The biggest myth in the lead generation industry is that good leads sell themselves. That is not the case, even the best leads do not convert into customers on their own.
“It’s a rare occurrence when a health insurance lead converts from a lead without any contact from an agent,” says Clelland Green, RHU, CEO of benepath.net. “It has happened, but not often. Leads are just that, leads, an indication of someone interested in buying insurance. If there is no follow up by the agent receiving the lead, it dies and so does the potential for a sale,”
Even if an insurance agent has solid gold health insurance leads, they must be worked. The agent receiving the lead is the prime catalyst in persuading a lead to convert and buy a policy. The interesting fact about generated leads is that even great ones become aged after 48 hours and may lose interest without a call from an agent, the key factor in moving them from initial motivation to a sale.
Part of running an insurance agency is also the amount of training each agent undergoes to be able to sell their product to others. Selling insurance is not easy in a highly competitive market. Training assists an agent in overcoming objections, providing reasonable alternatives, recognizing when “no” means “not right now, but maybe later,” and keeping in touch with a prospective client in a manner that educates instead of aggravates.
“It is important to recognize that even the most qualified lead sent to you is not going to turn into a paying client without work,” adds Green. “Proper training shows you how to do that work and excel at it. Before buying leads, take the time to educate yourself about what type of leads you want and how you are going to handle them.”
One thing to consider is the distinction between real-time leads and aged leads. If an agent is not going to work a lead within the 48 hour time frame when it is still considered to be live, consider aged leads instead. Otherwise, real-time leads can be an effective way of pursuing actively interested parties.
“There are a number of things to consider before buying leads, but the number one goal is to aim for leads that can build a solid foundation for your business,” says Green. “If you are not sure what you are doing, start slow, invest in leads carefully and ask a lot of questions. The more time you spend training and investing smart marketing dollars, the better your business becomes.”
Learn more at Benepath.net
