My First Day of Business

[OHInsAGNT]

They have to be a lot more than "interested" (even highly) to be a good prospect.

There are all kinds of broke and/or uninsurable people who are "interested"...they are very anxious to talk to you!

This is the inevitable result of phone cold-calling.

You will never generate as high quality a prospect using internet leads as cold calling. This is coming from someone who does both. I don't know how you can argue with it, as you clearly are not a good cold caller and do not do it. Which is fine. It sounds like you have something that works for you. But, I do both and can speak about both.

Your statement would be true, if you don't know how to use a database to build effective lists. You can target on income, personal affluence, self-employment, etc. Hence, you get better customers who buy other things like annuities, life insurance and liability umbrellas down the line.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

You will never generate as high quality a prospect using internet leads as cold calling. This is coming from someone who does both. I don't know how you can argue with it, as you clearly are not a good cold caller and do not do it. Which is fine. It sounds like you have something that works for you. But, I do both and can speak about both.

Your statement would be true, if you don't know how to use a database to build effective lists. You can target on income, personal affluence, self-employment, etc. Hence, you get better customers who buy other things like annuities, life insurance and liability umbrellas down the line.

I don't like that I feel compelled to reply to your multiple posts against cold calling, but I've not encountered someone so vehemently opposed to an activity in which they don't even engage.

I hope everyone that is new sees there is a credibility issue with that. There are at least 6 agents who regularly counter and say you're wrong, but you refuse to listen to their opinions.

You like internet leads. They work. I agree. So does cold calling, if you're a good cold caller and know what you are doing.

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

You will never generate as high quality a prospect using internet leads as cold calling. This is coming from someone who does both. I don't know how you can argue with it, as you clearly are not a good cold caller and do not do it.

Boy, you know what they say about assuming...

I have personally used, done, set-up and managed cold calling as an agent, manager and sales executive, not only for myself, but for a couple of very large insurance companies, spanning nearly twenty years.

Your statement would be true, if you don't know how to use a database to build effective lists. You can target on income, personal affluence, self-employment, etc. Hence, you get better customers who buy other things like annuities, life insurance and liability umbrellas down the line.

So what you are telling me is that someone you call up out-of-the-blue (no matter how well they are "targeted") is a better prospect than someone, that has, for some reason, "raised their hand"? Interesting.

I don't like that I feel compelled to reply to your multiple posts against cold calling, but I've not encountered someone so vehemently opposed to an activity in which they don't even engage.

So why do you?

As I've already pointed out to you, I have "engaged". It's not about opposition, it's about results.

I hope everyone that is new sees there is a credibility issue with that.

Great. Shall we post our respective resumes and results and see exactly where the "credibility issue" lies?

 

[robyn]

Good work. Four leads on your first day is great. Just don't get so focused on trying to sell those four that you slow down on looking for more! Cold calling works - you just have to keep plenty of prospects coming because the close ratio is lower.

Sounds like you are off to a great start!

 

[AtlantaLife&Health]

Keep up the good work. Respect prospecting for what it really is. It's simply the process of eliminating names. Stay focused and you will convert some of your leads. Four on your first say isn't too shabby at all. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[life911]

Thanks for all the support guys. My marketing plan has three elements, which I think when worked together will help me out. My plan includes telemarketing, working Internet leads, and delivering flyers to local businesses (when I need to get out of the office). I think a well-rounded marketing plan (shot-gun, targeted, and local) makes a lot of sense - but I didn't come up with that plan myself - I got it from reading what all the experienced agents are doing.

For my first week, I chose to use telemarketing so I could get comfortable with my script, products, the phone, and everything else without having to waste money on leads simply to learn. Besides, it begins the building of my pipeline.

Next week, I am planning on introducing online leads from at least two lead vendors (5 exclusive leads a day) and spend at least two hours doing a "walk and talk".

My goal for telemarketing is 4 hours today - 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. I was surprised at how difficult telemarketing is, but it does work over time. I've had several great conversations. Since I'm still new at this, I can't say this for certain, but I think that the app close time for telemarketing may be longer than that of Internet leads, simply because people haven't been actively thinking about health insurance prior to my call (or maybe they have but not to the extent that would lead to action).
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
OK, I called for 2 hours this morning and talked to 79 people. I have 3 callbacks scheduled from this effort and one x-date. I talked to several people for a while so my number of contacts was not higher.

I'm going to take a quick lunch and then hit the dialer again. Officially I've been in business for 4 days now and I know it's more than likely too soon to be looking for a sale before my pipeline gets any bigger, but (of course) I really want one.

 

[OHInsAGNT]

Thanks for all the support guys. My marketing plan has three elements, which I think when worked together will help me out. My plan includes telemarketing, working Internet leads, and delivering flyers to local businesses (when I need to get out of the office). I think a well-rounded marketing plan (shot-gun, targeted, and local) makes a lot of sense - but I didn't come up with that plan myself - I got it from reading what all the experienced agents are doing.

For my first week, I chose to use telemarketing so I could get comfortable with my script, products, the phone, and everything else without having to waste money on leads simply to learn. Besides, it begins the building of my pipeline.

Next week, I am planning on introducing online leads from at least two lead vendors (5 exclusive leads a day) and spend at least two hours doing a "walk and talk".

My goal for telemarketing is 4 hours today - 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. I was surprised at how difficult telemarketing is, but it does work over time. I've had several great conversations. Since I'm still new at this, I can't say this for certain, but I think that the app close time for telemarketing may be longer than that of Internet leads, simply because people haven't been actively thinking about health insurance prior to my call (or maybe they have but not to the extent that would lead to action).
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
OK, I called for 2 hours this morning and talked to 79 people. I have 3 callbacks scheduled from this effort and one x-date. I talked to several people for a while so my number of contacts was not higher.

I'm going to take a quick lunch and then hit the dialer again. Officially I've been in business for 4 days now and I know it's more than likely too soon to be looking for a sale before my pipeline gets any bigger, but (of course) I really want one.

I'm glad you've gained something from the posts and good luck.

I apologize for my derailing things with my sidebar earlier.

 

[life911]

I'm glad you've gained something from the posts and good luck.

I apologize for my derailing things with my sidebar earlier.

Isn't that what makes forums so fun to read?

I worked the rest of the afternoon - put in an additional 2 hours of telemarketing. I ended up the day with 5 leads for the day. Boy, that's hard work sitting there on the phone cold calling. I'm interested to see how adding Internet leads to the mix will change things up.

 

[mawk01]

Life,

Can I ask if your telemarketing using a list or using a phonebook.

Thanks

 

[life911]

Life,

Can I ask if your telemarketing using a list or using a phonebook.

Thanks

I'm using a list of small business owners with 1-4 employees provided by the company that leases th edialer to me. As a member of the IHIAA, I get 10,000 records for $150.

Well, today capped off my first week of business. I would work some on Sat morning, but I've got to go out of town. I don't think my effort was so bad for the week. I managed to slowly grow my pipeline. I believe next week when I cold call one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon, it won't seem like such a duanting task (hopefully).

I signed up for ASAP leads. I'm planning on turning them on Monday. That should increase my pipeline. I spent some time today reading the thread about ASAP - I'll have to admit it made me nervous. But some of the guys have reported that their ROI has stayed at least 1:5, so that works for me.

I'm planning on sinking about $800 in exclusive leads over a two week period with them. That shoud give me about 44 leads (at $18/pop) to use as an ROI evaluator. I know I'm new with everything, so I'm expecting not to close as many as the experienced guys at first. I'll wait to see how I've preformed with those 44 before I decide on my next move.

Next week I am also planning on working B2B with the ole "walk and talk". I found a great place to start this week with a ton of businesses along a 2 mile stretch of highway. It'll be good exercise if nothing else.

Still no sales, but it's only been a week, and I was cold calling during this period, making tons of mistakes and screwing up everything as I went. Oh well, you have to learn somehow...

 

[OHInsAGNT]

Isn't that what makes forums so fun to read?

I worked the rest of the afternoon - put in an additional 2 hours of telemarketing. I ended up the day with 5 leads for the day. Boy, that's hard work sitting there on the phone cold calling. I'm interested to see how adding Internet leads to the mix will change things up.

Just remember that the internet leads require work as well. It is not that common that one is ready to sign up on call one. It happens sometimes, but often it takes a month or more of follow up.

Don't give up on the ones you have even called 7, 8 times with no answer or call back. Sometimes they pick up the phone a month later and sign up.

Calling and selling internet leads isn't much easier than cold calling. You just have the advantage of knowing they were already thinking about switching. The advantage isn't that big. You still have to sell.