Marketing Marketing Marketing

[scott]

I don't check IJ for a day and look what happens!

My name and website are on every post. My credentials and ideas are easily available to anyone interested.

Three strategies for handling renewals as a business insurance buyer:

-Renew with your current agent and insurer
-Renew with your current agent getting bids from multiple insurers
-Get bids from multiple agents and multiple insurers

If you were the insurance buyer, what would you do to assure yourself that you are getting the best insurance value?

Not what is best for the insurance agent or for the insurance company. What is best for you as the insurance buyer?

In my work as a consultant to insurance buyers thats what I do. My job is to improve my client's condition. Sometimes it's bid every year. Sometimes it's renew 10 years with the same agent and insurer.

[FFA]

I did not mean to beat up on Scott. I have never heard of an insurance mentor. With all my activity going on, I finally had a few minutes and jumped on your site. I did not see anything about shopping to 5 brokers every year. Shopping every 5 years seems to be the natural flow on the commercial side.

Your credentials look impresive to me. If I was a new dog in a new world, we would be talking on the phone. I am not. I am old and tired. I got screwed by a captive carrier last year when I thought I could finally put my feet up on the desk and watch the renewals roll. Instead they slammed me with a rate hike they could not justify to me so in turn I could not justify to my former clients. Had to walk after 18 + years with them. Took my buy out and went independent. Back up to 6 - 7 day work week. Family life is suffering from this transition. Hopefully, I'll be back where I was by close of business, 2010.

Usually, a day doesn't go by with out seeing your name posted some where in here. Seemed strange to me. Some guy somewhere in the country slamms you and you do not respond. Maybe misquoted you or mis understood something you put on a blog

i realize I can short and abrubt. Its my type a personality. If I offended you, I do appologize.

Looking at your site, I will be calling you on an issue that is forth coming.

Once again, sorry if I offended you.

[scott]

FFA, I was not offended in any way by you. Go back through the posts made about me 3 or 4 years ago. This thread is tame!

I get many private emails a week from people on this forum. All but one in 4 years has been civil. I respond to every one and enjoy the back and forth. I probably get 5 or 6 phone calls a month from IJ readers. Always glad to talk.

I love the insurance industry. It is my Dad's livelihood - 2 years as an agent - 30 years with Commercial Union - 10 now as a consultant for their latest iteration. I started in an agency while I was in college (1978). On graduation I went to another agency, then another, and another. Ten years ago I left the agency rank to start my consulting and mentoring firm.

It's been a great ride. I have the best job in the insurance business and plan to be around for at least another 20 years.

[FFA]

Scott, no interest in rehashing history. Too much looking forward. Easy to misunderstand people these day. Not enough pick up the phone any more - too much E Mail & Faxing and such.

Its a different world then when I started. Everythng was Face to Face - kitchen table sales.

[scott]

I dont miss kitchen table sales at all! Either as a seller or as a buyer.

I've started "meeting" with clients on video (Skype). Much more efficient and quite effective.

[FFA]

Good for you using the Tech.

Recent studies show that only 8% of insurance buyers are purchasing over the net these days. So, the internet sales are not conducive to my operations. Lead Generation - yes, sales no. My closing rate jumps dramatically face to face. I spend too much time with leg work not to put myself in the best possible situation to close. My producers count on me to nail it down. So, I owe it to them to finish what they start.

Sometimes, all the driving drives me nuts, but I personally love the face to face contact. I have an appointment tomorrow night with a couple that is deaf. I am the only agent they contatced that was willing to come to the house. Two Houses, two cars, three snowmobiles,1 boat and two ATVs. The incumbant would not come to visit. I do expect to write the entire account based on service.

[Brenda H]

Service, is after all, the only thing we really have to sell. We can't offer anybody anything that is different from (much) from anyone else. Other than price, all our products are basically the same.

[FFA]

Did a Home Show over the week end. Among the high lites, a contractors organization in Illinois has invited me to lecture on the Pay As You Go Comp programs availible. Getting in front of 25 - 50 contractors in one crack. This was a group that saw me down at the McCormick Place show back in November then came and sought me out.

Many, Many questions on Health Care as well as sooo many questions on Contractors Package & Home & Auto products. Many conversations on Final expense Coverage that led into Medicare Supp programs.

If your hurting and waiting for the phone to ring, its not going to happen. Need to get your name and face out there and make it happen. Home show are costly and time consuming, but well worth the expense.

[scott]

Congratulations on the successful marketing gravity efforts.

Some of my mentor clients have had success with contractors by meeting with the contractor's accountants. That relationship then leads to referrals to other contractors and small business people.

Do you have a newsletter or some other vehicle that can allow you to stay in touch with those that hear you speak at the contractors meeting? The speech is the start of a relationship. Nurturing the relationship becomes the objective.

[scott]

Teleseminars are a great way for any insurance agent to promote their expertise. Many agents have done seminars and made speeches. A teleseminar means that you don't have to leave your office and your audience also does not have to travel. The recording of the session can be used for years afterwards.

Here are some quick ideas...

-www.FreeConference.com does a fine job. I have done more than 50 teleconferences with them and have never had a glitch (except for those I caused). The service is free.

-Record your session. The above site has a recording service at a nominal price. You can then post the session on your website. Put it on YouTube (with a slideshow) or pop it on a CD to give to prospects and clients.

-I usually do 45 minute sessions. I like to start at noon eastern. Some people have the sessions in the early evening. Whatever your target audience wants.

-The content of the session should be 90% value to your audience. This is not an infomercial about you.

-Getting people to attend is the tough part. The key to success is marketing the session. Give yourself plenty of time to get the word out to your lists.

-Mute the call. When you are giving your presentation start in open mike mode as attendees gather. I use this time to chat with those joining the call. Light conversation. I then mute the call. Attendees can unmute their phones and ask a question. If you leave the lines open someone on the call is sure to have a coughing fit or decide to talk to an office visitor.

-Start on time. End on time.

-I encourage attendees to ask questions. It checks me on my presentation and keeps me from confusing explanations.

-I sometimes use Google Docs so that people can follow along in a slide show. Its easy to use and free.

-Run a practice teleseminar first. Set up the session and have a few colleagues call in. Get use to the environment before you are on stage with a real audience.

I have more ideas that Im glad to share with those interested. Email me at Scott@ScottSimmonds.com. Don't be shy.

Consider teleseminars as a way to expand your marketing gravity efforts.

[scott]

Just finished a teleseminar on giving teleseminars. I'm glad to make the recording available to my friends here for free. Its 40 minutes long.

PM me or email me - Scott@ScottSimmonds.com

While I'm talking about marketing tools...

On May 19th I'm doing a session for the Insurance Journal's Academy of Insurance, Six Figure Insurance Commissions - Marketing Gravity to Zoom Your Sales. Go Here For Details.

On September 22nd I'm doing another session for the Academy of Insurance, Six Figure Insurance Commissions - Masterful Presentation Skills. Go Here For Details.

[marioreulet]

I know that are are lots of strategy on marketing but my question is, What is the most effective and efficient way of marketing your business?

[scott]

Become an object of interest in your marketplace. Be seen as offering unique value. Be so good and valuable that people marvel at the hight of your professionalism, skill, and contribution.

S

[FFA]

A large part of my success has come from direct mail. Post Cards on the Personal Lines Side and Letters to the commercial side.

Also, Community Involvement has brought in business. When there is an event going on in town, I give away Hot Dogs. First few events, did not get much at all. But now, the phone is ringing. When I ask them how they found me, I am getting more and more of the hot dog sales. Small investment $0.23 per unit. Does not take much to mkae up the cost of the product at all.

Commercial side is popping again. They are all followed up with phone calls. Personal side, I just dont have enough time/help/energy to call all them. So, I beefed up the number of Post Cards going out to the level of expense that I had projected for Tele Marketers. That has got the phones ringing as much as we were quoting with Tele Marketing Calls.

Home shows did not do much in the past. The free attendance shows were nothing but a large cost - got nothing out of them. When the attendees have to pay to enter, its a different story.

[chizcurlz]

We all know that at this point, almost all businesses and organizations are using Online Marketing as one of their strategies to get not only sales but also trust. I suggest that a business must build a Website to improve its online presence as well as doing Search Engine optimization and social networking. There are two ways to do Search Engine optimization, On-page and Off-page. Let's start first in on-page optimization. You will need to do these stuffs:a. Make sure your domain name is related in your niche or industry,b. You must have a good site structure from site navigation to site validation(if you don't know this, there are many available Web Developers out there),c. Get advantage of these SEO elements: Title Tag, Meta Tags, URL structure, Header Tags, Anchor Text from your Inbound and outbound links, Keyword Prominence, Density and Anchor Text Diversity, and many more. d. Do Keyword Research, Product Analysis and Competitor Analysis as well. For Off-page optimization, you can try these strategies: Social Bookmarking(Reddit, Stumbleupon, digg, Yahoo Buzz, Google Bookmarks and many more), Social Networking(Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc.), participating in Forums, Blog commenting, Guest Posting, Writing Reviews to other sites, Classified Ads, Yahoo Answers or Answer.com, Web 2.0 like blogs, wikis, and hub pages, Business Profile creation and many more. You can message me if you want SEO books and tutorials as well as SEO blogs. Enjoy SEO!!!