Cold Calling Leads

astreeter

New Member
12
When you do cold calling, where do you get your contacts from? How much do they cost? How affective does cold calling seem to be for you and your business? Thanks!!
 
Cold calling works well if you have more time than money and you make the dedication to do it. It sure beats pounding all your friends and neighbors for business. Once you get your business going I think it will be hard to find the time to effectively cold call. I made 200 cold calls a day for 16 months and built a book of solid P and C clients. Now I am looking for quality real time leads since I cant effectively put the time into making the cold call dials.
 
Cold calling works well if you have more time than money and you make the dedication to do it. It sure beats pounding all your friends and neighbors for business. Once you get your business going I think it will be hard to find the time to effectively cold call. I made 200 cold calls a day for 16 months and built a book of solid P and C clients. Now I am looking for quality real time leads since I cant effectively put the time into making the cold call dials.


Thanks for the info. I expect to do a lot of cold calling this next year but then with effective marketing my phone will begin to ring on its own. Thanks again!!
 
Ok, so this is going to sound stupid but I've been assuming insurance leads and cold calling were about the same, but the more I read, the more I realize that is incorrect. Right?

Cold calling you just buy a list of names and numbers (hopefully none of which are on the do not call list) and dial away. Internet leads are warmer in that the person (we hope) has filled something out online to show interest in getting a quote.

In that case, any suggested sites to buy call lists? Looking for personal lines as I do P&C. I also apologize, not trying to steal this thread, just figured it would fit in to this thread.

I have way more time than money at this point.
 
Hey, now worries Indiana Adam. The question fits right in. Cold calling and buying leads are very different. You hit it on the head, cold calling is random, leads are warm.

I too would like to know of a good company to purchase the call list. Thanks
 
I've spoken to MedicarePlanSolutions via the phone and he's been termendously helpful. He's also not been pushy about selling the data. Will be buying a data list from him, once I get the approval of my boss (wife).
 
I have wholesale list broker contracting with access to 3 of the 4 major lists. The amount of data obtainable is very detailed.

To be fair to agents, the cost is a flat $100.00 over the very low wholesale costs. Do not know if I can help, but remember the average reseller, that uses the same sources, applies a 100% markup. (A list can be bought with 100% phones for an actual cost to me of I believe $5/thousand more)
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Advice given to a PM request:

Obtaining Lead Information on Clients for Calling or Mailing

28 years years ago, I started my business in working with Insurance Companies and highest level Insurance Marketing Organizations on their recruiting. Occasionally they were looking beyond the agent scope into various types of business and consumer lists. This caused learning about the true makings of the list business that you in turn should know.

In the United States 85% of this information comes from 5 major sources. The one for business is Dunn & Bradstreet and is more expensive. The other 4 companies cover the consumer areas, and are all pretty darn similar. I was offered a wholesale contract, and it is hard to believe that before adding features the list at my cost started at around $25.00 per thousand. This price even includes a few extra data sorts.

Unknown to list buyers are all the different data fields that may be available. They include age grouping by 2 years, income range, mortgage on house, mortgage balance, owner or renter, years at location, income range, children in household, home phone numbers, and more helpful features. The client receives all this info on a coded excel data format to make targeted prospecting easier.

Of course the list is NCOA and Do Not Call scrubbed, with the ability to receive only those with phones, or/and where all have Zip4 codes and other options. The one time lists have a standard $25 processing charge. To compete with each other, all are very deliverable.

The typical list broker will not take an order for under $500.00. So if the client orders 5,000 names and the cost ends up at $225.00, the cost to the client (agent) is $500.00. Almost every list broker wants to make a 50% to over a 100% markup on any list they sell.


We have our own personal, extremely refined 1,500,000 agent recruiting lists, which due to health my wife now runs, along with the business. I have devoted my time to writing and helping agents and IMO's get a true internet footing. Therefore we do not push these consumer lists. Our decision is to take the cost of a list, regardless of size, and simply add a very fair flat $100.00.

Therefore, let's say your 10,000 list is very feature loaded and cost $55.00 per thousand. You would pay $575, including processing, and add $100.00 to us. In turn if the list cost $37 per thousand your total cost with processing is $395 and then add $100.00 to us. Hope this information helps.

Donald Yerke (Google my name)
[email protected] 810-750-1777 or Gtalk.

As you can see this is not an ad, but an attempt to make sure you know what is available, to not get ripped off. Feel free to do business wherever you desire.

An added tip: If you hate cold calling, Google their name with city, and you might find out where they work -- plus the work contact email address.
 
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I have wholesale list broker contracting with access to 3 of the 4 major lists. The amount of data obtainable is very detailed.

The typical list broker will not take an order for under $500.00. So if the client orders 5,000 names and the cost ends up at $225.00, the cost to the client (agent) is $500.00. Almost every list broker wants to make a 50% to over a 100% markup on any list they sell.


Therefore, let's say your 10,000 list is very feature loaded and cost $55.00 per thousand. You would pay $575, including processing, and add $100.00 to us. In turn if the list cost $37 per thousand your total cost with processing is $395 and then add $100.00 to us. Hope this information helps.

As you can see this is not an ad, but an attempt to make sure you know what is available, to not get ripped off. Feel free to do business wherever you desire.

Thank you for the long and thorough post. I think it was very informative. That being said, there are two things I would note.

I think most list brokers get a much higher markup than 50%-100%, I say this because I don't know what my vendor pays for their records, but I know what they charge me. Maybe they just get a phenomenally great rate because of their volume. I buy enough from them for them to give me such a good deal that I actually resell it now (instead of just refer them) and I can sell data out the door, to use the 10,000 record example, I can sell that list for $400 with my markup already included. Seems like your wholesales prices are a little high, but maybe mine are just fantastically low.
 
Remember that the base rate, includes area, and adding age 2 year range and phones, might keep it under $35/thousand.
Personally, I do not want the business if you can also keep agents from getting ripped off.

Your prices are very good. I suggest other members contact you. Also I would suggest they add some other low cost factors (like 2 in household and homeowner) to make selling more effective.

Thanks for keeping honesty in the business.
 
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