Passing along referral idea

maxreferrals · 03-12-2007, 01:54 PM

I heard about realtors using this idea to generate decent referral flow, pretty consistently.

Anyone doing anything similar?

1. Go to Starbucks drive-thru. Order.

2. Give kid at window your business card, pay for your coffee, and pay for car behind you.

3. On back of your card, write something like... "With my compliments. Happy to help you with any of your family (insurance) needs."

4. Tell kid to give it to driver when car pulls up.

healthagent · 03-12-2007, 02:08 PM

"that'll be $34.95 sir. The car behind you is getting coffee and muffins for the office."

salpro22 · 03-12-2007, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by john_petrowski

"that'll be $34.95 sir. The car behind you is getting coffee and muffins for the office."

With a macho-grande-triple-mochachina-foam-coffe--no-lip-bull-ship-shaken-not-stirred-with-2 ice-cubes

Frank Stastny · 03-12-2007, 02:19 PM

I believe this was posted not too long ago. It is always a great idea to do something nice for someone. Kind of like "Paying it Forward".

My only question is, how much coffee can you drink in a day? I think for you to get results you would have to just keep driving in circles all day. Although a lot of us spend days where it seems like that's all we are doing anyway. Might as well have some coffee while doing it I guess.

I have done that ocassionally without the business card just because I can. Especially when I have just made a sale. Kind of like "sharing the wealth".

My best referrals come from happy clients, happy clients are the ones you stay in touch with. It's pretty easy for me to do that. :wink:

CHUMPS FROM OXFORD · 03-12-2007, 02:22 PM

I'm embarrassed to say that I have NEVER drank coffee. Starbucks are all over the place around here. It seems as if the lines at the Drive-Thru are pretty long as well.

Frank Stastny · 03-12-2007, 02:31 PM

You sound way too healthy to be an insurance agent. I thought we all drank coffee until they had to scrape us off the ceiling by the end of the day.

How do you get your heart started in the morning?

healthagent · 03-12-2007, 02:41 PM

I think it's one of things you would do just as a habit and eventually it would yield some business.

I actually stopped passing out business cards. I used to hand my card out to every place I went in. It returned zero and was just a waste of paper.

CHUMPS FROM OXFORD · 03-12-2007, 03:00 PM

Originally Posted by Frank Stastny

You sound way too healthy to be an insurance agent. I thought we all drank coffee until they had to scrape us off the ceiling by the end of the day.

How do you get your heart started in the morning?

I'm not even sure myself. I have granola bar types of things in the morning. I guess I'm pretty healthy, but only by luck. I drink too much diet soft drinks and I love beef jerky. And I don't get a lot of sleep because at 1:am, I'm flipping channels between "The Man Show" and Curb Your Enthusiasm" reruns (that I have seen a dozen times or more!).

*midwestbroker* · 03-12-2007, 03:02 PM

I agree. I do not hand out my card either, unless asked. Then again, I am working the senior market, and CMS will not let an agent approach a senior in a public setting. Which I think is a good thing (don't want Grandma getting a gallon of milk and 47 business cards from agents hanging out at the grocery store).

When I was a bartender, I would get real estate agents cards, Jesus loves you booklets, and various MLM offers. I used to keep them in a drawer just too see how much I could collect, but eventually we would just toss it all.

ALG · 11-03-2008, 07:24 PM

The cost of 1000 business cards, around $50. Insurance Exclusive Lead on the Net around $50. If I were a gambling man I would pass out my 1000 business cards, to every Business I do Business with and anyone I come in contact with during the day. The Odds are in my favor to find a customer.

sunkist219 · 11-03-2008, 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by SFTICA

I am a captive P & C agent. I contacted all of our claims department preferred vendors such as auto glass, tow operators, fire restoration, contractors. I called them all and in so many words explained how if the bulk of their revenue comes from my company they should have coverage for their vehicles business etc. from that company.

Great success, wrote 60%.

I call it the extortion close.

Anyone else try it?

That's smart thinking! I also think the original idea posted here was good too! I woudn't normally look too long at a business card, but if that person just paid for my coffee it would give me a good idea of how much they will do to get a customer and hopefully keep the customer. I would probably call them (hypothetically) or at least I'd be way more likely to call them than if I just picked up the business card displayed on a counter somewhere.

Frank Stastny · 11-03-2008, 11:31 PM

Originally Posted by SFTICA

I am a captive P & C agent. I contacted all of our claims department preferred vendors such as auto glass, tow operators, fire restoration, contractors. I called them all and in so many words explained how if the bulk of their revenue comes from my company they should have coverage for their vehicles business etc. from that company.

Great success, wrote 60%.

I call it the extortion close.

Anyone else try it?

So your avatar does have significant meaning.

Are the other 40% "swimming with the fishes"?

Good job. I wish I had that kind of leverage in the senior market.

Markingriffin · 11-27-2008, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by maxreferrals

I heard about realtors using this idea to generate decent referral flow, pretty consistently.

Anyone doing anything similar?

1. Go to Starbucks drive-thru. Order.

2. Give kid at window your business card, pay for your coffee, and pay for car behind you.

3. On back of your card, write something like... "With my compliments. Happy to help you with any of your family (insurance) needs."

4. Tell kid to give it to driver when car pulls up.

We did the same thing for our church. The card invited them to visit our church. We did more then just drive thru. Anytime you did something nice for someone, we handed them a church card.

You don't have to do something nice for someone to pass them one of your business cards. I give out tons of business cards everyday. Everytime I give out a business card, I feel like the client is a lottery ticket. The more I give out the more chances I have of winning. I use vistaprint.com for my business cards. They are really cheap. The trick is what you say to them when you hand them your business card. Also have something valueable on your business card and use the back of the card also.

xrac · 11-27-2008, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by CHUMPS FROM OXFORD

I'm embarrassed to say that I have NEVER drank coffee. Starbucks are all over the place around here. It seems as if the lines at the Drive-Thru are pretty long as well.

Never have worked for the government have you? That's where I learned to drink coffee. We had an early morning coffee break, a mid-morning coffee break and a mid-afternoon coffee break. It was drink coffee or work while everybody else drank coffee. I learned to drink coffee. It was my first job out of college for the USDA Soil Conservation Service working in a small county office.

emptyeternity · 03-14-2009, 07:08 AM

Pick a good city to do it in, limit it to a 3-5$ credit, or better yet, buy a shitload of gift cards and put your card on them, adhesive like, pass em out, sounds costly, or get a free coffee giftcard and do that. I like this idea, sounds fun, one aday, goes a long way. The difference between first place and everyone else is that one thing, that little extra

rbrewer · 03-14-2009, 11:08 AM

I think when you give out a business a card you should try to ask if you can get their email address that you would like to send them some valuable info that they might benefit from or send them one of your newsletters. When you go B to B you have to get a card to call back for an appointment. Hoping someone will call you back? they misplace the card or it goes in file 54.

Tomfromtheshade · 03-15-2009, 04:14 AM

Originally Posted by Frank Stastny

You sound way too healthy to be an insurance agent. I thought we all drank coffee until they had to scrape us off the ceiling by the end of the day.

How do you get your heart started in the morning?

I don't drink coffee either. I get my day started the same way that I have for years...BREAKFAST!

1 cup pasteurized liquid egg whites
1 cup finely ground oatmeal (I use a coffee grinder for this)
2 scoops chocolate whey protein powder
1 banana

I blend it all up, chug it down, pop a fat pinch of Skoal in my mouth and get in the shower.

emptyeternity · 03-15-2009, 09:07 AM

Or smoke a dooby of some Romulus or WW.....

SoCalBroker · 03-15-2009, 10:11 AM

Interesting Tip - looks more like tossing a 5'r in the trash can.

I buy lots of folks coffee these days ... but quite a bit more strategically.

I look for people who I can strategically and pro actively network and create a long term referral relationship with. Like the above mentioned VENDOR Extortion tactic.

My tactic is to seek out those relationships where there is a 1 to many opportunity. Meaning I can find many referral partners just like them, but they can only find 1 like me. The relationship is based upon me filling a need for them they cant get elsewhere and that is enough, I dont have to be able to consistently reciprocate BACK to them with referrals. I can do other things for them. For me in the P&C side its easier.

Examples ... as a P&C broker - there are a ton of Group Benefits ONLY brokers who leave their client base exposed to the whims of the clients P&C broker. If the P&C broker on the account gets a hot shot new Benefits broker in their office or ... has a developed dept or referral partner ... the P&C guy will try and bring them in and displace the benefits guy.

My Value Proposition to Benefits Only brokers is - I always protect their benefits plans ... wont solicit them and will always edify and talk up their Benefits broker to the client when the opportunity arises. I help Benefits Brokers seal off competition. By bringing me in that's one less dangerous competitor in the mix.

I do the same with financial planners - but add another benefit ... to the Value Prop ....

So - back to the coffee ...

My Ultimate Referral System allows me to send a Starbucks Card in a Card ... Here's how I send my biz card to peeps ...

rbrewer · 03-16-2009, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by SoCalBroker

Interesting Tip - looks more like tossing a 5'r in the trash can.

I buy lots of folks coffee these days ... but quite a bit more strategically.

I look for people who I can strategically and pro actively network and create a long term referral relationship with. Like the above mentioned VENDOR Extortion tactic.

My tactic is to seek out those relationships where there is a 1 to many opportunity. Meaning I can find many referral partners just like them, but they can only find 1 like me. The relationship is based upon me filling a need for them they cant get elsewhere and that is enough, I dont have to be able to consistently reciprocate BACK to them with referrals. I can do other things for them. For me in the P&C side its easier.

Examples ... as a P&C broker - there are a ton of Group Benefits ONLY brokers who leave their client base exposed to the whims of the clients P&C broker. If the P&C broker on the account gets a hot shot new Benefits broker in their office or ... has a developed dept or referral partner ... the P&C guy will try and bring them in and displace the benefits guy.

My Value Proposition to Benefits Only brokers is - I always protect their benefits plans ... wont solicit them and will always edify and talk up their Benefits broker to the client when the opportunity arises. I help Benefits Brokers seal off competition. By bringing me in that's one less dangerous competitor in the mix.

I do the same with financial planners - but add another benefit ... to the Value Prop ....

So - back to the coffee ...

My Ultimate Referral System allows me to send a Starbucks Card in a Card ... Here's how I send my biz card to peeps ...

Good for you! sounds like it pay's to be P&C.