It is time to answer the frequent
question of the insurance trainee or even the
professional representative has. The question is,
"Does insurance agent telemarketing or a direct mail
program produce me the best leads, at the best cost?
Most often an insurance trainee
will take the route most prominently displayed on
the internet. That is the one of telemarketing firms
making phone calls for you to purchase the leads
that they are offering. Why do you see this
advertising the most? Because it is so profitable
for the firm providing the leads. Before getting
burned, examine each insurance direct mail lead
programs and leads produced by telemarketing, You
will see the difference.
Once you become an insurance trainee, you may have
an insurance company office trying to direct your
future. Both you and the longtime insurance
professional have one major thing in common. Both of
you are in business for yourself. Neither of you are
NOT reimbursed for gasoline, your time, or for costs
in obtaining people interested in finding out more
about the insurance product you are offering.
Spend your gas, time, and costs for obtaining
true prospects resulting in sales that will overcome
all these costs. Plus your sale must provide a
profit contributing to your survival and growth.
A telemarketing firm person does not personally
care if you make a profit. They are paid to make
calls and convince people to make an appointment.
How long do you tolerate staying on the line when a
telemarketer calls you? It averages 8 or more
minutes to talk to a person. A full eight hours of
dialing for dollars would mean around 56 attempts to
convince people. They are under high pressure to
make appointments. Get a person to say yes after 6
or 7 no's and objections does not sound like a very
strong appointment.
You are not at the telemarketing call session.
Are they calling prospects REALLY interested in
buying? Some of these appointments could be with
people with only a tiny interest, or too weak to
stand firm and say no. Should your appointment sales
ratio be 25% you might me covering gas and valuable
time. How much is left over to accumulate for your
income?
For most agents, telemarketing, or making their
own phone calls works out to be little more than
minimum wage. Good old call calling is just old, not
good. A telemarketing firm might charge you $12.50
hourly, or $500 for 40 hours. Just how much are you
going to make? If it were so terrific every
professional agent would use telemarketing. Very few
do.
Insurance direct mail marketing however puts you
in full command. You choose the profile of your
prospect, unlike the telemarketing firm. If you want
couples between the age of 27 and 31, owning their
house, with children, making an income of $50,000
plus, and engaged in a certain occupation, you got
it. That is exactly who will be receiving your sales
piece. Does a telemarketing do calling only on
possible prospects like this?
A SECRET: Telemarketing firms and
charities often use a "sucker list". This list might
be a "hot list" of people who twice bought items
from television ads. Or it could be a list of people
that have given yes answers to appointments with
other types of salespeople more than once.
Your insurance direct mail marketing is reliable.
After a few attempts you know how much each
appointment is going to cost you. Let's say a
telemarketing and insurance mail appointment costs
the same. Or even give an unnecessary 50% edge in
appointment costs to the telemarketing firm. Direct
mail is still the clear winner.
You still financially come out ahead with your
insurance direct mail program. These people who
reply, without any pressure, want more details. As
an insurance trainee you should close 50% of
prospects truly interested in taking their time to
find out if you can fill their needs. Insurance
professionals often have closing ratios exceeding
75% or more.
WHAT DOES THIS DO TO BENEFIT ME?
That is the question you should ask
yourself. It is the same question your prospects
want answered.
Double your sales closing ratio, and you more
than double your sales totals.. Interested prospects
will always tend to spend more money to have their
needs solved, or be receptive to a multiple sale.
Push a prospect, and you are lucky to make a minimum
sale. Your gas costs are not spent on wild goose
chases. And what about your very valuable asset of
time? More time, means more sales appointments
leading to sales.
Find a list that matches your ideal clients, and
read articles on how to write an effective sales
piece sent out by direct mail with bulk rate
postage. Get the best possible return on your
investment.
Earn a respectable business person's income and
put yourself in full charge of your future. The
opportunity is there.
