Sending card to your clients throughout the year

[ValeRosso]

For those who send birthday cards, Christmas cards, etc, do you also ask for referrals in the card, or do you keep it specifically to the purpose of the special occasion and don’t ask for referrals or anything else?

I want to start sending birthday cards but wasn’t sure if I should include a referral “bit” in the card or not.

Also, other than birthdays, what cards are you also sending (if any)?

 

[bill3173]

I used to send birthday and Christmas Cards, to all of my clients, even if they if they only had a dental plan, but never mentioned referrals. I don't send all those cards out anymore, mainly because Ocare came along, and the 20% commissions, with 5-10% renewals went away.

The sending of cards was mainly to keep and increase my U65 book. I've never liked Medicare, but it increases every year, without the cards, and I hear enough from them anyway.

 

[fed up]

My agents office was next door to a donut shop and I sent birthday cards each month offering a free gourmet donut just for showing the birthday card to the owner of the donut shop. Every month $10-$20 in postage for a hand written Happy Birthday with nothing asked in between. NOT ONE card was ever returned to the donut shop. A Fractured Prune donut was waiting for any of them to turn the card in. they did not even have to stop into the insurance office. Then I upped it to a lunch at Roy Rogers just to see if upping the offer helped. NADA

 

[goillini52]

For those who send birthday cards, Christmas cards, etc, do you also ask for referrals in the card, or do you keep it specifically to the purpose of the special occasion and don’t ask for referrals or anything else?

I want to start sending birthday cards but wasn’t sure if I should include a referral “bit” in the card or not.

Also, other than birthdays, what cards are you also sending (if any)?

How does this sound?

Hi Betty, do you have any referrals for me?

Oh yeah, and Happy Birthday.

 

[bill3173]

NOT ONE card was ever returned to the donut shop. A Fractured Prune donut was waiting for any of them to turn the card in. they did not even have to stop into the insurance office. Then I upped it to a lunch at Roy Rogers just to see if upping the offer helped. NADA

Did you see an increase in referrals from sending out the birthday cards, or did you lose clients because of the unwanted donut cards and lunch offer?

I definitely got more referrals from sending out all those cards.

 

[WinoBlues]

For those who send birthday cards, Christmas cards, etc, do you also ask for referrals in the card, or do you keep it specifically to the purpose of the special occasion and don’t ask for referrals or anything else?

I want to start sending birthday cards but wasn’t sure if I should include a referral “bit” in the card or not.

Also, other than birthdays, what cards are you also sending (if any)?

I do not remember if I ever sent BCards. I tried Christmas cards a few times.

I did however send Anniversary cards. Policy anniversary that is. Got a great response. I may have mentioned referrals a time or two but mostly no. Sounded too sales for my style. But the referrals always came.

I have used BRM reply cards, Got kinda expensive. I also used BRM envelopes with reply cards. That pulled better I think because it was more private. Then Reply Cards with addressed envelopes and no stamp. That was a happy place for me. It is where I started collecting Cell and Email addresses.

I run across one of the old reply cards every now and then in a file. In retrospect, they were pretty basic and amateurish. But really worked.

I had the best list. My clients.

If I do it again it will be a combo Mail and Text touch. I would include the Beneficiaries as well, with the owner's permission of course. Mail is just so they have something to touch and look over. The cell number is what is going to get them to engage with me.

All IMohsoHO

Edit: This was for Life Insurance - WL, Term, FE and so on.

 

[ehall2]

When I was in the life and health business I send birthday, thanksgiving and christmas cards to every member of the family. I got a lot of referrals. The thanksgiving card got more attention than the others. No one sent a thanksgiving card. Now that I am P & C it's too expensive to mail cards, however I get the insured's email address and text or email a birthday wish.

 

[bill3173]

Now that I am P & C it's too expensive to mail cards, however I get the insured's email address and text or email a birthday wish.

My P&C agent used to send me b'day and Xmas cards regularly, then stopped, cold turkey, about 6-7 years ago. I thought he just decided I was an asshole, but now it seems there may be another reason.

 

[Life Hawk]

I thought he just decided I was an asshole, but now it seems there may be another reason.

are you sure about that??


( I beat @goillini52 to the punch on that one!)

 

[DonP]

I send handwritten birthday and Xmas cards . Hand write on the card and the address . I put HAPPY BIRTHDAY PENNY!!!! Next to the address on the envelope. I get a ton of thank you’s and referrals as I put 3 cards in there .