10. Work with producers in other lines of business.
Find producers in other areas of insurance and financial services that would make valuable partners, and ask them to send out a letter to any clients they perceive as possibly having a need for the product you sell, mentioning you and your company. Because the referral is coming from a known source, you will see a high level of appointments come from this method.
—Phyllis Shelton
9. Put effort into what you write.
You don't have to be Shakespeare to be a good writer. You also don't have to be in the business of writing books, articles and blogs. But with every email and every post on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, you're giving readers a snapshot of your thoughts, your actions and your brand. These multiple touch points may (or may not) encourage them to click through to read your profile, visit your website or look to make a more personal connection.
— Michael Goldberg
8. Be a person first, an agent second.
When I first meet a client or prospect, I make a goal of talking about anything other than what the appointment is about for at least 20 minutes before starting my formal presentation. I believe this gives the client or prospect a chance to personally relate to me as a person first, then as a trusted advisor. I find that with this method of contact, I average a much higher rate of return on both quality of appointments and establishment of ongoing sales opportunities.
—Simon Molina
7. Do your research.
I look for prospects who have at least 20 recommendations on LinkedIn and who also like to write recommendations for others. If you can get this type of person as a client or a COI, it will generate for you at least 3 prospects a year at minimum. It is very easy to make initial appointments with the people who have posted initial recommendations about someone. They will agree to meet with you or at least return your phone call promptly. If you can impress them and they become your client, they will not be shy about recommending you to others. You can just target your growth to people who like to recommend on social media and watch your referrals grow.
—Larry Brewer
6. Make influential friends on social media.
Throughout 2013 we have used social media platforms (Facebook, Google+, etc.) to increase the awareness of our firm. We have "liked" the carriers that we do business with and routinely monitor their social media accounts. If they are slow to respond to client or agent questions, we will comment in order to be as helpful as possible. We also cross post on our carrier websites when scheduling marketing events or webinars that feature that carrier's particular product. We have gotten a greater response by "piggybacking" off of the insurance carriers' larger social media presence. It has definitely led to a lot more exposure as well as interest from prospective clients and agents. And of course it also boosts that ever-important search engine optimization to have our name out there as much as possible.
—Zachary Turmelle
