Insurance Agent Forum

[slym34]

direct mail sux is the consensus!

[STIBROKER@AUSTIN.RR.COM]

Direct Mail SUCKS......

[The Rabbi]

Originally Posted by STIBROKER@AUSTIN.RR.COM

Direct Mail SUCKS......

Brilliant. You forgot to mention all the other kinds of leads that suck.

Most of the problem I see in direct mail ins is they are BORING. Maybe that was your problem.

[ABC]

I did a large Direct mail campaign in 4th quarter of 06....ouch
Got noting from it. I sent out 4200 mailers twice. I had a one two combo. It bombed something fierce I generated nothing from it. I will never spend that kind of money of DM.

What I do is actually call and get a contact namel and then mail at info.

[mickeyma]

Originally Posted by STIBROKER@AUSTIN.RR.COM

Direct Mail SUCKS......

I disagree. It's the only way to go. I target people who have a greater chance to buy life insurance from me & get a reply card back and call the prospect myself. You know what you're dealing with. No phone solicitor setting false appts to make quota.

I've tried telemarketers, internet leads, auto dialers, newspaper inserts & cold calling. Direct mail is my favorite.

[patch36]

Direct mail without reply cards is generally a waste of time and money. Direct mail works. That is how most leads are generated in the Senior Market, and if you are going to sell MA this coming year, the phone is prohibited.

[DarrylVK]

Sounds like you have figured out a system that workd for Direct mail & those complainin g haven't.

Care to share a little more info?

Originally Posted by mickeyma

I disagree. It's the only way to go. I target people who have a greater chance to buy life insurance from me & get a reply card back and call the prospect myself. You know what you're dealing with. No phone solicitor setting false appts to make quota.

I've tried telemarketers, internet leads, auto dialers, newspaper inserts & cold calling. Direct mail is my favorite.

[moonlightandmargaritas]

Originally Posted by ABC

Got noting from it. I sent out 4200 mailers twice. I had a one two combo. It bombed something fierce I generated nothing from it. I will never spend that kind of money of DM.

Originally Posted by patch36

Direct mail without reply cards is generally a waste of time and money. Direct mail works. That is how most leads are generated in the Senior Market, and if you are going to sell MA this coming year, the phone is prohibited.

To make a blanket statement that anything (including direct mail) doesn't work is way too simple. There are so many variables. I've used direct mail extensively and have enjoyed an excellent return on my investment.

First of all, mailing 4,200 pieces without testing a smaller sample quantity is foolish. Test, measure, adjust, repeat.

The most important variable is the list. A bad offer to a good list will always outpull a good offer to a bad list.

Most insurance mailings are brutally boring. Boring is even worse than bad!

Good comment on reply cards - but I would even go further. In 2008, you've got to give them the choice of a reply mailer, toll free phone number, and a way to reply via the web to get maximum results.

[patch36]

Yeah I have toll free numbers and a website included in the mailing. Good point though.

I have 2 different toll free numbers, they are like $5 each a month. That gives me one more way to track mailings, ect, by using different toll free numbers.
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One thing I am trying over the next month or two is sending my one page monthly newsletter in an envelope with a reply card. It lets them know more about me and my business, has a lot of product information and teasers, and is more likely to be read. I am sending out about 2k this week and will follow up with 1k each week for the next few months.

I use a local direct mailing service who prints, stuffs, stamps and mails for me.
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To set up your own mailings takes some homework. You have to research bulk mail, companies that do it for you, ect. I have a bulk permit but am letting it expire because my guy mails at cost. He charges me for the printing, stuffing and stamping. I pay a little extra for him to attach a stamp to the envelope so it looks like regular mail instead of an imprint.

Bulk Reply cards have to be post office approved. They design the bar code and assign you a permit number. Each piece returned to you costs under a dollar, depend on whether it is a postcard or envelope. I preprint postcards on both sides. My current piece has check boxes for the info they are interested in and some fine print that tells them they will be contacted, given information in person by a licensed agent, ect... It also tells them nothing will be mailed to them, it is in a meeting with me that they get their info. It does cut back on response, but I dont mail out packets to tire kickers anymore.

When I send out seminar invites it is always at least 4k pieces and generally 6k. I have done 10k mailings before also for seminars/workshops that have at least 3 different date choices.

...or, you can pay someone else to do it with a generic mailing that is the same as what all your competition is using.

[neilman]

I find we get so lazy and stop being saleman !! When i do a mailer i call everybody !! If i get 3 deals I'm making money !! Hard work pays instead of wishing. Right !!

[sunkist219]

Direct mail still works it just doesn't have as high of a return rate that it used to. The key is to have a interesting-looking piece.

[myinsurebiz]

Originally Posted by patch36

Yeah I have toll free numbers and a website included in the mailing. Good point though.

I have 2 different toll free numbers, they are like $5 each a month. That gives me one more way to track mailings, ect, by using different toll free numbers.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
One thing I am trying over the next month or two is sending my one page monthly newsletter in an envelope with a reply card. It lets them know more about me and my business, has a lot of product information and teasers, and is more likely to be read. I am sending out about 2k this week and will follow up with 1k each week for the next few months.

I use a local direct mailing service who prints, stuffs, stamps and mails for me.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To set up your own mailings takes some homework. You have to research bulk mail, companies that do it for you, ect. I have a bulk permit but am letting it expire because my guy mails at cost. He charges me for the printing, stuffing and stamping. I pay a little extra for him to attach a stamp to the envelope so it looks like regular mail instead of an imprint.

Bulk Reply cards have to be post office approved. They design the bar code and assign you a permit number. Each piece returned to you costs under a dollar, depend on whether it is a postcard or envelope. I preprint postcards on both sides. My current piece has check boxes for the info they are interested in and some fine print that tells them they will be contacted, given information in person by a licensed agent, ect... It also tells them nothing will be mailed to them, it is in a meeting with me that they get their info. It does cut back on response, but I dont mail out packets to tire kickers anymore.

When I send out seminar invites it is always at least 4k pieces and generally 6k. I have done 10k mailings before also for seminars/workshops that have at least 3 different date choices.

...or, you can pay someone else to do it with a generic mailing that is the same as what all your competition is using.

Bulk Mail works nothing like mentioned above.

A "stamp" on outgoing bulk mail? You are paying way to much.

Reply Cards can cost you as little as $500 a year in bulk - no where close to under a $1 . . . Rent a # if you don't expect to get back 1k+ . . .

Direct Mail works great - especially if you Co-op it and your offerings cost $0 . . .

[neilman]

I do mailers, I make sales,I have Gail call everybody i mailed to. Remenber, i mail only certain zip codes to the age group i'm looking for .That alone is 3 to 4 sales a month ! I uses a company that books appts. for me. That been 4 sales in 40 days. I have 2 runners 2 days a month . I got a great mailer and Gail calls everybody !! Thats 3,4,5 SALES $$$ It works for me !
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I forgot to say and this is my 2 cents !! My system is up 25% and in full gear ! Everybody is willing to see me more to see if i can help them with there loses or secure what they have .

[DJAdam]

What are "runners"?

[neilman]

That means i paid 2 go getters to do a job. I paid them to do that job and can trust them that the job is done.They run around and pass out my mailer at the homes i already mail to.It's now on there door Its all about reaching people and saying hello .That i can help and tell them the truth . It works and a handshake means something ! All area are hand picked. The more you do it the more they remenber !! PR is the way.Do it over and over again.People remenber and my caller Gail has an easier job . Its about writing business and making new friend. People are now listening more than ever !! Back to basis !! I hire an appointment setting company and i got to know my appt. setter. He is working the area i have been attacking for new business and it is working ! I paid 1025 for 20 appt. Done over $500,000 in business. I know some agents are saying things.I think they didn't get to know whoever was booking them.I took the time and have a great relationship with the company. Everything is a sale and you get paid well !! $$

[djs]

Originally Posted by myinsurebiz

A "stamp" on outgoing bulk mail? You are paying way to much.

Why?

Do you not know that there is a 'bulk-mail' stamp? You buy them for $0.10 a piece, then pay the balance of the bulk mail postage when you drop off the mail.

Turns out that there are a lot of people who don't know this, which is why they assume it isn't bulk mail.

I use them to, stamping the mail saves me a fortune over using first-class stamps.

Dan