Successful leads are the most important starting point for any business. Without them, you can’t make a sale. We’ve all heard the standard tips for generating sales leads, but highly successful insurance agents find ways to stand out by coming up with unique and unusual ways to generate leads. These uncommon techniques will place successful insurance agents directly at the top of potential clients’ minds.
There are several unique ways to generate leads, from creating a viral video to making your marketing materials a go-to resource for clients. Here are 10 unique ways to generate the most leads:
Create a Viral Insurance Tips Video
Whether you want to be creative and funny (which has a higher potential of going viral) or business-oriented by positioning yourself as an expert about insurance-related topics, creating a video is a unique way to generate leads. Create a YouTube account to post the videos and don’t forget to link it back to your business’s website. It’s always nice to put a face with a name. If you post a funny video, be sure it’s still professional. You want people to laugh with you, not at you.
Create Scarcity to Generate Interest
Ever wonder why the McRib and the hot wings at McDonald’s are so popular? What about that Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks? People want what they can’t have, so if you create scarcity in your lead generation campaigns by making promotions available for only a set amount of time, it will create a sense of urgency for these leads to become clients.
Offer free consultation services for one month. Be sure to mention that these free services will only last for a short period of time, and the potential client can’t miss out. Make sure you provide the amount of what this consultation would normally cost (so they know they’re getting a deal), and then stick to your timeline of eliminating the offer. Have another freebie or discount idea lined up for each month.
In-House Client Rewards System
Although most insurance sales people are considered to work independently, it’s important for everyone in the office to agree a) that sales positions in the company are valuable and b) that they need to help the sales people generate leads. More customers means more money for the business, which means potentially higher-paid and happier employees.
Set up a referral program that gives everyone an incentive to refer friends and family members. Give a sizable referral bonus or employee kickback when those referrals become full-time clients.
LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter as Lead Sources
Now that you’ve made your YouTube video, where else can you post it to help it get the most views? Websites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter offer many different audiences and viewers to get your brand and message across. Although a lot of companies have these social media pages, not enough of them are using these sites to their full potential.
It’s not enough to use one social media site; you must have constant presence. Post your videos on each of these websites so viewers have the ability to share with all of their friends and family (i.e., connections). Write blog posts or share interesting articles on social media so people can easily share them with others. This way, your customers and followers are essentially generating more leads for you—as long as you always link back to your website and your contact information is visible so people can reach you.
Utilize the Insurance Sales Call
While it’s great to have voice-on-voice contact with people when you’re trying to generate leads, you have to follow up with marketing materials that can be passed on to friends and family. While you’re on your call, it’s not common for the person to immediately agree to give you their business. Before hanging up the phone, be sure to ask for their email address and have a set list of marketing materials – videos of webinars are also helpful, so they can look it over right away.
Combining Your Online/Offline Life
Being a successful insurance agent requires a lot of “glad-handing,” i.e., networking events, breakfast seminars and conferences. It’s important to attend these events because it places you directly in front of potential clients. However, just attending these events is not enough. You have to be present on social media and use the (usually) free tools that sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and your own website can offer. But once again, you can’t only be present on social media.
The best way to generate successful leads is to be consistently present both online and off-line. While at a networking event, drop the name of your website, mention you’re on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. and be sure contact information is easily visible on your business card (which, of course you’re handing out, right?). If you find someone who is potentially interested in your services, ask for their email address so you can pass on some interesting articles about your business and marketing materials.
Customer Referrals
We’ve already discussed the in-house referral system, but to generate the most leads, you need to ask your customers for referrals, too. You can do this by sending a survey via email asking your customers how you’ve been doing and include a checkbox at the end that asks for referrals. Respond personally to each client who checks the box and thank him or her for the offer to refer a friend. Ask them to send anyone who would be a good fit your way. It’s important in this exchange to be humble and gracious.
Insurance Marketing Resources for Clients
Any insurance agent can pass on a brochure with her list of services included and the price. But what makes an insurance agent stand out and generate more leads (and eventually clients) is offering something more in their marketing materials than just information about services. Your marketing materials should offer helpful information and be a resource for potential clients.
Offer complimentary eBooks and webinars that explain the services you’re providing more in-depth (but not too much jargon, so you’re still relatable) and that answer questions prospects commonly bring up to you during your pitch.