Telemarketing?

W/C Agent · Post by **W/C Agent** » Thu May 04, 2006 11:23 am

Scott.....I have to respond on this one. After reading your linked article (I must admit I like most of your posts BUT not this one).....

I have been selling mono-line w/c for 3 years now. Licensed in 10 states up and down the east coast. I couldn't possibly meet with "business leaders" and the "circle of trust", or whatever you call it. I live and earn my keep on the phone...and do quite well at it. My company affords me a base salary and % of the premium on each new sale. they pay my phone bill, give me customers to call and an agency management system to work off of.

Quit degrading other's profession and go "consult" with someone who can't buy insurance on their own. Go create some perceived value in yourself.

TCB61 · Post by **TCB61** » Thu May 04, 2006 11:56 am

Scott,

As the old saying goes, "those who cant do,.... teach"

The sales advice you are spewing is a rehash on old 1960s sales guru crap! Its not only inane, it not original. As has been said, Insurance Sales is no easy trick, but if you stick with it will pay off in the long pull.

Almost any marketing plan, be it Telemarketing, TV, Radio Newpaper, Yellow Page or any combination will work if you stay at it. I have used them all, they all worked. Some better than others, but they all work.

The only approach I ever tried that bottomed out very quickly was the "networking" or "relationship" marketing that you are suggesting.

TCB

pita3333 · Post by **pita3333** » Thu May 04, 2006 1:24 pm

Think this forum needs to be renamed "Beat up on Scott no matter what he says"...

Personally I think Scott has it right...but not from the first moment. In the first few months (years?) you have to do a certain amount of "prospecting"....lets use that word "prospecting" rather then "cold calling".

In truth "cold calling" is just picking up phone list and dialing for dollars (cents). Prospecting on the other hand is pre-qualifing who you are going to call...by whatever means is possible.

This at least gets a person started while at the same time you are building relationships and networking.

It is not a short or quick process...unless you are selling non-standard personal auto...then just get flyers out there..and you will get "activity".

I once heard what I thought was a okay way to prospect for auto. Set up a kiosk at a car wash....in an upscale market. Concept is that the veh owner will be there (a captive audience) for at least 15-30 minutes...and so will the car...and inside the car is the ins card.

Scott, for what is worth (hope I am not drawing a target on my back) I believe that you are mostly correct in your statements. Problem is the audience.

scott · Post by **scott** » Thu May 04, 2006 1:46 pm

And to think, I post here to be popular!

I repeat my question. Do you buy from telemarketers?

Better questions:

--What distinguishes an unsolicited phone call / interruption from email spam?

--How many advertisements do you read / remember in the daily newspaper?

--How many of us use TIVO or DVR to zap TV commercials?

--Do you respond to pop-up ads on websites?

Interruption marketing is dying. Find a better way to gain your prospect's interest.

Porter · Post by **Porter** » Thu May 04, 2006 2:36 pm

DFresh,

Like TCB61 said a lot of things will work. You just need to try a few and see what works for you and develop your closing skills. Also, there is a program called Property Pro. It has data on homes in every county. You can use it for marketing by mail or by phone and it scrubs for "do not call" and "do not mail" people. You can also use it to sort by mortgage date to target people whose insurance is renewing. I hope that helps.

Don't listen to jokers like Scott they are just trying to get a rise out of people for their own agenda. I would not even respond to his comments.

Keep us posted.

Good Luck!

sanddog1 · Post by **sanddog1** » Thu May 04, 2006 9:31 pm

Dfresh, I have the absolute perfect marketing program for NEW TRAC Home developments. I made a killing many years ago. This was when our area went nuts, and don't mind sharing. I mostly market commercial but it's always interesting to see you guys go hard after personal lines. I don't see to many producer going after big single housing developments. To if your still view email me

sanddog1 · Post by **sanddog1** » Thu May 04, 2006 9:40 pm

Scott, are you still around trying to be philosophical. Dude go back to farmers ins. The S.L.O.W state of Maine could use your opinion. Were

trying to help, not preach.

DFresh · Post by **DFresh** » Thu May 11, 2006 11:26 am

Sanddog1, I would be very interested in seeing your marketing program for new housing developments. Give me a shout.

independent guy · Post by **independent guy** » Thu May 11, 2006 12:29 pm

DFresh wrote:I am in the process of opening a new agency. The area I'm starting in is one of the fastest growing areas in the nation. My question is, if there are so many new residents to the area, is it necessary to telemarket since most residents will have recently obtained their current insurance. Any help would be appreciated.

If I was opening a new agency, I wouldn't focus exclusively on new homes. Why? At least in my office, all the carriers have adjusted their rates to be super competitive on new homes. They are focusing on that and not on everything else that's available. So you might find that the established homeowners are underserved when it comes to rate competition. Also, those new homeowners already have went through the process of getting homeowners insurance, it'd take a "different" person to want to go through that process mid-term. If you really want to focus on the new homes, try to prospect for the first renewal, or position your paper advertising in with the "new homebuyer" packets that some newspapers and other organizations put out. Find out where the new homebuyers new to the area are locating their new insurers, and put your advertising where the action is at.

independent guy · Post by **independent guy** » Thu May 11, 2006 12:32 pm

scott wrote:I repeat my question. Do you buy from telemarketers?

I usually feel like telling telemarketers to go f--- themselves, but end up just hanging up on them.... Which is why I will never telemarket (personal lines, at least) in my agency. Nothing irritates me more than an unsolicited salesperson intruding the privacy of my home or cellphone.

Scott, you have some very good points, too bad they are lost on some of the others.

independent guy · Post by **independent guy** » Thu May 11, 2006 12:50 pm

W/C Agent wrote:Scott.....I have to respond on this one. After reading your linked article (I must admit I like most of your posts BUT not this one).....

I have been selling mono-line w/c for 3 years now. Licensed in 10 states up and down the east coast. I couldn't possibly meet with "business leaders" and the "circle of trust", or whatever you call it. I live and earn my keep on the phone...and do quite well at it. My company affords me a base salary and % of the premium on each new sale. they pay my phone bill, give me customers to call and an agency management system to work off of.

Quit degrading other's profession and go "consult" with someone who can't buy insurance on their own. Go create some perceived value in yourself.

W/C agent, I don't think Scott's talking down about business to business telemarketing, I think he's talking strictly about personal lines telemarketing.

DFresh · Post by **DFresh** » Thu May 11, 2006 12:57 pm

The growth in this area is very high. The majority of the homes have yet to be built.

scott · Post by **scott** » Thu May 11, 2006 5:18 pm

My opinion - Cold callers get the cold shoulder - b2b and b2c.

InsAgentSF · Post by **InsAgentSF** » Thu May 11, 2006 5:24 pm

Wow. My respect to you!!! Open a seminar in San Francisco, i want to learn

independent guy · Post by **independent guy** » Fri May 12, 2006 8:54 am

scott wrote:My opinion - Cold callers get the cold shoulder - b2b and b2c.

Hmm... I guess in business, I just don't find cold callers as much of an intrusion... If I don't want to talk to them, I have one of the secretaries get rid of them. I don't have that luxury at home.

Telemarketing?

Re: Telemarketing?