What Would Your Ideal Lead Provider Look Like?

jpickett

New Member
15
Hi,

My name is Jon Pickett. I have been involved in the direct mail business, and lead generation for the final expense industry for several years. A friend of mine and I are looking to start a marketing business aimed at the final expense / medicare lead generation. So when we start, we aren't trying to sell all of you on our vision of what you need, What is it that you are looking for in a direct mailer / lead generation program? What features / services are most desirable? I know the answers are going to be as varied as people responding, but we want to know, what will help you the most. I sincerely believe this to be within the forum rules. Don't you think asking "If you could design a lead provider from the ground up, what would it look like?" is a question of great value to everyone here on this forum? If you disagree, I understand.

Thank you.
 
Hi,

My name is Jon Pickett. I have been involved in the direct mail business, and lead generation for the final expense industry for several years. A friend of mine and I are looking to start a marketing business aimed at the final expense / medicare lead generation. So when we start, we aren't trying to sell all of you on our vision of what you need, What is it that you are looking for in a direct mailer / lead generation program? What features / services are most desirable? I know the answers are going to be as varied as people responding, but we want to know, what will help you the most. I sincerely believe this to be within the forum rules. Don't you think asking "If you could design a lead provider from the ground up, what would it look like?" is a question of great value to everyone here on this forum? If you disagree, I understand.

Thank you.

What do you think agents want? Cheap leads that convert well. It's a tough market and a tough crowd to please. Agents want dirt cheap mailers with guaranteed return rates on qualified leads waiting with the checkbook to buy insurance.

What makes you want to get into this market? What do you think you can do better than the folks that are already doing it?
 
Josh, Thank you, you have very valid points. The reason I am asking is because what I think agents want, is really not what is going to help them. Knowing how they see their problems better, and helping solve those problems they see in their lead providers, is going to help them.

Yes, we all want a gourmet meal for a Mc Donald's price, but we all know that isn’t going to happen. If I could, I would have people at the door willing to write you a check, but there would still be a price point on that too.

The reasons I want to get into this market are varied. It is one where I have spent a great deal of my working life. It’s what I think I know, and what I love to learn about. And as has been said, enjoy what you do, and you will never work a day in your life.
 
Hi,

My name is Jon Pickett. I have been involved in the direct mail business, and lead generation for the final expense industry for several years. A friend of mine and I are looking to start a marketing business aimed at the final expense / medicare lead generation. So when we start, we aren't trying to sell all of you on our vision of what you need, What is it that you are looking for in a direct mailer / lead generation program? What features / services are most desirable? I know the answers are going to be as varied as people responding, but we want to know, what will help you the most. I sincerely believe this to be within the forum rules. Don't you think asking "If you could design a lead provider from the ground up, what would it look like?" is a question of great value to everyone here on this forum? If you disagree, I understand.

Thank you.


All I want from a lead is that someone has an interest in life insurance and that the leads be provided in a timely manner at a reasonable price.
 
Josh, Thank you, you have very valid points. The reason I am asking is because what I think agents want, is really not what is going to help them. Knowing how they see their problems better, and helping solve those problems they see in their lead providers, is going to help them.

Yes, we all want a gourmet meal for a Mc Donald's price, but we all know that isn’t going to happen. If I could, I would have people at the door willing to write you a check, but there would still be a price point on that too.

The reasons I want to get into this market are varied. It is one where I have spent a great deal of my working life. It’s what I think I know, and what I love to learn about. And as has been said, enjoy what you do, and you will never work a day in your life.

Just my opinion as a guy that's been an agent for almost 10 years and has spent the last five years working aggressively in marketing insurance, here the problems I think you'll be looking at:

-There are people that have been doing this forever that move huge volume and it's nearly impossible to compete with them on price.
-Most agents are only going to want to do 1k-2k pieces (or less), and aren't going to want to pay for "top quality" pieces, when time after time the low quality pieces tend to pull better.
-If your leads are really legit, they're going to be expensive and no agent is going to want to pay that type of a premium for them.
-If you want to make serious money marketing final expense and Medicare products, you need to either sell it yourself or partner with an agency on a commission split type basis.

What problems do you think agents have?

-Some wonder if their mail is getting sent out
-Some want a piece that's guaranteed to pull X%
-Some just want a less expensive piece

That's your market. I don't see why anyone in their right mind would want to get into that, but that's just my take on it. Depending on how serious you are (at least a 9/10), shoot me an email about it ([email protected]). I have folks ask me about direct mail all the time and I have a solution for it, but not a great one. If you have a compelling value proposition and we could work together on it I can guarantee you I can bring you clients, but I bring with me the combined skepticism of all the agents I work with plus my own experience.
 
All I want from a lead is that someone has an interest in life insurance and that the leads be provided in a timely manner at a reasonable price.
Thank You, Jdeasy! I know quick mail, special delivery methods, and, sortation all apply to timeliness, but when leads are delivered back to the agent, what do you find is the best for you? Web posting, email, Snail mail back to the agent, etc? Just the data posted to say a cell phone application, or a text?
 
...but when leads are delivered back to the agent, what do you find is the best for you? Web posting, email, Snail mail back to the agent, etc? Just the data posted to say a cell phone application, or a text?
You are misfocused. This crap is all academic, it's the quality of the lead that's important, not how it's delivered to the agent.

Sounds like you need to go back to the drawing board.
 
Thank You, Jdeasy! I know quick mail, special delivery methods, and, sortation all apply to timeliness, but when leads are delivered back to the agent, what do you find is the best for you? Web posting, email, Snail mail back to the agent, etc? Just the data posted to say a cell phone application, or a text?


I'm going to agree with the post M&M made about that stuff being academic. If it's returned timely I don't really care how I receive it. Email, fax or even snail mail.

I should have also siad I want a contact number on the lead piece and easy credit when it's not provided.
 
I'm going to agree with the post M&M made about that stuff being academic. If it's returned timely I don't really care how I receive it. Email, fax or even snail mail.

I should have also siad I want a contact number on the lead piece and easy credit when it's not provided.
I know of no way to guarantee that a piece is returned with a phone number on it. How is that the responsibility of a Direct Mail Lead provider, and what kind of credit would you expect?


EDIT:
Would a system, that found the individual, that you could access online, that did a phone lookup for you on the fly, be a reasonable compromise?
 
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The perfect lead provider would look something like this.

5 foot two, blonde, flat headed and toothless. If her ole man owns a bar that is icing on the cake
 
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