Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 3:50 pm Post subject: Cold Calling...Friend or Foe!
Lets share some stratigies on cold calling...what works and what does not. Where and how do you get your numbers... I need some work on this area myself as it is my weak spot. I am so good in person but not so good on the phone... it is like I freeze up or something, and people can sense that I am nervous, but with regular clients I am so confident and have no problems! Any ideas? _________________ ~Monique~
The 5 Ways out of Business, made famous by Bert Meisel his articles can be found here www.lifeinsuranceselling.com/NR/exeres/7543CFAD-A232-477A-B311-05FF1B3 69C38.htm an icon in the Insurance World of Life Selling. He writes the column "Is this about Insurance?".
Mr Big, you're in business today. One day, you will be out of business, one of five ways:
1)Death
2)Disability
3)Retirement
4)Voluntary Sale
5)Bankruptcy
What I do is make sure that no matter how you get out of business, you get out with maximum profit. With that in mind, can we meet?
Oh well, I use that for actually going to B2B or cold walking. Yet I've known a few that do the 5 Way with calling, sure a bunch hang ups but that is true no matter what you are using. No doubt if you are prospecting business's over the phone you are going to do a lot of Dialing for Dollars. Yet I do find offering Health Ins. over the phone is a lot easier. Pick one or two basic solid plans like Assurant "One Deductible" an HSA of course depending upon what State you are in and sell that over the phone, much easier. Of course most States you'll deal with just a few major carriers, such as Assurant, Golden Rule (United Health), Blues or Anthem, Aetna, Celtic or Humana.
Well I cannot do that with the company I am with I have to only call regarding thier product not anyone elses...
_________________
~Monique~
What company are you with? I have several friends that work for NYL and was suprise that they could write medical thru Assurant, there seems to be two ways of doing it, having a "Don't ask Don't tell" deal with District manager and/or going thru a deal that NYL has with Assurant but NYL owns your medical book? Not sure about the details but was suprise that NYL did or allowed that.
Oh well, I think Bert Meisel was with NYL when he came up with the 5 Way, ask around I might be wrong. It might be Savage that was with NYL, it does seem like all the great ones started with NYL, it is a great company.
Yes I just started with them and I love the company. I love the atmosphere, the people, the amount of information that they have avaiable to you and I really just like it. I am actually excited to go to work and meet with clients. Can't beat that! _________________ ~Monique~
Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 5:34 am Post subject: Cold Calling!
Hi Nique1221!
Its good to know about your interests at cold calling!
I'd been a call centre employee for years...n my experiences describe cold calling as being those introductory calls with which you try to poke your nose into an unknown domain. It is tougher than the usual bank products getting offered to a known customer database. Its all about dipping your finger tips in hot water n feel its warmth...jus to see if you can make something out of a courtesy call.
Yeah, now talking about those databases, they are being sold by organizations who regularly conduct surveys based on the economic research updates and buying power of a particular segment of people. On the basis of these researches would the market price of such customer databases vary. Even the largest of banks or credit card companies eg. Discover, Providian etc. would resort to these bureaus.
Hope this small piece of info helps you.
ArindamSenIndies _________________ Register Now to have your Insurance queries solved.
All information helps...I have been in this business for years but I am still constantly learning well 5 years almost 6 now...man time flys when you are having fun. _________________ ~Monique~
Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:09 pm Post subject: My opinion on this...
This is like the 4th post in about an hour... and I'm VERY opinionated about cold calling.
First off - it sucks and it doesn't work. I don't care how successful anybody is with cold calling. Because those who are successful with cold calling:
1. Have no life.
2. Look older than they should.
3. Likes to waste time.
4. Can spend their time on MUCH more productive marketing.
It seems like our marketing department or our "all-wise" sales manager have brainwashed up into believing that...
"The answer to your sales problem is that you've got to make more calls and you'll be okay."
That's complete hogwash, if that were true, you'd be making an extra $10,000 to $15,000 considering all the cold calls you make. You know your sales manager or marketing departments says, well it may not work for you individually, but for the company as a whole we get a slight increase in sales.
I don't care about how much the company as a whole makes, I only care about how much I make!
Well, let's look at the results...is it working?
If you are like 99.9% of insurance agents, the answer is NO!
And chances are, you don't have the time and energy to "smile and dial" and pick up the phone every night and make those gut-wrenching cold calls to strangers who don't want to be bothered by you at their dinner table.
Truth is, there are MUCH more effective ways than banging your head trying to make stupid cold calls work.
Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 4:47 am Post subject: Welcome...
hi Alan,
Welcome to the AmPmInsure Community. Please introduce yourself here,
http://www.ampminsure.org/community/share-introduce.html
Hope you would enjoy your stay in the forums. I am sure the members would certainly benefit from your knowledge in this field.
Thanks,
Lakemen _________________
First off - it sucks and it doesn't work. I don't care how successful anybody is with cold calling. Because those who are successful with cold calling:
1. Have no life.
2. Look older than they should.
3. Likes to waste time.
4. Can spend their time on MUCH more productive marketing.
It seems like our marketing department or our "all-wise" sales manager have brainwashed up into believing that...
LOL, oh well I guess. I see you are a real student of the gurus of the internet! From the Insurance Pro Shop to Dalby or whatever his name is and now a aquaintence Mark Mueller all peddling the same stuff.
Okay, I linked on your "Free Report", some of it good such as the heading of a brochure, ad or what have you. Yet I would advise the book by Dan Kennedy, "The Ultimate Sales Letter" go to amazon, paperback is $12.95. I would also agree on constant contact, go to website constantcontact.com, I'm thinking that is the name. Use it for free or pay a little to have more than XX amount of names. Obviously once you get email and the persons okay send all mail that way, much cheaper! Yet I don't know how good it is at getting the email address from them to send them email, in other words while the internet is great for correpondence I find it lacking for prospecting. Lets take health insurance, most internet leads involving health have a large amount of uninsurables! Just like those who go out looking for insurance, there is a reason why someone is looking! Most of the time its because something just happen that means insuring them is next to impossible or decline of service waiting to happen.
Yet though, for true prospecting that will lead to business on the books and business that will stay on the books and at a low cost nothing beats walking or calling small businesses or the self employed. Most of these people are living their lives and not searching the internet for insurance! Now go out there and learn how easy it is to make 100 grand plus by walking or calling small businesses and the self employed health insurance of life insurance.
