Mon, 10 Apr 2017 11:42:43 +0000
By Chungu Katotobwe
Most business surveys shows that, small business owners who spend at least 6 hours every week utilizing social media are twice as likely to generate new customers as those who spend 5 hours or less. The benefits of social media include additional exposure, increased traffic, and improved search rankings among other things, all of which have a direct influence on your ability to generate reliable clients for your business.
Even with the increase in online marketing possibilities, “cold calling” is still one of the most popular ways of insurance customer generation. Most people hate unsolicited calls, but you might hit the right spot if you have a scientifically selected/good calling list.
For a good list you can either try and generate one yourself or buy it from a broker, but it will still have to contain people who are likely interested in the insurance you are selling.
When calling someone, you should not try to push the sale right away; just try to book an appointment where you will be able to explain all the product possibilities in detail.
People generally hate unannounced visits even more than phone calls, but a carefully planned approach in the right neighborhood can still produce enough interest to make the practice worthwhile, for some. This typically works better for senior possible clients with whom free time is less of a constraint for the prospect.… and that, may just seal the deal.
With people spending hours every day driving or commuting, podcasts are a great opportunity to provide your potential leads with information they are interested in.
If you would like to know more about particular insurance products and possibilities, why not listen to a quality podcast on your way to work? It is even easier if you already have a collection of relevant, up-to-date blog posts, as you can easily turn them into podcasts available to listen online or download for free.
Depending on your target market, you might be even more successful with live video webinars than conventional seminars, as you do not need to spend money on the venue, while your prospective clients can listen to you in the comfort of their home. It might be a little harder to get contact information or book appointments this way, as there is no personal contact with any of the participants, but minimal expenses and extra convenience can make webinars really effective.
Naturally, most people prefer watching video over reading text on the same issue. While straight-up advertising also seems to work, presenting your prospective clients with tips or tricks on certain topics might be an even better choice.
Either way, you have around 10 seconds to get the user’s attention, so be sure to point out the value of the video right in the beginning.
With constant changes in the insurance industry, most people have a hard time keeping up with the times. That is where you come in: if you manage to provide information about the events that are taking place and the influence it might have on their insurance plans, you should certainly expect people to subscribe to your newsletter and recommend it to their circles. This way, you are constantly building your authority and trust with your existing clients or prospects, while getting new high quality referrals along the way.
If you have some really valuable content on your website, especially long-form alternatives such as reports or in-depth articles, you can always ask your virtual visitors for their contact information in exchange for giving them free access to the content in question. You should remember to ask them for permission to contact them over the phone or send them email – you will notice that most people will agree if you offer them something valuable in return. While most of the above techniques involve getting your message across to a number of people at the same time, good old personal contact does not have to come in only when you have a client; it can also serve as a way to generate one in the first place.
Of course, personal contact is usually pricy in terms of time than other alternatives, but showing a prospective customer personal interest in them can certainly set you apart from other agents in the area.
You can also utilize random conversations. This does not mean you should approach a person and ask whether they would like to buy insurance from you, but you can definitely try and join a conversation in any public place if you overhear that the topic is something you are knowledgeable in, even if it is not insurance.
If you manage to appeal to the person(s) in question, you should say goodbye by giving them your business card – if they will need insurance in the near future, the “random stranger” may just be the first option that comes to their mind.
Offer free consultations. Being accessible to anyone is a great way to incline people to choose you over the competition. Of course, no one will ask for a consultation if they do not know they can, so it might be a good idea to include information about free advice in your advertisements.
As it is free, people think that they do not have to buy something from you in exchange for your help, but starting a conversation with someone is already halfway to closing the deal.
While most flyers are usually thrown out without a single glance, an envelope with a person’s name, or at least, the address usually makes them open it, to see what is inside.
A professionally designed and written letter will usually have a larger impact on the recipient, but it all comes to testing what works and what does not, for a particular target audience. Direct mail campaigns are rather expensive, but plenty of agents use them because they are still effective when done properly.
Your direct mailing efforts do not have to stop with advertising material; you can send out newsletters covering news in the insurance industry, or your agency, which is pertinent to current clients.
If the content is helpful and interesting you will be building your authority and adding value to your clients. You can also partner up with someone from another line of insurance to provide your prospects with even more expert information.
