Everything this year is local marketing and self-generated leads. Part of my new years resolution is I will not pay any company or any person for a lead this year. I'm doing some local advertising, but I obviously control the ad. I'm actually doing a pretty wide variety of stuff but...
Did 3 1/2 hrs of B to B at the end of last week, just wrote my second app from it.
App 1: $4,200+ premium
App 2: $2,600+ premium
20% commish for both apps: $6,800 X 20% = $1,360. One deal was a sit, the other online. The sit was 50 minutes "door step to door step" and the online was 30 minutes total.
Total time invested: 4 hrs 50 minutes - call it 5.
This is not "here's a flyer" B to B. This is "is the owner in?" B to B, introducing myself and going over how my services will benefit them.
Let's go figure out how many people in the country would work 5 hours to return $1,300. For you ROI guys, it's $260 an hour.
That doesn't mean I'm out B to B every day - just one leg of a "do it myself" marketing program. Today I did some telemarketing and on Thursday I have a chamber event.
Certainly beats calling answering machines for 5 hours.
------------------------------------ Health Insurance Agents: Training, Support, Discounts, E&O for $440 www.ihiaa.com
Everything this year is local marketing and self-generated leads. Part of my new years resolution is I will not pay any company or any person for a lead this year. I'm doing some local advertising, but I obviously control the ad. I'm actually doing a pretty wide variety of stuff but...
Did 3 1/2 hrs of B to B at the end of last week, just wrote my second app from it.
App 1: $4,200+ premium
App 2: $2,600+ premium
20% commish for both apps: $6,800 X 20% = $1,360. One deal was a sit, the other online. The sit was 50 minutes "door step to door step" and the online was 30 minutes total.
Total time invested: 4 hrs 50 minutes - call it 5.
This is not "here's a flyer" B to B. This is "is the owner in?" B to B, introducing myself and going over how my services will benefit them.
Let's go figure out how many people in the country would work 5 hours to return $1,300. For you ROI guys, it's $260 an hour.
That doesn't mean I'm out B to B every day - just one leg of a "do it myself" marketing program. Today I did some telemarketing and on Thursday I have a chamber event.
Certainly beats calling answering machines for 5 hours.
Nice Job!! But its to dang cold here to be going B to B. I'm on the telemarketing mode until it warms up. Not as effective but atleast I stay warm.
Also John, Do you only talk to business owners? I have good luck also talking to the receptionist and/or front office people if the owner isnt in or is busy. Most of my apps have been receptionist/front office personnel. And I have a very good retention rate as well with those believe it or not.
Telemarketing is more effective than B to B - you can reach more owners calling then going into small businesses unless you're in an extremely dense business area. I simply hate B to B less than I hate telemarketing.
And yes, if the owner's not available I'll leave a flyer with the person behind the counter - sometimes they're interested.
And I'm an old B to B guy anyway - 8 years of B to B sales experience - 8 hours a day, rain or shine so it's really no biggie for me. In fact, bad weather days are the best B to B days since most businesses are empty and owners are bored.
Everything this year is local marketing and self-generated leads. Part of my new years resolution is I will not pay any company or any person for a lead this year. .
Does this mean you are no longer using Vimo Live Transfer?
Yes - and it was a tough decision. The end of it for me was they're not business owners and I simply want the vast majority of my business to be biz owners. I also don't want to build on any marketing that can and will change at any time.
Aside from the B to B what I'm really looking forward to is the spring - I'll gonna be at all local events with a booth/table.
The end of it for me was they're not business owners and I simply want the vast majority of my business to be biz owners. I also don't want to build on any marketing that can and will change at any time.
Do you still have your telemarketing employees? You were really "up" on that concept a while ago... hiring your own marketing people. Is that still operative or have you gone back to your 'roots' so to speak?
Yes - gone back to the roots. Telemarketers work but it's turn and burn all the time. Also, I want to be local and build up a local reputation. Over a period of months marketers have to make calls further and further away from my locality. When they made their last series of calls they were calling about a hour's drive from me.
My theory is simple; there's enough business in my area to support my career. People simply need to know I exist. As telemarketers are making calls is someone who lives a street over looking for an agent?
I really like the chamber of commerce - great people and it's really nice to be around business owners. All of them generate business from their community and all of them are active marketers. I haven't met a single owner who telemarkets for business and that includes 4 agency owners I now know. All of them do well and generate community business.
Yes - gone back to the roots. Telemarketers work but it's turn and burn all the time. Also, I want to be local and build up a local reputation. Over a period of months marketers have to make calls further and further away from my locality. When they made their last series of calls they were calling about a hour's drive from me.
My theory is simple; there's enough business in my area to support my career. People simply need to know I exist. As telemarketers are making calls is someone who lives a street over looking for an agent?
I really like the chamber of commerce - great people and it's really nice to be around business owners. All of them generate business from their community and all of them are active marketers. I haven't met a single owner who telemarkets for business and that includes 4 agency owners I now know. All of them do well and generate community business.
Find out how long each of them has been in business, how they generated business initially and what groups they are most active in. I still think a health combination of telemarketing and local presence is the way to go if somebody has the time and money.
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[COLOR=#000066]"Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I will remember. Involve me and I will understand." Confucius
It's a pain to manual dial numbers 5 days a week.. I just don't how one can survive manualy dialing 4/5 hours straight. I enjoy canvassing the neighborhood myself and met some nice people who turned out to be good friends...
I sold cable, satellite, security, blinds, etc. to new home owners and had fun meeting new interesting, different characters/personalities.. Dude, I remember meeting quite a few single moms out there too who really needed my service... no joke..
Hey John, I believe I'm on a hot streak NOW because I GOT three phone numbers from three different females in past two weeks and they are all different colors.
Dunno, but it seems they have high IQ because they speak intelligently and have good jobs.. Check this out, each chic is born from 3 different decades. One is 26 years old and asian... the other is caucasian and 35 years old.. the last one is 44 and Puerto Rican...
So, what's the POINT in all this?
I've been studying TOP marketers like a mad man from top people... i think it's starting to come to fruition of good marketing practice in other areas ..
It's a pain to manual dial numbers 5 days a week.. I just don't how one can survive manualy dialing 4/5 hours straight. I enjoy canvassing the neighborhood myself and met some nice people who turned out to be good friends...
I sold cable, satellite, security, blinds, etc. to new home owners and had fun meeting new interesting, different characters/personalities.. Dude, I remember meeting quite a few single moms out there too who really needed my service... no joke..
Hey John, I believe I'm on a hot streak NOW because I GOT three phone numbers from three different females in past two weeks and they are all different colors.
Dunno, but it seems they have high IQ because they speak intelligently and have good jobs.. Check this out, each chic is born from 3 different decades. One is 26 years old and asian... the other is caucasian and 35 years old.. the last one is 44 and Puerto Rican...
So, what's the POINT in all this?
I've been studying TOP marketers like a mad man from top people... i think it's starting to come to fruition of good marketing practice in other areas ..
Well, I'm married. So I don't talk about these benefits.
What most people don't realize is B to B for health insurance doesn't suck. What sucks is going B to B to sell owners products they don't want or need or having to stand toe to toe with them trying to overcome objections.
But just walking in with a serious but also laid back "hey, just wanted to let you know about this" attitude is quite easy. Out of all the businesses I've walked into since Oct of '03 I can count the owners who got upset on one hand and even those owners weren't very upset, just obviously caught them at a bad time.
Most people love to find out about stuff they didn't know about. When I'm in there talking about 7 companies that offer health insurance most didn't know about anything past Blue Cross.
When you come across less "salesy" and more informational you'll do quite well. For owners who have some time I love spitting out some facts.
Most agents make the mistake of only talking about "I" - "I can work up quotes for you" - "I can save you money" - "I can show you different plans." I've also seen the mistake of not using I or you, but "owners." Then you script is "I'm working up quotes for owners in the area" - "I'm saving most owners 30% or more" etc...No - it's how THEY can benefit by you walking through their door.
They don't care about you. They care about what you can do for them. Change I to you: "You can save money" - "You can look a different plans."
Another mistake is agents have been told to always be in control and some go in with this alpha male attitude and their confidence turns to or is construed as arrogance. I'm very firm and positive but respectful - that's their business you just waltzed into - they pay the rent there, not you.
On the flip side you can't be some stuttering mess: "Hi, ummm, I'm um John and um..." That ain't gonna work either.
But this is still sales and some sales 101 applies - assume the close. Let them say that ugly word you can't stand hearing - no. Big deal. I'm referring to when it comes time to ask for their info for quotes.
Wrong way:
"So would you like quotes?" If you ask a question phrased like that the underlying psychology behind it is "you probably don't, no one really does so just say no and let's get this over with." It's weak. Very weak.
Right way:
"I just need your name and zip code and I'll work up competitive quotes for you." Then deal with any objection they might throw at you.
Last edited by healthagent : 01-09-2008 at 07:22 AM.
I did some business to business walk-ins yesterday for the first time in a while and really enjoyed it. I'd love to here your typical approach, from beginning to the close you listed above. I've basically been walking in, asking them if they're frusterated with their premiums, and going from there. I know it works, I've landed my largest group clients using this method.
Let's all get after it today and help some people!
I don't have any canned "pitch" because I'm not gonna say the same thing to a 32 year old male biz owner as I'm gonna say to a 58 year old female owner - the tone won't even be the same.
I use my 6th sense a lot. I can tell just by handing them the flyer within 5 seconds if any raw interest is there. I'll hand some owners the flyer and they'll immediately set it down and say "thanks." I'm pretty much done.
Other owners will glue themselves to the flyer and start reading every line. Those are the owners I'm looking for.
I think one of the reasons I can actually get out there and go B to B is I simply read people well. I know the owners who are thinking "Lord, when's this clown gonna leave" and adjust accordingly.
Be smart. Do you really want to pitch the owner of a pizza shop at noon?
I also don't demean them with "Wow you have a really nice business!" That's BS and owners see through that. I get to the point.
However, to answer your question my "pitch" is a variation of this:
<introduce yourself, hand flyer> "There are new plans and rates out for 2008 through the top companies so it's a great time to see what's avaiable and save a significant amount off your health insurance premium."
Now - when I say this I'm looking for their reaction. If they have that "great, but no thanks" look I simply leave them with the flyer and tell them to contact me at any time. Most of these are the "thanks, but we have group here." No problem. I'll ask if they employees on the plans. If it's yes I'm out.
If they have that "hmmm, interesting" look I close "I just need your home zip code and I'll work up comparative quotes for you." As they start giving me their info I ask more and more questions.
Its really simple when it comes down to it, Go to Work. If its B2B do it. Internet Leads, work them, But stick to a system and work it, I read so much of back and forth, back and forth, if I was a new agent reading this information, I would be confused??? and the reason for failure is that agents dont stick to one system and use it. they are always looking for the new way!!!!!
Several individuals on this board who are extremely successful, do stick to one system, and you dont read any of their post about going back and forth back and forth. But for Crying out Loud, stick to a system and work it.
I hate B2B and telemarketing, its just not my gig, I have done it, and its too time consuming, but it can work, just like everything else, and with gas at $3.20 a gallon I dont know how its cost effective.
Bottom line, "Talk to enough People everyday, that have a need for your service, and you will do just fine in this market. Its not like people dont have a need for quality affordable health insurance. Remember your not going around peddling seamless gutters.
Well that's a good post Dave and point well taken for new agents. However, for everyone who doesn't do well with B to B there are also agents who don't do well with internet leads or new agents who cannot afford to buy leads.
All we're talking about is options. No one's gonna go B to B if they hate it, no one's gonna telemarket if they hate it but no one's gonna buy shared leads if they hate that method either.
The point for newbies is for them to know all available marketing techniques and they can choose from themselves.
Several individuals on this board who are extremely successful, do stick to one system, and you dont read any of their post about going back and forth back and forth. But for Crying out Loud, stick to a system and work it.
Interesting post, and some excellent points...
As I said on another thread, you've got to build a mini-marketing machine comprised of several methods that work. You must constantly test and refine them for efficiency and effectiveness.
In this information society in which we live, you've really got to be in all places at all times.
Something new I'm doing for '08 is speaking engagements. My target market is loaded with groups looking for an interesting speaker, and you're positioned as an expert instead of going to networking functions and leads groups where people are trying to sell you!
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