Technology is changing the lead environment. Illegal robocalls are a consistent nuisance that impact all areas of commerce, including insurance. Who among us has not received several unsolicited sales calls to answer it and only find a robot at the other end? These illegal sales calls are known as 'robocalls,' and they become even more frustrating when the phone number is altered to appear as though it's coming from a local source — this is known as 'spoofing'.
Nothing makes a potential consumer more frustrated than receiving an illegal robocall — so much so that the overwhelming amount of complaints is driving the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to help cell phone carriers block illegal robocalls and spoofing. Clearly, illegal robocalls are going to come to an end.
The good news is that there are many ways to generate high quality leads without using illegal robocalls! Let's dive into four ways you can generate leads for your business without using robocalls.
1. Develop a referral network.
Your existing clients are your best asset to finding new clients. These are people who have already heard about your products and decided that you are delivering value. When encouraged, your existing clients can bring you high quality leads. Here are some ideas for how you can develop a referral relationship with your existing clients: 1. Make sure that your clients know that you'd be happy to help any of their friends and family. 2. Conduct an annual evaluation of each client, reviewing current and future needs and reiterating your willingness to help any referrals they may have.
2. Post on social media.
Social media has become a powerful tool for small and large businesses. With social media, we have the opportunity to reach new audiences and stay in touch with current partners. Building a social media presence can take time and patience so here are some ideas to help you get started:
Create a social media page that reflects you and your products.
Develop content that is related to your product such as 30 second videos, a brief testimonial or share industry-related news.
Make industry-relevant comments on other social media posts.
Post frequently — at least once a week if not more.
3. Join a professional networking group.
Professional networking groups can be an excellent source of referrals when you take the initiative to participate regularly and openly discuss your business. What can be tricky is deciding what networking group to join? Generally, it's desirable to join a group of people who need exactly what you have to sell so consider the demographic of your average purchaser — are they male/female? Over 40/under 40? What types of groups would the demographic join? And then join groups like that, taking a genuine interest in the group and contributing to the group as much as possible.
4. Send an email newsletter.
Email newsletters are common from large businesses because they work. An email newsletter keeps current customers and prospects up to date on the industry, your business and opens the door for cross-selling opportunities. If you've never written an email newsletter, here are some ideas to help you get started:
Develop an email address list of current, prospective and former clients.
Place a notice on your website for prospects to enter their email address to be added to the newsletter.
Cultivate content that you can easily deliver — industry updates and new products are always help. Add a funny article about a silly day of the month or include a clean joke.
Remember to include a call to action to help close the sale.
Deliver the newsletter on a regular basis.
The Moral
Technology is changing the way we reach out to our prospects.
It's important to make sure that we are staying away from illegal robocalls.
Generating new leads can be difficult so it's critical to develop a referral network, post on social media, join professional networking groups and send email newsletters to get high-quality leads.
— Connect with ThinkAdvisor Life/Health on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Jan Dubauskas serves as vice president and senior counsel at Health Insurance Innovations Inc. (HIIQ), a distributor of life and health insurance products and the parent of http:/www.agilehealthinsurance.com.
(Image: Shutterstock) 
