Happy Holidays! I don’t know about you, but at our house, Thanksgiving is the dress rehearsal for the upcoming holiday festivities. I love the parties, meals, and family time. It’s also a good time to reflect on the last year, and look for ways to improve. While you are looking back on 2008, one thing I would encourage you to do is take time to review your email strategies.

Of the three main mediums of communication, email is perhaps the easiest and most effective way to deliver quote information to a prospective customer. Used in the right way, it can improve your response and close rates. It will greatly benefit you to take a good hard look at your email campaigns. AgentInsider has come up with these five tips to help you improve your emails.

Critique Your Emails

If you were having a busy day and went to check your email, would you stop and read your own email? Even more importantly, would you respond to your own e-mail? Make sure you answer these questions honestly. If you don’t think you would read your own emails, what would you change?

Get Their Attention in the Subject Line

The subject line is one of the first things a consumer will see when they are browsing their emails. When writing a subject line, get to the point. Industry experts recommend using no more than 45 characters. Make the subject line personal and relevant to the prospective client. The worse thing you can do in the subject line is to leave it blank. Perhaps you could try one of these subject lines: “Mr. Smith: Here’s Your Car Insurance Quote“ or “Your MAKE MODEL Insurance Quote from CARRIER NAME”

Don’t Write a Novel

While it is important to tell your prospects how awesome your business is, less is more when it comes to emails. It should take the reader no more than 60 seconds to read your email. Your message should be organized so it is easily understood by your audience and should explain who does what next. To help make the process clear, consider using bullet points to explain the process. Here are a few sample emails we recommend.

Is Your Email Aesthetically Pleasing?

Is your e-mail professional looking? Most email programs allow you to customize a template, allowing you to add graphical elements, such as your company logo, and a headshot. Just remember to keep your email clear and succinct.

If You Send It, and They Don’t Call

If you aren’t getting responses from your email, maybe you need a stronger call to action. If you have something along the lines of “Call me, I need more information,” think about changing it to, “I specialize in insuring VEHICLE MAKE & MODEL and can help you find additional discounts. Give me a quick call when you have two minutes.”

These tips were taken from the AgentInsider webinar entitled “Keys To Success.” This webinar is packed with great suggestions for how to effectively manage and get the most out of your online auto, home, and term life leads. We encourage all agents to participate in this webinar (and others), regardless of whether you are a beginner or a seasoned expert. As the Education Manager and host of the webinars here at AgentInsider, I’m here to help you get armed with the tools you need to be successful with online leads.

If you attend a live Keys to Success webinar during the month of December, we’ll give you 20% off your next $250 in lead purchases – a $50 value!* To register for the Keys to Success webinar or to look at the complete list of live webinars available, please visit us at http://agentinsider.webex.com and click on the “Live Sessions” link in the left-hand column. Then click on the Weekly or Monthly tabs at the top of the page.

If you have any questions or need assistance in registering for a webinar, please contact our Client Services Team at 1-866-892-4080 or clientservices@agentinsider.com. Once again, Happy Holidays! We wish you and everyone in your office the very best.