The little things count in insurance and finance marketing

All marketing methods are affected the same way. Dismissing elements as inconsequential could lead to poor overall performance.

There is a great push toward electronic marketing of all kinds. Some are using automated email, Facebook ads, Google ads and other various methods. A key element of any internet methodology is conversion to appointment. Keep in mind that those prospects who are responding to online marketing methods like space between them and salespeople. They are naturally averse to face-to-face meetings. This makes for difficult transitions. If you are selling products that require face-to-face interaction, online marketing may present a real problem. There are no magic formulas to overcome this issue just yet. These methods may require a trial-and-error approach to see what works for you. That means investing time and money to get your own formula to work well.

See also: The time is now to start prospecting life insurance online

Let's put everything into perspective. A cold call on a referred lead can be difficult or easy depending on how it's approached. The details of making this call are very important. When a prospect answers the phone you must know exactly what you're going to say. You must also be careful to be natural and appear to have known this person for some time. A good referral has a familiar go-between. It helps you, as the caller, to be friendly and conversational. You can try something like this: "Hello John, this is Kim Magdalein."

A mutual friend of ours, Fred Smith, suggested that I give you a call. I am a financial advisor and, according to Fred, my work with him has been very helpful. Do you have a couple of minutes to talk now or would there be a better time for me to call again? Great, I'll only take a moment. Fred told me that you have been working together for several years and was highly complimentary of your work ethic and accomplishments. Fred has done quite well also and felt that additional advice on financial issues could be helpful. May I extend an invitation to spend a few minutes discussing what I do and how it might be helpful to you? Terrific, is this a good week for us to meet or would next week be better? Thank you, John. I look forward to seeing you next Tuesday."

This type of approach has been used many times over many years by successful advisors. You can be sure that it still works well today and will always work well in the future. Its elements are simple and important. This approach may seem elementary, but many advisors have abandoned the simple processes long ago. What a shame. I personally continue to use a very similar approach to any prospective client or referral source. Take time to re-evaluate the small things that could make a marketing method work more effectively.

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