50 Best Ways to Generate Leads

[Full Throttle]

I start and end every presentation with the reminder that I am not an insurance sales-person. I am an insurance educator. I don’t sell product, I find care solutions.

If you don't sell products, how do you get paid?

 

[scagnt83]

If you don't sell products, how do you get paid?

The point of that (in my mind) is not to try to evade the fact that your getting paid from selling products. Personally, I am always very clear about that.
But its to position you in a place that your not viewed as just another "salesman" trying to make a quick and easy buck off of them.

I dont know that I would personally use the term insurance educator, but I have used the term insurance planner many times.
And it takes properly educating the client to be able to earn that differentiation in their mind. When you take them through a planning process, and not just a sales process it makes a difference in perception. And the best way to do that is to actually tell them you are going to do this initially.

Tell them that your recommendation will not be based just on whats cheapest right now, but on the best value and fit for their current and future needs.
Let them know that you will show them all options and fully explain the logic behind your recommendation.

There is a huge difference between a sales process and a planning process.
A sales process brings in sales.
A planning process captures long term clients.
And a good planning process will generate a lot more sales than a sales based process.

 

[Full Throttle]

There is a huge difference between a sales process and a planning process.
A sales process brings in sales.
A planning process captures long term clients.
And a good planning process will generate a lot more sales than a sales based process.

No arguements there. A good salesperson adds value by having a solid process. A bad salesperson sells to maximize commissions without regard for the customer's best interest and moves on. However, both are salesman (it's a personal pet pieve of mine when people try to hide what they do by calling themselves "financial advisors", "financial planners", "consultants", ect. when they get paid to sell products. I firmly believe that even the most unethical salesman that doesn't give two shits about anyone but himself would still make more money in the long run by taking an ethical approach.

 

[briko3]

Financial advisors DO make money by selling products. It's never done for free. They don't make the check to me.

 

[peopleperson]

I like good old fashioned referrals... Endless chain prospecting.

 

[Question]

I have tried the 'talking to strangers" part. While i have been able to carry on some great conversations, unfortunately most of it comes to a screeching halt when i say "Oh, <name>, can i have your name card? I might need your services in the future/maybe we can go out for a cup of coffee another day?". Almost everyone, even if we have been chatting comfortably for 10-15 minutes, immediately regards me with MASSIVE suspicion and refuses me on the spot, usually with some line like "Oh i don't give out namecards to people i don't know", followed by a refusal to get to know each other better. I have had stock brokers refuse to give me their namecards when i expressed interest in using their services.

But most of the time when i start to chat with strangers they just regard me with suspicion and give short one or two word replies before ignoring me totally. An example is when i was waiting for the lift with this lady at the hospital. I simply started off with "Hi, are you here for a medical checkup too?". She responded in a shocked tone, "No, im a staff here.". "Ah, so which clinic do you work in?" "Why do you want to know?" "Oh, just making conversation.". She snorted, turned away, and proceeded to ignore me completely from then on.

 

[1manshow]

Question, don't take offense but what you seem to be doing is what I would call "parasite" marketing. Lighten up, meet as many people as possible, show an interest in what they have to say and hand them your card when you leave with an offer to answer any questions if they ever have them, no strings. Will it get you a boatload of referrals, leads ....I doubt it...but at least you won't be "that guy"

 

[Question]

I am trying to do that, but im not sure where im going wrong.

Another example, i talked to this guy from the UK. We went on to talk about our local medical care system which he felt was much better than the NHS, since you had freedom and lesser waiting times, but you definately had to get health insurance because unlike the NHS, its not totally free.

We then went on to talk about how theres such a large divide between Europe's attitude towards healthcare insurance and here, where most people see no need to have insurance at all. Unfortunately at this point, he had to leave, so i asked for his namecard and got the typical reaction.

Should i simply have given him my name card first? I was told that if i do this i would be wasting my name card, since most people take namecards and forget about them.

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

we do an annual review once per year

I thought you should do an annual review twice a year...

Thanks Yogi Berra.

 

[ringlesscampaign]

When I first saw FIFTY (50). I thought, No Way! Then I looked them over. I would say you covered, the bases very well. One question if I may. I understand that the dedicated broker or agent selling health insurance under ACA is compensated less then they were, say two years ago. How do they stay aggressive in their advertising with less financial compensation for their efforts?