With Industry Facing Disruptive Changes, Don’t Forget Time-Tested Techniques
These are not the good old days for the insurance industry. Technological innovation, higher customer expectations, and disruptive newcomers are all conspiring to redefine the insurance industry. Insurance agents on the hunt for more leads in 2018 need to remain dynamic and flexible, and seek outside-the-box solutions—which in many cases means staying true to the techniques which have worked well for decades.
“Insurance company leaders have a lot on their plates,” stated Deliotte in a comprehensive industry analysis. “Political and regulatory upheavals around the world are changing some of the ground rules about how carriers may operate.”
Despite that, the report added, most insurers remain focused on growing top-line sales while bolstering bottom-line profitability. Those are fundamental precepts, Deloitte said, which can be tackled effectively with time-tested standards for insurance lead generation.
1. Be Active in the Community
Even in this age of digital transformation, insurance agents are still viewed as integral parts of the community, which means that agents looking to drive business must be seen as being there for the neighborhood. Insure on Solutions recommends volunteering as a way to get your name on people’s minds. Start by advising local charities on their insurance purchases, host seminars for small-business owners, speak at the local Kiwanis Club lunch, and become a fixture at fairs, farmers markets, and festivals.
“Do not treat these situations like you would a sales presentation,” Insure on Solutions said. “While you do want to generate insurance leads, your first goal is to be helpful. Your sincerity will hopefully draw prospects to your agency.”
2. Make Sure Your Sales Letters Are Read
“Direct mail sales letters are one of the most efficient, effective ways to prospect for new insurance leads,” reports Quotit. “Unfortunately, the way most agents approach direct marketing makes it seem otherwise. Boring, formal writing is the likely culprit.”
Direct mail still has a prominent place in the modern world of insurance and can be a great marketing tool.
“Never underestimate the power of an old-school approach to health insurance sales,” the site added. “In a world dominated by online communication, it’s easy to forget that direct marketing campaigns using well-crafted insurance prospecting letters are still the most efficient, effective ways to prospect for new insurance leads.”
Keys to great direct mail campaigns include:
- Make a good first impression by using quality envelopes with personalized addressing and key wording which gets recipients interested to see what’s inside
- Research your demographic and direct your marketing campaign at a specific niche
- Put a face to the name
- Make a personal introduction
- Make your contact info easy to find
- Remember the goal: getting people to connect with you
3. Coupons and Print Ads
Customers can search for insurance options around the nation, but print ads and coupons show you can be the agent on their same block, at the ready after a storm or there to assist after an accident or injury.
Coupons—either for discounted services or free appraisals—can put your name, face, and address front-and-center for customers and show both visually and with words the services you can offer and the help you can provide.
Print ads can be clever, funny, and impactful—sometimes all at the same time—and can be slipped into coupon books, your local newspaper’s sports pages, bus banners, or the back of grocery store receipts.
“Many (customers) are into Facebook, smartphones, and online research, but they don’t necessarily want to buy a policy this way,” wrote Alan L. Shulman in Insurance Journal. “So don’t overlook them by over-focusing on social media.”
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