Does "old School" Marketing Still Work

[DHK]

Depends on what you're selling and who you are selling it to.

If you're wanting to target seniors, I'd look at your local PennySaver or similar publication. I haven't bought a newspaper in a long time, but newspapers may be a great way to reach an older demographic.

If you're offering a free report as a lead generator, you can do that online with most email contact services - mailchimp, vertical response, aweber, constant contact, etc. You can have the PDF stored online via box.com or other document storage service. You could also reference the offer in the newspaper with your URL.

Getting speaking engagements and doing seminars/workshops is one of the most effective methods out there. You're leading the conversation and you are perceived as an expert in the subject matter.


I think John Savage said it best: "Anything will work... if you will."

This business is still about one thing: Seeing the people. While others have migrated to online and/or telephone selling (see Jeff Root's book on the subject), I still do my best work one-on-one, one-by-one.

Learn about the other things - that's why I bought Jeff's book - but I'd still prefer to work face-to-face.

 

[goillini52]

License is bad enough. Fee sucks. We'll blame it on the magazine salespersons.

I was told by the Chief of Police to blame it on those damned Kirby salesmen and the one's selling cleaners.


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If you ask at City Hall (or other city gov't building) they will tell you to buy a permit.

Ask an actual police officer. I did. He told me that if I had my insurance license on me and my DL, and I'm not soliciting cash, I should be fine. At most, they may run my DL, but I should be fine.

Your Mileage May Vary. Just be smart about it.

Times are a changing. I had somebody call the cops on me for cold door knocking in a town that I'd done it in for 30 years. They didn't have any signs up, but I was told that I had to go get a permit and all from the Chief of Police.

Now I'm not allowed to knock on the doors that have a "No Solicitors" sign. I've never had anybody say anything about knocking on their door...,not once.

There have been 6 towns that I work that have just passed ordinances.

 

[rousemark]

I was told by the Chief of Police to blame it on those damned Kirby salesmen and the one's selling cleaners.


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Times are a changing. I had somebody call the cops on me for cold door knocking in a town that I'd done it in for 30 years. They didn't have any signs up, but I was told that I had to go get a permit and all from the Chief of Police.

Now I'm not allowed to knock on the doors that have a "No Solicitors" sign. I've never had anybody say anything about knocking on their door...,not once.

There have been 6 towns that I work that have just passed ordinances.

TN takes the position that you state license takes precedent over locals peddlers ordinances.... As to what works, it's depends on the market and product. However, when it comes to the lower to middle income markets I have seen agents successfully canvas for just about every product.

 

[goillini52]

TN takes the position that you state license takes precedent over locals peddlers ordinances.... As to what works, it's depends on the market and product. However, when it comes to the lower to middle income markets I have seen agents successfully canvas for just about every product.

Wish it was like that here.

 

[thomasm]

LD, more and more towns are starting to require a license and charge a daily fee(like $10 per day). The town I live in just started it and even though I live here, I have to pay to play here. Damn it!

That's criminal!

Check to see if your insurance license will exempt you.

Otherwise threaten to sue!

If you have to pay, it should be a reasonable fee, and the permit should be good for at least a calendar year.

 

[goillini52]

That's criminal!

Check to see if your insurance license will exempt you.

Otherwise threaten to sue!

If you have to pay, it should be a reasonable fee, and the permit should be good for at least a calendar year.

Both the town I live in and my favorite town to work, you have to fill out a form and they do a background check. Then you pay $50 for 5 consecutive days. They give you a lanyard to wear that displays your permit.

 

[thomasm]

Both the town I live in and my favorite town to work, you have to fill out a form and they do a background check. Then you pay $50 for 5 consecutive days. They give you a lanyard to wear that displays your permit.

I think it's the outright banning of door to door soliciting that has been ruled unconstitutional and opens up litigation to cities and towns that enforce it.

Hence is why in the town that started the whole Green River Ordinance back in 1931, now allows you to go door to door with a permit.

http://www.cityofgreenriver.org/DocumentCenter/View/1877

 

[goillini52]

I think it's the outright banning of door to door soliciting that has been ruled unconstitutional and opens up litigation to cities and towns that enforce it.

Hence is why in the town that started the whole Green River Ordinance back in 1931, now allows you to go door to door with a permit.

http://www.cityofgreenriver.org/DocumentCenter/View/1877

AHhhh yes, the Green River Ordinance. I 1st ran into that in Nebraska in 1973.

 

[LostDollar]

Getting speaking engagements and doing seminars/workshops is one of the most effective methods out there. You're leading the conversation and you are perceived as an expert in the subject matter.
.

What are the techniques for capturing attendee information in seminar/workshop situations?

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This business is still about one thing: Seeing the people. While others have migrated to online and/or telephone selling (see Jeff Root's book on the subject), I still do my best work one-on-one, one-by-one.

The one-on-one one-by-one concept seems opposed to some of the other ideas.
In the sense that a newspaper ad or a door hanging or a seminar would create a "flood" of prospects all requiring some urgency in attention. Do prospects obtained in these ways become "stale"?

 

[kgmom219]

Dude....I have the bladder of a little girl. This is not for me.

But lets get serious for a moment.....you do bring up a good point.

Moving along from door knocking.....

Network. Get in front of as many people as possible. Follow up. Ask EVERY SINGLE CLIENT for a referral, right after they say "thank you". "You are so welcome. Can I ask you something? Is there anyway you could like my Facebook page? Also, when all your friends start complaing about X, make sure you give them my name? I am working hard to build my business"

If every single person you know doesn't realize you do insurance, then that's a problem.

I barely have a website, I don't do PPC, SEO or whatever else. I don't do direct mail. I don't do telemarketing. I am good at networking. I think its a slower way to build your book, but it is also more stable.

Are you touching clients 4 times a year? If not, that's a problem. Are you doing date tracking? For example, if my client is going to need Medicare 101 in 2017, we are discussing that for ACA OEP RIGHT NOW. They know when I am going to call. They know what happens at T64.5. Ignore the mail. Ignore the calls. I AM YOUR GIRL. You don't need to talk to anyone else.

Don't sell insurance. Sell yourself.

Hope this helps!