Where Can I Expand?

[jaugusta]

OK guys, I have been trying to look at myself and how I operate and looking for holes I can fill. PLease read over and tell me any thoughts you may have. First off, I am captive. I get leads from my manager and I keep all my leads even when they can not take me in to the house.
After the lead has became old, I do a direct mailing to them person. Either a life or investment mailing. Never both. I mark on the lead the date I sent it and which mailing it was. 3 months later, I pull it out, and do a direct mailing with the other letter. That way, I am touching the lead 4 times. First by the initial lead where I got their information, second when I call them, third when they receive a mailing, and the 4th when they receive the other mailing. I also call them a week after I sent it, but if they are DNC then I leave it at that.
I also put my own prestamped reply cards in the mailings. That way they just have to write a name and number and drop it in the mail box, no postage from them required.
Also, I am prospecting in the news paper. I am looking in the obituaries, finding a last name and a city, and mailing everybody with the same last name in that city hoping to reach out to a family member who had not thought of insurance until that point.
I am mailing birth anouncments, wedding and new home buyers as well.
I ask for referrals too

So, I am trying everything I can to get my name out there, to let people know who I am and what I do and how I can help.

I don't feel like I am doing enough though. I am buying a billboard in my little hometown for $30 a month. Not really sure what to put on it though, i was thinking something about the economy to help boost my annuity sales.

I send out between 80 and 100 letters a day but I just do not feel like I am doing enough though. Plus, before long I will be running out of people to direct mail.

Sorry that was so long, typing it all out also helps me think it though.

So guys, any constructive thoughts you are willing to share with me?

Thank you all.

 

[insuranceexec]

OK guys, I have been trying to look at myself and how I operate and looking for holes I can fill. PLease read over and tell me any thoughts you may have. First off, I am captive. I get leads from my manager and I keep all my leads even when they can not take me in to the house.
After the lead has became old, I do a direct mailing to them person. Either a life or investment mailing. Never both. I mark on the lead the date I sent it and which mailing it was. 3 months later, I pull it out, and do a direct mailing with the other letter. That way, I am touching the lead 4 times. First by the initial lead where I got their information, second when I call them, third when they receive a mailing, and the 4th when they receive the other mailing. I also call them a week after I sent it, but if they are DNC then I leave it at that.
I also put my own prestamped reply cards in the mailings. That way they just have to write a name and number and drop it in the mail box, no postage from them required.
Also, I am prospecting in the news paper. I am looking in the obituaries, finding a last name and a city, and mailing everybody with the same last name in that city hoping to reach out to a family member who had not thought of insurance until that point.
I am mailing birth anouncments, wedding and new home buyers as well.
I ask for referrals too

So, I am trying everything I can to get my name out there, to let people know who I am and what I do and how I can help.

I don't feel like I am doing enough though. I am buying a billboard in my little hometown for $30 a month. Not really sure what to put on it though, i was thinking something about the economy to help boost my annuity sales.

I send out between 80 and 100 letters a day but I just do not feel like I am doing enough though. Plus, before long I will be running out of people to direct mail.

Sorry that was so long, typing it all out also helps me think it though.

So guys, any constructive thoughts you are willing to share with me?

Thank you all.

"Touching them 4 times" great approach. I am glad to see that they are still using the T-4 that I help create for SS V.P. of operations, when he was at a different company.

It sounds as though you are very pro-active, which is good. What other annuity companies can you offer besides Aviva?

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[jaugusta]

Lincoln as well now.


T-4 that you help create? Thats a story that I would love to learn about.

 

[Mark]

Jaugusta, I'm really impressed already by what you are doing. I think some of us need to take notes from what you are doing.

This business is trial and error. It takes a lot of messing up, to get something right. You will find your niche.

Your success willl be the fact that you are working your butt off. You are planting seeds and sooner or later, something is going to come up.

 

[insuranceexec]

Lincoln as well now.


T-4 that you help create? Thats a story that I would love to learn about.

Lincoln has some good products. the problem that I see with many new agents that sell annuities is that they get to caught up in the commission and forget about the client.

I am not saying that you are like this; but it is a common thread that I have seen as of recent.

With that being said I will let you in on a trick I learned numerous years ago. Pick a couple of your current clients that you have good rapport with; and ask them if they will let you "practice" your annuity presentation on them.
(make sure they have investable assets first.)

You will be surprised at how well this works.

The T-4 story is for another day; but keep using it, I am sure you have found it works. I also have some other techniques that work very well. I hope this helps......

 

[jaugusta]

I will use the idea of practice, thank you.
Even off boards, I would love to hear the story of T-4's.

 

[insuranceexec]

I will use the idea of practice, thank you.
Even off boards, I would love to hear the story of T-4's.

Give me a call sometime.

 

[jaugusta]

Jaugusta, I'm really impressed already by what you are doing. I think some of us need to take notes from what you are doing.

This business is trial and error. It takes a lot of messing up, to get something right. You will find your niche.

Your success willl be the fact that you are working your butt off. You are planting seeds and sooner or later, something is going to come up.

Thanks I appreciate it. My managers get on me sometimes for doing other things outside of the leads we are provided. But after all, this is MY business so I want to grow it the best that I can. Plus, I see leads like a double edge sword. And you know the saying, you live by the sword....

 

[jaugusta]

Do you guys see anywhere I am lacking though, any holes, something I am doing wrong or that I should do differently? All your advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[ABC]

I agree with the post about some of us should look at what you are doing.

If your running out of prospect then expand to other towns in your area. I would think any kind of investment type product would be a tough sale right now. Why not sale life insurance as being a safe place to put your money.
I just sold a Whole Life Policy with that pitch. Last year I would have never sold a W L policy.