Telemarketed vs shared - let's do the analysis

I got licensed in Oct of 2003 - four years in the biz. I started buying shared leads in Feb of '04 and ditched them around June of '06 when the quality went in the crapper. Since then I always had one or two marketers generating leads and also did the doorhanger and B to B thing as a supplement. Bottom line is I have good experience with shared leads and good experience with telemarketed.

Let's solve this first - how telemarketed leads can be absolutely horrible:

1) Having the marketer qualify prospects - will result in a very low amount of leads
2) Marketer is lazy, only dials 20 or so number an hour generating very low volume
3) Marketer is simply putting down info of prospects who never requested quotes
4) Marketer is heavy-handed. Prospect says they're happy where they are, marketer persists
5) Marketer is talking to gatekeepers who say "sure, send the info" yet the owner has no clue
6) Marketer is simply not good; has a bad speaking voice, is not upbeat, does not have a great attitude - is not sold on your business nor does she care

All of that can be solved by simply staying on top of the leads. It's not perfect and you'll have bad marketers. When I find one I catch it in a day and they're history.

I had an appointment today, got the deal, didn't get back to start calling Lisa's leads from yesterday until the afternoon, which is late. Everything in blue was me talking to the owner - spoke with 4 out of 12. Set one appointment - they're on Right Start and hate it. All of the other three want me to run rates and I have times to call back. All were pleasant (funny how that works when they're not called by 4 other agents)

4 more answered the phone but they're gatekeepers who told me the owner wasn't in. Got to talk to all the gatekeepers - also nice and went over what kind of health plans - or lack there of - they have. It's simply pleasant to pick up the phone, dial 12 numbers and have 8 answer. That one appointment for Monday is a lay-down - they had no clue as to how the Right Start worked....they just found out. Not impressed. These calls are especially easy since Bowie is the next town over. Calling local is a huge advantage.

Now....onto my shared lead sheet from this Assurant program. Hmmmm......no blue, no green. That would be because I've called all those number and got 100% voicemail - zero, zilch, nodda. I also called every one of them minutes after I got the leads - today I called all of those back. Zero, zilch, nodda. All voicemail. I do not pay for these - as of now they're free. But what kind of business person pays money for people who do not want to, nor have agreed to be called. I will pay for internet leads again as soon as a prominent disclosure is made to people that agents will indeed be calling.

This is not to say I'll never contact any of them. What it does say is they suck. It's like pulling teeth. When you do reach them it's very much conveyed to you that you're the 2nd, 4th, 5th person who's called. You're a pest to them.

My telemarketed script states that I'll be calling to follow up. Prospects then get a chance to say (and do say it) "I'd really rather not have anyone call me." Fine - it's not a lead. How many shared leads do you think you'd get if people knew before they hit submit that you'd be calling. Dunno - about 80% less. Actually, the same amount - just without phone numbers.

Here's the irony; the agents who don't like telemarketing because they think it's "rude" don't mind being more rude by calling people who don't expect to be called and don't want to be called. So you're just as much of a A-hole when you're calling shared leads as cold-calling small biz owners. Do small biz owners really want marketers calling them? Nope. Do people really want 4 agents calling them?

So what's more of an interruption to your day, getting a call from a telemarketer, saying "no thank you" and that's it - or thinking you're gonna see a page of quotes and your phone lights up with 4 agents calling? How would you like to look at toy prices on Amazon then have K-Bee and ToysRus start hounding you?

Oh...but you say you do indeed get a hold of those shared leads who are truly happy you called. Ok, I get a hold of the telemarketed leads who are really happy I called.

So let's break it down:

Knows I'm calling
Shared - no
Telemarketed - yes

All leads are local
Shared - no
Telemarketed - yes

All leads are small biz owners
Shared - no
Telemarketed - yes

How many agents call
Shared - 3 to 5
Telemarketed - 1

Cost per lead
Shared - $6 to 8
Telemarketed $4 (that's my average)

Hassle
Shared - none. Slap down you credit card and the leads start coming
Telemarketed - a lot. You have to hire, manage and re-hire marketers

So it's up to me. I think the hassle of hiring and managing the marketers greatly outweighs dealing with shared leads. I didn't re-hire any marketers when my last good one left and just focused on generating my own business. I put out some ads, joined the chamber and called back old leads.

That has kept me alive for the last 2 or so months. But my old lists have been called, although the chamber gives me business it's sporatic and I no where near have the money available to do the type of advertising I want to do. So for me it's hands down back to having marketers call for me.