What Do You Call a Lead? Do You Buy Leads?

[WinoBlues]

What do you call a lead?

In another forum someone said he called a late or lapse notice a lead when he started. I was given a non collecting debit to work when I came into the business. I was taught to prospect and work my book. I did not know you could buy a lead for years. Service notices, especially replacement notices were concerned leads. Today I consider them opportunities more than leads. I consider referrals, call in and split deals leads. People that want to buy. People that not only know why I am calling they want me to call. What do you call a lead?

Do you buy the majority of your leads or do you self generate?

I generate the vast majority of my leads. I have tried Direct Mail, telephone leads and Internet leads. I try to be open minded know times change. None of the bought leads work for me as well as self generated. By self generated I mean snail mailing to my book and AOR, relationship building, center of influence and working with other agents. In fairness, I normally do not work the store bought leads as hard as I do the self generated leads. I prefer them to call me. Do you buy more leads or do you self generate?

Not selling anything or trying to change anyone's mind. Just curious what other insurance agents are doing.

Lee

 

[goillini52]

What do you call a lead?

In another forum someone said he called a late or lapse notice a lead when he started. I was given a non collecting debit to work when I came into the business. I was taught to prospect and work my book. I did not know you could buy a lead for years. Service notices, especially replacement notices were concerned leads. Today I consider them opportunities more than leads. I consider referrals, call in and split deals leads. People that want to buy. People that not only know why I am calling they want me to call. What do you call a lead?

Do you buy the majority of your leads or do you self generate?

I generate the vast majority of my leads. I have tried Direct Mail, telephone leads and Internet leads. I try to be open minded know times change. None of the bought leads work for me as well as self generated. By self generated I mean snail mailing to my book and AOR, relationship building, center of influence and working with other agents. In fairness, I normally do not work the store bought leads as hard as I do the self generated leads. I prefer them to call me. Do you buy more leads or do you self generate?

Not selling anything or trying to change anyone's mind. Just curious what other insurance agents are doing.

Lee

That was me that called a lapse card a lead. I've also worked orphan policyholder lists and when I was with Physicians Mutual, I got lists of the policyholders that took out through the mail to cross sell to. I consider those to be leads. There are so many types of leads. I'm different from most. I don't really care that most feel that a person has to respond in some way to be considered a lead...I don't feel that way.

I also like to self generate my own "leads" off of a targeted data list. Much better quality. To me, a lead is a name that is a prospect for what I'm selling. I telemarket the names on the list that aren't on the DNC list. If I make an appointment, it's almost always a sale and they stick. The ones that are on the list(90%), or that I can't get a hold of on the phone...I cold door knock.

I was trained to go door to door. Over the years, I've made door knocking more efficient by using the data list. When somebody answers the door, they're a prospect for something in my bag. This isn't for everyone, but it works for me, and I'm comfortable with it. I'm not recommending that anybody else work this way...but for somebody that doesn't have money to buy leads, it's an alternative. I also think door knocking might come full circle as more people get on the DNC list and DM prices keep going up.

I've got an advantage over most agents, because not many of them knock doors.

I actually understand now why JD says we're not "real" FE guys, because we don't sell it fulltime. The difference is that and in the way they market it, by running DM leads. You and I work differently from each other and we both work differently than JD. Like I've told JD...there's more than one way to skin a cat. LOL

I enjoy selling FE, but I cross sell it to my Med Supp clients. I occasionally get FE sales when door knocking and they aren't interested in a Med Supp and I pivot to FE.

I've bought several batches of FE avatars and never even ran the last 2 batches. The Cat Piss Circuit's not for me. It's icky! I'll stick to cross selling FE to my Med Supp clients. I guess I won't ever be a real FE guy.

 

[rousemark]

That was me that called a lapse card a lead. I've also worked orphan policyholder lists and when I was with Physicians Mutual, I got lists of the policyholders that took out through the mail to cross sell to. I consider those to be leads. There are so many types of leads. I'm different from most. I don't really care that most feel that a person has to respond in some way to be considered a lead...I don't feel that way.

I also like to self generate my own "leads" off of a targeted data list. Much better quality. To me, a lead is a name that is a prospect for what I'm selling. I telemarket the names on the list that aren't on the DNC list. If I make an appointment, it's almost always a sale and they stick. The ones that are on the list(90%), or that I can't get a hold of on the phone...I cold door knock.

I was trained to go door to door. Over the years, I've made door knocking more efficient by using the data list. When somebody answers the door, they're a prospect for something in my bag. This isn't for everyone, but it works for me, and I'm comfortable with it. I'm not recommending that anybody else work this way...but for somebody that doesn't have money to buy leads, it's an alternative. I also think door knocking might come full circle as more people get on the DNC list and DM prices keep going up.

I've got an advantage over most agents, because not many of them knock doors.

I actually understand now why JD says we're not "real" FE guys, because we don't sell it fulltime. The difference is that and in the way they market it, by running DM leads. You and I work differently from each other and we both work differently than JD. Like I've told JD...there's more than one way to skin a cat. LOL

I enjoy selling FE, but I cross sell it to my Med Supp clients. I occasionally get FE sales when door knocking and they aren't interested in a Med Supp and I pivot to FE.

I've bought several batches of FE avatars and never even ran the last 2 batches. The Cat Piss Circuit's not for me. It's icky! I'll stick to cross selling FE to my Med Supp clients. I guess I won't ever be a real FE guy.

If you prospect by DKing, it is hard to be a "full time FE agent" simply because once you get someone to the door you want to give yourself every possible chance (within reason) of making a sale and earning a commission for your efforts. If you can not generate interest in life / FE, then maybe they are interested in supplemental health of some type. After all, it only takes a minute or two additional time to mention the additional products and you are already at the door.

 

[goillini52]

If you prospect by DKing, it is hard to be a "full time FE agent" simply because once you get someone to the door you want to give yourself every possible chance (within reason) of making a sale and earning a commission for your efforts. If you can not generate interest in life / few, then maybe they are interested in supplemental health of some type. After all, it only takes a minute or two additional time to mention the additional products and you are already at the door.

Very true, but more and more "full time FE agents" are adding Med Supps, MA, dental, etc. to their bags, so they too have other products to pivot to.

 

[WinoBlues]

That was me that called a lapse card a lead. I've also worked orphan policyholder lists and when I was with Physicians Mutual, I got lists of the policyholders that took out through the mail to cross sell to. I consider those to be leads. There are so many types of leads. I'm different from most. I don't really care that most feel that a person has to respond in some way to be considered a lead...I don't feel that way.

I also like to self generate my own "leads" off of a targeted data list. Much better quality. To me, a lead is a name that is a prospect for what I'm selling. I telemarket the names on the list that aren't on the DNC list. If I make an appointment, it's almost always a sale and they stick. The ones that are on the list(90%), or that I can't get a hold of on the phone...I cold door knock.

I was trained to go door to door. Over the years, I've made door knocking more efficient by using the data list. When somebody answers the door, they're a prospect for something in my bag. This isn't for everyone, but it works for me, and I'm comfortable with it. I'm not recommending that anybody else work this way...but for somebody that doesn't have money to buy leads, it's an alternative. I also think door knocking might come full circle as more people get on the DNC list and DM prices keep going up.

I've got an advantage over most agents, because not many of them knock doors.

I actually understand now why JD says we're not "real" FE guys, because we don't sell it fulltime. The difference is that and in the way they market it, by running DM leads. You and I work differently from each other and we both work differently than JD. Like I've told JD...there's more than one way to skin a cat. LOL

I enjoy selling FE, but I cross sell it to my Med Supp clients. I occasionally get FE sales when door knocking and they aren't interested in a Med Supp and I pivot to FE.

I've bought several batches of FE avatars and never even ran the last 2 batches. The Cat Piss Circuit's not for me. It's icky! I'll stick to cross selling FE to my Med Supp clients. I guess I won't ever be a real FE guy.

I guess I should change my statement. I have always worked orphans as well and see them as a form of lead as well. I have gotten pretty good at cultivating orphans. The vast majority of my book can be tracked back to an orphan or a referral. The only door knocking I have ever done regularly were orphans. Most people I run across are orphaned policyholders to one degree or other.

I guess I see "leads" as A, B or C leads.

Prospecting seems like a dying art.

----------

Very true, but more and more "full time FE agents" are adding Med Supps, MA, dental, etc. to their bags, so they too have other products to pivot to.

And dabbling in recruiting. .

My medsupp book consist on 1 deal. She all but stalked me to write it. Had to do a three way call with Rick to write it. I am sure my very old BoB is being worked by dozens of medsupp agents.

 

[entrep1776]

I also like to self generate my own "leads" off of a targeted data list. Much better quality. To me, a lead is a name that is a prospect for what I'm selling. I telemarket the names on the list that aren't on the DNC list. If I make an appointment, it's almost always a sale and they stick. The ones that are on the list(90%), or that I can't get a hold of on the phone...I cold door knock.

What criteria/parameters do you use for targeted data list?

 

[goillini52]

What criteria/parameters do you use for targeted data list?

Since I lead with Med Supps I run 2 lists. One T65 and one 65+. I do each with a scrubbed and a non-scrubbed list, so I actually do 4 lists. Other than age I'll put in an income filter of $15K and do it by county.

 

[entrep1776]

Since I lead with Med Supps I run 2 lists. One T65 and one 65+. I do each with a scrubbed and a non-scrubbed list, so I actually do 4 lists. Other than age I'll put in an income filter of $15K and do it by county.

With your screen name GoIllini, Do you sell in Illinois?

 

[goillini52]

With your screen name GoIllini, Do you sell in Illinois?

Yes, but how in the world did you figure that out?

 

[entrep1776]

Yes, but how in the world did you figure that out?

My super powers of deduction. Lots of Illini Fans that don't live in IL. Younger sister is an Illini Fan/Alum but lives in TX. Been reading/enjoying your quotes in Glen's book. Halfway through it. Tried printing out medicare and you 2017 pub. ran out of toner.

In Glen's book, I think there was quote where you were calling leads like 10 years later. cracked me up