Grand-Opening Party?

[jennmariepantoja]

Hi All!
I will be leasing an office to work out of. Question is, should I advertise this? I was thinking of having some sort of "grand-opening" but I am not sure if this would be silly since the office is not really a store-front...
The office is quite small, but I could use the shared conference room to host guests.
Background: I have been working MA part time, only during AEP. My husband does MA and FE full-time but uses our dining room as his office, which is full to capacity. Since our youngest is now going to school full-time, I am ready to work full time but I need my own space, away from his mess and out of the house.
Friends and family know I do MA, however I am now offering FE and since my peers and myself are all under 30, this should appeal more

So I want to announce that I am offering FE and have an office.. which brings me to ask my original question.
Thoughts?

 

[Josh]

If you're selling FE to folks under 30 you're doing them a tremendous disservice.

 

[Newby]

Hi All! I will be leasing an office to work out of. Question is, should I advertise this? I was thinking of having some sort of "grand-opening" but I am not sure if this would be silly since the office is not really a store-front... The office is quite small, but I could use the shared conference room to host guests. Background: I have been working MA part time, only during AEP. My husband does MA and FE full-time but uses our dining room as his office, which is full to capacity. Since our youngest is now going to school full-time, I am ready to work full time but I need my own space, away from his mess and out of the house. Friends and family know I do MA, however I am now offering FE and since my peers and myself are all under 30, this should appeal more So I want to announce that I am offering FE and have an office.. which brings me to ask my original question. Thoughts?

I have a physical office and sell FE, Med Sups and Med Advantage. Here is my opinion.

Med Sup customers will gladly come to meet with you at your office. You will stand out from the crowd by having an office and it will help you sell a lot of them. Most agents do not have one. You can do fine without one too but it gives you an advantage with many.

Med Advantage customers will come to you but many more of them will no show and flake out.

FE people will set appointments all day long to come in but never show up. You have to go out to them. Or phone sell them.

Part D only people will walk in off the street. It's amazing how many people proactively want help with part D but don't want to move their supplement or are too unhealthy to move it.

The longer you have your office the more good walk ins and call ins you get. Ours has been in place 10 years now. But one of the best walk ins was from the first year we opened. My wife sold a $16,000 AP term life policy to a guy who walked in just by knowing to call a term brokerage that we used at that time. I was pretty shocked when I popped back in the office later that day.

A grand opening? I don't think much of the idea. How would you promote it? Mass mailing? Facebook? I guess if you had food or some sort of draw it might fill the room. But I would be more inclined to just start doing your normal marketing and building your customer bases one by one.

Operating out of an office is old school and a dieing art. Today's big hitters are leaner, meaner and selling to a multi state audience by phone. That's probably the easier way to go. But you can make a lot of money either way.

 

[Norwayguy]

If you're selling FE to folks under 30 you're doing them a tremendous disservice.

Not to mention most of the FE products are 50+

 

[jennmariepantoja]

Not to mention most of the FE products are 50+

I agree. I kind of used FE as an umbrella term for other life products, but that is not what I meant.

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I have a physical office and sell FE, Med Sups and Med Advantage. Here is my opinion.

Med Sup customers will gladly come to meet with you at your office. You will stand out from the crowd by having an office and it will help you sell a lot of them. Most agents do not have one. You can do fine without one too but it gives you an advantage with many.

Med Advantage customers will come to you but many more of them will no show and flake out.

FE people will set appointments all day long to come in but never show up. You have to go out to them. Or phone sell them.

Part D only people will walk in off the street. It's amazing how many people proactively want help with part D but don't want to move their supplement or are too unhealthy to move it.

The longer you have your office the more good walk ins and call ins you get. Ours has been in place 10 years now. But one of the best walk ins was from the first year we opened. My wife sold a $16,000 AP term life policy to a guy who walked in just by knowing to call a term brokerage that we used at that time. I was pretty shocked when I popped back in the office later that day.

A grand opening? I don't think much of the idea. How would you promote it? Mass mailing? Facebook? I guess if you had food or some sort of draw it might fill the room. But I would be more inclined to just start doing your normal marketing and building your customer bases one by one.

Operating out of an office is old school and a dieing art. Today's big hitters are leaner, meaner and selling to a multi state audience by phone. That's probably the easier way to go. But you can make a lot of money either way.

I agree. The office is not really for traffic, just a quiet place to work. I know that I will only have an MA come in once in a blue moon and I am absolutely fine with that. The "grand opening" is not to drive traffic to my location, just to make more people aware of my services.

Now that I have had some sleep, and coffee, I see that it is not such a great idea.

Thanks, everyone, for your input!