20. Incorporate secondary offers.
A popular way to increase leads without spending any additional money is to incorporate the use of "secondary offers." A secondary offer is a call to action which requires a lower level of commitment for the prospect.
Secondary offers are typically aimed at engaging a larger percentage of interested prospects who may not yet be ready to commit to an in person interaction.
Many advisors spend thousands of dollars each year promoting direct mail seminars. They send thousands of mailers each month giving them a tremendous number of opportunities to create leads if they will simply begin incorporating these secondary offers. They could offer a free report, educational video, or something else of value made available for download by interested prospects. I call these prospects 5-8s, meaning they are not yet a 9 or 10 on the buying temperature scale, but could be in the near future.
— Brandon Stuerke, President, Golden Financial Group
19. Focus on a target market.
Why? So you know how to spend your marketing time. Having a defined target market helps you determine where to go, what to say, who to meet, and how to seek referrals. It makes you more focused — advisors, agents, reps, and brokers are notoriously not — and much more referable.
Remember, everyone is not your target market! Everyone doesn't need your product or service. Besides, you can't market to everyone. If you're looking to meet everyone, anyone, someone, the result is very often that you will meet no one. And no one equates to no business.
Focus on who you serve best and, therefore, wish to serve most, and be specific. That's your target market!
— Michael Goldberg, speaker, consultant, author, founder of Knockout Networking
18. Get to know your local bank loan officer.
People needing business loans are often required to get a term life insurance plan to cover the loan in case of the borrower's death.
On your initial phone call or meeting with the loan officer, tell them what sets you apart. Perhaps you specialize in high risk cases or your underwriting team can reevaluate recent declines. Perhaps you offer quick-issue No Medical Exam plans.
Don't ask for all the business at once. Ask them to try you out, so you can earn their business.
— Tom Poblano, owner, Life Insurance by Tom
17. Harvest good experiences.
Clients sometimes respond to great service by offering the proverbial steak dinner, or saying, "Let me take you out to lunch." When this Moment of Joy happens, let them know that as much as you would enjoy taking their offer, you'd appreciate it even more if they could tell their friends about the excellent customer service and experience they received. By creating more outspoken advocates of your business, you can begin to build a valuable referral network that pays big dividends.
—Justin Brown, Marketing Content Manager, Bankrate Insurance
16. Host free educational workshops.
Would you agree no one wants to meet one-on-one with a salesperson? The beauty of an educational workshop is that for the prospects there is safety in numbers. People feel much safer coming to a workshop than meeting one-on-one with a sales person. It's a non-threatening way for them to get to know you, see the type of work you do and the help you provide.
The beauty of the educational workshop for you is that you can offer them in large or very small groups. They will cost your very little to hold. ($100 to $200) And, because they are considered a public service you can hold them almost anywhere — in your local library, association rooms, conference rooms, etc.
—Lew Nason, RFC, LUTCF, CFLA, coach, trainer, mentor, Insurance Pro Shop
