When you have been involved in the Insurance game as long as I have you come across some pretty disturbing practices done by a few (not many) of the companies that represent insurance products.
This is not to say that everyone is out to take advantage of someone. Far from it. I think the reason a lot of abuse happens to agents is that companies and managers fail to understand the person they have just contracted to work for them.
Consider the following "lies" told to agents;
1) "You are an important part of this company"- If that were true then the focus would be on protecting what is important to your business. Consider a restaurant; it has to serve customers good food or it will go out of business. So a smart restaurant considers its customers to be the gold of the company. No customers, no sales, no business. Yet in insurance agents are no more than cattle. The focus for so many companies is to recruit, recruit, recruit. And once an agent joins on they are then left to fend for themselves. Some companies even penalize the managers if they fail to recruit a certain number of new people each month.
2) "If you follow our proven plan you will become successful"- I have yet to work for a company who did not swear by their training program. But here is the problem: most companies are plagued by high agent turnover. If the program was so great why can't more agents make it work? Because the programs new agents are taught is not the same programs top producers go by. Cold calling, knocking on doors, selling all of your friends and families is archaic at best. Yet new agents are brainwashed into thinking this is how to go. Do that and you will starve.
3) " You can make as much money as our top producers"- Yes you can but you probably won't. Why? Because in order to be successful you have to emulate success and no one tells a new agent how a successful agents really makes his money. Does he run the same 2 year old leads you do? Does he set all his appointments on his own or does he have some help? I am not knocking a top producer; you pay the cost to be the boss. But new agents have no chance.
Remember, success is able to be imitated. So unless you can imitate success, you are destined for failure.
http://www.ailifejdavis.wix.com/thedavisgroup
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jeffery_Davis/1586511
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Sunday, May 22, 2016
How To Sell Final Expense: Should Agents Follow A Script?
There are a couple of different perspectives in how to sell final expense; should your presentation be canned, word-for-word, following a specially designed script? Or should you follow a final expense sales process that is more open-ended, and not so scripted?
The truth is this: if any method is validated by real-world results, it is probably going to work for the agent that gets to work and puts that method into practice. What matters most is to lock into a system that has historical proof of working, and works for your personality.
How you sell should fit your personality, first and foremost. For me, being more inquisitive and deliberative, I take what is known as the consultative approach to selling final expense.
The consultative approach is based on open-ended, non-assumptive language throughout most of the presentation, which is designed to figure out why the prospect is concerned with what it is they are concerned with.
Surprisingly to many salespeople trained in the traditional approach to selling, there is very little usage of "tie-downs," closed-ended questions, and the typical "hard sell" language most sales people are accustomed to using when selling business-to-consumer products.
Understand that taking a consultative approach to selling final expense, there still is a path in which the agent follows, but there is certainly not a hard and fast script for most of the presentation.
There is repetition between presentations; the language, the emphasis, the words selected. Ultimately, a presentation is a unique occurrence independent of all other presentations. There will always be randomness, but following a specified progression is nevertheless important. As the legendary life insurance agent Ben Feldman once said, "A life insurance agent has to have a track to run on!"
Agents should learn how to approach each phase of the presentation naturally; they should know what to say and how to say it, but also develop their intuition and sense to know when to move to the next step of the sales process.
While there is very little scripting in sales process, where it exists, it is very important to memorize not just the word choice, but the body language and tone inflection. Final Expense agents should learn not just what to say, but how to say it. How to emphasize the importance of the points with correct body language, eye contact, and tonality in the voice is important when learning how to sell final expense.
Interested in becoming a success in the Final Expense business? Visit http://www.FEAgentMentor.com for more information on the Mentorship Program.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/David_M_Duford/2121056
0 Comments | Leave a Comment
The truth is this: if any method is validated by real-world results, it is probably going to work for the agent that gets to work and puts that method into practice. What matters most is to lock into a system that has historical proof of working, and works for your personality.
How you sell should fit your personality, first and foremost. For me, being more inquisitive and deliberative, I take what is known as the consultative approach to selling final expense.
The consultative approach is based on open-ended, non-assumptive language throughout most of the presentation, which is designed to figure out why the prospect is concerned with what it is they are concerned with.
Surprisingly to many salespeople trained in the traditional approach to selling, there is very little usage of "tie-downs," closed-ended questions, and the typical "hard sell" language most sales people are accustomed to using when selling business-to-consumer products.
Understand that taking a consultative approach to selling final expense, there still is a path in which the agent follows, but there is certainly not a hard and fast script for most of the presentation.
There is repetition between presentations; the language, the emphasis, the words selected. Ultimately, a presentation is a unique occurrence independent of all other presentations. There will always be randomness, but following a specified progression is nevertheless important. As the legendary life insurance agent Ben Feldman once said, "A life insurance agent has to have a track to run on!"
Agents should learn how to approach each phase of the presentation naturally; they should know what to say and how to say it, but also develop their intuition and sense to know when to move to the next step of the sales process.
While there is very little scripting in sales process, where it exists, it is very important to memorize not just the word choice, but the body language and tone inflection. Final Expense agents should learn not just what to say, but how to say it. How to emphasize the importance of the points with correct body language, eye contact, and tonality in the voice is important when learning how to sell final expense.
Interested in becoming a success in the Final Expense business? Visit http://www.FEAgentMentor.com for more information on the Mentorship Program.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/David_M_Duford/2121056
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How to Sell Final Expense - Why Agents Fail In the Final Expense Business
The reason agents fail learning how to sell final expense is fairly simple. The unfortunate reality of sales, no matter the industry, is that 90% of all sales people fail or quit within the first 12 months of starting their sales profession. Why is that the case?
The number one the reason agents fail selling final expense is because they give up on themselves. They go into the business with aspirations that didn't match reality. Looking from the outside in, many new final expense agents have the perspective that to succeed in final expense it is only a matter of going out and talking to people. If it were only that simple!
It takes time to learn the skills necessary to sell final expense successfully. Final expense sales training is something that takes months if not years to develop. A lot of new agents don't understand that sales is totally different from a typical salaried employee position. You have emotional ups and downs almost daily. Being on straight commission, you literally wake up every morning unemployed; you must "eat what you kill!"
If you don't have experience, there is nothing to really prepare you for it until you understand what that is like and you are living it. It is something that many people just can't handle.
Then the other reason people fail is because they don't get involved with the right agency to help train them, to prepare them for the realities. They get involved with a business that sells "Blue Sky," meaning all the benefits to a lifestyle of Final Expense and none of the gritty work that it takes to succeed in the long-run.
Also, new agents fail because they get involved in an agency that is designed to short change them and squeeze the dollars out of them at a ridiculous rate. It ends up being a revolving door type of sales agency.
It is important that agents do their research on the front-end. Talk to different agencies. Get a feel for your managers personality type. Figure out who has been successful. How long agents have been working with them? Ask for proof. Are they transparent with what to expect as far as commission and percentage advancements based on merit and production history?
What do you get for your investment? Because the manager makes money off of your production. You just have to make sure value is there. Take the time to ask these questions. Again, it is really important you are reading this because most agents don't go into this business even knowing what to ask, much less what to expect.
Many agents don't understand that you must come into this business with a business mindset. Most agents must buy direct mail, and won't have the benefit of a referral network or an existing book of business. Instead, they have to buy leads to get going.
My recommendation is to have about $4,000 to $5,000 to invest into a final expense direct mail lead system, or if you have less than that keep a full-time job and then also you know if you got $2,000 or $3,000 minimum into a telemarketing final expense lead system.
You MUST start on the right foot. You MUST be prepared for the ups and downs. You MUST be willing to work through it with the understanding that the long-term is what makes it worth having. What makes it all worthwhile.
That's the reasons why most agents fail learning how to sell final expense. The important thing is to go into this with the right group that shows you transparently what to do. When you know that you have got that on your side it is really up to you.
Do you have the X-Factor to work hard and follow the system that is laid out upon you?
That's really the ultimate determinate of your success or failure.
David Duford is the owner of Final Expense Agent Mentor.
In addition to personally producing business each and every week, David specializes in training new and experienced agents on how to successfully sell final expense burial insurance.
Check out David's Mentorship Program at http://www.FEAgentMentor.com for more information.
The number one the reason agents fail selling final expense is because they give up on themselves. They go into the business with aspirations that didn't match reality. Looking from the outside in, many new final expense agents have the perspective that to succeed in final expense it is only a matter of going out and talking to people. If it were only that simple!
It takes time to learn the skills necessary to sell final expense successfully. Final expense sales training is something that takes months if not years to develop. A lot of new agents don't understand that sales is totally different from a typical salaried employee position. You have emotional ups and downs almost daily. Being on straight commission, you literally wake up every morning unemployed; you must "eat what you kill!"
If you don't have experience, there is nothing to really prepare you for it until you understand what that is like and you are living it. It is something that many people just can't handle.
Then the other reason people fail is because they don't get involved with the right agency to help train them, to prepare them for the realities. They get involved with a business that sells "Blue Sky," meaning all the benefits to a lifestyle of Final Expense and none of the gritty work that it takes to succeed in the long-run.
Also, new agents fail because they get involved in an agency that is designed to short change them and squeeze the dollars out of them at a ridiculous rate. It ends up being a revolving door type of sales agency.
It is important that agents do their research on the front-end. Talk to different agencies. Get a feel for your managers personality type. Figure out who has been successful. How long agents have been working with them? Ask for proof. Are they transparent with what to expect as far as commission and percentage advancements based on merit and production history?
What do you get for your investment? Because the manager makes money off of your production. You just have to make sure value is there. Take the time to ask these questions. Again, it is really important you are reading this because most agents don't go into this business even knowing what to ask, much less what to expect.
Many agents don't understand that you must come into this business with a business mindset. Most agents must buy direct mail, and won't have the benefit of a referral network or an existing book of business. Instead, they have to buy leads to get going.
My recommendation is to have about $4,000 to $5,000 to invest into a final expense direct mail lead system, or if you have less than that keep a full-time job and then also you know if you got $2,000 or $3,000 minimum into a telemarketing final expense lead system.
You MUST start on the right foot. You MUST be prepared for the ups and downs. You MUST be willing to work through it with the understanding that the long-term is what makes it worth having. What makes it all worthwhile.
That's the reasons why most agents fail learning how to sell final expense. The important thing is to go into this with the right group that shows you transparently what to do. When you know that you have got that on your side it is really up to you.
Do you have the X-Factor to work hard and follow the system that is laid out upon you?
That's really the ultimate determinate of your success or failure.
David Duford is the owner of Final Expense Agent Mentor.
In addition to personally producing business each and every week, David specializes in training new and experienced agents on how to successfully sell final expense burial insurance.
Check out David's Mentorship Program at http://www.FEAgentMentor.com for more information.
Agency or Producer Lead Generation - Who Should Prime the Pump?
Who is responsible to prime the pump and fill the top of the funnel? Many agencies and brokers expect their sales team to cold call, network, and send emails to build their own pipeline, and fill the top of the funnel. It reminds me of the old slogan, "Let your fingers do the walking". The slogan referred to the Yellow Pages, the omnipresent database of the time. Regardless of the database used, be it the online Yellow Pages, Google Pages, or an internally generated prospect list, the question still remains. Who is responsible to fill the pipeline, and what's the most likely path to success.
Today insurance lead generation encompasses many new tools to help producers prospect, including eMarketing, Social Media Marketing, Blogging and Web Seminar Marketing, in addition to traditional cold calling and networking. Agencies and brokers must also add their website to this mix of tools, as many broker websites are out of date, difficult to navigate, and are not mobile compliant. The mobile compliance issue is very significant, as mobile searches are now exceeding PC based searches.
Many producers find these new web marketing tools, and in general the lead generation aspect of their jobs, to be arduous and challenging. That's why so many producers fail, they are not insurance lead generation machines, nor are they savvy insurance web marketers. The results are self-evident, insufficient qualified prospects at the top of the sales funnel, usually translates into inadequate results at the bottom of the funnel.
A better path to success for many agencies and brokers begins with a comprehensive and consistent insurance marketing and lead generation program, providing producers with an influx of quality prospects, so they can spend more time selling and less time prospecting.
Why don't more agencies invest in these types of programs?
They lack the internal resources necessary to execute these marketing initiatives
They plan on doing this type of marketing and lead gen, but never seem to find the time to get it done
They believe in doing business the old-fashioned way (I built my own pipeline and you can too)
They over invest in sales and under invest in marketing and lead generation
They tried it once and it didn't work
They tried a short pilot program and didn't see an immediate ROI
These are just a few of the reasons many agencies and brokers are unable to accomplish their insurance lead generation and top line growth goals. Regardless of the reasons, agency owners and executives should review current and past producer performance and determine if it's time to refine their insurance marketing and lead generation programs, to improve the path to success for their producers specifically and their businesses in general. Agencies, brokers and wholesalers lacking the knowledge and skills necessary to undertake these marketing and lead generation initiatives can seek assistance outsourcing assistance from proficient insurance marketing agencies as a viable alternative to internal staffing.
For more information on territory exclusive Insurance Agency Marketing Solutions visit our website: http://www.startupselling.com. StartUpSelling, Inc. provides outsourced insurance agency lead generation services focusing in the areas of telemarketing, insurance agency eMarketing, and insurance web marketing. StartUpSelling, Inc. specializes in innovative entrepreneurial marketing, sales and lead gen concepts
Today insurance lead generation encompasses many new tools to help producers prospect, including eMarketing, Social Media Marketing, Blogging and Web Seminar Marketing, in addition to traditional cold calling and networking. Agencies and brokers must also add their website to this mix of tools, as many broker websites are out of date, difficult to navigate, and are not mobile compliant. The mobile compliance issue is very significant, as mobile searches are now exceeding PC based searches.
Many producers find these new web marketing tools, and in general the lead generation aspect of their jobs, to be arduous and challenging. That's why so many producers fail, they are not insurance lead generation machines, nor are they savvy insurance web marketers. The results are self-evident, insufficient qualified prospects at the top of the sales funnel, usually translates into inadequate results at the bottom of the funnel.
A better path to success for many agencies and brokers begins with a comprehensive and consistent insurance marketing and lead generation program, providing producers with an influx of quality prospects, so they can spend more time selling and less time prospecting.
Why don't more agencies invest in these types of programs?
They lack the internal resources necessary to execute these marketing initiatives
They plan on doing this type of marketing and lead gen, but never seem to find the time to get it done
They believe in doing business the old-fashioned way (I built my own pipeline and you can too)
They over invest in sales and under invest in marketing and lead generation
They tried it once and it didn't work
They tried a short pilot program and didn't see an immediate ROI
These are just a few of the reasons many agencies and brokers are unable to accomplish their insurance lead generation and top line growth goals. Regardless of the reasons, agency owners and executives should review current and past producer performance and determine if it's time to refine their insurance marketing and lead generation programs, to improve the path to success for their producers specifically and their businesses in general. Agencies, brokers and wholesalers lacking the knowledge and skills necessary to undertake these marketing and lead generation initiatives can seek assistance outsourcing assistance from proficient insurance marketing agencies as a viable alternative to internal staffing.
For more information on territory exclusive Insurance Agency Marketing Solutions visit our website: http://www.startupselling.com. StartUpSelling, Inc. provides outsourced insurance agency lead generation services focusing in the areas of telemarketing, insurance agency eMarketing, and insurance web marketing. StartUpSelling, Inc. specializes in innovative entrepreneurial marketing, sales and lead gen concepts
LLC's and Trusts: To Insure Properly or Not
The phrases that can strike fear (or should) in the heart of a personal insurance professional is when a client or prospect says:
"My home is in a trust" or "I own properties in an LLC."
The practice of clients obtaining a trust or forming an LLC is becoming quite commonplace these days. In the "old days," corporations belonged in "Commercial" insurance and individuals in "Personal" insurance. There have always been those "gray" situations that neither wants to insure such as the insured who owns more than a "certain" number of single family dwellings. Personal insurers consider it a commercial exposure and commercial insurers won't touch them so agents have to get creative. LLC's and Trusts seem to be falling into another type of gray area. Honestly, contracts have not kept up so insurers have become creative.
LLC's: An LLC is a Limited Liability Company. It is a separate and distinct legal entity. It's owners are known as "members." After the financial collapse in 2008, the bottom fell out of the real estate market. Sadly, many people lost their homes. People with money quickly recognized that they could pick up dwellings at a bargain and benefited from an increased need for rental dwellings. Many of these folks opted to form an LLC to purchase these dwellings because under most circumstances, members are not personally liable for debts and liabilities of an LLC. Some insurers will issue dwelling fire policies with an LLC listed as the named insured- in some circumstances. This is a liability issue. Insurers are concerned (and rightly so) with getting an adequate premium for the exposure. If the members of the LLC are relatives ie: brothers or father and daughter, etc. then some preferred carriers are willing to name the LLC as the named insured. If the members are unrelated individuals then this would be a significant increase in liability exposure, which most preferred insurers are not willing to take on. (Insurers need to price for this exposure so it can be insured as well.) Therefore, it is important to understand who all the members of the LLC are and how they are related to each other to be able to have that discussion with your underwriter.
Trusts: Let's begin our discussion of trusts with a few definitions that are important.
"Grantor" is the creator of the trust and has the legal authority to transfer property.
"Trustee" handles the assets or property for a third-party beneficiary. The Trustee may also be the "Grantor;" but could also be a spouse, adult child or third-party to the beneficiary. They have a fiduciary responsibility to act in the best interest of the beneficiary.
The main purpose in setting up a trust is to avoid "probate" which can delay passing property to heirs, costs up to 5% of the value of the estate and opens the records to the public. The benefits of forming a trust are understandable especially when there are substantial assets to protect and keep private. When a trust is formed and a primary residence is transferred to the trust, the owner of the property is now the trust, which is a separate legal entity.
When the issue of naming a trust as the named insured first started many years ago, there was a "solution" which in most circumstances still is the fashion in which this situation is handled. Make the "owners" of the trust who are usually the folks that live in the home the named insured ie: Mr. and Mrs. Smith and list the trust as an "additional insured." The argument was that doing it this way limited the liability of the trust to the residence premises (so what about vacant land owned by the trust?) It also gives the individuals living in the home CPL coverage and contents coverage.
There are only at least two problems with that. The trust legally owns the property- not Mr. and Mrs. Smith. If there is a claim- the check should be made payable to the trust who owns the property. The other issue is that the trust has a "Grantor", "Trustee" and "Beneficiary". These may be different people. The "additional insured" arrangement assumes that the "Trustee" is living in the home. It gives no coverage to these additional individuals.
You as the Insurance Professional need to clearly understand who is living in the home and what position they play in the trust. I can think of only one preferred market who actually has an endorsement (Residence Held In Trust) who schedules the name of the "Grantor" and "Beneficiary". It assumes the Trustee is named as a named insured along with the trust. It resolves many of the issues not dealt with by naming the trust as an additional insured. Again- it assumes the trustee lives in the house so may not be correct to use in every situation as the trustee may be a third-party, but at least it is a step in the right direction.
Preferred insurers need to deal with these contract issues and it appears that Agency Insurance Professionals are going to have to keep the pressure on the carriers to be able to ultimately insure their clients properly.
Sharon L. Graeter, CPCU is Co-Founder and Director of Development for West Connect Insurance Solutions. She has 35 years experience in the Property and Casualty Insurance Industry and is a contract expert. Her agency is looking for financially motivated Insurance Sales Professionals to join their team. if you are located in California,visit http://www.westconnectalliance.com for more information. She also trains people looking for a career as Insurance Sales Professionals who are new to the business. Visit http://www.westconnectedu.com for additional information.
"My home is in a trust" or "I own properties in an LLC."
The practice of clients obtaining a trust or forming an LLC is becoming quite commonplace these days. In the "old days," corporations belonged in "Commercial" insurance and individuals in "Personal" insurance. There have always been those "gray" situations that neither wants to insure such as the insured who owns more than a "certain" number of single family dwellings. Personal insurers consider it a commercial exposure and commercial insurers won't touch them so agents have to get creative. LLC's and Trusts seem to be falling into another type of gray area. Honestly, contracts have not kept up so insurers have become creative.
LLC's: An LLC is a Limited Liability Company. It is a separate and distinct legal entity. It's owners are known as "members." After the financial collapse in 2008, the bottom fell out of the real estate market. Sadly, many people lost their homes. People with money quickly recognized that they could pick up dwellings at a bargain and benefited from an increased need for rental dwellings. Many of these folks opted to form an LLC to purchase these dwellings because under most circumstances, members are not personally liable for debts and liabilities of an LLC. Some insurers will issue dwelling fire policies with an LLC listed as the named insured- in some circumstances. This is a liability issue. Insurers are concerned (and rightly so) with getting an adequate premium for the exposure. If the members of the LLC are relatives ie: brothers or father and daughter, etc. then some preferred carriers are willing to name the LLC as the named insured. If the members are unrelated individuals then this would be a significant increase in liability exposure, which most preferred insurers are not willing to take on. (Insurers need to price for this exposure so it can be insured as well.) Therefore, it is important to understand who all the members of the LLC are and how they are related to each other to be able to have that discussion with your underwriter.
Trusts: Let's begin our discussion of trusts with a few definitions that are important.
"Grantor" is the creator of the trust and has the legal authority to transfer property.
"Trustee" handles the assets or property for a third-party beneficiary. The Trustee may also be the "Grantor;" but could also be a spouse, adult child or third-party to the beneficiary. They have a fiduciary responsibility to act in the best interest of the beneficiary.
The main purpose in setting up a trust is to avoid "probate" which can delay passing property to heirs, costs up to 5% of the value of the estate and opens the records to the public. The benefits of forming a trust are understandable especially when there are substantial assets to protect and keep private. When a trust is formed and a primary residence is transferred to the trust, the owner of the property is now the trust, which is a separate legal entity.
When the issue of naming a trust as the named insured first started many years ago, there was a "solution" which in most circumstances still is the fashion in which this situation is handled. Make the "owners" of the trust who are usually the folks that live in the home the named insured ie: Mr. and Mrs. Smith and list the trust as an "additional insured." The argument was that doing it this way limited the liability of the trust to the residence premises (so what about vacant land owned by the trust?) It also gives the individuals living in the home CPL coverage and contents coverage.
There are only at least two problems with that. The trust legally owns the property- not Mr. and Mrs. Smith. If there is a claim- the check should be made payable to the trust who owns the property. The other issue is that the trust has a "Grantor", "Trustee" and "Beneficiary". These may be different people. The "additional insured" arrangement assumes that the "Trustee" is living in the home. It gives no coverage to these additional individuals.
You as the Insurance Professional need to clearly understand who is living in the home and what position they play in the trust. I can think of only one preferred market who actually has an endorsement (Residence Held In Trust) who schedules the name of the "Grantor" and "Beneficiary". It assumes the Trustee is named as a named insured along with the trust. It resolves many of the issues not dealt with by naming the trust as an additional insured. Again- it assumes the trustee lives in the house so may not be correct to use in every situation as the trustee may be a third-party, but at least it is a step in the right direction.
Preferred insurers need to deal with these contract issues and it appears that Agency Insurance Professionals are going to have to keep the pressure on the carriers to be able to ultimately insure their clients properly.
Sharon L. Graeter, CPCU is Co-Founder and Director of Development for West Connect Insurance Solutions. She has 35 years experience in the Property and Casualty Insurance Industry and is a contract expert. Her agency is looking for financially motivated Insurance Sales Professionals to join their team. if you are located in California,visit http://www.westconnectalliance.com for more information. She also trains people looking for a career as Insurance Sales Professionals who are new to the business. Visit http://www.westconnectedu.com for additional information.
When to Contact Your Insurance Company About Updating Your Policy
An insurance company offers policies to the public either by selling directly to individuals or through other sources such as employees' benefits packages. This provision allows you some peace of mind in case of a misfortune. It is best that you review your coverage from time to time. There are a few reasons why you would need to upgrade or change your coverage. Let's touch upon a few of those reasons.
Have you rented a new home or apartment?
Of course, the landlord will be responsible for insuring the building, but you are accountable for covering your possessions. Rental coverage is readily available and inexpensive, plus it provides liability coverage, which protects you in case anyone is injured while at your home or apartment.
Have you made any new renovations to your home?
If so, these changes are not included in your warranty. You should contact your insurance company and inform them of the changes so you are covered. Most people don't think about this and it is very important to make sure you don't have to come up with your own money to maintain your present living conditions.
Have you recently purchased any new fine art, expensive jewelry, or antiques?
A standard homeowner's policy will not necessarily cover these types of items. You will need extra coverage. You should have your new purchase appraised and add extra coverage to your policy.
Have you recently had a baby?
Review your policy and disability income safety net. You may well need more coverage for your family if something happens to you. Make sure you update the beneficiary descriptions on your policy to include your new baby. Also, make sure your disability options are up to date to help if you get sick or are injured and cannot work.
Have you recently started a new business?
In today's society, the fact that you may be sued is a distinct possibility. It would help if you had a human resources department. Employees' rights are numerous, and in down economies, employee lawsuits increase radically. The cost of defending any accusations alone can put a small company out of business. To help with the risks, the Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) is a policy to help meet small business insurance needs. EPLI generally covers your company for wrongful termination, sexual harassment, discrimination, and workplace wrongdoings.
On a side note, if you have your car covered by one company and your home by another, you can combine all your needs with one company and possibly receive a big discount.
As you can see, the details of this subject are varied and complicated. Only experts can possibly answer all the myriad of questions you may have. If you use the Internet to gather information on this subject, next you should talk to an expert. An insurance company is a good place to start. Contact your local representative today.
When looking for an insurance company, PA residents turn to The Nice Agency. Learn more about our services at http://niceinsuranceagency.com/.
Have you rented a new home or apartment?
Of course, the landlord will be responsible for insuring the building, but you are accountable for covering your possessions. Rental coverage is readily available and inexpensive, plus it provides liability coverage, which protects you in case anyone is injured while at your home or apartment.
Have you made any new renovations to your home?
If so, these changes are not included in your warranty. You should contact your insurance company and inform them of the changes so you are covered. Most people don't think about this and it is very important to make sure you don't have to come up with your own money to maintain your present living conditions.
Have you recently purchased any new fine art, expensive jewelry, or antiques?
A standard homeowner's policy will not necessarily cover these types of items. You will need extra coverage. You should have your new purchase appraised and add extra coverage to your policy.
Have you recently had a baby?
Review your policy and disability income safety net. You may well need more coverage for your family if something happens to you. Make sure you update the beneficiary descriptions on your policy to include your new baby. Also, make sure your disability options are up to date to help if you get sick or are injured and cannot work.
Have you recently started a new business?
In today's society, the fact that you may be sued is a distinct possibility. It would help if you had a human resources department. Employees' rights are numerous, and in down economies, employee lawsuits increase radically. The cost of defending any accusations alone can put a small company out of business. To help with the risks, the Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) is a policy to help meet small business insurance needs. EPLI generally covers your company for wrongful termination, sexual harassment, discrimination, and workplace wrongdoings.
On a side note, if you have your car covered by one company and your home by another, you can combine all your needs with one company and possibly receive a big discount.
As you can see, the details of this subject are varied and complicated. Only experts can possibly answer all the myriad of questions you may have. If you use the Internet to gather information on this subject, next you should talk to an expert. An insurance company is a good place to start. Contact your local representative today.
When looking for an insurance company, PA residents turn to The Nice Agency. Learn more about our services at http://niceinsuranceagency.com/.
6 Key Steps For Effective Insurance Landing Pages
Most insurance brokers and agencies want to grow the top line by supplying their producers with insurance leads. A robust top of the sales funnel helps ensure more consistent results at the bottom of the funnel. Insurance email marketing and social media marketing offer two excellent methods to accomplish this. The goal is to drive in profile prospects to a website, webinar or, as we'll discuss here, a dedicated landing page. Though some agencies and brokers are just beginning to upgrade their websites and launching their initial emarketing campaigns, other agencies have the basis in place and can now advance to more progressive strategies such as insurance landing pages and lead conversion optimization.
For those unfamiliar with these types of pages, a simple definition follows: Any web page which exists to elicit a specific action on behalf of a visitor, typically using a form to capture information. Of course landing pages can be used to deliver all types of digital content, from webinar registration, to insurance case studies, to benefits calculators and newsletter subscriptions. When building these targeted pages, insurance marketers should begin by determining the action they wish to elicit, then build the page to achieve that single goal.
Here are 6 key steps to building effecting insurance landing pages.
1. Your Unique Value Proposition
The main headline (what is the goal of the landing page)
A supporting headline
A reinforcement statement
A closing argument
2. Images or Video
Add images, graphics and video increase conversion
Video also increases stickiness
3. List The Top 3-5 Benefits
Use bullets whenever possible
List key benefits (3-5)
List key features (3-5)
Whet the appetite - convert to a meal
Keep it succinct
4. Validation (Prove It and Prove It Quickly)
Real life examples
Case studies
Statistics
5. Click Through, Conversion
Call To Action (CTA)
Keep It Simple
One Primary CTA
Use short, simple web form when collecting demographics (Name, email and business for example).
6. Execute, Measure, Refine
What are the empirical goals for the page/campaign
Total webinar registrants, requests to download case studies, number of videos viewed, etc.
Modify pages to optimize conversion on successive campaigns.
Start by creating a conversion goal (total click throughs, total downloads, phone calls, etc.). Launch your campaigns, which could include email marketing and social media marketing. Determine the primary time frame for the campaign, perhaps 5 days. Then measure the results and refine the landing page to test conversion optimization. This can be accomplished in a linear manner, or using split testing (or multivariate testing) to test multiple landing pages and messages simultaneously. Integrating effective landing pages into an insurance web marketing strategy will help drive more leads into your pipeline.
For more information on exclusive Insurance Agency Marketing Solutions visit our website: http://www.startupselling.com. StartUpSelling, Inc. provides outsourced insurance agency marketing and lead generation services focusing in the areas of telemarketing, insurance agency email marketing, and insurance web marketing. StartUpSelling, Inc. specializes in innovative entrepreneurial marketing, sales and lead gen concepts.
For those unfamiliar with these types of pages, a simple definition follows: Any web page which exists to elicit a specific action on behalf of a visitor, typically using a form to capture information. Of course landing pages can be used to deliver all types of digital content, from webinar registration, to insurance case studies, to benefits calculators and newsletter subscriptions. When building these targeted pages, insurance marketers should begin by determining the action they wish to elicit, then build the page to achieve that single goal.
Here are 6 key steps to building effecting insurance landing pages.
1. Your Unique Value Proposition
The main headline (what is the goal of the landing page)
A supporting headline
A reinforcement statement
A closing argument
2. Images or Video
Add images, graphics and video increase conversion
Video also increases stickiness
3. List The Top 3-5 Benefits
Use bullets whenever possible
List key benefits (3-5)
List key features (3-5)
Whet the appetite - convert to a meal
Keep it succinct
4. Validation (Prove It and Prove It Quickly)
Real life examples
Case studies
Statistics
5. Click Through, Conversion
Call To Action (CTA)
Keep It Simple
One Primary CTA
Use short, simple web form when collecting demographics (Name, email and business for example).
6. Execute, Measure, Refine
What are the empirical goals for the page/campaign
Total webinar registrants, requests to download case studies, number of videos viewed, etc.
Modify pages to optimize conversion on successive campaigns.
Start by creating a conversion goal (total click throughs, total downloads, phone calls, etc.). Launch your campaigns, which could include email marketing and social media marketing. Determine the primary time frame for the campaign, perhaps 5 days. Then measure the results and refine the landing page to test conversion optimization. This can be accomplished in a linear manner, or using split testing (or multivariate testing) to test multiple landing pages and messages simultaneously. Integrating effective landing pages into an insurance web marketing strategy will help drive more leads into your pipeline.
For more information on exclusive Insurance Agency Marketing Solutions visit our website: http://www.startupselling.com. StartUpSelling, Inc. provides outsourced insurance agency marketing and lead generation services focusing in the areas of telemarketing, insurance agency email marketing, and insurance web marketing. StartUpSelling, Inc. specializes in innovative entrepreneurial marketing, sales and lead gen concepts.
5 Essential Marketing Activities Every Insurance Agency, Broker and Wholesaler Needs
Insurance marketing is becoming the norm today, as agencies, brokers and wholesalers seek to gain a competitive edge and improve their economy of scale. It's rare that an agency owner says they don't care about their website, or that they are unaware of digital marketing opportunities such as insurance email marketing or insurance social media marketing. When it comes to Producers, there are five essential marketing activities that should be used to expand reach and build pipelines.
Content Marketing - Content marketing can be an efficient and powerful way to grow an audience and agency. For content marketing to work, agents and brokers need to invest, prioritize and execute. In order to achieve impactful results, content marketing must be taken seriously, and executed consistently.
Social Media Marketing - Fifty-five percent of insurance consumers say they would use one or more insurance services offered through social media. Internet reviews and social media play an integral part in credibility. Potential clients, especially millennials, trust advice they find on social media about the best insurance products, agencies and brokers. At a minimum, brokers and agencies should have a professional company page, and executive profiles on all major social media platforms.
Insurance Email Marketing - For many agents, brokers and wholesalers, creating a successful email marketing initiative can seem like a formidable task. But insurance email marketing should be a fundamental component of their overall marketing plans. Use the "Five W's" to think about insurance email marketing:
Who: Targeted Prospects - Email List Generation
What: Relevant, Educational Content
When: Campaign Time & Frequency
Where: Call to Action - Where The Prospect Should Go
Why: Lead Conversion - Close The Loop For ROI
Appointment Setting - Calling in profile prospects is a traditional approach to filling the pipeline, and in certain insurance niches, still has a place within an overall insurance lead generation initiative. That said, it's recommended that Producers with aggressive sales goals should not be making these calls personally, the calls should be delegated to an internal or outsourced appointment setter. Producers should spend their time talking with prospects, not identifying them. Producers need to create an effective call script, determine the key differentiators, and train the appointment setters, or outsource this effort.
Closed Loop Analysis - Closed loop marketing is a simple concept, yet few brokers, agents or wholesalers ever do this. Closed loop marketing analysis can be done on a campaign basis, or a comprehensive monthly or quarterly approach. This goal is simple, which campaign activities are yielding the best results, for both activity and new business results. Closing the loop helps determine the ROI of an agency marketing budget.
Insurance brokers, agents and wholesalers can and should invest in these five essential insurance marketing initiatives to expand reach and increase sales activity. A healthy top of the sales funnel is likely to result in increased revenues, and more successful Producers. Producers should spend more time selling, and less time identifying prospects. Agencies, brokers and wholesalers which do not have sufficient staff or expertise to accomplish the five marketing activities reviewed above, can consider outscoring this initiative to a proficient insurance marketing agency.
For more information on territory exclusive Insurance Agency Marketing Solutions visit our website: http://www.startupselling.com. StartUpSelling, Inc. provides outsourced insurance agency lead generation services focusing in the areas of telemarketing, insurance agency email marketing, and insurance web marketing. StartUpSelling, Inc. specializes in innovative entrepreneurial marketing, sales and lead gen concepts.
Content Marketing - Content marketing can be an efficient and powerful way to grow an audience and agency. For content marketing to work, agents and brokers need to invest, prioritize and execute. In order to achieve impactful results, content marketing must be taken seriously, and executed consistently.
Social Media Marketing - Fifty-five percent of insurance consumers say they would use one or more insurance services offered through social media. Internet reviews and social media play an integral part in credibility. Potential clients, especially millennials, trust advice they find on social media about the best insurance products, agencies and brokers. At a minimum, brokers and agencies should have a professional company page, and executive profiles on all major social media platforms.
Insurance Email Marketing - For many agents, brokers and wholesalers, creating a successful email marketing initiative can seem like a formidable task. But insurance email marketing should be a fundamental component of their overall marketing plans. Use the "Five W's" to think about insurance email marketing:
Who: Targeted Prospects - Email List Generation
What: Relevant, Educational Content
When: Campaign Time & Frequency
Where: Call to Action - Where The Prospect Should Go
Why: Lead Conversion - Close The Loop For ROI
Appointment Setting - Calling in profile prospects is a traditional approach to filling the pipeline, and in certain insurance niches, still has a place within an overall insurance lead generation initiative. That said, it's recommended that Producers with aggressive sales goals should not be making these calls personally, the calls should be delegated to an internal or outsourced appointment setter. Producers should spend their time talking with prospects, not identifying them. Producers need to create an effective call script, determine the key differentiators, and train the appointment setters, or outsource this effort.
Closed Loop Analysis - Closed loop marketing is a simple concept, yet few brokers, agents or wholesalers ever do this. Closed loop marketing analysis can be done on a campaign basis, or a comprehensive monthly or quarterly approach. This goal is simple, which campaign activities are yielding the best results, for both activity and new business results. Closing the loop helps determine the ROI of an agency marketing budget.
Insurance brokers, agents and wholesalers can and should invest in these five essential insurance marketing initiatives to expand reach and increase sales activity. A healthy top of the sales funnel is likely to result in increased revenues, and more successful Producers. Producers should spend more time selling, and less time identifying prospects. Agencies, brokers and wholesalers which do not have sufficient staff or expertise to accomplish the five marketing activities reviewed above, can consider outscoring this initiative to a proficient insurance marketing agency.
For more information on territory exclusive Insurance Agency Marketing Solutions visit our website: http://www.startupselling.com. StartUpSelling, Inc. provides outsourced insurance agency lead generation services focusing in the areas of telemarketing, insurance agency email marketing, and insurance web marketing. StartUpSelling, Inc. specializes in innovative entrepreneurial marketing, sales and lead gen concepts.
Why Working in the Insurance Industry As An Independent Contractor Can be Great
There are quite a few good reasons for working in the insurance industry as an independent contractor. Being able to be your own boss and be the person that is ultimately responsible for your own income potential is a pretty great feeling. There are also other benefits to being an independent contractor and working in the insurance industry. As we review some of these benefits think about how your life would be different if you could be in full control over your own earning potential.
Benefit One: Being able to offer your customer options
Working in the insurance industry as an independent contractor is a rewarding career field for a number of reasons. If you align yourself with a great firm, and you genuinely care about people, the odds of your overall success increase exponentially. Here's why, first, when you care about the person that you are trying to help it won't be about getting them the most expensive plan in order to increase your commissions, it will be about getting them the right plan for their unique needs. As an independent contractor you will have the ability to contract with multiple carriers so you can truly offer a unique and customized quote for your clients. This benefits you because you have given your clients what they need, the peace of mind in knowing that their loved ones will be taken care of, and you have established yourself as someone they can depend on to get the best solutions for their needs. This improves your odds of getting personal referrals and growing your business.
Benefit Two: Being able to build your team
You are no longer a party of one when you decide to build a successful team of agents that will work along side of you. As your team grows so do your own commission checks which means that their success is your success. Think about how incredible that would feel if you knew that just by helping someone else take control of their own financial future you could in effect be taking control of your future as well. Taking the time to help them to understand the business, treat their own clients with care and respect and show them how to duplicate their efforts is a great way to build a solid foundation of strong and committed professionals.
Benefit Three: Being covered yourself
As an independent insurance contractor you will want to have your own policy in place and that's a good thing for those that you love. Even if you are single you can still create a policy that you can use as a retirement fund (more on that in another post) so regardless of where you are in your life you can choose a policy that is right for you. You will be able to explore options within your carriers and hand pick a policy that best matches your own unique needs. You will no longer have to worry about whether you got the right policy because you will rest confidently knowing that you made the right choice.
To learn more about Jennifer S Benson or to work with her visit: http://www.jennifersbenson.com
Mind Blowing Metrics For Insurance Social Media Marketing
Perhaps there are still some insurance agencies, brokers and wholesalers out there who consider social media to be a fad. Something akin to Hula Hoops, Water Beds, Zoot Suits and Rubik's Cube. But looking at these numbers will likely convince even the most skeptical insurance executives that social media is here to stay, and a force to be reckoned with.
Visitors of the Top 6 Social Media Sites
Most of your prospects will frequent at least one of the top six social media sites. Below are the estimated monthly visitors for 6 of the top social media sites:
YouTube: 1 billion unique monthly visitors
Facebook: 900 million visits
Twitter: 310 million visits
LinkedIn: 255 million visits
Pinterest: 250 million visits
Google +: 120 million visits
When you consider that the current US population is about 320 million, these metrics gain some perspective. A good analogy would be that every person in the United States, visits Facebook 3 times per month. These numbers are staggering, and at a minimum insurance agencies and brokers should have a professional presence on the following five sites: YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google+. It's much better, however, if agencies, brokers and wholesalers leverage these platforms to help carry their targeted insurance marketing message to cyberspace in general and to their prospects specifically.
Where Should Insurance Agencies and Brokers Focus
Insurance professionals targeting commercial accounts should focus on LinkedIn and YouTube. LinkedIn is all about business, and most of your commercial insurance prospects and clients are now using LinkedIn. YouTube is an excellent repository to compliment your insurance agency website recordings, it's easy to share video recordings, executive briefings or recorded webinars on YouTube. Agencies and brokers should have a professional and branded LinkedIn company page and YouTube channel. Facebook tends to be more consumer centric, though a professional company page on Facebook is worthwhile, especially if you offer personal lines. What about Google+? As it is still in the Top 6, a professional company page, and consistent postings is recommended, though Google+ has clearly lagged the field. And finally, how about Twitter? Twitter is a great tool to extend reach and branding. With little effort, and the many tools that post automatically to all or most of these sites, insurance social media marketing is within the grasp of even small agencies and brokers.
Insurance Social Media Marketing
I often say that great insurance marketing begins with a good blog. An interesting and relevant blog post can be easily shared across all of the above social media sites. The blog doesn't have to be about insurance. For example, if you are a B2B (commercial lines) agency or an insurance broker specializing in group benefits, your blogs should include educational information germane to those respective audiences. This could include business related news, regulatory updates, industry news, business tips, etc. When thinking about insurance social media marketing, think about what you as a broker or insurance agent want to share, and what your prospects and clients would find of interest.
For more information on territory exclusive Insurance Agency Marketing Solutions visit our website: http://startupselling.com. StartUpSelling, Inc. provides outsourced insurance marketing and lead generation services focusing in the areas of insurance telemarketing, insurance email marketing, and insurance web marketing. StartUpSelling, Inc. specializes in innovative entrepreneurial marketing, sales and lead gen concepts
Visitors of the Top 6 Social Media Sites
Most of your prospects will frequent at least one of the top six social media sites. Below are the estimated monthly visitors for 6 of the top social media sites:
YouTube: 1 billion unique monthly visitors
Facebook: 900 million visits
Twitter: 310 million visits
LinkedIn: 255 million visits
Pinterest: 250 million visits
Google +: 120 million visits
When you consider that the current US population is about 320 million, these metrics gain some perspective. A good analogy would be that every person in the United States, visits Facebook 3 times per month. These numbers are staggering, and at a minimum insurance agencies and brokers should have a professional presence on the following five sites: YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google+. It's much better, however, if agencies, brokers and wholesalers leverage these platforms to help carry their targeted insurance marketing message to cyberspace in general and to their prospects specifically.
Where Should Insurance Agencies and Brokers Focus
Insurance professionals targeting commercial accounts should focus on LinkedIn and YouTube. LinkedIn is all about business, and most of your commercial insurance prospects and clients are now using LinkedIn. YouTube is an excellent repository to compliment your insurance agency website recordings, it's easy to share video recordings, executive briefings or recorded webinars on YouTube. Agencies and brokers should have a professional and branded LinkedIn company page and YouTube channel. Facebook tends to be more consumer centric, though a professional company page on Facebook is worthwhile, especially if you offer personal lines. What about Google+? As it is still in the Top 6, a professional company page, and consistent postings is recommended, though Google+ has clearly lagged the field. And finally, how about Twitter? Twitter is a great tool to extend reach and branding. With little effort, and the many tools that post automatically to all or most of these sites, insurance social media marketing is within the grasp of even small agencies and brokers.
Insurance Social Media Marketing
I often say that great insurance marketing begins with a good blog. An interesting and relevant blog post can be easily shared across all of the above social media sites. The blog doesn't have to be about insurance. For example, if you are a B2B (commercial lines) agency or an insurance broker specializing in group benefits, your blogs should include educational information germane to those respective audiences. This could include business related news, regulatory updates, industry news, business tips, etc. When thinking about insurance social media marketing, think about what you as a broker or insurance agent want to share, and what your prospects and clients would find of interest.
For more information on territory exclusive Insurance Agency Marketing Solutions visit our website: http://startupselling.com. StartUpSelling, Inc. provides outsourced insurance marketing and lead generation services focusing in the areas of insurance telemarketing, insurance email marketing, and insurance web marketing. StartUpSelling, Inc. specializes in innovative entrepreneurial marketing, sales and lead gen concepts
How to Succeed in Being an Insurance Agent
Many people think of insurance agents as peddlers. Someone that is
just trying to "get the sale" but the reality is those days are
quickly fading away and the newer insurance agents (producers) are
redefining what it means to work in the insurance business.
Today, insurance agents are able to offer a wider range of insurance
products to meet the needs of their clients. This means more security
and peace of mind for the client and a more successful career for the
producer/agent.
In order to succeed in being an insurance agent in today's
environment you need to have a few personality traits.
First, you need to have a vested interest in helping people. If you
don't care about helping people don't get into insurance sales
because the odds of your success are low. People can tell when they
are being "sold" something and no one wants to be sold. With the
internet you have customers that are better educated and understand
their options.
Insurance is a complicated creature but when you become a
knowledgeable person that cares about their customer/client you will
discover that success is well within your reach.
Second, you will want to study up on the products that you are
promoting. This means that you understand the ins and outs of what
you are offering. You are the expert and you need to be able to
explain to your client exactly what it is that they are getting. If
you can do that, you will find that it becomes easier to succeed in
being an insurance agent.
Last but not least, you will need to become comfortable talking to
people. When you are comfortable calling people, meeting with people,
speaking with people, and listening to people, you will find it
easier to understand the unique needs of your client.
When you combine that with your desire to help them and your
experience understanding the products that your company has to offer,
it becomes clear to see why you will be able to achieve the results
that you desire in this industry.
While other agents struggle to retain their clients you will be
world's ahead of them providing your customers with the service they
expect, the product that they need and the support that they have
grown to appreciate from you.
To learn more about the author (Jennifer S Benson) visit:
http://www.jennifersbenson.com
just trying to "get the sale" but the reality is those days are
quickly fading away and the newer insurance agents (producers) are
redefining what it means to work in the insurance business.
Today, insurance agents are able to offer a wider range of insurance
products to meet the needs of their clients. This means more security
and peace of mind for the client and a more successful career for the
producer/agent.
In order to succeed in being an insurance agent in today's
environment you need to have a few personality traits.
First, you need to have a vested interest in helping people. If you
don't care about helping people don't get into insurance sales
because the odds of your success are low. People can tell when they
are being "sold" something and no one wants to be sold. With the
internet you have customers that are better educated and understand
their options.
Insurance is a complicated creature but when you become a
knowledgeable person that cares about their customer/client you will
discover that success is well within your reach.
Second, you will want to study up on the products that you are
promoting. This means that you understand the ins and outs of what
you are offering. You are the expert and you need to be able to
explain to your client exactly what it is that they are getting. If
you can do that, you will find that it becomes easier to succeed in
being an insurance agent.
Last but not least, you will need to become comfortable talking to
people. When you are comfortable calling people, meeting with people,
speaking with people, and listening to people, you will find it
easier to understand the unique needs of your client.
When you combine that with your desire to help them and your
experience understanding the products that your company has to offer,
it becomes clear to see why you will be able to achieve the results
that you desire in this industry.
While other agents struggle to retain their clients you will be
world's ahead of them providing your customers with the service they
expect, the product that they need and the support that they have
grown to appreciate from you.
To learn more about the author (Jennifer S Benson) visit:
http://www.jennifersbenson.com
Insurance Agent Marketing Online - Build Trust by Writing Articles
As insurance agents it can sometimes feel a little challenging to
know how to best market online without coming across poorly. One of
the best methods for establishing yourself in the marketplace is to
build trust by writing articles.
Providing quality content that informs your potential customer about
the different products or insurance solutions gives them an
opportunity to learn more about you and the services that you give.
It shows them that you are knowledgeable.
It shows them that you have experience and that you know your
products. This builds trust and establishes you as an expert in your
field. Think about it this way, when you are buying a car you don't
want to buy the car from someone who doesn't know the difference
between a V6 and a V8. No, in fact, if you are working with a car
sales agent that appears to know less about the car than you do, you
may not want to buy the car from them.
Knowing your product places you ahead of your competition because it
shows that you care enough about the products that you sell to learn
how they work and how they can benefit your customer.
When you market yourself as an expert in the insurance industry by
creating quality content that your customers will find value in, you
will ultimately create a more effective brand.
Insurance agents that take the time to learn their products and spend
the time writing the articles will build the trust and build the
brand. Potential customers will seek out the most experienced
insurance agents to do business with. They want to person that
understands what they need and can get it to them for the best price.
Your customers will be looking for someone who knows what they are
talking about and puts out articles that articulate that
understanding. Marketing online on a smaller budget takes patience
and a willingess to become an expert in your field.
To learn more about the author (Jennifer S Benson) visit:
http://www.jennifersbenson.com
know how to best market online without coming across poorly. One of
the best methods for establishing yourself in the marketplace is to
build trust by writing articles.
Providing quality content that informs your potential customer about
the different products or insurance solutions gives them an
opportunity to learn more about you and the services that you give.
It shows them that you are knowledgeable.
It shows them that you have experience and that you know your
products. This builds trust and establishes you as an expert in your
field. Think about it this way, when you are buying a car you don't
want to buy the car from someone who doesn't know the difference
between a V6 and a V8. No, in fact, if you are working with a car
sales agent that appears to know less about the car than you do, you
may not want to buy the car from them.
Knowing your product places you ahead of your competition because it
shows that you care enough about the products that you sell to learn
how they work and how they can benefit your customer.
When you market yourself as an expert in the insurance industry by
creating quality content that your customers will find value in, you
will ultimately create a more effective brand.
Insurance agents that take the time to learn their products and spend
the time writing the articles will build the trust and build the
brand. Potential customers will seek out the most experienced
insurance agents to do business with. They want to person that
understands what they need and can get it to them for the best price.
Your customers will be looking for someone who knows what they are
talking about and puts out articles that articulate that
understanding. Marketing online on a smaller budget takes patience
and a willingess to become an expert in your field.
To learn more about the author (Jennifer S Benson) visit:
http://www.jennifersbenson.com
The Qualities Every Insurance Agent Should Have
Every insurance agent should have these qualities. The qualities that
we are going to explore will cover all aspects of the person from who
they are on the inside and what they look like on the outside. It is
about becoming the person that you can look at with respect and
feeling confident in the person looking back at you in the mirror.
Inside
Compassionate: Compassion is the act of caring about someone. It is
being able to listen to their needs and care about finding the best
solution for those needs. Insurance agents that lack this quality may
find themselves struggling in their business. That is because those
that are truly successful understand that their success depends upon
their ability to show compassion to their customers.
Respectful: It is hard to believe that this would have to be included
but you would be surprised how often I have seen someone walk into a
situation, tell their customer how it is going to be, and completely
miss the mark. Respecting your customer means to listen to their
needs. Ask questions, seek clarification, don't bring your personal
bias into the meeting. Remind yourself that your customer has their
own believe system and respect them for who they are.
Attentive: Listen, engage, and be attentive. Understand that your
customer is attempting to relay important information and it is your
job as the insurance agent to understand what they are asking from
you. If you don't understand you might end up selling them the wrong
policy and when that happens nobody wins because as soon as they
realize they don't have what they want, they will simply cancel the
policy and go with another agent. Be attentive, it saves time and
trouble later down the road.
Outside:
Well groomed: Well groomed simply means look put together. If you
have a long beard make sure it is combed and presentable. You hair
should be clean and you will want to have bathed prior to meeting
with your client. You only get one chance to make a first impression
so make it count.
Dressed appropriately: When it comes to what you should wear if you
are a woman avoid clothing that shows off too much. You have to
remember that you are visiting families and they may have different
values or may not appreciate someone coming into their home that are
dressed in a way which might be considered objectionable. A nice
blouse and slacks work great or something along the lines of business
casual. For men, wearing closed toed shoes is a good place to start.
Shorts are acceptable only during the summer and only when combined
with a nice top, no wife beaters or comment t-shirts that a potential
customer may be offended by.
Free from distractions: Free from distractions means that you keep
your cell phone on mute or turned off, you take off your Bluetooth
headset and you if you have a music player you leave that in the car.
When you enter the home you will want to make sure that the only
concern you have at that moment is helping your customer. If you
don't feel like you can do that it may be better to reschedule the
appointment. Leave any drama you have in your life at their doorstep.
Don't bring it inside.
When you have this combination in force you will discover that your
insurance business will do better, your customers will respect you
more, and ultimately, as a result, you will make more money. While it
isn't about making more money, who could argue that it is a nice
benefit for doing the right thing.
To learn more about the author (Jennifer S Benson) visit:
http://www.jennifersbenson.com
we are going to explore will cover all aspects of the person from who
they are on the inside and what they look like on the outside. It is
about becoming the person that you can look at with respect and
feeling confident in the person looking back at you in the mirror.
Inside
Compassionate: Compassion is the act of caring about someone. It is
being able to listen to their needs and care about finding the best
solution for those needs. Insurance agents that lack this quality may
find themselves struggling in their business. That is because those
that are truly successful understand that their success depends upon
their ability to show compassion to their customers.
Respectful: It is hard to believe that this would have to be included
but you would be surprised how often I have seen someone walk into a
situation, tell their customer how it is going to be, and completely
miss the mark. Respecting your customer means to listen to their
needs. Ask questions, seek clarification, don't bring your personal
bias into the meeting. Remind yourself that your customer has their
own believe system and respect them for who they are.
Attentive: Listen, engage, and be attentive. Understand that your
customer is attempting to relay important information and it is your
job as the insurance agent to understand what they are asking from
you. If you don't understand you might end up selling them the wrong
policy and when that happens nobody wins because as soon as they
realize they don't have what they want, they will simply cancel the
policy and go with another agent. Be attentive, it saves time and
trouble later down the road.
Outside:
Well groomed: Well groomed simply means look put together. If you
have a long beard make sure it is combed and presentable. You hair
should be clean and you will want to have bathed prior to meeting
with your client. You only get one chance to make a first impression
so make it count.
Dressed appropriately: When it comes to what you should wear if you
are a woman avoid clothing that shows off too much. You have to
remember that you are visiting families and they may have different
values or may not appreciate someone coming into their home that are
dressed in a way which might be considered objectionable. A nice
blouse and slacks work great or something along the lines of business
casual. For men, wearing closed toed shoes is a good place to start.
Shorts are acceptable only during the summer and only when combined
with a nice top, no wife beaters or comment t-shirts that a potential
customer may be offended by.
Free from distractions: Free from distractions means that you keep
your cell phone on mute or turned off, you take off your Bluetooth
headset and you if you have a music player you leave that in the car.
When you enter the home you will want to make sure that the only
concern you have at that moment is helping your customer. If you
don't feel like you can do that it may be better to reschedule the
appointment. Leave any drama you have in your life at their doorstep.
Don't bring it inside.
When you have this combination in force you will discover that your
insurance business will do better, your customers will respect you
more, and ultimately, as a result, you will make more money. While it
isn't about making more money, who could argue that it is a nice
benefit for doing the right thing.
To learn more about the author (Jennifer S Benson) visit:
http://www.jennifersbenson.com
Insurance Agency Blogs Should End With a Bang Not a Whimper
I often say that great insurance marketing starts with a good
insurance blog. However, if your blog posts have a weak ending you
are not optimizing the full marketing value of your insurance blog.
Conclusions for blog posts are often misused, under-appreciated or
ignored entirely. A good blog post ending will be short, engaging and
inspire your reader to perform an action.
Get to the Point
Too many writers meander when concluding a post. It is clear to
anyone who reads the blog that the writer isn't sure who to wrap
things up. Summarize the key points, be pithy and then drop the mike
and leave the stage.
Be Engaging
The purpose of an insurance blog specifically and insurance web
marketing in general, is to create a relationship with your readers.
Think of it like a first date. When a date ends, you don't just walk
away and leave the person standing there. You might make a joke, an
insightful comment or offer a compliment. Hopefully your date will
like you, consider it memorable (in a positive way), and want to see
you again.
If you'd like your readers to want to see your blogs again, you can:
Ask an insightful question that encourages them to think about
your topic
Challenge the reader to respond to an opinion you offered in the
post
Offer a new way to think about the material you presented
Make the reader think about the information you provided instead of
just reading it passively and moving on. Make them want to interact
with you or discuss the topic with others and you have become
memorable.
Inspire Action - Call To Action
If you become memorable to a reader then you have accomplished the
first step in creating a successful relationship. The next step is to
inspire the reader to perform an action. Using the dating analogy,
you may invite your date to tweet you, friend you on Facebook, or ask
for another date. For a blog post, you want to:
Ask readers to share the post on social media
Encourage readers to contact you with questions
Offer a complimentary service such as a coverage gap analysis or
a compliance review
You don't have to request the same action in every post. In fact, it
is better if you use different calls to action, depending on the
theme of the post and your goals. Then readers will see it as a
legitimate request and not a sales tactic.
So be pithy, be memorable and inspire readers to engage with your
call to action at the end of your blog posts and you will have a
great start to an effective insurance web marketing and content
marketing initiative.
For more information on territory exclusive Insurance Agency
Marketing Solutions visit our website: http://www.startupselling.com.
StartUpSelling, Inc. provides outsourced insurance agency lead
generation services focusing in the areas of telemarketing, insurance
agency eMarketing, and insurance web marketing. StartUpSelling, Inc.
specializes in innovative entrepreneurial marketing, sales and lead
gen concepts.
insurance blog. However, if your blog posts have a weak ending you
are not optimizing the full marketing value of your insurance blog.
Conclusions for blog posts are often misused, under-appreciated or
ignored entirely. A good blog post ending will be short, engaging and
inspire your reader to perform an action.
Get to the Point
Too many writers meander when concluding a post. It is clear to
anyone who reads the blog that the writer isn't sure who to wrap
things up. Summarize the key points, be pithy and then drop the mike
and leave the stage.
Be Engaging
The purpose of an insurance blog specifically and insurance web
marketing in general, is to create a relationship with your readers.
Think of it like a first date. When a date ends, you don't just walk
away and leave the person standing there. You might make a joke, an
insightful comment or offer a compliment. Hopefully your date will
like you, consider it memorable (in a positive way), and want to see
you again.
If you'd like your readers to want to see your blogs again, you can:
Ask an insightful question that encourages them to think about
your topic
Challenge the reader to respond to an opinion you offered in the
post
Offer a new way to think about the material you presented
Make the reader think about the information you provided instead of
just reading it passively and moving on. Make them want to interact
with you or discuss the topic with others and you have become
memorable.
Inspire Action - Call To Action
If you become memorable to a reader then you have accomplished the
first step in creating a successful relationship. The next step is to
inspire the reader to perform an action. Using the dating analogy,
you may invite your date to tweet you, friend you on Facebook, or ask
for another date. For a blog post, you want to:
Ask readers to share the post on social media
Encourage readers to contact you with questions
Offer a complimentary service such as a coverage gap analysis or
a compliance review
You don't have to request the same action in every post. In fact, it
is better if you use different calls to action, depending on the
theme of the post and your goals. Then readers will see it as a
legitimate request and not a sales tactic.
So be pithy, be memorable and inspire readers to engage with your
call to action at the end of your blog posts and you will have a
great start to an effective insurance web marketing and content
marketing initiative.
For more information on territory exclusive Insurance Agency
Marketing Solutions visit our website: http://www.startupselling.com.
StartUpSelling, Inc. provides outsourced insurance agency lead
generation services focusing in the areas of telemarketing, insurance
agency eMarketing, and insurance web marketing. StartUpSelling, Inc.
specializes in innovative entrepreneurial marketing, sales and lead
gen concepts.
Understanding How to Analyze Personal Insurance Risks
Working with inexperienced Insurance Producers, I am aware that the
concept of analyzing risk can be quite foreign to those newer to the
industry. I'm finding that there is a lack of knowledge in the proper
placement of risk in the personal insurance arena in general. I'm
hoping to make that concept a bit easier to understand by examining
what components of a risk need to be considered when making carrier
placement decisions.
The widespread use of comparative raters has been the one factor that
may confuse insurance personnel the most. Technology has advanced
tremendously in the past several years, but none of the raters
adequately have the ability to analyze a risk and eliminate the rates
of carriers that do not even want that particular risk. If a rate
comes back and they are competitive- they must want the risk- right?
Overwhelmingly, the answer to that question is NO! In personal lines,
we are typically starting the analysis by determining if a risk is
"preferred" or "standard/non-standard." Here are the characteristics
of a "preferred" risk:
- Positive physical attributes of property to be insured. Homes need
to be well-maintained and depending upon the year built, updating of
plumbing, roof (except some tile and slate), wiring and HVAC systems
must be done in the past 30-35 years. Autos need to also be well-
maintained and free of any damage. Pride of ownership is evident.
- Loss history is clear. A preferred risk has no losses in the past 5
years. A water loss or liability loss may indicate an exposure that
may have a higher probability of having another loss. For property
exposures, losses follow the insured. If you have an insured that
owns multiple properties and the home is loss free but the rentals
have losses; those losses will be taken into consideration on the
home when determining the eligibility of the risk. This is especially
true if the carrier will not be insuring the rental properties. You
need to understand those losses even if you are currently not
insuring those properties to have a discussion with the underwriter
on the merits of the risk. On auto, multiple not at-fault accidents
are generally precursors to an at-fault accident.
- Be aware of trends in the marketplace and how your risk may be
affected. For example, in recent years in Southern California, water
losses have been extremely prevalent among houses with a certain type
of plumbing and with certain years built. Your prospect may have a
higher probability of loss due to these external factors.
- Insured wants proper insurance to cover assets. A preferred client
understands that losses filed will be catastrophic in nature and not
maintenance issues. They also understand the value of high
deductibles because the long- term cost savings due to reduced
overall premiums paid is in their best interest.
- Understand lifestyle and hobbies. There is a difference between
having a large home to insure and a complex lifestyle. Insureds with
large schedules, frequently travel, loan artwork to museums, have
in-servant exposures or own "toys" belong in a "High Value " market
as their lifestyle requires additional expertise at the time of a
loss not to mention that they tend to have higher expectations of how
a claim will be handled in general. Placing these risks in a "Middle
Market" does a complete disservice to the client.
- Bills are paid on time. Clients that have billing issues or
regularly get late notices do not belong in a preferred market.
Choose lump sum or Recurring Credit Card/ EFT for best retention and
fewer phone calls.
- There should be an expectation that you will place the entire
account. There is nothing positive about writing a mono-line policy.
Even if the other policies do not renew for several months, you need
all information when writing the first policy to make sure you are
able to determine the best "home" for that particular client. The
retention is higher (the only way you make money), another agent does
not have the opportunity to market to an "existing " client, the
client gets all the account discounts available which can be
substantial and you will know that all of the clients exposures are
being properly insured.
- Prior insurance with high limits exists. Preferred carriers are
offering their best rates to clients who qualify. Prior insurance
with high liability limits reflects an attitude toward insurance that
the client embraces the value of being properly protected. Insurance
only works when the carrier is getting the proper premium for the
exposure.
- Profit sharing and protecting markets matter to the agency. Placing
risk with carriers with an appetite for that type of risk is
extremely important to the long-term success of the agency. Carriers
depend on their agents to be honest about the risk presented
otherwise these decisions will come back to negatively impact their
business relationships. It's extremely important to limit the number
of markets you choose to do business with so that you can understand
and keep up with changing appetites. You may want to assign each
staff member to be a carrier expert so everyone doesn't have to know
everything about every market.
It's really easy to get personally involved with a client or prospect
and want to offer them the best rate possible no matter what. Do so
at your own risk! This is a profession and you need the skill to keep
the business considerations foremost in mind when placing risk. If
you can do this, you will work in a business that can be very good to
you!
Sharon Graeter, CPCU is Co-Founder and Director of Development for
West Connect Insurance Solutions. She has 30+ years experience in the
Property/ Casualty Insurance business having worked for several major
carriers in Sales Management. If you are located in Southern
California and have an interest in a career that allows you to
enhance the lives of your clients while providing you with a great
lifestyle, contact our website for additional information at
http://www.westconnectalliance.com
concept of analyzing risk can be quite foreign to those newer to the
industry. I'm finding that there is a lack of knowledge in the proper
placement of risk in the personal insurance arena in general. I'm
hoping to make that concept a bit easier to understand by examining
what components of a risk need to be considered when making carrier
placement decisions.
The widespread use of comparative raters has been the one factor that
may confuse insurance personnel the most. Technology has advanced
tremendously in the past several years, but none of the raters
adequately have the ability to analyze a risk and eliminate the rates
of carriers that do not even want that particular risk. If a rate
comes back and they are competitive- they must want the risk- right?
Overwhelmingly, the answer to that question is NO! In personal lines,
we are typically starting the analysis by determining if a risk is
"preferred" or "standard/non-standard." Here are the characteristics
of a "preferred" risk:
- Positive physical attributes of property to be insured. Homes need
to be well-maintained and depending upon the year built, updating of
plumbing, roof (except some tile and slate), wiring and HVAC systems
must be done in the past 30-35 years. Autos need to also be well-
maintained and free of any damage. Pride of ownership is evident.
- Loss history is clear. A preferred risk has no losses in the past 5
years. A water loss or liability loss may indicate an exposure that
may have a higher probability of having another loss. For property
exposures, losses follow the insured. If you have an insured that
owns multiple properties and the home is loss free but the rentals
have losses; those losses will be taken into consideration on the
home when determining the eligibility of the risk. This is especially
true if the carrier will not be insuring the rental properties. You
need to understand those losses even if you are currently not
insuring those properties to have a discussion with the underwriter
on the merits of the risk. On auto, multiple not at-fault accidents
are generally precursors to an at-fault accident.
- Be aware of trends in the marketplace and how your risk may be
affected. For example, in recent years in Southern California, water
losses have been extremely prevalent among houses with a certain type
of plumbing and with certain years built. Your prospect may have a
higher probability of loss due to these external factors.
- Insured wants proper insurance to cover assets. A preferred client
understands that losses filed will be catastrophic in nature and not
maintenance issues. They also understand the value of high
deductibles because the long- term cost savings due to reduced
overall premiums paid is in their best interest.
- Understand lifestyle and hobbies. There is a difference between
having a large home to insure and a complex lifestyle. Insureds with
large schedules, frequently travel, loan artwork to museums, have
in-servant exposures or own "toys" belong in a "High Value " market
as their lifestyle requires additional expertise at the time of a
loss not to mention that they tend to have higher expectations of how
a claim will be handled in general. Placing these risks in a "Middle
Market" does a complete disservice to the client.
- Bills are paid on time. Clients that have billing issues or
regularly get late notices do not belong in a preferred market.
Choose lump sum or Recurring Credit Card/ EFT for best retention and
fewer phone calls.
- There should be an expectation that you will place the entire
account. There is nothing positive about writing a mono-line policy.
Even if the other policies do not renew for several months, you need
all information when writing the first policy to make sure you are
able to determine the best "home" for that particular client. The
retention is higher (the only way you make money), another agent does
not have the opportunity to market to an "existing " client, the
client gets all the account discounts available which can be
substantial and you will know that all of the clients exposures are
being properly insured.
- Prior insurance with high limits exists. Preferred carriers are
offering their best rates to clients who qualify. Prior insurance
with high liability limits reflects an attitude toward insurance that
the client embraces the value of being properly protected. Insurance
only works when the carrier is getting the proper premium for the
exposure.
- Profit sharing and protecting markets matter to the agency. Placing
risk with carriers with an appetite for that type of risk is
extremely important to the long-term success of the agency. Carriers
depend on their agents to be honest about the risk presented
otherwise these decisions will come back to negatively impact their
business relationships. It's extremely important to limit the number
of markets you choose to do business with so that you can understand
and keep up with changing appetites. You may want to assign each
staff member to be a carrier expert so everyone doesn't have to know
everything about every market.
It's really easy to get personally involved with a client or prospect
and want to offer them the best rate possible no matter what. Do so
at your own risk! This is a profession and you need the skill to keep
the business considerations foremost in mind when placing risk. If
you can do this, you will work in a business that can be very good to
you!
Sharon Graeter, CPCU is Co-Founder and Director of Development for
West Connect Insurance Solutions. She has 30+ years experience in the
Property/ Casualty Insurance business having worked for several major
carriers in Sales Management. If you are located in Southern
California and have an interest in a career that allows you to
enhance the lives of your clients while providing you with a great
lifestyle, contact our website for additional information at
http://www.westconnectalliance.com
Insurance Lead Generation in a Changing Marketplace
One of the most critical activities for an insurance producer is
"filling the sales pipeline" with prospects to whom you can discuss
their insurance program. Did you notice that I didn't say "to whom
you can sell insurance?" You are in a unique position to positively
impact lives. You know what can happen when people are not properly
insured, typically your prospects don't!
Lead generation has changed dramatically over the past ten years.
Here are a few areas that used to be the mainstay of producers that
may not even be worth your time anymore:
Lead purchase. This information has become extremely expensive for
what you now get. The quality of the information generally available
has eroded to the point that I really cannot recommend it.
Direct mail. The effectiveness of direct mail is limited unless you
can tailor information specifically to a prospect or have a
compelling "call to action" proposal. Oversized postcards tend to get
more attention than letters and you will need to mail to the same
prospect multiple times to gain any traction.
Cold calling. This is still somewhat effective for commercial
prospects but a complete waste of time for personal lines accounts.
You also need to be careful complying with "do not call"
requirements.
In this information age where people like to do their own research
online, it can be much more compelling to try these tactics:
Create an online presence. What will people find if they research
you? Write articles, speak at local rotary clubs or Homeowner
Associations to develop a reputation as an "expert."
Use your consulting skills. Most of us have degrees or expertise in
areas other than insurance. Provide tips to prospects that work in
businesses where you have knowledge. Prospects will be very receptive
to getting good information and would like to do business with
someone who can "speak their language."
Offer value added services. For example, everyone should have a
"personal inventory" in case the unthinkable happens and everything
is lost, but very few ever do it. Even those of us in the insurance
business rarely get around to it. Offer to make a video walking
around a clients' house opening drawers and closets. This tool will
allow them to recover much more financially than if they did not have
it. Offer to keep it for them in case they do not have a safe deposit
box or fire-proof safe.
Make a list of prospects. Pick prospects you would like to do
business with and learn about them through their website. Walk into
their business and bring them useful information they will want to
keep with your contact information included.
Pay attention to your current clients. Strong retention is the key to
growing your business. If your retention of clients is only 80%, you
are churning your entire book every 5 years as you are losing 20% per
year! Contact clients especially spheres of influence or clients that
generate a predetermined level of revenue at least 4-6 times per
year. Send them for example surveys regarding your service to find
out if their expectations are being met. If they like you and trust
you, they will refer others to you.
Producers bring so much value to the equation. Insurance is
complicated, has its own language and honestly, prospects' insurance
programs that I see on a regular basis are typically poorly thought
out. The goal should not be to find your prospect "cheaper"
insurance. The goal is to properly insure people to protect their
assets and their particular situation. If you choose to do the right
thing for all parties, you can be extremely successful and feel
really good about the career you have chosen.
Sharon Graeter, CPCU is Co-Founder and Director of Development for
West Connect Insurance Solutions. She has 30+ years experience in
Property/ Casualty Sales Management. If you have interest in a career
that allows you to enhance the lives of your clients while providing
you with a great lifestyle and are located in California, contact our
website at http://www.westconnectalliance.com
"filling the sales pipeline" with prospects to whom you can discuss
their insurance program. Did you notice that I didn't say "to whom
you can sell insurance?" You are in a unique position to positively
impact lives. You know what can happen when people are not properly
insured, typically your prospects don't!
Lead generation has changed dramatically over the past ten years.
Here are a few areas that used to be the mainstay of producers that
may not even be worth your time anymore:
Lead purchase. This information has become extremely expensive for
what you now get. The quality of the information generally available
has eroded to the point that I really cannot recommend it.
Direct mail. The effectiveness of direct mail is limited unless you
can tailor information specifically to a prospect or have a
compelling "call to action" proposal. Oversized postcards tend to get
more attention than letters and you will need to mail to the same
prospect multiple times to gain any traction.
Cold calling. This is still somewhat effective for commercial
prospects but a complete waste of time for personal lines accounts.
You also need to be careful complying with "do not call"
requirements.
In this information age where people like to do their own research
online, it can be much more compelling to try these tactics:
Create an online presence. What will people find if they research
you? Write articles, speak at local rotary clubs or Homeowner
Associations to develop a reputation as an "expert."
Use your consulting skills. Most of us have degrees or expertise in
areas other than insurance. Provide tips to prospects that work in
businesses where you have knowledge. Prospects will be very receptive
to getting good information and would like to do business with
someone who can "speak their language."
Offer value added services. For example, everyone should have a
"personal inventory" in case the unthinkable happens and everything
is lost, but very few ever do it. Even those of us in the insurance
business rarely get around to it. Offer to make a video walking
around a clients' house opening drawers and closets. This tool will
allow them to recover much more financially than if they did not have
it. Offer to keep it for them in case they do not have a safe deposit
box or fire-proof safe.
Make a list of prospects. Pick prospects you would like to do
business with and learn about them through their website. Walk into
their business and bring them useful information they will want to
keep with your contact information included.
Pay attention to your current clients. Strong retention is the key to
growing your business. If your retention of clients is only 80%, you
are churning your entire book every 5 years as you are losing 20% per
year! Contact clients especially spheres of influence or clients that
generate a predetermined level of revenue at least 4-6 times per
year. Send them for example surveys regarding your service to find
out if their expectations are being met. If they like you and trust
you, they will refer others to you.
Producers bring so much value to the equation. Insurance is
complicated, has its own language and honestly, prospects' insurance
programs that I see on a regular basis are typically poorly thought
out. The goal should not be to find your prospect "cheaper"
insurance. The goal is to properly insure people to protect their
assets and their particular situation. If you choose to do the right
thing for all parties, you can be extremely successful and feel
really good about the career you have chosen.
Sharon Graeter, CPCU is Co-Founder and Director of Development for
West Connect Insurance Solutions. She has 30+ years experience in
Property/ Casualty Sales Management. If you have interest in a career
that allows you to enhance the lives of your clients while providing
you with a great lifestyle and are located in California, contact our
website at http://www.westconnectalliance.com
Top Ten Tips For A Successful Insurance Agency Blog
Why take the time to create and maintain an insurance agency blog?
There are many benefits to blogging, from showcasing agency
expertise, to improving insurance agency search engine optimization.
Suffice it to say, an insurance agency website is missing a vital
component if it lacks a blog. Here are ten important tips to ensure
your agency deploys a successful insurance agency blog:
1. Be Consistent - Publish at least one blog a week, and do it every
week. Gaps impact credibility for both your readers and your
insurance search engine optimization.
2. Speak To Your Audience - It's about them, not you. What topics
interest them? What impacts their businesses?
3. Vary Content Fulfillment - Blogs should include complimentary
digital content when possible. This might include a link to a video,
and infographic, a webinar, a case study, or new regulations (ACA,
OSHA, etc.).
4. Don't Make It About Insurance - I can save you money on your
commercial insurance is not the type of blog that agencies should
publish. As noted in Tip #2, stick with topics that will interest
your target market.
5. Educational, Timely, Elucidating - The more educational your
content, the better your insurance agency blog. Focus on regulations,
updates, news and interesting topics relating to your readers. Make
sure each blog includes a "knowledge nugget", a valuable take away
that your reader will remember.
6. Leverage Social Media - Whenever you post a blog, make sure you
share it on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+.
7. Include Social Media Sharing Icons - Make it easy to share your
blogs by including "chiclets" (sharing icons) at the bottom of every
blog.
8. Don't Just Blog, Vlog - A short video or recorded webinar can be
used to make a great blog. These look very professional when sharing
on social media.
9. Include Images - Blogs always look more professional when an image
is included. Images make blogs more likely to be read.
10. Make It Easy To Find - Make sure your blog is easy to find on
your insurance website. At a minimum, have your blog accessible from
your main navigation, but it's even better if it's also accessible
from a Call To Action button on your home page.
An insurance blog provides owners, agents and producers with a great
opportunity to showcase expertise. Many agencies can blog on their
own, utilizing their internal staff. Those that lack the time or
resources, can outsource their blogging to a proficient insurance
agency marketing firm.
For more information on territory exclusive Insurance Agency
Marketing Solutions visit our website: http://www.startupselling.com.
StartUpSelling, Inc. provides outsourced insurance marketing and lead
generation services focusing in the areas of telemarketing, insurance
email marketing, and insurance web marketing. StartUpSelling, Inc.
specializes in innovative entrepreneurial marketing, sales and lead
gen concepts.
There are many benefits to blogging, from showcasing agency
expertise, to improving insurance agency search engine optimization.
Suffice it to say, an insurance agency website is missing a vital
component if it lacks a blog. Here are ten important tips to ensure
your agency deploys a successful insurance agency blog:
1. Be Consistent - Publish at least one blog a week, and do it every
week. Gaps impact credibility for both your readers and your
insurance search engine optimization.
2. Speak To Your Audience - It's about them, not you. What topics
interest them? What impacts their businesses?
3. Vary Content Fulfillment - Blogs should include complimentary
digital content when possible. This might include a link to a video,
and infographic, a webinar, a case study, or new regulations (ACA,
OSHA, etc.).
4. Don't Make It About Insurance - I can save you money on your
commercial insurance is not the type of blog that agencies should
publish. As noted in Tip #2, stick with topics that will interest
your target market.
5. Educational, Timely, Elucidating - The more educational your
content, the better your insurance agency blog. Focus on regulations,
updates, news and interesting topics relating to your readers. Make
sure each blog includes a "knowledge nugget", a valuable take away
that your reader will remember.
6. Leverage Social Media - Whenever you post a blog, make sure you
share it on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+.
7. Include Social Media Sharing Icons - Make it easy to share your
blogs by including "chiclets" (sharing icons) at the bottom of every
blog.
8. Don't Just Blog, Vlog - A short video or recorded webinar can be
used to make a great blog. These look very professional when sharing
on social media.
9. Include Images - Blogs always look more professional when an image
is included. Images make blogs more likely to be read.
10. Make It Easy To Find - Make sure your blog is easy to find on
your insurance website. At a minimum, have your blog accessible from
your main navigation, but it's even better if it's also accessible
from a Call To Action button on your home page.
An insurance blog provides owners, agents and producers with a great
opportunity to showcase expertise. Many agencies can blog on their
own, utilizing their internal staff. Those that lack the time or
resources, can outsource their blogging to a proficient insurance
agency marketing firm.
For more information on territory exclusive Insurance Agency
Marketing Solutions visit our website: http://www.startupselling.com.
StartUpSelling, Inc. provides outsourced insurance marketing and lead
generation services focusing in the areas of telemarketing, insurance
email marketing, and insurance web marketing. StartUpSelling, Inc.
specializes in innovative entrepreneurial marketing, sales and lead
gen concepts.
Top Tips To Leverage LinkedIn For Insurance Agency Web Marketing
If your target market includes businesses, then you need to add
LinkedIn to your Insurance Marketing strategy. With LinkedIn you can
connect and network with business professionals in your target
markets, and better determine the decision makers for these
companies. LinkedIn differs from Facebook, Instagram and Twitter,
it's a business centric social media platform requiring a different
approach to be successful. Here are some tips to help you along the
way.
Professional Picture: You need a professional picture for your
LinkedIn profile. Smile and look friendly but don't use a selfie, a
low res (blurry) image or a picture which is too casual.
Explain How You Help Your Customers: Don't just copy and paste
information from your resume on LinkedIn. Use the Summary and
Experience sections to show what you can do for your customers and
how you can help your ideal prospects.
Skills and Endorsements: Include all relevant skills on your
profile and ask current customers who are on LinkedIn to endorse you
so that connections will see you are an expert.
Make It Easy To Communicate With You: In your profile, include
your contact information (address, phone number and a link to your
Website) to make it easy for prospects to reach out to you.
Post Articles - Long Form Publishing: Posting articles which is
called long form publishing is another great way to share your
knowledge and reach out to potential prospects.
Don't Just Join Groups In Your Profession: LinkedIn Groups is a
great way to network with other agents, brokers and wholesalers but
it is also a great way to communicate with prospects. Join groups
which are applicable to your target prospects.
Don't Sell In Groups: When you do join groups that contain your
prospects don't post messages that sell your services. Most groups
forbid selling by members in the group and the other members will
believe you are only there to find customers. Instead post relative
content and communicate with group members in order to network with
them.
Message Occasionally: You are allowed to message 1st degree
connections, but you don't want to bombard people with marketing
messages. Instead message them occasionally with helpful information
or just to let them know you are there to help them if they are
interested.
As a professional network, LinkedIn is a great way to communicate
with business prospects. As a part of a digital insurance marketing
strategy, LinkedIn is an effective tool to locate potential prospects
and engage with them in a professional manner.
For more information on territory exclusive Insurance Agency
Marketing Solutions visit our website: http://www.startupselling.com.
StartUpSelling, Inc. provides outsourced insurance agency lead
generation services focusing in the areas of telemarketing, insurance
agency email marketing, and insurance web marketing. StartUpSelling,
Inc. specializes in innovative entrepreneurial marketing, sales and
lead gen concepts.
LinkedIn to your Insurance Marketing strategy. With LinkedIn you can
connect and network with business professionals in your target
markets, and better determine the decision makers for these
companies. LinkedIn differs from Facebook, Instagram and Twitter,
it's a business centric social media platform requiring a different
approach to be successful. Here are some tips to help you along the
way.
Professional Picture: You need a professional picture for your
LinkedIn profile. Smile and look friendly but don't use a selfie, a
low res (blurry) image or a picture which is too casual.
Explain How You Help Your Customers: Don't just copy and paste
information from your resume on LinkedIn. Use the Summary and
Experience sections to show what you can do for your customers and
how you can help your ideal prospects.
Skills and Endorsements: Include all relevant skills on your
profile and ask current customers who are on LinkedIn to endorse you
so that connections will see you are an expert.
Make It Easy To Communicate With You: In your profile, include
your contact information (address, phone number and a link to your
Website) to make it easy for prospects to reach out to you.
Post Articles - Long Form Publishing: Posting articles which is
called long form publishing is another great way to share your
knowledge and reach out to potential prospects.
Don't Just Join Groups In Your Profession: LinkedIn Groups is a
great way to network with other agents, brokers and wholesalers but
it is also a great way to communicate with prospects. Join groups
which are applicable to your target prospects.
Don't Sell In Groups: When you do join groups that contain your
prospects don't post messages that sell your services. Most groups
forbid selling by members in the group and the other members will
believe you are only there to find customers. Instead post relative
content and communicate with group members in order to network with
them.
Message Occasionally: You are allowed to message 1st degree
connections, but you don't want to bombard people with marketing
messages. Instead message them occasionally with helpful information
or just to let them know you are there to help them if they are
interested.
As a professional network, LinkedIn is a great way to communicate
with business prospects. As a part of a digital insurance marketing
strategy, LinkedIn is an effective tool to locate potential prospects
and engage with them in a professional manner.
For more information on territory exclusive Insurance Agency
Marketing Solutions visit our website: http://www.startupselling.com.
StartUpSelling, Inc. provides outsourced insurance agency lead
generation services focusing in the areas of telemarketing, insurance
agency email marketing, and insurance web marketing. StartUpSelling,
Inc. specializes in innovative entrepreneurial marketing, sales and
lead gen concepts.
4 Qualities of a Successful Insurance Broker
Whether you are running a business or having your own restaurant, it
is your duty to protect it from liabilities. The public who are
coming to the office premises can face several problems or accidents
due to negligence of employees who are working in office. These
results in liability claims and situations come when you have to pay
huge sum of money to the sufferer. This affects brand name and
popularity. In the time of crisis, if you have to spend a lot for the
claims, nothing will be remaining in the bank account. Thus, it is
very important to have insurance policies.
However, choosing the right type of policy is quite confusing at
times. If you are not able to know what type of policy your company
want, you are not able to secure your business. Thus, it is better to
take help of the insurance broker who has many years of experience
and knowledge in this field.
Here Are Some Of The Traits That A Successful Insurance Broker
Possess-
1. Passionate To Work-
It is one of the major traits of a successful business insurance
agent or broker. Dedication and passion for work are very important
to bring out the best results. Almost all the successful insurance
agents are passionate about what they do and provide. They make their
clients totally understand what the policies and the amount as well.
The services that broker provide have the huge impact on the life of
clients and their families.
2. Organizing nature-
Doing the job in an organized way is very important for a broker. If
the expert is not organized enough, he or she will be not able to
clear all the doubts about the policies. Almost all the successful
insurance agent has the administrative tracking system to keep the
details of current and previous clients. Staying systematic in nature
is one of the best features of a professional.
3. Have Experience And Knowledge-
When you are hiring the professional, checking of the qualification
is mandatory. It is very important to see that the expert is having
more than 5 years of experience and knowledge in this field. Checking
of the qualification certificate is a must.
4. Good Communication Skills-
Good communication skill is very important to deal with the clients.
Most of the insurance broker is able to communicate with the clients
can make them understand all the claims and rights.
These are some of the features that you find in a successful broker.
However, it is better to take interview of at least 5 experts and
check their client testimonials. It will help in hiring the right one
for your business.
Rajib KR Saha is a renowned author who writes several articles
related insurance policies. He suggests the readers to hire Insurance
Brokers in Melbourne for protecting businesses from liability claims.
is your duty to protect it from liabilities. The public who are
coming to the office premises can face several problems or accidents
due to negligence of employees who are working in office. These
results in liability claims and situations come when you have to pay
huge sum of money to the sufferer. This affects brand name and
popularity. In the time of crisis, if you have to spend a lot for the
claims, nothing will be remaining in the bank account. Thus, it is
very important to have insurance policies.
However, choosing the right type of policy is quite confusing at
times. If you are not able to know what type of policy your company
want, you are not able to secure your business. Thus, it is better to
take help of the insurance broker who has many years of experience
and knowledge in this field.
Here Are Some Of The Traits That A Successful Insurance Broker
Possess-
1. Passionate To Work-
It is one of the major traits of a successful business insurance
agent or broker. Dedication and passion for work are very important
to bring out the best results. Almost all the successful insurance
agents are passionate about what they do and provide. They make their
clients totally understand what the policies and the amount as well.
The services that broker provide have the huge impact on the life of
clients and their families.
2. Organizing nature-
Doing the job in an organized way is very important for a broker. If
the expert is not organized enough, he or she will be not able to
clear all the doubts about the policies. Almost all the successful
insurance agent has the administrative tracking system to keep the
details of current and previous clients. Staying systematic in nature
is one of the best features of a professional.
3. Have Experience And Knowledge-
When you are hiring the professional, checking of the qualification
is mandatory. It is very important to see that the expert is having
more than 5 years of experience and knowledge in this field. Checking
of the qualification certificate is a must.
4. Good Communication Skills-
Good communication skill is very important to deal with the clients.
Most of the insurance broker is able to communicate with the clients
can make them understand all the claims and rights.
These are some of the features that you find in a successful broker.
However, it is better to take interview of at least 5 experts and
check their client testimonials. It will help in hiring the right one
for your business.
Rajib KR Saha is a renowned author who writes several articles
related insurance policies. He suggests the readers to hire Insurance
Brokers in Melbourne for protecting businesses from liability claims.
Why You Need an Insurance Broker
Whether you own your own business and need group health and other
insurance benefits for your employees, or you want or need health,
life, accident or other insurance for yourself and/or your family,
finding an insurance broker is a wise decision. An insurance broker
does not add to your cost of insurance, yet an insurance broker does
guide you through the maze of information that you need to know to
purchase insurance. How much insurance do you need? What is a fair
price? Do I really need this particular insurance? Should I buy term
or whole life insurance?
To start, an insurance broker is appointed with a number of different
insurance carriers, so your broker can shop each of the carriers for
benefits and pricing of each of the carriers. A broker does not work
for the insurance carriers, they work for you and your interests.
They will shop each of the carriers for the protection and benefits
you need and want as well as the price. A good broker will find you
the insurance you need at a price you are willing to pay. An
insurance broker does not cost you any more money, since they are
paid by the carrier through which you purchase your insurance.
Another benefit of purchasing insurance through a broker is that you
will get to know the person who is selling you your insurance, and
you will benefit from their knowledge and experience. You will
receive personalized service from a person that you get to know and
trust. Generally, an insurance company will guide you to their "one-
size-fits-all" policies. A broker will work with you to determine
your individual or group needs and show you several options from
different insurance carriers that best fit your needs or the needs of
your business. You also get an unbiased professional opinion from a
broker, not the corporate marketing "speak" from an insurance carrier
that point out their benefits and avoids their weaknesses.
A broker can also help you and your employees with processing claims,
often saving you valuable time trying to find the right person at the
insurance carrier that can assist you with your claim or answer your
question.
A broker is also a member of your community, they shop the same
businesses (including yours), go to the same churches and know the
same people. An insurance broker will be more in tune with your local
circumstances including local economic issues and other factors that
may have an impact on your insurance needs. Ultimately, a good
insurance broker will become a lifelong friend as well as a
consultant and broker.
insurance benefits for your employees, or you want or need health,
life, accident or other insurance for yourself and/or your family,
finding an insurance broker is a wise decision. An insurance broker
does not add to your cost of insurance, yet an insurance broker does
guide you through the maze of information that you need to know to
purchase insurance. How much insurance do you need? What is a fair
price? Do I really need this particular insurance? Should I buy term
or whole life insurance?
To start, an insurance broker is appointed with a number of different
insurance carriers, so your broker can shop each of the carriers for
benefits and pricing of each of the carriers. A broker does not work
for the insurance carriers, they work for you and your interests.
They will shop each of the carriers for the protection and benefits
you need and want as well as the price. A good broker will find you
the insurance you need at a price you are willing to pay. An
insurance broker does not cost you any more money, since they are
paid by the carrier through which you purchase your insurance.
Another benefit of purchasing insurance through a broker is that you
will get to know the person who is selling you your insurance, and
you will benefit from their knowledge and experience. You will
receive personalized service from a person that you get to know and
trust. Generally, an insurance company will guide you to their "one-
size-fits-all" policies. A broker will work with you to determine
your individual or group needs and show you several options from
different insurance carriers that best fit your needs or the needs of
your business. You also get an unbiased professional opinion from a
broker, not the corporate marketing "speak" from an insurance carrier
that point out their benefits and avoids their weaknesses.
A broker can also help you and your employees with processing claims,
often saving you valuable time trying to find the right person at the
insurance carrier that can assist you with your claim or answer your
question.
A broker is also a member of your community, they shop the same
businesses (including yours), go to the same churches and know the
same people. An insurance broker will be more in tune with your local
circumstances including local economic issues and other factors that
may have an impact on your insurance needs. Ultimately, a good
insurance broker will become a lifelong friend as well as a
consultant and broker.
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