Changing my business plan-could use help!

11 replies
I recently got a lot of good advice on creating a postcard for home and auto insurance. I really liked the feedback and wanted more help for anyone that's interested! Here's my past and what I'm trying to do moving forward.

I own a personal lines insurance agency. Home & Auto Insurance.

I started this agency about 8 years ago back when ranking on Google was a piece of cake. I mainly built the business off internet leads that I generated and then referrals from the new customers. That worked great and got me to a point that I have a decent business, but it's a huge numbers game and I no longer generate the leads like I used to. The other thing I'm tired of is the fact that internet leads revolve almost exclusively around price and price alone.

This bring me to today. I have dabbled in networking and have had small success in the past with car dealerships and mortgage loan officers. My new form of marketing that I want to do and could use help with is networking with these types of people/organizations to create lead sources rather then just a once and done type of marketing. I figure even 10 good referral sources would prove way more valuable for me in the long run then postcards, buying leads, etc... that you quote and if you don't sell them your back to square one.

I am an independent agency that has 3 good auto and home carriers, but I don't always have the lowest price. This is what I have to overcome, especially when networking with loan officers for home insurance. Most of the time I run into the fact that they are already working with someone and they seem to focus only on price. It seems that I'll get someone to send me a lead or two and then I come in pretty much the same as who they are working with and the leads stop. I know I have to just keep working at it until I find the right partnerships and could use any advice to help me do this!

I know referrals from my current book of business are important and trust me, I get a lot of them! I feel that it would be impossible to get more out of my current customers. I get quite a few referrals and have a good system in place for this.

Thanks in advance for all the help! If I left this to vague, feel free to comment and I'll add to it!
#business #changing #plancould
  • Profile picture of the author MRomeo09
    This is a marketing funnel problem pure and simple. I'd recommend you go to Digital Marketer and learn all you can:



    Funnel Blueprint | Who? is Ryan Deiss

    That's what I would do if I were you.
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    • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
      Jayson, what if you added Life to your brokerage?

      This will enable you to add to your existing client base.

      I'm working with a Life Carrier now who has the biggest payouts
      over the full range of products.

      If you'd like to explore this more, let me know and I can put you
      in touch with the lead guy.

      Best,
      Ewen
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      • Profile picture of the author Jayson L
        I forgot to add that. I do offer life already. Do you sell insurance too?
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      • Profile picture of the author DABK
        Jayson,
        As far as mortgage brokers/loan officers go:

        Here's the scenario:

        Borrower needs to have expenses of $1,400 or less or borrower doesn't qualify. Borrower's expenses are projected to be $1,439. Loan officer asks insurance agent to provide a policy that's $39 or more lower. If insurance agent obliges, everything is fine. If insurance agent says, I can't, loan officer starts shopping around. Usually, 1 or all of the 2 or 3 agents they send business to obliges.

        He who obliges most often gets most of the referral business.

        But not all borrowers are happy with the policy they receive.

        You might want to have loan officers sell you/give you the list of all their borrowers they're done with, so you can contact the borrowers directly.

        But they, probably, will not do it (so as to not piss off their favorite agent).

        Which means, your option is to go to the county's recorder of deeds and see who's got a loan recently. Or to buy lists of people who just got a loan.

        Not as good as a referral.

        The point: it's an uphill battle for you with mortgage brokers.

        But the idea of a referral sources is great.

        Have you tried making friends with real estate appraisers and home inspectors? If the borrower needs a lower insurance policy to qualify, you run into the same problem you do with mortgage brokers. On the other hand, if they do not and an appraiser or home inspector recommends you, it's almost as good as a recommendation from their loan officer.
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  • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
    WIIFM strategies. In your regulated industry, what can you do for referrers?

    Network with newer people such as mortgage brokers and real estate agents
    who do not already have professionals they go to.

    Network with CPAs and lawyers.

    Add business lines?

    Write for a lower cost carrier as well? (That could be your "trip wire" as Deiss and Kern call it.)
    Auto is just pounded with the $29/mo ads from esurance and the likes.
    This could also be your entry to mortgage and real estate brokers - then if the referrers and customers like you, you can sell other lines or upgrade when the time comes. As their income, families, assets grow you can be right there with them. Get up and coming families and maybe they'll stay with you for a long time and become referrers. (After home loan closings, the debt to income ratios don't matter.)

    Do community service and Meetups....

    You're right - get many strands of spaghetti feeding your business.

    Work towards hiring the right person or people you can delegate things to so you can do
    what is most effective for your business and optimize your agency .

    Use newsletters and white papers as marketing tools and to keep your current customers up to date with timely and helpful tips related to insurance and what they are covering - such as proper furnace care...

    Sorry. Just kind of writing as things come to mind.
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    "If you think you're the smartest person in the room, then you're probably in the wrong room."

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  • Profile picture of the author Gaurav36
    You can also opt for sms services or promotional packages in which you can directly shoot your messages on customers handsets and grab their attention.This is called mobile ad marketing which is extensively in trend nowadays rather than email sending.
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  • Profile picture of the author OUTFOXED
    Have you tried creating and submitting an advice column that deals with the pros and cons of the various insurance products you sell...to your local newspaper? This can be a weekly campaign that includes warnings, tips, how to's, comparisons, etc.

    My friend has such a column that deals with mortgages. He gets free publicity and gets to include all of his contact info! (his column is almost 1/2 page!)
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    • Profile picture of the author Jayson L
      Originally Posted by OUTFOXED View Post

      Have you tried creating and submitting an advice column that deals with the pros and cons of the various insurance products you sell...to your local newspaper? This can be a weekly campaign that includes warnings, tips, how to's, comparisons, etc.

      My friend has such a column that deals with mortgages. He gets free publicity and gets to include all of his contact info! (his column is almost 1/2 page!)

      That's an extremely good idea! I'll look into it.
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