Over the past two weeks I've been calling 10 clients a day - I have a pretty large book of business after 4 years in the biz and frankly, aside from the constant contact newsletters I do not stay in touch with them.
I think most of us are guilty of concentrating on the next sale and letting clients who have been on the books a while become forgotten.
Well, I did two deals this past week just from calling my book of business. Everyone liked that I called them and I even solved a few problems and am working on moving 6 currently dissatisfied clients to other carriers.
I think my book is large enough where, if I concentrate on referrals, I can get 2 deals per week every week.
For some reason, I've always had some sort of fear (probably from my Mega days) and if I picked up the phone and starting calling people who have been on the books for a while I'd hear:
"Yeah, thanks for calling - this plan sucks and...."
Now - I don't know where the fear comes from - I only sell sold plans and no one I called was mad at me - a few were disappointed with their plans and just want a change.
On the association front - yesterday was the biggest membership day - I was processing new members almost all day.
Looks like a lot of people, just like me, really want a community environment - and of course we go far past that with a ton of support.
Starting on Monday we'll have a full schedule of live webinar/conferences that members can punch into at will. We're gonna have two general webinars where everyone can get around with everyone else and we can simply shoot the shit and trade ideas.
I'll also be announcing the 1st contest on Monday. Imagine, contests, prizes and recognition for independent agents.
However, much more important to me is training. I called most of the top national carriers last week and had some great conversations on how a lack of training on the corporate level really hurts them.
So what I'm lining up is a rep from the carrier running a webinar for members. So someone from "ABC Carrier" will run a presentation on the plans, underwriting and ethical standards for agents for members. All of them said yes.
Now what we can eliminate is new agents being either not training or mis-trained by GAs, MGAs, FMO's etc...Remember, the association does not offer contracts - our members still have to hook up with the carrier directly (almost zero training) or go through an agency (iffy training.)
Right now the only way carriers know to do business is:
A) Marketing outfits recruit agents for them
B) Agents simply happen to fall into their lap after they get contracted
I will argue with anyone that both of those methods are failed models. Another model is to have agents join the association, get all the basics and tools they need for success, then call up Unicare, for example, and say "Ok, we have 60 new members who need contracts - let's schedule the Unicare training webinars for them."
Over time, this can change a lot of the ways this industry current runs.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Knocked out a GR HSA - half the day on the association
For those of you reading along this blog is obviously about my day to day activities in the insurance field - now that I've started the association it's simply part of my day.
Out of the clear blue the phone rings - referral. Very nice guy, 36 no health conditions and got a glowing review on me from one of my clients. He just dropped his BX coverage this past January due to the rate.
We went right online - didn't even do the desktop share, showed him the GR rates - he asks for my recommendation and I say "there's not even a close second - the HSA." He rarely uses health insurance so a copay plan would be ridiculous.
This has something to do with staying in much better contact with my clients. I'm going through my book of business and calling 10 or so clients a day just staying in touch. All of them really appreciated the call.
Starting now I'm going to send coffee mugs with my agency's name out to everyone with a fridge magnate. After that I'm going to stay in touch with everyone 4 times a year. I think with the block of business I currently have there's no reason why I shouldn't be getting at least 2 referrals per week.
Then reason I'm not is simple; we forget about each other as time goes by. They probably don't have my card - lost it or put it away - I send out the Enewletters which most people just probably scan and delete.
I need the fridge magnate so my name is always available and I think the coffee mugs are a nice touch - no one throws away mugs. I have a nice small collection.
Very busy yesterday with the association - got 8 new members yesterday and got everything sent out to them - also did 3 personal training webinars and I have a group webinar scheduled for today.
I'm also lining up more and more member discounts and current going back and forth with a lot of companies. I'm also busy creating more download-able training webinars so agents can choose their topic and view it when they want.
As time goes by I'll be spending a lot more time on the association as I have very big plans for it. I think, if done properly and I provide a great value, it can really take off.
I personally get a great deal of satisfaction from helping people. I have a lot of passion, especially when it comes to newer agents, since I remember what it was like to be new and try to get decent information.
I think new agents are set up to fail. They really don't have much chance of success at all. Captive outfits teach them the wrong methods and you pretty much can't go independent with zero training and support.
A total lack of community environment means boredom with leads to a lack of motivation, then self-doubt. When that happens and you get into "I don't know what I'm doing wrong" mode it's the beginning of the end.
I've had senior agents join just because they want to get around with others - trade ideas, tools, marketing techniques and basically have a fun environment.
When you do well and your name comes out in the next newsletter (member's choice) it can mean a lot. Contests and prizes start in April - which will be a blast.
The most successful people in the country don't sit alone at home. They surround themselves with other successful people.
Out of the clear blue the phone rings - referral. Very nice guy, 36 no health conditions and got a glowing review on me from one of my clients. He just dropped his BX coverage this past January due to the rate.
We went right online - didn't even do the desktop share, showed him the GR rates - he asks for my recommendation and I say "there's not even a close second - the HSA." He rarely uses health insurance so a copay plan would be ridiculous.
This has something to do with staying in much better contact with my clients. I'm going through my book of business and calling 10 or so clients a day just staying in touch. All of them really appreciated the call.
Starting now I'm going to send coffee mugs with my agency's name out to everyone with a fridge magnate. After that I'm going to stay in touch with everyone 4 times a year. I think with the block of business I currently have there's no reason why I shouldn't be getting at least 2 referrals per week.
Then reason I'm not is simple; we forget about each other as time goes by. They probably don't have my card - lost it or put it away - I send out the Enewletters which most people just probably scan and delete.
I need the fridge magnate so my name is always available and I think the coffee mugs are a nice touch - no one throws away mugs. I have a nice small collection.
Very busy yesterday with the association - got 8 new members yesterday and got everything sent out to them - also did 3 personal training webinars and I have a group webinar scheduled for today.
I'm also lining up more and more member discounts and current going back and forth with a lot of companies. I'm also busy creating more download-able training webinars so agents can choose their topic and view it when they want.
As time goes by I'll be spending a lot more time on the association as I have very big plans for it. I think, if done properly and I provide a great value, it can really take off.
I personally get a great deal of satisfaction from helping people. I have a lot of passion, especially when it comes to newer agents, since I remember what it was like to be new and try to get decent information.
I think new agents are set up to fail. They really don't have much chance of success at all. Captive outfits teach them the wrong methods and you pretty much can't go independent with zero training and support.
A total lack of community environment means boredom with leads to a lack of motivation, then self-doubt. When that happens and you get into "I don't know what I'm doing wrong" mode it's the beginning of the end.
I've had senior agents join just because they want to get around with others - trade ideas, tools, marketing techniques and basically have a fun environment.
When you do well and your name comes out in the next newsletter (member's choice) it can mean a lot. Contests and prizes start in April - which will be a blast.
The most successful people in the country don't sit alone at home. They surround themselves with other successful people.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Hooked up with Norvax
I've been working with Norvax on a discount for association members and after a few days of reaching the right person it's a go. I've lined up discounts on the Norvax quote engine and their leads.
At first their offer came back with a discount over their published rates, however I knew that 1st price they hit me with could be given to an agent just sticking to their guns and asking for a discount - so I asked them to dig deeper.
It's "everyone wins" since members get rates they can't get on their own and Norvax gets more business. I personally don't get squat except the more benefits I offer with membership the more members I get - and the more members the more "strength in numbers" which leads to better deals.
I also told Norvax when agents are supported it leads to increased sales which basically means everyone's better off. The average new agent now might buy leads and drop off quickly. That same agent with training and support can learn to work those leads better which is more money for the agent and more money for Norvax.
I'm working now on them actually featuring my association however I got kicked up to the next level for that request.
I'm not a huge shared lead fan but many agent's are so I'm now working on the major lead carriers. Say I get a $1 per lead discount for members with Netquote and someone normally buys 20 leads a week. That's a $20 saving per week - dues are $20 a month, which means they're ahead of the game by $60 per month.
This is how it works with Gary's CRM - member's price is $300 in stead of $350 - dues are $20 per month which means members are ahead by $30 per month just for the CRM discount.
I want to be able to get some fun going - prizes, contests, etc...but not the typical agency stuff where the agent with the most production wins. To be honest, most agents hate those contests since you might as well just give the prize to the top guy.
I'd like the association contests to be structured in a way where everyone has an equal chance of winning regardless of their experience.
The association so far is growing with new members every day so right now I'm online shopping for some cool prizes for our 1st contest.
At first their offer came back with a discount over their published rates, however I knew that 1st price they hit me with could be given to an agent just sticking to their guns and asking for a discount - so I asked them to dig deeper.
It's "everyone wins" since members get rates they can't get on their own and Norvax gets more business. I personally don't get squat except the more benefits I offer with membership the more members I get - and the more members the more "strength in numbers" which leads to better deals.
I also told Norvax when agents are supported it leads to increased sales which basically means everyone's better off. The average new agent now might buy leads and drop off quickly. That same agent with training and support can learn to work those leads better which is more money for the agent and more money for Norvax.
I'm working now on them actually featuring my association however I got kicked up to the next level for that request.
I'm not a huge shared lead fan but many agent's are so I'm now working on the major lead carriers. Say I get a $1 per lead discount for members with Netquote and someone normally buys 20 leads a week. That's a $20 saving per week - dues are $20 a month, which means they're ahead of the game by $60 per month.
This is how it works with Gary's CRM - member's price is $300 in stead of $350 - dues are $20 per month which means members are ahead by $30 per month just for the CRM discount.
I want to be able to get some fun going - prizes, contests, etc...but not the typical agency stuff where the agent with the most production wins. To be honest, most agents hate those contests since you might as well just give the prize to the top guy.
I'd like the association contests to be structured in a way where everyone has an equal chance of winning regardless of their experience.
The association so far is growing with new members every day so right now I'm online shopping for some cool prizes for our 1st contest.
Using desktop sharing for presentations
As you all know, I do a mix of in-person and online. Most of my sales are online - about 80% and I've used a lot of different methods but the desktop sharing is my favorite.
First of all, I don't believe in going over rates with people who are not yet qualified. It's pointless if they are no where close to be in the right place in time to sign up.
Qualify first. Ascertain the level of interest. Make sure you can help their situation and that they want help.
My line is "what are you looking to change, your rate or your benefits?"
It's an ugly question to ask since 90% of the response is "nothing, I'm happy with what I have." Worse yet is not qualifying people with no current coverage. You might be thrilled to show that family of 4 a $280 rate but it's $280 a month more than they paid last month.
For the uninsured the question is "when did you want coverage to begin?" The answer most of the time is "well, right now I'm just looking."
Fine - none of that bothers me. I'd rather be blown off then stroked along. Tell me now that you're not interested, not after our 4th call. Some agents get ticked when they get bottom-lined on the first call. To me those are the people I don't have to waste time with.
So, now I've ascertained interest and found someone who's bitching about their plan or rate. Now it's info collecting time:
No auto agent can quote true rates without knowing about tickets, accidents and DUI's.
Ok, while I'm asking them the qualification questions I have my browser up and am running quotes. I need to know if I can help.
If I can improve their situation I'll give them a range of quotes since I'm going to eventually compare a few plans. So I'll say:
"Ok, you're currently paying $740. From what I'm looking at you can save between $210 and $280 a month depending on which plan you choose."
I like putting it in terms of savings rather than rates. I think "you can save $260 per month" has more impact then "I can get you $560."
Once they express interest that the savings are good enough to move on my line is:
"...it's your choice. I can either sit down with and go over your options, then you can choose a plan and I can take care of the application or we can do it online which takes about 15 minutes."
Most will say "Online." If they say they'd like to do it online I'll ask if they have 15 minutes now. If not, then I set up a time for an online meeting.
For the meeting, I punch into Zoho and set up the conference - I then send the invite with time to log in. When I call my prospect I just tell them to click on the link and log in.
When desktop sharing is activated I take them to my website's quote page. I already know the carrier I'm gonna recommend so I run quotes while they watch.
There's a "coolness" factor to this since most people don't know desktop sharing exists. It's also engaging for them to see the quotes and plans and you control the presentation.
Instead of telling them to "click on this" and "click on that" I can do side-by-side plan comparisons for them.
After they choose a plan I can start the broker assisted app and they can watch me fill out the application. This really alleviates the boredom clients have to go through as the agent asks them 10 minutes+ worth of information - now my clients get to follow along.
I think it also gives a lot of legitimacy to the billing section since you don't have to just ask for billing info - they see the page and the info you need.
If you haven't tried the live desktop feature - punch into Zoho and try it out.
First of all, I don't believe in going over rates with people who are not yet qualified. It's pointless if they are no where close to be in the right place in time to sign up.
Qualify first. Ascertain the level of interest. Make sure you can help their situation and that they want help.
My line is "what are you looking to change, your rate or your benefits?"
It's an ugly question to ask since 90% of the response is "nothing, I'm happy with what I have." Worse yet is not qualifying people with no current coverage. You might be thrilled to show that family of 4 a $280 rate but it's $280 a month more than they paid last month.
For the uninsured the question is "when did you want coverage to begin?" The answer most of the time is "well, right now I'm just looking."
Fine - none of that bothers me. I'd rather be blown off then stroked along. Tell me now that you're not interested, not after our 4th call. Some agents get ticked when they get bottom-lined on the first call. To me those are the people I don't have to waste time with.
So, now I've ascertained interest and found someone who's bitching about their plan or rate. Now it's info collecting time:
- what carrier do they current have
- what's their current rate
- how often do they see their doctor
- what's the medical history
- height and weight
No auto agent can quote true rates without knowing about tickets, accidents and DUI's.
Ok, while I'm asking them the qualification questions I have my browser up and am running quotes. I need to know if I can help.
If I can improve their situation I'll give them a range of quotes since I'm going to eventually compare a few plans. So I'll say:
"Ok, you're currently paying $740. From what I'm looking at you can save between $210 and $280 a month depending on which plan you choose."
I like putting it in terms of savings rather than rates. I think "you can save $260 per month" has more impact then "I can get you $560."
Once they express interest that the savings are good enough to move on my line is:
"...it's your choice. I can either sit down with and go over your options, then you can choose a plan and I can take care of the application or we can do it online which takes about 15 minutes."
Most will say "Online." If they say they'd like to do it online I'll ask if they have 15 minutes now. If not, then I set up a time for an online meeting.
For the meeting, I punch into Zoho and set up the conference - I then send the invite with time to log in. When I call my prospect I just tell them to click on the link and log in.
When desktop sharing is activated I take them to my website's quote page. I already know the carrier I'm gonna recommend so I run quotes while they watch.
There's a "coolness" factor to this since most people don't know desktop sharing exists. It's also engaging for them to see the quotes and plans and you control the presentation.
Instead of telling them to "click on this" and "click on that" I can do side-by-side plan comparisons for them.
After they choose a plan I can start the broker assisted app and they can watch me fill out the application. This really alleviates the boredom clients have to go through as the agent asks them 10 minutes+ worth of information - now my clients get to follow along.
I think it also gives a lot of legitimacy to the billing section since you don't have to just ask for billing info - they see the page and the info you need.
If you haven't tried the live desktop feature - punch into Zoho and try it out.
Monday, March 10, 2008
A great response to the association
I am very impressed with the response to the new association. I'll talk more about it since I've received a lot of emails with some general themes.
Some people feel $19.95 per month or $200 one-time is cheap therefore they won't be getting much. Don't worry - that rate is for initial members. I want to build up membership and exceed expectations. I'm also going to be surveying members often and tweak it as I go along to make sure everyone is getting the maximum value.
Once it's fully launched and off the ground dues will be around $49.95 per month - which is where I put the value of membership. Even at that rate a one deal per year pays for it. GoToMeeting charges $50 a month and you get one benefit.
Where I think I pegged it is agents simply want a community environment. It increases motivation, solves boredom and increases production.
Agents want help "on demand" when they need it but also want to be recognized for their efforts and accomplishments. We will be featuring members who have achieved a goal and as we grow we'll actually be giving out small prizes and gifts to members who are doing well.
I cannot stress enough how important a community environment can be - even just with idea sharing.
What I'd like, and am creating is simple; all the fun benefits and fun involved with being the member of an outfit without any of the BS. And we all know the normal "WHAT ARE YOUR NUMBERS!" bs that we all hate.
Number don't matter - what matters is that you're maximizing and reaching your personal goals. Can you really do that alone in your home office? Possibly....but unlikely.
Some people feel $19.95 per month or $200 one-time is cheap therefore they won't be getting much. Don't worry - that rate is for initial members. I want to build up membership and exceed expectations. I'm also going to be surveying members often and tweak it as I go along to make sure everyone is getting the maximum value.
Once it's fully launched and off the ground dues will be around $49.95 per month - which is where I put the value of membership. Even at that rate a one deal per year pays for it. GoToMeeting charges $50 a month and you get one benefit.
Where I think I pegged it is agents simply want a community environment. It increases motivation, solves boredom and increases production.
Agents want help "on demand" when they need it but also want to be recognized for their efforts and accomplishments. We will be featuring members who have achieved a goal and as we grow we'll actually be giving out small prizes and gifts to members who are doing well.
I cannot stress enough how important a community environment can be - even just with idea sharing.
What I'd like, and am creating is simple; all the fun benefits and fun involved with being the member of an outfit without any of the BS. And we all know the normal "WHAT ARE YOUR NUMBERS!" bs that we all hate.
Number don't matter - what matters is that you're maximizing and reaching your personal goals. Can you really do that alone in your home office? Possibly....but unlikely.
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