Thank you for all your great responses to our March newsletter, Best Ways to Generate and Convert Insurance Leads.  We really enjoyed reading your additional tips for converting your prospects into buyers.  As a follow-up, we thought you might like to see what other agents recommend to get higher close ratios.

Call, Email, and Mail
An overwhelming 43% of you responded that simply calling a prospective buyer isn’t enough. You indicated that a combination of phone, email, and mail gave you the best results.

Diann Roberts, an insurance agent from Texas, stated that it’s important to always be consistent with your approach.  “I send an email when I receive the lead as well as immediately make an attempt to call. If I can provide a quote with the details given, I do that in email and mail it.”

“Emailing the auto quote as well as following up with a phone call are the best practices for closing the deal in a timely manner,” said Tim Murphy of Florida. “That gives them a chance to look at the quote coverages and the savings.”

Many agents concur with this approach, and attempt to contact the prospect through all three methods until they reach the consumer.  

Respond Quickly
24% of you emphasized the need to contact the insurance lead quickly. Reaching out to the consumer shortly after receiving the lead can dramatically increase your conversion rates.  One agent indicated that responding quickly demonstrated their attentiveness to the request, that they value the potential business, and that it sets the tone for the kind of service they can expect from their office.

Jeff Maxson of Nevada said, “In front of all your suggestions, I think the main success is to respond quickly. We are all competing for the same client and the old adage of ‘first one to the store wins’ is true for this more times that not.”

Follow-Up
Many of you indicated that the key to your success is regular follow-up.  Over 20% of the responses stated that an insurance lead is still valuable after the initial attempt to close the sale. Some of you try again after 2 weeks, others wait 30 days, and others contact the consumer again after 60 days.  You should try all of these to determine what works best for your office.

“I routinely re-send my original email 2 months later to see if anything has changed with their insurance needs,” said Jim Bounds of Texas. “Things have cooled off by then and they are not being bombarded by other agents.”

Ken Ek of Michigan told us, “We put every lead on a marketing plan if we don’t sell them this time around. It consists of several touches over the next five months including a postcard with our info on it. We call them in 5 months hoping that they received their renewal and [we] requote them again.”

Tell/Show Them What Makes You Different
A handful of agents stated that selling benefits, not price, was helpful in closing more policies.

Andrew Leonard of Florida told us, “Tell [the insurance lead] why they should do business with you rather than a particular company.”

Another Florida agent stated that it’s important to stress the fact that you are local. As many studies have found, an overwhelming majority of consumers prefer to do business with a local agent. Focusing on that fact could help you close the sale.

Other Tips to Consider
Cross-Sell: 
A few of you talked about the importance of cross-selling another policy on the initial call.  Robert Ennis of California explained, “For us, presenting a packaged policy (auto/home) works a lot better than an individual policy. The customer gets increased savings and we get a multi-sale.” For some cross-selling tips, see our April newsletter. 

Make an Appointment:
One insurance agent said that getting an appointment with the consumer puts you ahead of other agents quoting over the phone.

Don’t Forget Your Business Card:
If you send correspondence to the prospective buyer, be sure to include your business card. “It is very easy to delete the email quote, but my business card and quote will remain in the household or on the refrigerator,” said one agent.

Text It:
Dean Riding of California tells us that he sends a text message to the consumer using the phone number on the insurance lead. “I’ve been sending a text message in addition to an email and phone call. The reward totally outweighs the chance that the number may not even be a cell number.” He goes on to say, “The text message gives the prospect the feeling that you have it together and are really serious/proactive and organized about contacting and helping them. I usually send just a simple warm message that indicates that I can and will help them get the insurance they need and take care of them. The fact that people get text messages from friends and people they trust, I believe helps them relate to me a little differently.”

We hope that you found these additional tips helpful in closing more insurance leads. If you have other tips or have questions about AgentInsider’s Lead Program, please contact us at 1-866-892-4080 or clientservices@agentinsider.com.