What is wrong with Internet Leads? - Your Opinion Requested

[djs]

Leads are resold to many times

I don't disagree with this, but I've come to find out its not just the lead vendors that have this problem. Agencies contribute to it as well.

For example, if I ran a large agency and worked internet leads hard, I would:

- Have the lead automatically loaded into a dialer and called within 1 minute of the lead arriving.
- If no contact, call several times during the first 24 hours to try to establish contact.
- I would then start 'voice mail' marketing, using a few different agents in my agency, in case one 'sounded' better than others.

In general, working hard, the person would get 6-7 calls from my agency, spread across 2-3 different producers, within the first 24 hours.

Now, I don't do this (don't buy many internet leads anyway), but right there, the person will get frustrated with the number of calls, now multiply that by 2 other agencies and another single agent calling. Lots of calls, only sold 4 times.

The advent of the dialer at every desk has changed the ballgame over the last few years. I don't want to play with the new rules.

Dan

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

If I had a source that could generate solid quality leads and I had volume the leads would speak for themselves. I'd sell them to 4 agents with these terms:

$3,000 down, 6 month contract, leads come in 24/7 - no pausing for nights or weekends, $500 per week minimum purchase.

First few weeks, no takers. Agents think I'm mental. Finally I get a few buyers who actually realize great ROI. Few months later there's a waiting list.

 

[Alston]

Just curious...what is the going rate on an organic (100%) generated internet health insurance lead that is sold one time (truly exclusive) using Google search terms such as "health insurance quote" etc... and not "free health insurance"?

Of course, this prospect may still have visited other sites.

I think the cost is "you've got to generate that lead yourself."

It won't be exclusive because, as you mentioned, the person will probably visit other sites.

It can be branded. They will have visited your site, perhaps read one of your blog posts and seen your name. This gives you an edge over the other agents who will call.

 

[scotte]

To help stop customers from going to other sites, make sure they get an instant quote while on the site or instant email with quotes. One reason people go to multiple websites is because they haven't received any hard numbers(quotes).

 

[somarco]

One reason people go to multiple websites is because they haven't received any hard numbers(quotes).

How do you know this?

 

[Alston]

To help stop customers from going to other sites, make sure they get an instant quote while on the site or instant email with quotes. One reason people go to multiple websites is because they haven't received any hard numbers(quotes).

It is probably one reason, but not the only reason.

We deliver instant online quotes and we send an email right away, but we often find that people are on another site when we call. This is the case even when we call within 5 minutes.

I think that many people will print the quotes and move to the next site before reading the quotes. My assumption is that they feel that they haven't done their due diligence unless they get quotes from several sites.

 

[scotte]

a company I worked for in the past did in-house internet lead generation. More times than not, we were the only person they talked too.

 

[djs]

Most consumers don't know the rates are the same whereever you go. Insurance is pretty unique on that front. Even if you say this on your site, they won't believe you.

The beauty of the internet is they can shop to their hearts desire, or until they run out of cell phone minutes from vendors calling them, whichever comes first.

Dan

 

[somarco]

Most consumers don't know the rates are the same whereever you go.

True.

Many, especially those coming off an employer subsidized plan, are looking to replace what they had with the same or lower premium. They believe the rates quoted are wrong and keep looking for better rates and higher benefits.

My experience is similar to Alston. Even when I call within minutes of someone on my site running a quote, they have either moved on or "I just bought".

Yeah, right.

Consumers don't want to talk to agents. They want to do it themselves since they are so much more competent to pick the best plan and navigate underwriting than we are.

 

[Alston]

Consumers don't want to talk to agents. They want to do it themselves since they are so much more competent to pick the best plan and navigate underwriting than we are.

Can you blame them?

Of course no forum members fall into this category... but there are a lot of aggressive unprofessional so called agents out there.

In some ways it helps the pros who are trying to form relationships and inform first and make sales second.

However, this justifiably scares a lot of prospective clients into trying to do all the research and decision-making themselves.

This thread is a case in point.

When I started this thread in 2007 none of the forum members knew who I was so nobody responded to a question that sounded suspicious. In 2011 I'm part of the community and people are much more likely to respond to my questions.