NetQuote Increasing Prices...is this the Straw?

[WCMason]

Buying shared term life leads from NetQuote that get sent to 10 agents will never result in success. That is a fact. So, why not do anything else but that?

That's how I spent my first year indy after one year captive, though I've heard net leads are much poorer now than in 2010. All NetQuote, and was often told I was one of many who called. Hard but eked it out till I learned about direct mail. There is where purchased leads can really pay off. Or a blog. A coin flip, really.

 

[MPCFinPlan]

I cancelled my Netquote subscription. I dabbled since the 1st of the year. I found I was spending too much time and energy (whether I got them credited back) calling bogus leads.

I made a few sells but it's a crap shoot. You'll spend all day calling fake numbers and getting them credited.

Hometown quotes seems to be the best internet vendor. But you'll pay. The volume also isn't what a bank rate company would be but you get less bogus leads.

My two cents.

 

[Chris@ACAExpress]

I've tried Net Quote in the past and never found them to be great. However I have found other internet lead sources to work VERY well. While I can see how the blog idea would work, it would be more to supplement what you are doing elsewhere.

The thing to remember with internet leads is that it all comes down to volume and making sure you improve your chances to connect to the client first. That means an auto-dialer/crm solution like insidesales.com is almost a must. In addition, you've got to buy in large quantity. On average my agents dial over 300 leads per day with no issues. You will spend a lot up front using this strategy but it WILL pay off. Generally we are able to keep our CPA down to about $125.00

If you have other questions I'd be happy to help.

 

[gordongekko513]

I've tried Net Quote in the past and never found them to be great. However I have found other internet lead sources to work VERY well. While I can see how the blog idea would work, it would be more to supplement what you are doing elsewhere.

The thing to remember with internet leads is that it all comes down to volume and making sure you improve your chances to connect to the client first. That means an auto-dialer/crm solution like insidesales.com is almost a must. In addition, you've got to buy in large quantity. On average my agents dial over 300 leads per day with no issues. You will spend a lot up front using this strategy but it WILL pay off. Generally we are able to keep our CPA down to about $125.00

If you have other questions I'd be happy to help.

Your agents? You just said you use an auto dialer...your operation is totally different than mine. Again, i only sell life. I have to get medical exams and talk to people to see what fits. Its a process. Sure term is a commodity, but you still have to qualify.
When i submitted my own request, i was called by an auto dialer that connected me to a call center in texas, the girl asked me to hold and then transfered me to a local state farm rep, but the call dropped. Never heard back. The second, and last call so far, was from western and southern. My request was for a 500k whole life policy, if it was real, i wouldve called as well, before western and be writing that policy.
If it really makes you happy to help, tell me, what lead company can get me better leads than bankrate? I need two a day, i dont mind competition, im selling myself. And if they do generate better leads, why? Netquote charges $12 for premium life and $6 for life (god knows the difference) and i dont resell my leads, if they can be reached ill stay in touch.

 

[Bob Klee]

Very ethical of you. Every one of those agents will be paying for that bogus lead you put in.

Rick

Nope, we give credit for leads when agents do this. Happens all the time.

& Yes, if we don't have an agent to buy a lead, we sell to our competitors:( I'd rather have agents needing leads, but...that isn't always possible.

Life leads: We do not have high volume at all. Auto/Home....that is our bread & butter.

Bob

 

[GreenSky]

Nope, we give credit for leads when agents do this. Happens all the time.

Are you saying that if one person says a lead is from another agent and that bogus lead is sold to 3 then all of them will be credited automatically? Would the other 2 people that bought the lead also have to request credit?

Do other providers do the same?

Rick

 

[Chris@ACAExpress]

Your agents? You just said you use an auto dialer...your operation is totally different than mine. Again, i only sell life. I have to get medical exams and talk to people to see what fits. Its a process. Sure term is a commodity, but you still have to qualify.
When i submitted my own request, i was called by an auto dialer that connected me to a call center in texas, the girl asked me to hold and then transfered me to a local state farm rep, but the call dropped. Never heard back. The second, and last call so far, was from western and southern. My request was for a 500k whole life policy, if it was real, i wouldve called as well, before western and be writing that policy.
If it really makes you happy to help, tell me, what lead company can get me better leads than bankrate? I need two a day, i dont mind competition, im selling myself. And if they do generate better leads, why? Netquote charges $12 for premium life and $6 for life (god knows the difference) and i dont resell my leads, if they can be reached ill stay in touch.

You're correct that my situation is different than yours.. but only in the fact that I have many agents on the phones. We sell health, life, CI, ect. If it was just me or 100 agents, a dialer/crm and volume of leads is still a must. It all comes down to giving your self as many "at bats" as possible. Without that it doesn't matter if you're the best salesperson in the world - you can't close what you don't talk to.

I'd look at hometown & precise leads if I were you. Either way though, I'll say it again... it takes VOLUME. Be prepared to spend money to make money. 2 leads a day won't get it done, 2 qualified leads that you've built personal rapport with will and that's the part that takes work.

 

[Bob Klee]

Are you saying that if one person says a lead is from another agent and that bogus lead is sold to 3 then all of them will be credited automatically? Would the other 2 people that bought the lead also have to request credit?

Do other providers do the same?

Rick

Rick,
We don't toot our horn on this but yes, if an agent requests credit on a lead, we then give all agents credit if we determine a lead is bad. It is the right thing to do & we finally adopted this policy a year ago. Been talking about it for too long before we implemented it.

Bob

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

re Netquote...although I have not bought their leads in many years (or anybody else!)...I'm sure my exact quote can be found in this Forum...

Some of the VERY BEST leads I ever bought were from Netquote. And some of the worst. Of course, all lead vendors have trash leads, it's just a question of how many. 2 out of 10? 8 out of 10?

Steve Sanders
Sanders Insurance Agency
Iowa City, Iowa
Serving Iowa residents since 1937

 

[vic120]

I cancelled my Netquote subscription. I dabbled since the 1st of the year. I found I was spending too much time and energy (whether I got them credited back) calling bogus leads.

I made a few sells but it's a crap shoot. You'll spend all day calling fake numbers and getting them credited.

Hometown quotes seems to be the best internet vendor. But you'll pay. The volume also isn't what a bank rate company would be but you get less bogus leads.

My two cents.

I have to agree,

When I first started with FMO I had a lead credit system
leads where crappie but didn't cost me much

Now that I have to pay full out of pocket
I've been searching

I have used a lot like netquote and find those vendors where there is high volume tend to be horrible leads

And honestly don't know how to run a buis on those

I have found a few that the leads are much better
but then the lead flow tends to be much slower

So I've come to the conclusion that I need to have 5 or 6 good lead sources to be where I want