Choosing your target audience

Proper Demographic Selections:

An integral part of the success of your direct mail lead generation efforts are the proper selection of the prospects you are seeking to reach. A major contributor to the decision for FFIG to partner with TARGETLEADS® is their expertise in list and demographic selection. Having mailed countless millions of direct mail packages and their ability to track the success of each and every direct mail campaign, gives them a singular advantage in serving our targeting needs.

Based on the fore to mentioned experience, the TARGETLEADS® team of experts provide the recommended list recommendations for each target audience you seek to reach. They are able to guide and coach you to insure your campaign has the greatest response possible.

Nobody Gets You Access to Your Prospect Like Our Targeted Lists Do.

The TARGETLEADS® database is made up of over 240 million consumers and can be segmented by numerous demographics so you can reach just the right prospective customer with your specific message. In addition TARGETLEADS® helps with targeted business lists and other specialty lists.

Among the 156 demographic selects and specialty lists, you'll find:

Exact Age
Family Position
Income
Net Worth
Dwelling Type
Homeowner/Renter
Gender
Marital Status
Voter Database
Families with Children
Ethnic/Religion
Occupation
Healthcare/Insurance
Ailments
Veterans
Interests
Presence of Elderly Parent
Length of Residence

and many more!

Live List Counts Are Available For You To Run, 24 Hours A Day.
Our online list count tool makes it easy to research your potential markets any time, day or night. You simply select the states, the zip codes or counties within the state, the criteria you want and instant counts are delivered.

Following Up on Direct Mail

Ideas to lead your prospecting conversations

Unless you've been handed a sizable book of business, your success (at one time, maybe still today) is dependent on effective prospecting. All the tips and techniques taught by all the experts only work if they fit your style and you are comfortable with them. However, don't fall into the trap of thinking your style may not need some modification or that you don't need to get out of your comfort zone to really improve. With that said consider these ideas as potential items that can improve your game.

BEGIN WITH AN UNEXPECTED PLEASANTRY.

When you're cold-calling a prospect, though its important to get to the point and introduce yourself and your company, be careful not to preemptively tell your prospect you are selling something unless you want them to hang up immediately.

Instead, be pleasant and thank the prospect on the other end of the line for their time, like so:

"It's an honor to finally speak with you!"
"Thanks for picking up the phone!"
"Thanks for taking my call."
"Your time is important. Let me cut to the chase."

Language like this will not only be perceived as positive and enthusiastic, it will make your prospect feel appreciated. After the pleasantry, follow up with a benefit-driven hook that is likely to be of interest to this specific prospect. Then, finally, identify yourself, what you do, your business, etc. - Still you are only seconds into the call, not minutes.

SHARE A FEW NAMES TO INCREASE CREDIBILITY

Using the name of one of your known clients creates credibility and can help catch your prospect's attention. It's even better if you can accompany the name with a brief success story. Here are some examples of how to lead with this method:

"Last week we helped [name] move from an Advantage plan to a ..."
"We have helped [name] find a plan that saved them over $$ ..."
"When we helped [name] transition from a company plan to Medicare ..."

Remember to always get approval from previous clients or companies to use their names during your sales calls, and make sure that your usage is compliant.

BE HONEST

Honesty ranks high on the list of attributes today's consumers demand from a salesperson, and it helps establish trust with your prospect from the start. Here's how to show your honesty from the very start:

"[Prospect's name], we haven't met, and to be honest I don't know if what I have to say will be of benefit to you. But the confusion concerning the changes in Medicare has affected a lot of seniors and their planning, and my experience in making Medicare understandable may be of help to you."

Of the five important questions you must ask yourself every time you go out to work, answering this one correctly will make or break your prospecting efforts:

What am I going to say?

It may sound silly, but it's astounding how many agents will get on the phone or meet someone in person, unprepared to effectively approach their prospect. This approach is simply a prepared collection of words that will effectively present the message. Some call this a script. You should call it one too. If memorized, this script allows you to then present in your tone, your voice inflections, your punctuations, you make it yours. It is vital to have this approach down as well as you have your name or phone number. It's important that you don't hesitate, or pause or pretend that you are getting into a social dialogue.

You only have 30 to 45 seconds. You need to know what you are going to say and you need to say it the same way each time so it becomes natural enough that you can put your personality into it. Once you have that part down you can approach your prospect comfortably and naturally.

For example:

Hi John, I'm Fred Jones, I'm with XYZ Insurance Agency and I'm contacting concerned seniors in our area regarding the healthcare and the retirement challenges that we face. I've got great news. I am going to be your area next week to sit down with concerned seniors like yourself to go over your rights, options and certain limitations that you are not going to know about even if you read the "Medicare and You" book.

John, I don't have a lot of time so I hope you don't have many questions. I have an opening at 9:05 on Tuesday or 9:18 on Wednesday. Which is better for you?

Thanks John, I'll see you then.

You have to know what you are going to say. The biggest mistake made by agents in prospecting today is not knowing your lines. How is it different if you are at the door. The words may change a little, but the importance of knowing what to say and how to say it are vital. When you are at the door and the prospect opens the door and says "Who is it?" or "What do you want?" if you're not ready you may tend to freeze.

Another example: (they may or may not express their lack of interest, remember, you are setting an appointment not selling a policy, your purpose is to create enough interest)

Mrs. Jones, I really can't see you now anyway, I was just in the area to let you know that we didn't want you to think we forgot about you. I am also contacting several of your neighbors so I don't have time right now but I have an opening at 9:07 on Tuesday or 9:18 on Wednesday. At that time, I can come back in and take care of some of your questions.

If they say they don't have questions, you respond by saying "I know but I have a couple for you, then I will be on my way. Thank you."

As you develop the script that works for you, learn it and deliver it like a professional, get so good at it that if the prospect is not interested in insurance they will find you interesting enough that they can't refuse the opportunity to meet with you.

Prospecting with Direct Mail

Leads to Appointments! Whose responsibility is it?

We spend lots of time, energy and money on leads. Take a few minutes right now to learn the responsibility for each of the three players in working a lead.

First there is the salesperson, then there is the prospect and then there is the lead.

The salesperson: The job of the sales person is to get the appointment - to get inside the home. It's not the lead card's responsibility to get you into the house, it's not the prospects responsibility to let you in the house. It's really their job to keep you out of the house because they don't want you coming there in the first place.

The prospect: The prospect has no responsibility at all. NONE. They don't have to be home, they don't have to remember you, they don't have to remember why they sent the card back in, they have no responsibility whatsoever. It's their home. They are not trying to get out. You are trying to get in.

Prospects have not been trained to let you into their home. And in the market we work today, it's more like they are trained to keep you out. We've been taught since we were young not to talk to strangers and as we enter our senior years, our apprehension to let strangers get close increases.

You have the responsibility to generate excuses to start conversations with these strangers. Strangers that probably don't want you to come in. It's your responsibility to develop an understanding the it's your responsibility to develop the approach to turn a stranger into a trusted relationship and that starts with a conversation.

Remember you only have 30 to 45 seconds to get the conversation started. You may have Mrs. Wilson at the door and it was Mr. Wilson who sent the card in. It's your personal responsibility to get across that 3 inch doorstep.

When we fail to get across that doorstep, it's our fault. It's hard work to be energetic, to be enthusiastic, to be sincere, to be clear and concise, to be interesting and to NOT be salesy. As you develop your approach, you need to anticipate why they don't want to let you in. Almost always the reasons are: They're are not interested, they didn't know you were coming, you scared them, they don't know why you're there, they changed their mind, they spoke with their spouse and the spouse doesn't want you there, you are interrupting something they consider important, etc. You have be prepared to neutralize those issues and control that conversation. That is your approach.

The Lead Card

The lead card has no responsibility other than helping you find the house. The lead does nothing else. It has no responsibility to get you in the house. It doesn't talk, it doesn't walk, it is an inanimate object. If it gets you to the house, it's a good lead. If you didn't get in the door, it's not the lead card, it may be timing or other things, but mostly it's you and your approach.

So next time you are out - which of course should be everyday - when you come up short, don't blame it on the lead card, because most likely you need to improve your approach or you are not on your A game.

Remember, the responsibility to get in the door is yours and don't expect anything from the prospect or the lead.

Prospecting Power Words

Power words are essential as you develop your approach. The key to getting people's attention are power words. You don't want to use a lot of words because you don't want to talk a lot. The key to setting appointments is to use power words combined with a couple of sentences.

Let's start with "Limitations" - When you say this has "limitations" is gets your attention. When you hear there are limitations, you want to know what they are - what is included or excluded and how that may impact what you want. Often times be become as interested in limitations as much as we are the benefits we can get.

When you are building your approach, you need to realize that certain areas may have different power words than another area. For example, if you are working with younger individuals the word retirement would not be a power word, but it would be to an older person.

Here is an example of an approach:

"Hello Bob, I am John Smith and I am with XYZ Insurance Company, the reason I am contacting you is because our job is to sit down with concerned seniors, to go over some of the rights, options and limitations regarding some of the choices they need to make in relation to their healthcare."

In that brief exchange the words Bob is going to remember are rights, options and limitations. Everybody wants to know what their rights are. We fight about our rights, we argue about our rights, we all care about our rights. Even our children want to know what thier rights are, when they can stay out late, can they use the car, can they hang out with so and so. In like manner they want to know their options; if they don't stay out late, can they do this or this tomorrow, if they disobey what are the consequences.

When you are talking with seniors the power word "retirement" is a big one. Every single senior cares about what is happening with their retirement and the choices regarding their retirement.

Also, two great words to work with are "New vs. Old." For example, when you are working with Mrs. Jones and she starts to quiz you, you say "Mrs. Jones, let me ask you a question, if you did make a choice, would you want the old type or the new type?" "Would you want the old standardized type, or the new customized type?"

This is simply giving the client choices. When Bob challenges again, you say, "Bob, that's a great thing but I got to ask you a question. If you have to make a choice, would you want the partial plan or the complete plan?" Bob will say, "What do you mean?"

This gets them asking good questions. When you get them engaged you can have a good conversation. It's when they are not engaged that you have a hard time setting appointments or closing sales.

These are just a few of the power words. Watch what's happening around you to see what the important things are happening and what power words will help you get and keep the attention of your prospects. Here are a few more: Healthcare Crisis in America, Entitlements, Cutbacks and Lost Coverage.

So whether you are making up an approach for the phone or the door, power words make up for a lot of extra sentences.