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Agents I Recommend

Over the years I’ve been blessed to run into and get to know thousands of agents across the US with the majority of them being here in my home state of Texas.  I regularly find myself giving agent/agency recommendations to consumers and thought I should keep an online journal of these as I go.  I’m starting small with just a few but I plan to add to this list and keep it running as I go.  Below are active agents I’ve recently recommended.

Adam Pisani Allstate Insurance

3129 Highway 6
Sugar Land,TX77478

Phone: 281-980-6200
Allstate Page: http://agents.allstate.com/adam-pisani-sugar-land-tx.html
Google+ / LinkedIn

 

Courtney McCutchen Insurance

113 South A and M Avenue
San Angelo,TX76901

Phone: 325-224-0000
Website: http://www.SanAngeloInsurance.com
Farmers Page: http://www.farmersagent.com/cmccutchen
Google+ / Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn

Why Should I Purchase Insurance Leads Online?

So I’m a big fan of making things easier on myself. In turn, I really like the availability and relative ease of online leads. There are plenty of snags and frustrations in the process but compared to the old days it is a no brainer for me. There is a negative stigma out there and when I’m working with newer agents I do tend to get some resistance at first. Below is an article I wrote a while back that got buried away. I recently came across it and thought this would be the ideal place to share. :)

Purchasing insurance leads online is a trend that has grown in popularity over the past 5 or so years. As more and more people spend time online, the number of agents following suit continues to increase. Before you begin to purchase leads via the internet, you need to become familiar with the many benefits as well as the advantages when compared to more traditional strategies.

High Quality Leads

One of the primary benefits of buying online is that you are guaranteed to receive high quality insurance leads. No matter if you buy a couple of leads each month or more than 100, you know that the quality is going to meet your standards. If a particular lead does not offer the quality you are interested in, you can request a refund from the provider. This gives you peace of mind as you continue to purchase leads with the hopes of finding a steady stream of new clients and revenue.

Affordable

It is a common myth that purchasing insurance leads online is an expensive endeavor. Although you are required to pay for these leads, most agents find that they are quite affordable. To ensure that you are getting the best price per lead, compare the offerings from several companies.

No matter how much you spend on insurance leads, be sure to track your return on investment. This will help you understand of you are making money on this marketing strategy or losing out in the long run. If you are spending more on leads than you are earning, it is time to adjust your approach.

Simplicity

Are you tired of generating insurance leads through time consuming strategies such as direct mail and cold calling? Are you fed up with spending a lot of time and money on something that has no guarantee?

When you decide to purchase insurance leads, you will realize that everything is simple from beginning to end. Even if you don’t make a sale, at least you had the chance to speak one on one with an interested consumer. This goes a long way in making it easier for you to consistently spend money moving forward.

High Close Ratio

A lot of this has to do with the quality of the leads that you purchase. Of course, a lot of this is based on your sales approach. That being said, most agents who purchase leads online find that their closing rate is above average.

This goes along with tracking your return on investment. You need to keep track of how many leads you are buying as well as how many you are closing. By doing this, you will have a basic idea of the quantity you need to purchase in order to acquire a new customer.

Save Time

There is nothing worse than spending hour after hour making cold calls, just to learn that nobody is interested in what you are selling. The same holds true with a direct mail campaign.

When you get involved with buying insurance leads online, you are going to save a lot of time. Once you make a purchase you know you are getting something in return. Not only are you getting something in return, but every lead is going to be actively shopping for a policy. This helps increase your chance of making a sale.

Steps to Getting Started

Now that you are aware of the benefits associated with buying insurance leads online, it is time to get started. As long as you follow the appropriate steps, you can get started in an efficient manner.

Once you move through these three steps, you will find yourself with a better understanding of what is available and how you should be spending your money.

There are many reasons you should purchase insurance leads online, with several of the biggest benefits detailed above. Once you get involved with this marketing strategy, you may find yourself focusing on this area as opposed to others.

Your Favorite Business App

So, I was just looking over what I have on my todo list today and realized just how much I depend on my phone, specifically the apps on it. For years I kept a scrap piece of paper in my pocket that had my scribbled ToDo list that I had created earlier in the day. Far from an ideal method but it was all I really had. Today, things have progressed so quickly. There are at least 5 apps I use for business tasks every day.

My Favorite? Yep, my Todo list app. It is called Wunderlist and if you haven’t tried it I highly suggest you jump on you iPhone or Android and search “wunderlist”. Give it a shot and let me know what you think.

If you feel so inclined hit the comments and let me know what your favorite business related apps are.

Insurance Leads – Where To Buy Them

Today I want to cover a polarizing issue among agents — shared insurance leads.

In recent years I’ve worked with many providers and have gotten a pretty good system in place to help my clients pull in a positive return with shared leads.  I mentioned the topic is polarizing because finding a combination of decent sources and working them in the right manner is the key to making them work.  Most comments you’ll find online about lead companies is pretty harsh.  This is understandable.  If you spend your marketing dollars and don’t have success few will actually blame themselves for failure even though that is the case more often than not.  You’ll be hard pressed to find a lot of positive reviews out there because…well….agents having success don’t really want to have any more competition.

So, this weekend I was talking to a buddy I’ve worked with in recent years that lives just a bit north of me in The Woodlands.  His name is Kevin Howard and it pains me to say that he can run circles around me when it comes to internet leads.  He is absolutely fanatical about testing and measuring everything he does and it really pays off.  He told me about a website he just put up that I think it a great resource at InsuranceLeadReviews.com.  The site features over 15 real insurance lead review profile pages and he said he’s got more coming.  I really like what he also did with the comparison chart on the front page.  He has things broken down by line and also throws in some tips and promos.

It’s a really cool implementation and I think every agent should check it out.  There is nothing to buy and no signup required so it’s free as it gets.  Let me know what you think.

 

Robert

 

5 Ways to Take Better Care of Your Car

You should never take your car for granted. It gets you to and from work, the store, and anywhere else that you need to visit. For the endless service provided by your car, you should be willing to return the favor from time to time. In short, this means taking better care of your car.

Note: the more TLC you provide the better chance you have of your vehicle lasting a very long time. In turn, you are able to save a lot of money. 

Here are five ways to ensure that you are taking good care of your car:

1. Wash it regularly. This is one of the easiest ways to not only care for your car but to make it look better. No matter if you do it yourself or pay for a professional car wash, in the end the result will be the same.

Tip: as you wash your vehicle, keep a close watch for anything that is out of place and may need replaced or repaired.

2. Change the oil. Hands down, this is one of the best things you can do for your car. If you want to keep the engine in good working condition you need to change the oil based on the manufacturer’s recommended schedule.

Begin to skip oil changes and you are asking for a major problem.

3. Make repairs as soon as possible. Do you need a new battery? Are your tires worn out? Are your brakes at the end of their life? No matter what type of issues you are having, it is important to deal with them as soon as possible. A problem that is not taken care of is one that could lead to more damage in the future.

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Where to Turn for Insurance Lead Generation

As an insurance agent, your success will hinge greatly on your marketing plan. How re you currently generating leads? Are you confident in your current strategy or are you ready to make some changes? Although you may think you are on the right path, adding a few new techniques here and there could help you increase sales.

Direct Mail

Believe it or not, direct mail is making a comeback among professionals in many industries – insurance.

If you are going to rely on direct mail, make sure you target consumers in a particular area. Along with this, spend time perfecting your mailer. From a sales letter to a postcard, you must be sure that you are providing the consumer with the information needed to move forward with contacting you.

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3 Ways to Scare the Pants off your Insurance Agent

If you are going to purchase any type of insurance you will probably be conversing with an agent at some point. Even if you buy online, there will probably come a time when you communicate with a local professional.

There is nothing better than having a good relationship with your insurance agent. This will make it much easier for you to buy the right policy and feel safe day in and day out.

But did you know that there are many things you can do that really scare your agent? Here are three situations that your agent wants to avoid at all costs. Unfortunately, many consumers put them in this compromising position time after time.

1. Holding back important information.

For most insurance agents, this is the thing that they worry about the most. An agent never really knows for sure if a client is telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

For example, a client may fail to mention the fact that they have a health concern that could increase the cost of his or her life insurance. This may not sound like a big deal, but it is the job of the agent to ensure that the client gets the right coverage at the right price. The last thing an agent wants is for a client to pass on and to realize that the death benefit is not going to be paid to the beneficiary. 

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