because now instead of being a peon begging for business, you're a trusted advisor. It all begins with WHO they PERCEIVE TO INITIATE THE CONTACT.

The phone stinks because instantly people know you contacted them. But using effective marketing, it makes THEM contact you. They request info from you, and now, even though you initiated the first contact, their perception is that THEY are initiating the contact.

Much easier to close the deal that way.

Beach Broker
Insurance Marketing Maverick

 

[retread]

Another thing you might consider is creating leads through actual direct marketing.

The great thing about getting leads through direct marketing (ie effective direct mail, joint venture mailings, endorsed mailings, cross selling other agents books, yp's and magazine ads) is that your positioning is much better.

The phone is inherently a poor positioning device. In this biz, good positioning changes the entire sale because now instead of being a peon begging for business, you're a trusted advisor. It all begins with WHO they PERCEIVE TO INITIATE THE CONTACT.

The phone stinks because instantly people know you contacted them. But using effective marketing, it makes THEM contact you. They request info from you, and now, even though you initiated the first contact, their perception is that THEY are initiating the contact.

Much easier to close the deal that way.

Beach Broker
Insurance Marketing Maverick

My idea! MY idea! You are stealing MY idea!!...

OK, maybe not.... I agree wholeheartedly. It is much better to have the prospect come to you than for you to chase them down. Works the same way as it did in High School when you wanted a date... (Boy, was that a while ago!) Anyway, the principle is the same. Make yourself a desired pursuit, and be patient. Over zealous, aggressive salesmen are dissed, just like the guy who is desperately seeking a girl... ANY girl. They all run when he shows up.

 

[SportsNut]

Another thing you might consider is creating leads through actual direct marketing.

The great thing about getting leads through direct marketing (ie effective direct mail, joint venture mailings, endorsed mailings, cross selling other agents books, yp's and magazine ads) is that your positioning is much better.

The phone is inherently a poor positioning device. In this biz, good positioning changes the entire sale because now instead of being a peon begging for business, you're a trusted advisor. It all begins with WHO they PERCEIVE TO INITIATE THE CONTACT.

The phone stinks because instantly people know you contacted them. But using effective marketing, it makes THEM contact you. They request info from you, and now, even though you initiated the first contact, their perception is that THEY are initiating the contact.

Much easier to close the deal that way.

Beach Broker
Insurance Marketing Maverick

Positioning... and effective marketing...

Give an example of how you get them to initiate the contact, or request your services, via a call back or contact...?

 

[Alsky]

Another thing you might consider is creating leads through actual direct marketing.

The great thing about getting leads through direct marketing (ie effective direct mail, joint venture mailings, endorsed mailings, cross selling other agents books, yp's and magazine ads) is that your positioning is much better.

The phone is inherently a poor positioning device. In this biz, good positioning changes the entire sale because now instead of being a peon begging for business, you're a trusted advisor. It all begins with WHO they PERCEIVE TO INITIATE THE CONTACT.

The phone stinks because instantly people know you contacted them. But using effective marketing, it makes THEM contact you. They request info from you, and now, even though you initiated the first contact, their perception is that THEY are initiating the contact.

Much easier to close the deal that way.

Beach Broker
Insurance Marketing Maverick

Much of what you say is true, but unfortunately, most agents do not have the budjet to actively pursue a complete direct mail campaign. With a 2% return at best, you would have to do many mailings and on a consistant basis to really receive the desired effects you speak of.

The rule is a potential customer must see your ad 7 times to have it sink in and intiate contact with you. Direct mail and print advertising can be very effective... it is tried and true... if not, our Sunday newspapers and mailboxes would not be chock full of ads from every known business to man. This being said, most agents who go the direct mail or ad route do not maintain the campaign long enough to have the desired effect they are hoping for.

So, I agree with most of what you said in your post (very good first post by the way for once) except for "the phone stinks"... Not true! Yeah marketing by phone has gotten a black eye in the past due to abuse, and mainly abuse toward seniors, but the phone is here to stay in marketing. Heres a better idea... how about using a scrubbed list for your target clients (if consumer, not necessary if business), do your direct mail campaign, and then follow up with a phone call.

Best of both worlds and much more effective. If anyone needs an effective list, my company can supply you with any list you desire, or simply do a google search. Make sure you deal with a trustworthy list broker... it's ok to use "raw" data in a predictive dialer for B2B but not if you are using the list for direct mail as well. Quality matters.

Cheers

 

[Beach Broker]

Okay Okay, so maybe the phone doesn't "Stink". I totally agree that a combo punch with mail, phone, email and any other media possible is the BEST and MOST SURE way of making money.

This is the beauty of building a list of interested prospects, which is really what advertising should be designed to do. Get people to contact you, close the ones you can, and then keep nurturing the rest until they buy.

I'll reply to two previous posts here;

First about the fact that people need to see something 7 times before responding, and secondly some samples of how to position yourself effectively.

I have to admit, I've used autodialers, I've used telemarketers, I've used magazines, mailers, etc. Probably just like all of you.

I've personally experienced (and seen many other agents go through this as well) that getting people to initiate contact with you does not take 7 repetitions if it's done correctly.

Most advertising sucks, that's why it doesn't work...and thats why it might take 7 times to get people to respond. But bad advertising might take 20 times or more to get a response. So the problem is poorly done advertising.

-----
How do you get people to contact you? Through good advertising.

The best and most effective way is direct mail. Unfortunately it can be pricey, but of course it's all about ROI, not upfront costs.

I've done mailers before that return 17 to 1 FIRST YEAR commission (this particular product was a P&C product). I kept running that promotion for years.

The best way to create proper positioning is through expertise. Think general practice doctor vs. heart surgeon. The heart surgeon makes 4 times as much, probably works fewer hours, and NEVER even gets asked about his prices.

Of course, he's the expert, no one will question him on that, and he's got a list a mile long of patients.

One way to create expertise by authoring consumer advisories, and offering them in your marketing, or even on your auto dialers, that's how to get people to contact you the FIRST time they see you, not after try #7.

Beach Broker
Insurance Marketing Maverick