Working on a New Prospecting Idea

Markingriffin · 03-17-2009, 12:58 PM

I’m thinking about trying something new. It is the same concept as the doorhangers, but would be easier to do, leaves the client with a lot more info and still don’t cost a lot to try.

To start off with, I can get cheap plastic bags for about a penny each. I will place a client brochure like [COLOR=#0000ff]http://lifehappens.org/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=28[/COLOR] this on in it. I also have a coupon book that I made that I will place in each bag. I went to a lot of businesses in Griffin and talked them into allowing me to make up a coupon book to hand out to people. Every business is hurting right now and if you are willing to print out the coupons for them and advertise for them, then they will jump on the idea. 10 percent off this and that. I also place my free credit report form inside. Click Here to see or use it. . This is really free and the law allows you to do it so many times a year for free. I use it every year. I’m also going to offer my free living will service inside of it. Click Here if you have not heard about my free living will prospecting system. I will also place the free living will prospecting letter inside. Click Here to see it. I am going to place my business card inside also.

I know a lot of people will just trash the bag. But most people will look inside of it before they trash it, just to see what it is. That is one reason why I’m going to place coupons, and a lot of stuff that I think they want inside.

I have not decided yet if I’m going to print on the bag or not. I’m not sure if they extra money is worth it. The bag is clear and they can see what it inside of it.

I see a lot of other people using this idea for other things besides insurance. The Mary K lady just left a plastic bag in my drive way this month, with a free sample. The yellowbook company does the same thing.

[COLOR=black]I think this would be faster than normal door hangers. I think that you can leave them with more good stuff also. Right now it is looking like it will cost me about 50 cents each prospect to try this. But I can always shave off a lot of that cost. I still have to decide what all I’m going to place inside of the bag.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=black]I've always said when you don't know what to do try something. I'm going to check to make sure this is legal to do in my city. But I think I can do it. Everyone else does it already.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=black]The same idea would work on hanging them on the doors, but this way is faster.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=black]If you don't like this idea than don't try it[/COLOR] But I wanted to give you something to think about and see if you could add anything good to the idea. Is there something else that you would add to the bag?

moonlightandmargaritas · 03-17-2009, 01:01 PM

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Markingriffin · 03-17-2009, 01:09 PM

Moonlight you are too funny. I see that you try hard to bash me on every post.

This is not about the free living will. That is just one of the things you can place in the bag. This is about the plastic bag and placing them in drive ways idea and what all would you place in them and would it work or not.

Also I think agents need to learn some new prospecting ideas and love for someone to try to help them. Anytime you can come up with an idea or try to help some of us on the forum, please do. We are all waiting on you to do something good on this forum.

briko3 · 03-17-2009, 06:55 PM

I for one am greatful for the good ideas that Mark has. Granted, they might not work for everyone, but they have definitely given me some great places to start in this business. I think the bags are a good idea, but I wonder if it would be easier to put them in their paper box. I don't know if you guys have a paper box next to the mail box, but around here, almost everyone does. I'm actually thinking about putting the living will letter in them instead of the door hanger. I thought it might be faster than going to each door. What do you guys think?

Markingriffin · 03-17-2009, 06:58 PM

The only problem is that I'm not sure if you would be allowed to place them in the newspaper box and not everyone has one. I know you can't place them anywhere near the mailbox.

The driveways just seems like the next best thing, if you are lazy and don't want to walk up to each house and would be a lot faster.

I also want to talk some local businesses into doing some cost sharing on this idea, or might even make it where they pay for the whole thing.

myinsurebiz · 03-17-2009, 07:15 PM

Excellent concept . . .

However - Placing a bag or object pertaining to advertising, that was not asked to be received by the resident, in a resident's driveway / newspaper box, etc is considered "litter" in Chatham County, GA.

Thus - should someone be out of town - or have even moved - then the bag sits there and perhaps "blows" into the street by the wind or gets carried off by a stray dog.

Be careful and check your ordinances.

Tom

Slim · 03-17-2009, 09:53 PM

Happy St Patty's Day Mooooooon.

Seriously : MarkinGriffin, you are a great salesman and marketer.

M&M is equally as great , but his recurring theme takes a realistic approach that cold-calling is not worthwhile anyhow, anyway.

Politically speaking, I will drink to the both of yous.

Me, myself and I agree on this ... you are both great salesmen.

I appreciate it.

AtlantaLife&Health · 03-18-2009, 02:44 AM

I liked Mark's door hanger idea but I figured it would be way cheaper to buy the bags and stuff them with info. So I totally agree with Mark on this. This is way more cost effective. They're door hanger bags! Don't be lazy, hang them on the doors where they belong. I might be mad if someone threw a bag in my driveway. I'd think they were too lazy to hang them on the door. Never mind if the inserts got scattered across my driveway or lawn. This could turn into fines really fast. Does anyone on the forum offer litter insurance?

psrayburn · 03-19-2009, 05:47 AM

Great post Mark,

Scott

Markingriffin · 03-24-2009, 11:07 PM

Okay, an update on this project. I've talked 3 other business into paying for this project. The bag is big enough to take their stuff also, and I don't mind doing it. I'm getting the printing company to do most of the work for me, putting them together. I'm still working on a coupon book to place in there, I'm not done talking to some business that I want coupons from. I was able to get the free 3 dollar car wash to everyone. Before you say anything, trust me, everyone in GA, wants/needs a free carwash.

I've talked to the city about this, and the bottom line is that if someone tells me to come pick it up out of their driveway, I will have to come back and get it, or get fined. I'm willing to go pick them back up upon request.

I will be placing them in the driveway. Yes, I'm allowed to be lazy sometimes. I'm just going for the numbers and speed of it and it is not costing me anything anyways. I decided that I will wake up like at 5 am and do this before people way up.

souldeux · 03-24-2009, 11:25 PM

Originally Posted by Markingriffin

Okay, an update on this project. I've talked 3 other business into paying for this project. The bag is big enough to take their stuff also, and I don't mind doing it. I'm getting the printing company to do most of the work for me, putting them together. I'm still working on a coupon book to place in there, I'm not done talking to some business that I want coupons from. I was able to get the free 3 dollar car wash to everyone. Before you say anything, trust me, everyone in GA, wants/needs a free carwash.

I've talked to the city about this, and the bottom line is that if someone tells me to come pick it up out of their driveway, I will have to come back and get it, or get fined. I'm willing to go pick them back up upon request.

I will be placing them in the driveway. Yes, I'm allowed to be lazy sometimes. I'm just going for the numbers and speed of it and it is not costing me anything anyways. I decided that I will wake up like at 5 am and do this before people way up.

Hey, send a free car wash my way! My normally black Honda Fit is a pale yellow at the moment.

On a serious note, when you discussed this with folks to help pick up the cost, what approach did you use?

Texas Insurance Guy · 03-24-2009, 11:28 PM

Interesting Mark. I like your thought process here, more appealing then hangers because of the speed and time it saves versus the extra walk to the door. Now find about 10 paper boys who you can contract with and you are branched out!

snowman · 03-25-2009, 01:30 AM

Originally Posted by Markingriffin

I also have a coupon book that I made that I will place in each bag. I went to a lot of businesses in Griffin and talked them into allowing me to make up a coupon book to hand out to people.

Mark,

We've gotta quit meeting like this. God, I'm a sucker for a good marketing idea. The idea is so solid that back in the 80's we did the same thing. Just to take it one step further if you have access to a call center you can sell the coupon book to consumers with part of the proceeds going to non-profits. We used to market the book as a stand alone product with $250 worth of discounts for $20. Simply another income stream. Don't know how it would sell in todays economic environment though.

Markingriffin · 03-25-2009, 09:40 PM

Let's forget about the insurance for 1 sec. This idea could make someone money. You could do this each month. Pack it full of great coupons and offers from local businesses. The next bag, would not have but one of my ad's in it. But if someone is looking for ways to make money, you don't have to even put anything about insurance in the bag. You could make some money from the local businesses.

Back to the insurance idea now.
The key here is now, it won't cost me anything to try or do.
I just kept running with the idea until I made it work.
I tried looking at doorhangers.com and they had a great price on the plastic bag. BUt I found a local place in forest park, that offered me 3 bags for 1 penny. I knew that I had to have something of value besides my services inside of it. If someone calls me to come get this trash out of their driveway I will, but I will tell them that it is not trash and to at least use the free 3 dollar car wash.

You ask how did I approach the car wash owner? To be honest with you, I'm jealous of these chains of car washes in GA. You can get unlimited 15 dollar car washes for just 30 a month or you can pick 3, 6, 10, 12, or 15 dollar car wash each time with a free vacuum. He was offering a free month of trial back when it opened. So I started talking with him. He told me before I told him my idea, that if I talked someone into using his service, that he would give me a free carwash everytime someone used this card he wanted to give me. So I took it a step further. I told him that if he would give people a free 3 dollar car wash, they would fall in love and come back and might even sign up for the monthly plan. I then told him what my plan was. He told me that he was already spending big money on advertising, but would love to try this. I had to promise him that I would not take advantage of this and only use them for what I said I was using them for.

I learned a long time ago, that the local businesses will help you if you help them. Back when I sold to new homeowners, I was able to talk local businesses into giving the new homeowners tons of free stuff.

Local businesses are hurting really bad right now. Just about anyone is willing to give you 10 to 20 percent off. The coupon book is free to them to advertise in.

But when I asked some businesses did they want to be in my coupon book, they asked me if they could put this big ad in the bag, as a stand alone. The first place offerend me so much a bag. I would have done it for half what he offered me. I ended up with a total of 3 businesses that is also paying me to be in the bag.

These are hugh bags that 2 phone books could fit inside.

So next I had to decide what to place in them. Of couse you know what I'm placing inside of them.

I next called a local printing company that is just a mom and pop shop trying to stay in business. He told me if I bought 5,000 printings, that he would only charge me for the paper after that.

I have a lot of details in this idea.

I plan on doing this at around 430 in the morning, like the paperboy does.

I know that I could get better results if I placed these on the door, BUT... I can do a driveway every 15 sec instead of 1 home a min. Since it is not costing me anything, I'm going for speed.

I'm having problems sealing the ends of these bags. BUt I think I will use something my wife bought to seal stuff. But so far it is not working, but I will think of something.

Also, I made a mistake on one of the things that I made, and I'm having to go back and fix them. I'm glad I caught it before I placed it in the bag.

The bag is clear, so they can see some of the things inside of it. free car wash is on top.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I forgot to give special things to the Mary K Lady and the Yellowbook company for giving me the bag idea. They both placed their ads in a bag and placed them in my driveway.

The answer is yes, I brought both bags inside. I know, I know. But I'm not the only person that don't trash them.

The New Guy · 03-25-2009, 09:57 PM

There are tons of places that sell these, this was just a quick google.

Used for sealing bags.

12" Impulse Sealer

Markingriffin · 03-26-2009, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by The New Guy

There are tons of places that sell these, this was just a quick google.

Used for sealing bags.

12" Impulse Sealer

Thank You! This is what I was looking for and it is cheap.

This is another example why it is always a good idea to share ideas on forums, so that others can help you with your idea and they might also be helped.

Texas Insurance Guy · 03-26-2009, 12:53 PM

Keep us posted Mark. Im also curious on how much time it will take to get these out.

NDagent · 10-14-2009, 10:07 AM

Mark, how did this end up?

Markingriffin · 10-14-2009, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by NDagent

Mark, how did this end up?

Crash and burn. It was a failure.

BeatriceSmith · 10-20-2009, 10:06 PM

The idea is great..Putting something inside the bag will wake their sleepy head on what's inside and look it up and then BINGO!Twas a genius for you to have an idea like this Mark. Keep me posted for more ideas you have..