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Premier Annuity Prospects provides qualified preset appointments for financial advisors specializing in the retirement community. The appointments are generated by sending out a direct ...
Premier Annuity Prospects provides qualified preset appointments for financial advisors specializing in the retirement community. The appointments are generated by sending out a direct mail piece. The mail piece may be customized to fit the advisor’s target market. The selected areas can be identified by using zip codes, counties, or a radius search within a certain distance. The agent will be assisted by their designated marketing representative who will be able to provide historical data based on the region. Typically, the highest returns are seen when mail is sent to middle income areas.
The agent will receive a service agreement prior to starting the program. This agreement will outline the terms of the program, have a space for the zip codes you would like to mail to and provide you with payment options. Once the signed agreement is received and the payment processed, the mail is dropped the following business day. An operations manager will call within 3 business days of processing the order to clarify the timeline for the leads to return, as well as review the information needed to complete your bio.
The bio is an important part of the process and allows the appointment setter to build credibility and “sell you” to the prospect. The bio should contain as much relevant background information to establish the agent’s expertise. The information that should be included in the bio should be, but not limited to; degrees, certifications, licenses, membership in business or civic organizations, business affiliations, website address, or any additional applicable qualifications. Also include how long you have been in this business, how many years have you been in the area. If you have an office and are willing to host appointments there should the client be uncomfortable having someone come to their home, include your office address Is there any other information that you feel that would help the appointment setter give a clear picture of the services you provide and answer any questions the client may have? This is especially important because we are dealing with seniors and we want them to be extremely comfortable with who we are sending to their house.
Each mailer has return postage paid to make it as convenient as possible for returning the card and gaining higher returns. The client provides qualifying information on the card by giving their age, phone number, marital status and spouse’s name. The appointment setters call the prospects to fill your 2 week schedule that is on file using the appropriate script designated.
Once an appointment is set up, the relevant information is emailed or faxed to the agent daily. Every appointment is confirmed the day before it’s scheduled to ensure the client will keep the appointment. If a client cancels or reschedules the appointment, the agent will be immediately notified via a telephone call to their preferred phone number.
An appointment is qualified and billable when the following criterion has been met. The client knows the agent’s name and credentials. The client knows the agent is coming to review their finances. The appointment setter has requested that the client has their financial statements available. The pre-qualifying demographics from the mail card have been confirmed by the appointment setter in addition to confirming the client has $20,000 in cash and/or investable assets, the size of the estate, and who are the beneficiaries. The qualifying questions for reverse mortgage appointments may be slightly altered. The appointment has been confirmed and both spouses are available in addition to any other person the client requests to be at the appointment.
Premier Annuity Prospects’ appointment setters specialize in booking appointments for financial advisors. Training begins immediately upon hire and continues throughout a person’s employment. Quality assurance is given the highest priority and continued education is provided to the appointment setters. Weekly staff meetings are mandatory and required throughout a person’s tenure. Premier Annuity Prospects knows the key to building a successful book of business, an agent must continually market themselves. We take pride that we help agents grow their business by maintaining the highest level of qualified appointments.
This service is intended to get you in front of qualified clients and allow you to do what you do best. This service is solving a huge problem for you, “How to get in front of more business”. A financial advisor could be the best in the world, but without anyone to talk to it doesn’t matter. For more specific information, please refer to our Introductory Appointment Program Services Agreement or Standard Appointment Services Agreement. The Introductory program is a combination price of $1500.00 for 10 preset appointments and 2500 pieces of mail.
Sure. I worked for a couple years for a company right in your back yard in Fort Worth that did presets. They had several hundred agents nationally and well over 50 appt setters. I basically worked for half commission and they set me 9-12 appts a week. When things were working I would get in the door of at least 90 pct of the appts and sell appoximately 1 out 5. My first 9 months I sold over 2 million in Annuity premium, and the first month I didn't know much about annuities and I learned as I did more and more appts and ran into all different kinds of situations and money.
The business has changed, but if done right they work. They have to be qualified by the appt setter. The appt setter has to be reimbursed in part by your success so they are motivated to set well qualified appts.
I get mailings and email from the original poster. They seem to have a system, but I do not know of anyone using them, so I will not vouch for them.
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Chuck
If you think your boss is stupid, remember: you wouldn't have a job if he was any smarter.”
I just used them. 2,500 mailers, 64 responses which is terrific in the Los Angeles area.
But, on the advice of the owner, Elisabeth LePage, I mailed to a lower income group. This makes the return high (and makes the company look good) but the leads lousy. Most of the respondents did not own stocks, mutual funds, CDs, IRAs or 401ks.
One minor complaint: reply cards were mailed to the office of Premier Annuity Prospects. The first batch of email leads was 31, which leads me to believe they were being held until a certain quantity was received. After that, though, emails with 2-3 leads began arriving so maybe it was just a one-time occurrence.
I'm going to give them a try again.
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Originally Posted by patch36
Sure. I worked for a couple years for a company right in your back yard in Fort Worth that did presets. They had several hundred agents nationally and well over 50 appt setters. I basically worked for half commission and they set me 9-12 appts a week. When things were working I would get in the door of at least 90 pct of the appts and sell appoximately 1 out 5. My first 9 months I sold over 2 million in Annuity premium, and the first month I didn't know much about annuities and I learned as I did more and more appts and ran into all different kinds of situations and money.
What system are you using now to sell annuities? Your own appt. setters, direct mail, etc?
Last edited by mickeyma : 10-09-2008 at 01:17 AM.
Reason: Automerged Doublepost
What system are you using now to sell annuities? Your own appt. setters, direct mail, etc?
I'm not using a system. I do some mailings on my own with reply cards that come back to me, but mostly I am using referrals, working my existing base for cross selling opportunities, monthly newsletters, ect.
I have used Safe Harbour. I can say they do pretty good. They send out a booklet to the leads and a letter on your behalf. The negative part is the cheapest leads are $38 and for that price about half the leads have investable assets of $10,000-$20,000. The do seem to be exclusive leads as promised. I received 14 leads and closed 2 so far, not bad for internet based leads. I will continie to use them.
This past Tuesday I hosted a Retirement Planning Workshop at a restaurant. 4500 mailers produced 21 attendees and not one came up to make an appt.
This area is really tough.
My friend paid a professional speaker $2,500 to do 2 seminars on one day at Marie Calendars in an area about 60 miles east of Los Angeles (not very populated). 77 people showed up for the 2 lunches and not a single one booked an appointment at the seminar. Nor did anyone agree to an appointment when my friend phoned them.
I wanted to check with you to see if you would be able to share the name and phone number or web address of the annuity company out of Ft. Worth that sets appointments for the agents in exchange for half the commissions.
Also if you know of any other annuity companies who do the same, if you could share that info as well.
Plus if anyone else reading this knows of companies who do this, if you could share any info you have.
I know of one in Dallas that used to be called The Gentry Group. Insurance Comissioners closed them down and they changed their name to Executive Insurance Agency (or agents, it was an "A") owned by Michael McIntyre. Bad news. Stay away!
That part about "...came up to set appointment" shows one problem if you guys are literally talking about waiting for folks to come up for appointments.
You go to the audience to make appointments. Your appointment ratio, even in the toughest areas, should be 60%.
If nobody is interested in appointments, then you aren't making the seminar interesting to them.
This past Tuesday I hosted a Retirement Planning Workshop at a restaurant. 4500 mailers produced 21 attendees and not one came up to make an appt. This area is really tough.
Yup, when all else fails, blame the area. Maybe it was the lunch. What did you serve?
Originally Posted by mickeyma
My friend paid a professional speaker $2,500 to do 2 seminars on one day at Marie Calendars in an area about 60 miles east of Los Angeles (not very populated). 77 people showed up for the 2 lunches and not a single one booked an appointment at the seminar. Nor did anyone agree to an appointment when my friend phoned them. Tough all over.
Oooh, you're a tough crowd....
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[COLOR=blue]Don't steal - the government hates competition.[/COLOR]
I know of one in Dallas that used to be called The Gentry Group. Insurance Comissioners closed them down and they changed their name to Executive Insurance Agency (or agents, it was an "A") owned by Michael McIntyre. Bad news. Stay away!
Gentry Group came to Los Angeles @ 3 yrs ago to sell annuities and couldn't do any business. Leads were generated based on union membership and respondents thought they were going to get information on union benefits--medical, dental, etc.
Interesting post, a bit of an advertisement? I work with Agents as a Fixed Annuity Specialist. We don't provide free leads or marketing programs. We build relationships with our agents and help them do the same with their clients.
Basically, referrals are one of the best ways to get leads. Build relationships with your current clients and cross sell them products that benefit them and you will find better prospects from referrals then any other method. We even become back-office support for agents to make sure the process goes smoothly.
Keeping the needs of the customer in mind first leads to success. If you do a mailer, a workshop, whatever, keep it about the customer first and you will see an increase in response.
Social media marketing is also becoming a great way to generate leads for agents and marketers.
My friend paid a professional speaker $2,500 to do 2 seminars on one day at Marie Calendars in an area about 60 miles east of Los Angeles (not very populated). 77 people showed up for the 2 lunches and not a single one booked an appointment at the seminar. Nor did anyone agree to an appointment when my friend phoned them.
Tough all over.
Sounds like a bunch of "platelickers" to me. Or, i'm guessing that South Florida was more like a Q tip cafeteria. All those damn white hairs looking for a free lunch.
I'm not using a system. I do some mailings on my own with reply cards that come back to me, but mostly I am using referrals, working my existing base for cross selling opportunities, monthly newsletters, ect.
Hey patch, quick question for you. I have a letter made up to start sending out as a mailer for annuity leads. How do you get the reply cards you were speaking of? Secondly can you get a discount on mailing cause @.41 a letter that would be 410 bucks for 1000 and I know of a company that would do it for less than that.Also how do you get the mailing lists to send to? Any help is appreciated.
Last edited by billyb2909 : 12-19-2008 at 01:05 AM.
Reason: forgot something
I know of one deal that sounds better.
4 insurance agents dot com
Has had leads for $375/1000 and I think you still get all the list info with it. This is a very reputable company and I highly recommend them.
Good Luck!
Hey patch, quick question for you. I have a letter made up to start sending out as a mailer for annuity leads. How do you get the reply cards you were speaking of? Secondly can you get a discount on mailing cause @.41 a letter that would be 410 bucks for 1000 and I know of a company that would do it for less than that.Also how do you get the mailing lists to send to? Any help is appreciated.
You have to start at the Post Office and they help develop the Business Reply Card. It is a process and one you should consider letting a mailing service provide. I have a Bus Reply Permit, but I have been doing it a while.
Reply to previous posts:
People do not come up to you to make appts at seminars for the most part. You have to have a system at the seminar. You have to go from person to person to set an appt at the time of the seminar. Your appt setter has to be assumptive and motivated to set appts. It is a system. If you call the folks the next day you will rarely (never ?) get an appt. It does not work that way.
For a price, I will give a seminar on giving seminars that result in appts. Char could do it too as he seems to fully understand the process/system that HAS to be in place for a seminar to work. Being an inspirational speaker is not the key. Creating interest and need are needed, but more important is setting the appt at the seminar. The warm fuzzy feeling wears off as soon as they are half way home after comsuming $15-$20 worth of food at your expense.
If you don't set the appt at the seminar you have simply provided free food, free information, and helped the local restaurant stay in business.
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