As all of us know, the last six weeks of the year are the insurance industry's slowest time for new business acquisition. Quite simply, it's the holiday season. Would-be insurance shoppers and agents alike find themselves distracted by the mad holiday rush; jammed into mall parking lots on endless journeys for the season's “hottest” gifts. Unfortunately, this seasonality challenges those agents that are fighting to meet or exceed their year-end production goals. We've heard from a few already, and have two easy solutions to overcome the holiday lead volume seasonality:
1.) Expand into new ZIP codes, and
2.) Adjust your lead volume settings.

Expanding into New ZIP Codes
We recently spoke with an agent based in the coastal town of Monterey, California, who wants to finish 2006 strong with 200 auto leads and 100 home leads in both November and December. Unfortunately, since the start of this month, she has only been able to secure half that volume, targeting only the 35 ZIP codes than encompass Monterey County — “the market that has established her agency over the past 20 years.” In order to achieve her aggressive year-end lead goals, she needs to expand her reach and select additional ZIP codes beyond her “traditional” market.

In this example, our Customer Service team identified how she can easily expand her ZIP codes into two complementary markets in her territory:
- Santa Cruz County with an additional 22 ZIP codes, and
- San Luis Obispo County with an additional 35 ZIP codes.

The lesson is that if you are looking to grow and expand your business, consider adding ZIP codes from neighboring areas where your product is competitive. Do you want to see lead volume by ZIP code for areas within 100 mile radius of your office? If yes, the AgentInsider™ Client Services team has all of this information.

Adjust Your Lead Volume Settings
Many AgentInsider™ agents do not receive all of the leads in their selected ZIP codes because of their Lead Volume settings (e.g. 60/month or 2/day). When you expand into new ZIP codes or compete for more leads, make sure to access the “Buy Leads” page, go to the “Set Your Maximum Lead Volume” section and raise your Lead Cap or change your settings to "Unlimited Max" in order to receive more leads in your selected ZIP Codes.

If you'd like some quick answers, give our Client Services team a call. Like the agent in Monterey learned, they can easily help you identify new ZIP codes and any potential settings that can contribute to your growth.

AgentInsider™ Client Services Department
Call 866-892-4080 or email: clientservices@agentinsider.com

Last month I discussed Internet lead close rates and how success is dependent upon the unique sales strategies and techniques employed by each agent. Accordingly, three AgentInsider™ agents shared their recipes for success and the corresponding close rates of such efforts. Each agent's success was predicated on quick-timing, communication, and customer service — all techniques that most agents can easily incorporate into their own strategies.

I asked readers to share their own successful closing strategies and the responses were fascinating. Some supported the strategies discussed last month, and as you will see, a few contributed slightly different closing methods. Learn More >