Buy Xdates or Cold Call for Them?

[jstrom]

This is applicable to life and health, and property and casualty.

I know some states and areas release this data so I wouldn't think those areas would consider purchasing.


As an agency owner or sales manager, would you rather:

Have your agents cold call for the renewal date

- or-

Purchase leads with the renewal date

Accoding to our customer polls, it typically takes 10 phone calls to get one renewal date. Do you think that's accurate?


If you'd rather purchase, what would you budget? Woudl you make the producer share the cost?

Thanks in advance for the input!

 

[Josh]

If you could send me a link to where the states that release the data are that'd be great, [email protected].

The consumer data is usually pretty cheap because it can be based off home purchase month which is easy to source.

The business data is more than a little hairy. I believe one company pretty much has that arena locked down, datalister.com. I hear folks say it's around 35 cents per record with a steep minimum, but that could have easily changed.

 

[spinghe]

Accoding to our customer polls, it typically takes 10 phone calls to get one renewal date. Do you think that's accurate?

It depends on what your vendor is.

 

[NYinsurance417]

they only do property and casualty. Any that you know of for benefits?

 

[Guest]

Did you know Cole X-Dates: Just in Time Leads provides the x-dates of homeowner's insurance policies for nearly every state across the country? They get their information via the county deed accessor's office, the yellow pages & other sources.

But what's interesting is that it's a subscription-based model--so you don't get charged for every lead. And you specify the area you want and even pay monthly.

So far the worst $650 I've spent on prospecting is the $650 I spent on a year's subscription to Cole.

Very few phone numbers on records, many bad addresses, many bad names, no help from Cole.

 

[blue_wynd]

So far the worst $650 I've spent on prospecting is the $650 I spent on a year's subscription to Cole.

Very few phone numbers on records, many bad addresses, many bad names, no help from Cole.

Go ask Boggers and see if (s)he can help. Otherwise Boggers need to stop pushing cole so much.

 

[wins4more]

I guess so if you're a CSR for them.

 

[Guest]

Interesting...I haven't had that experience with them at all. I download lists before I use them because obviously lists go bad the longer they sit, yes, they don't have a ton of phone numbers because they don't have cell phones & more and more people are moving away from landlines and there's a ton of help from Cole including their customer care team that I call and the free webcasts I attend. Yes, there's bad addresses & names--but I don't focus on the couple that are wrong, I focus on the ones that are correct. I guess I'm a glass half-full guy.

I'm a ROI guy, and Cole hasn't produced one.

 

[BlakeVG]

wins4more you are spot on about Boggers!

I am going to agree with Josh, X-Dates data is very inexpensive because of the accuracy of it. I always use myself as an example: The date Cole has for me is May BUT my actual x-date is Jan because I refi'ed. So come Jun-May I get a ton of direct mail but none in Jan.....!?!?!?!?

 

[Josh]

wins4more you are spot on about Boggers!

I am going to agree with Josh, X-Dates data is very inexpensive because of the accuracy of it. I always use myself as an example: The date Cole has for me is May BUT my actual x-date is Jan because I refi'ed. So come Jun-May I get a ton of direct mail but none in Jan.....!?!?!?!?

You're the exception vs the time. Rarely when folks refi will they get a new policy.