Cold Calling or Buy Leads?

[fetam]

I got my carpets cleaned from a cold call. They just happened to call when I was thinking about doing it. I played hard to get and the guy that was calling was the guy that was going to do the cleaning. He was just a cool guy that wanted my business.

 

[Frank Stastny]

They are all cold calls, even an internet lead that has 10 agents calling, you have to sell them on why they should not just hang up on you!

That is exactly correct.

Agents seem to want to believe that if they have that "card" or e-mail notification in front of them that it was sent in by someone who both remembers doing so and is shopping for insurance.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Most are filled out by people who are just curious and a lot of them don't even remember having done so or won't admit it. Those people are not "warm leads", those calls are cold calls in every sense of the word.

Agents don't seem to realize that the initial phone call is the single most important part of the sales process. People have to be "sold" that they need to listen to what the agent has to say in the first eight to ten seconds of the call.

Agents who learn how to use the phone will have a much higher conversion rate than those who start the call with "Hi Bill, this is Jason, how you doing today?". That throws up a huge red flag that it is a telemarketing call.

 

[YouGotMyMoney]

Agents who learn how to use the phone will have a much higher conversion rate than those who start the call with "Hi Bill, this is Jason, how you doing today?". That throws up a huge red flag that it is a telemarketing call.

Frank is correct.

Here's a tip, free of charge:

"Hi Bill, you got my money?"

You will receive much more interesting and passionate responses!
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Agents don't seem to realize that the initial phone call is the single most important part of the sales process. People have to be "sold" that they need to listen to what the agent has to say in the first eight to ten seconds of the call.

This reminds me of "speed dating", from what I read about it's like a girl/guy rotates tables, spending 2 minutes or so with 10 different suitors.

If your "intro" is not smooth and polished, you will be forgotten and they will move onto the next sucke....ahem....lol.....I mean suitor.

Anyone was purchased an internet lead has heard, "oh I just spoke to John Doe agent, I'm all set" . You had better have the attitude of, "LIKE HELL YOU ARE!"

 

[jodphd]

I am biased but I believe cold calling to be a waste of time. The analogy I make is cold calling is like buying lottery tickets. True, someone wins with the lottery but most lose. The same holds true in my opinion with cold calling. You may get lucky but usually you will be wasting time.

The reason I am biased is because I believe you need a marketing system in place that will generate targeted highly convertible leads for your specific market geotargeted to the states you are licensed in to sell insurance.

I won't dwell on this because I do not want to break the rules of the forum but I encourage anyone wishing to learn more, please call me or email me. FYI, this is highly affordable and can start small and be enlarged as your sales increase.

 

[jodphd]

I agree with other posters to a point. There is nothing wrong with combining more than one type of marketing to see what works best for you.

However, I am biased because I sell social media advertising and create systems that generate leads targeted to the agent's needs. If the money is available to do some sort of campaign (most are very reasonable in cost) then I think this form of marketing is far superior to simple cold calling.

What seems to work best is for several agents or a small branch office to go in on a campaign together to share costs and then to split the leads and referrals this will generate.

 

[glenbeck]

My experience has been that most agents don't make the best telemarketers and most telemarketers don't make the best agents.
If you're a Great Telemarketer and a Great Agent, why would you do $10 an hour telemarketing when you should be out in front of people writing business?
Train someone to do that telemarketing job. Outsource to a reliable company or individual.
Then you free up 30 hours a week to expand into additional areas of prospecting / networking / golf.

 

[Tampa Bay Rep]

Agents don't seem to realize that the initial phone call is the single most important part of the sales process. People have to be "sold" that they need to listen to what the agent has to say in the first eight to ten seconds of the call.

Good point Frank.

 

[gambrinus]

It depends on your area. Are you buying in an area where the leads are only being called by a couple of other agents, or are they being blasted by 12+ ? If the area isn't getting hit that hard, it can work. If it's getting slammed, you're better off knocking on doors and leaving a biz card / flyer.

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

I still remember what my first Boss in this business told me in 1980.

He said, "a phone call is an interruption. Don't forget that."

His point was that as salespersons, we have no idea what they are doing when their phone rings. Eating. Reading. Taking a dump. Complaining about their insurance bill. Sleeping. Who knows?

17 is a lot but I think I need 20 before I take Miami over NIU.

 

[Ron Van D]

When was the last time you purchased ANYTHING from a cold call?
I never have..............

Girl Scout cookies. It happens every year!