A question frequently raised by agents focuses on the “quality” of internet leads. By quality, most of the inquiring agents are alluding to the potential close rates they can reasonably expect from internet leads. While this is a very viable question, the answer is generally reflected in the agent's own closing ability and their supporting sales communication processes.

AgentInsider™ cannot guarantee that every online consumer that completes the intensive InsWeb quote form is going to immediately purchase insurance; however, we do know that they are all looking for competitive quotes. The quote itself is the lead-in. It is the ticket that affords you, the agent, the privilege to continue the sales process with the consumer. Therefore, the longer you delay in getting your best quotes into the consumer's hands, the slimmer the chances of successfully closing that business. Simply purchasing an AgentInsider lead and having your agency branding and contact information displayed to the consumer is just not enough — regardless of it being in real time. As soon as an internet lead is received, it is vital to your success that you contact that consumer immediately and provide them with a competitive quote — and quality service.

From a brick-and-mortar perspective, internet leads are like prospective customers that literally walk into your office. As you would confidently sit with those consumers and begin consulting with them, online prospects expect the same level of service. No agent in their right mind would simply hand a walk-in prospect a business card and casually follow-up a week later; therefore, why would they do that with an online customer?

The bottom line is this: if you want to close online leads, you need to make sure you communicate with the prospective consumer as soon as possible, whether via email or over the phone. Make sure you don't rely solely on snail mail either; chances are that by the time it reaches the consumer, they have already gone with one of your competitors. In addition to being timely, you must also be consistent in your follow-up. Even if you're second in line, you'll frequently get the business when the first-in-line fails to follow-up sufficiently. Prospective follow-up is not a single act, but an ongoing process. It demonstrates to prospects that you're likely to satisfy their insurance needs simply because you're working so hard to earn their business. The cost of following-up is also substantially less expensive than the cost of actually acquiring the internet lead.

The common perception for online leads is that the company with the lowest price wins; however, while price is certainly the single biggest motivator in a consumer's shopping process, timeliness, quality service, and personal attention are what close the deal. Remember, each time you purchase an AgentInsider internet lead, it is as though the customer is standing right there in your office; so the question becomes: Are you going to jump at the chance to serve him or leave him standing there waiting?