101 Sales & Marketing Ideas*

From … how to research and obtain referrals, why it’s important to listen to clients, what to do with social media, where to advertise and what to say … to how to use a questionnaire, court records, a disposable phone and a dead Ken doll to boost sales.

Insurance Journal has listened to readers, spoken with experts, scoured columns and articles and even gone outside insurance circles to find sales and marketing tips. Here are 101 ideas in no particular order. Also included are 24 bonus ideas found only in this digital issue.

1. Expand Geographic Scope. Expand your geographic scope. The best accounts may be a car ride or plane flight away.
—Patrick T. Linnert, MarshBerry

2. Missed Signals. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the pitch, and miss signals from the insured. Listen and be attentive.
—Jeff English, broker, W. Brown & Associates Insurance Services

3. Client Next Door. When visiting a client, always make a point of introducing yourself to the businesses next to them and across the street – for every client you see, you’ll be exploring two or three more potential new ones. If you have 50 clients, that’s an easy way to meet another 100 to 150 prospective clients in a time-efficient and convenient manner.
—David E. Estrada, founder and managing director, Rainmaker Advisory

4. New Client Questionnaires. Develop a short questionnaire and require the applicant to complete it as part of your new quote process. Virtually every physician’s office and many attorneys, accountants, and other professionals employ them. Use the form to gather valuable marketing data such as how the person found you, their policy expiration dates, general insurance preferences and more – all on a single, easy-to-answer page.
—Alan Shulman and Agency Ideas sales and marketing newsletter, www.agencyideas.com

5. Soft Market. Stop relying on a turn in the soft market to rescue you.
—Anonymous

6. Miniature Briefcase. I used to have a cardholder that was a miniature briefcase (you’d open it just like a briefcase). I’d tell prospects, ‘Everything you need to know about insurance is in this briefcase.’ I’d lay it down, open it up and give them my card.
—Christopher J. Boggs, Insurance Journal’s Academy of Insurance

7. Differentiate. If you sound and behave like everyone else, you will be treated like a commodity and price will be the only differentiator.
—Frank Pennachio, co-founder, The WorkComp Advisory Group

8. Agency Affiliation. Affiliate with another agency that knows the industry you want to target and has the right markets.
—Unknown

9. IdeaPaint. This product is an unusual paint that turns virtually any wall into a dry-erase board. It permits you to write on the painted wall with colorful dry markers and erase it with ease. Writing on a clean wall, when it’s unexpected, adds drama to an insurance sales presentation. For instance, you can dramatically list a new prospect’s insurance ‘flaws’ on the wall and then line out those that your proposal resolves. Or draw the classic ‘big T’ and list the reasons to buy from you on the left side of the ‘T line.’ Then, invite the prospect to list the reasons why he should stay where he is on the right. The impact of your sales message is magnified when it’s written in this manner instead of just displayed on the traditional conference room PC, TV, easel, or whiteboard. Visit www.ideapaint.com for product details.
—Alan Shulman and Agency Ideas sales and marketing newsletter, www.agencyideas.com

10. Access Trade Groups. Advertise in trade publications for your niche businesses and have booths at their association trade fairs.
—Gordon Sorrel, Texas Insurance & Financial Services Inc.

11. Keep It Simple. Keep it simple; make sure they understand what you are leaving behind for their review and study.
—Michael Iser, Associated Agencies Inc.

12. Hire Outside Help. Don’t be afraid to hire outside help for your marketing efforts. Determine how much an hour of your time is worth, then investigate how much a professional marketing person charges. You may realize it pays to get professional help instead of struggling with your marketing efforts alone.
—Nancy Germond, www.insurancewriter.com

13. Green Expert. Become an insurance expert in green building, cyber liability, new professional fields or other emerging risks.
—Multiple sources

14. Checklists. Utilize checklists to make sure all exposures, coverages and opportunities are addressed with every client.
—Multiple sources

15. Just Say No. Learn how to say no to bad prospects.
—Gary Eilenfield, Hamilton Brewart Insurance Agency LLC

16. Dedicate Time. Book time every week, just like an appointment, dedicated to new client generation – and leave it as a standing appointment. No matter how busy you get managing clients or attending to administrative issues, you’ll always have that time dedicated to filling your pipeline.
—David E. Estrada, founder and managing director, Rainmaker Advisory

17. Don’t Push. Learn how to take no for an answer. Don’t be too pushy; you’re still not going to get anywhere after the third no!
—Gary Eilenfield, Hamilton Brewart Insurance Agency

18. Triage Your Proposal. Make your commercial insurance proposal more than just a list of coverages with prices. Turn it into a well thought out business ‘survival plan,’ by organizing your coverage recommendations into these three categories: critical, recommended and optional. They are the same basic categories used by software publishers to rank their updates.
—Alan Shulman and Agency Ideas sales and marketing newsletter, www.agencyideas.com

19. Referral Sources. Your clients are the best referral resources to help bring more of the insurance business that your agency wants and needs. Always ask for referrals.
—Tammy Elizabeth Southin, president/creative director, Insurepronews Creative Solutions Inc.

20. Be Patient. Don’t be in a hurry to make the sale … be a true problem solver, a knowledgeable consultant and a trustworthy adviser for your clients. The sales will follow. And you’ll keep those clients for a long period of time. A sale isn’t just about price. It’s about the right solutions for your client’s issues.
—Susanne Waite, Partners Specialty Group

21. Perception / Perceptual contrast. Offer them something ugly at the beginning so then when you offer them the ‘normal’ offer they perceive it better than it actually is.
—Unknown

22. Understand Their Values. Make sure you take the time to understand what the prospective client considers value, and then it will be much easier to diagnose how to make the sale.
—Zachary Hirsch, Hirsch Insurance

23. Half a Quote. Prepare an estimated re-quote based on the facts that you have on hand about your ex-client. Format it as a one-page, two-column executive summary. Once it’s completed, vertically tear it down the middle. Mail the left side of the page (the half with the coverages and limits, but without the premiums) to the prospect along with a handwritten note asking to meet for 15 minutes so you can show them the other half.
—Alan Shulman and Agency Ideas sales and marketing newsletter, www.agencyideas.com

24. Provocative Questions. Ask your potential clients a question that hooks their interest and engages their brain. “What would it mean to you personally if your business outpaced your competitor’s by 20 percent?” or, “How would your company culture change if your people were aligned with your business objectives?” Provocative questions like these and others get potential clients to start visualizing a better reality for themselves, one that ultimately includes you.
—Amy K. Hutchens, founder and intelligence activist with AmyK Inc.

25. Target Personal Lines. For personal lines marketing, we combine new social media with a tried-and-true direct mail campaign. We maintain expiration dates from new home sales dates, and send postcard reminders 60, 40, and 20 days ahead of a homeowner’s policy expiration date. Our mailer prints the expiration date on the card over the address to create deadline urgency for the prospect. The combination of these mailed reminders and ongoing SEO efforts provides us with a constant stream of in-bound leads.
—Geoffrey A. Gordon, Andrew G. Gordon Inc.

26. Same Name. Google doctors, lawyers or other professionals who share your own name. They will likely take a call from someone with their name.
—California wine broker David Rosen in Inc. Magazine

27. Be Territorial. Treat your territory as if it is your business. The territory you have is your bricks and mortar business. What do you need to do to make it profitable? Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Do not be afraid to approach your territory differently than what you are observing. Have metrics… learn your prospecting-to-close ratio, keep enough quality prospects in the pipeline, plan and plan and plan more, find a mentor, set goals and go get ’em.
—Alice Kemper, president, Sales Training Consultants

28. Prepare for Battle. Arm your producers to do battle. Give them a differentiation story to sell, pipeline management systems and a sophisticated service staff.
—Patrick T. Linnert, MarshBerry

29. Umbrellas. Suggest and quote umbrella coverage for every personal and commercial account that does not have an umbrella.
—Multiple sources

30. Review Auto Limits. Use clients’ auto liability limits to discover what assets they are protecting. This provides a valuable cross-selling opportunity for asset-protected products such as annuities and CV life insurance.
—Jeffrey T. Cavicchi, C&C Insurance Solutions, d/b/a Great Florida Insurance

31. Become a ‘Go-To’ Person. Provide services that eliminate your client’s workload. A great way to ensure long-term sales is by becoming the client’s go-to person. I always remind my sales staff that they don’t work for me, they work for the clients. Whether it’s offering advice or assisting with a project, clients will notice, appreciate and reward a job well done.
—Bobette Puckett, president, Alper Services

32. Investigate the Risks. Find out what risks your markets want to write and target your marketing toward those risks.
—Frank Swingle, Swingle Collins & Associates

33. Be Consistent. While it’s great to hear “superstar” stories about employees that go above and beyond for customers, the most powerful tiebreaker in today’s marketplace is consistency. If customers know that no matter who they deal with in your company, they will receive the same level of great service every single time, that’s the most powerful differentiator there is.
—Joe Calloway, partner, Engage Consulting Group

34. Research Clients. Research every lead or introduction so that you have a running start and can shape your approach mentioning specific points about that firm and how you might be of service to them. The most effective approaches have some element of specificity to the prospective client’s situation obtained through basic research.
—David E. Estrada, founder and managing director, Rainmaker Advisory

35. Timing and Presentation. Ensure that all calls are returned in a timely manner. I use a 90-minute rule! If not, return all calls and e-mails by day’s end.
—Drew J. Stevens, founder, Stevens Consulting Group

36. Explain Value. Anyone can say, “call us if you need us.” It’s the value you give the other 364 days of the year. So I have to ask, “what value are you getting?” to really get the buyer to realize that I am different.
—Andrew Muller, Commonwealth Insurance Group

37. Get on Facebook. If you don’t already have one, get a Facebook page and start the prospecting process by following the businesses that you are looking to sell. You will know exactly what is on their minds right now!
—Ben Beauchaine, Encharter Insurance

38. Immediate Quotes. When possible, quote over the phone or same day. Independents can use the comparative rater to enter information and provide preliminary quotes right over the phone. My close ratio is over 50 percent using this method.
—Dawn R. Post, Riley Insurance Agency

39. Survey Clients. We have been successful using SurveyMonkey.com. We survey all our new clients and monthly surveys to current clients to see how we are doing and we ask questions such as “Are you interested in a quote for life insurance?”
—Rick Dinger, Crescenta Valley Insurance

40. Get Published. Have an article published in a trade publication and use reprints in your marketing kit.
—Unknown

41. Target Radio. Advertising is often better on the radio because people can’t get up and get out of the car during the ads.
—Chris Sudduth, Ark Insurance Group Inc.

42. Handwritten Notes. Send handwritten notes – not just to your biggest clients and not just after the sale. With all the electronic communication today, a handwritten note lets your client know you care enough to take the time to write and mail the note.
—Caron Abbott, Fortress Insurance Partners

43. Referrals From Former Insureds. Ask for a consolation prize whenever a quality insured leaves you or a prospect turns down your proposal for valid business reasons. They may be familiar with other quality businesses that you can help. Request an in-person referral but settle with an introductory e-mail, LinkedIn recommendation or phone call on your behalf.
—Alan Shulman and Agency Ideas sales and marketing newsletter, www.agencyideas.com

44. Social Networking. Don’t be afraid to dive in and build a strategy around online communication and social networking – these new tools offer you many new ways to reach customers and promote your brand. At the same time, a simple handwritten note allows you to connect on a personal level like no other medium.
—Brian P. Douglas, director of Marketing & Strategic Development, Berkley Net Underwriters

45. Determining Needs. Insurance salespeople should always start by determining what the individual needs of the specific customer are. Once those are defined, the salesperson should be able to tailor the products to those needs and have the flexibility to offer different options in order to satisfy the customer. Any member of the sales team should be able to make sure that they are being consistent in their dealings with customers, including in the quoting process across all channels whether they speak to them in person, on the phone or online.
—Jacques Soumeillan, CEO, Cameleon Software

46. Discover Need. Everyone has some sort of sly joke about insurance sales. Show them you are different. Create value. Probe. Find out what they want before telling them what they need. Only then would you begin to explain how your solution equates to an improvement in their situation.
—Adrian Miller, president, Adrian Miller Sales Training

47. Presentation. Any and all staff should be well-versed in customer service culture. Eschew the folly of trends. Refrain from the bromide trends of “casual day.” Always be prepared to visit a customer. Buy good clothes and resources (i.e., wallet, brief case and yes, a pen) to emulate the part. Have good vocabulary and become well-versed to speak with economic buyers.
—Drew J. Stevens, founder, Stevens Consulting Group

48. Fight The Status Quo. Status quo is the competition. Often your product or service means the buyer needs to “change” and we know the resistance people have toward change. Talk with customers in terms of where they are today, where they need to be tomorrow and the risks if they stay status quo or the rewards if they take action. People want business-to-business discussions, not buyer-to-vendor.
—Alice Kemper, president, Sales Training Consultants

49. CGL Limits. Suggest increased CGL limits.
—Multiple sources

50. Get Referrals. Referral selling is the easiest and most effective way to boost sales. When we are introduced to a referral, we convert a prospect to a client more than 50 percent of the time. Make referrals a priority. Create referral metrics, build skills in referral selling and become comfortable in asking. Have a written referral sales plan, written weekly goals and ways to track and measure referrals.
—Joanne S. Black, founder, No More Cold Calling

51. Target Referral-Rich Clients. Become obsessed with targeting, connecting and bringing value to people who can refer you.
—Eric Taylor, author, Mastering the World of Selling

52. Value Empathy. It is more important for an insurance producer to assist the buyers in discovering their risks and threats, than to help them understand your (company’s) solutions.
—Frank Pennachio, co-founder, The WorkComp Advisory Group

53. Trade Down. Trade down your small accounts. Free up your time to write larger accounts.
—Patrick T. Linnert, MarshBerry

54. The Obvious Question. The first thing I tell salespeople when meeting a new or potential client is to ask the client what he or she wants. It’s a simple question, but one that often gets overlooked in insurance and which is so vital for finding ways to deliver.
—Bobette Puckett, president, Alper Services

55. Be Well-Rounding. Contact your existing client base and round out the account. If your client has property and liability insurance with you but not workers’ compensation, offer them a quote.
—Ramon Montalvo III, principal, Montalvo Insurance Agency

56. Develop an Elevator Pitch. Create a communication strategy or elevator pitch that defines what you do and with whom, including your target market. Develop a list of centers of influence – not prospects – with whom you need to share your communication strategy for their advice, insight and recommendations
—Michael Goldberg, founder, Building Blocks Consulting

57. Stay Updated. It’s easy to forget your inventory of prospects and next steps for each – update your pipeline every day and use it as your to-do-list.
—David E. Estrada, founder and managing director, Rainmaker Advisory

58. Maximize Contacts. Contact potential customers six times to maximize conversion rates. Call three times during the first day, once on the third day, once on the fourth day and a sixth and final time on the 11th or 12th day.
—Leads360.com

59. Wrong Numbers. There is no such thing as a wrong number. Give your quick pitch anyway and see what happens.
—California wine broker David Rosen in Inc. Magazine

60. Semi-Annual Reviews. Ask for an introduction to a prospective client during your semi-annual review with clients – statistically, if you get one during a semi-annual review you have a 94 percent chance of renewing that client.
—David E. Estrada, founder and managing director, Rainmaker Advisory

61. Play the Numbers Game. The more people you contact, the chances of closing a sale increases. If you call on 10 people, you may get three opportunities to give a quote, and then at least one of those will result in a new sale.
—Ramon Montalvo III, principal, Montalvo Insurance Agency

62. Easiest to Do Business With. Look at every aspect of how you interface with customers and correct anything that makes you theleast bit difficult to do business with. Are your invoices clear and easily understood? Is your Web site easy to navigate? Do you empower employees to say “yes” to customers without always having to get approval? Be easy to deal with and win more business.
—Joe Calloway, partner, Engage Consulting Group

63. Top 5. Ask your top five clients who their CPAs, bankers, and law firms are and request an introduction to them.
—David E. Estrada, founder and managing director, Rainmaker Advisory

64. Monthly Target. Instead of trying to market to the world, select a niche and market to that same group of prospective customers every month. Marketing repetition builds trust and brand loyalty. So, only market to a group of people (or businesses) that you can afford to market to every single month.
—Peter Geisheker, CEO, The Geisheker Group Marketing Firm

65. Dead Ken Doll. One life insurance agent used to carry a miniature coffin with a “Ken” doll laid out in it. He’d take it out of his briefcase before his presentation and put it to the side. He never mentioned it; he just made sure the prospect could see it. At the end of his presentation he would put it back in his briefcase; having never made mention of it. Weird if not effective.
—Christopher Boggs, Insurance Journal’s Academy of Insurance

66. Free Audits. Suggest free personal insurance audits for key employees of all commercial accounts.

67. 800 Numbers. Start promoting an easy-to-remember phone number such as 1-800-insurance. Much more memorable than the usual phone number. Any calls in your chosen area codes will be routed automatically to you.
—Telename Communications, www.telename.com

68. Carrier Advertising. Especially in smaller markets, co-advertise with carriers on radio and local television.
—Chris Sudduth, Ark Insurance Group Inc.

69. Mix It Up. If attending mixers, never bring business cards – ask for theirs! Also, never go alone – bring another business developer you trade business with, e.g. a banker, a CPA or a client!
—David E. Estrada, founder and managing director, Rainmaker Advisory LLC

70. Sales Culture. Switch to a sales culture. Institute a sales culture of making calls and work on things you have a good chance of writing.
—Frank Swingle, Swingle Collins & Associates

71. Become an Expert. Develop niches; become experts in those classes of business and work with markets that like to write them.
—Gordon Sorrel, Texas Insurance & Financial Services Inc.

72. Wealth Management Partners. Partner with wealth managers and benefits agencies for referrals and marketing.
—Josh Hamman, Hamman Insurance Group

73. Top Tier. Segment all current personal lines accounts into at least three tiers. Assess the revenue potential for the top-tiered accounts and focus on improving offerings and customer service for those.
—Unknown

74. Voice Mail Message. Congratulate a person or firm for being featured in a trade magazine, mentioned in the newspaper, running a nice ad, developing a popular Web site or Facebook page, having lots of LinkedIn recommendations or Twitter followers, etc. Note that this type of exposure is both good and bad for business. Fortunately, the bad part can be insured against, and that you’ll be glad to discuss how, once the person calls you back.
—Alan Shulman and Agency Ideas sales and marketing newsletter, www.agencyideas.com

75. New Client Attention. Include a section on your Web site that recognizes new clients. People love to read their own names. This will drive traffic to your Web site where these clients, and people to whom they e-mail the link, can review your product offerings. It’s great for customer satisfaction and generating referrals.
—Grant Christensen, CEO, Pastime Management Group

76. Court Records. Get referrals from traffic lawyers, traffic schools and traffic court for sub standard auto insurance. You will lose 50 percent of these clients when the SR22 filing drops off, but you will increase sales several percent a year and develop increased sales as these bad drivers become older and sensible drivers whom you can convert to standard insurance, homeowners, life, etc.
—Ted Costa

77. Schedule Success. Schedule in your calendar the days and times each week that you will prospect for new clients, follow-up calls, and referrals.
—Lia Tutt, financial analyst, speaker, author and consultant

78. ‘If We Talked’ Transcripts. Some insureds simply won’t respond to letters, e-mails and phone messages. The reasons vary, but the bottom line is if you want to sell them, keep up the contacts. One way is to use an “If We Talked” approach. Record your main selling points as if you were conversing with the person in an imaginary transcript and mail it to the client.
—Alan Shulman and Agency Ideas sales and marketing newsletter, www.agencyideas.com

79. Social Resource. Start developing social media presences on Web sites where your customers can commonly be found and then provide them with information that can prove useful. Don’t turn your social media profile into a sales pitch. Instead, try answering questions relevant to your expertise and provide resources where consumers can find more information about a specific type of insurance. Be a resource and your potential clients will come to you.
—Mandy Boyle, SEO specialist, Solid Cactus

80. Disposable Phones. Buy a disposable phone, send it to the prospect with a note that you will be calling them to discuss their insurance and risk management on a specific date and time. Call it and see if they answer. Most folks won’t throw it away because they know it cost you money.
—Unknown

81. Weekly Measure. Have your sales team track and report to each other what they accomplished in the previous week every Monday morning. Hold them accountable for how they handle their time.
—RJ Weiss, Weiss Insurance Agencies

82. Brand Self. Brand yourself, not just your business. When you and the personal value you add become part of the equation, you now have a distinct offering for the public. You can separate yourself from the herd. Even if your products do cost more, people will be more willing to pay for them.
—Loretta Love Huff, marketing consultant, speaker and certified business/executive coach

83. Knock on Old Doors. Call back every client you ever sold to. Make repeat sales to those whom you’ve sold before. You are proven to them. That personal call is so much more valued than the mass e-mails that go out. The one who bought before either likes you or they don’t!
—BJ Rodgers

84. Ask, Listen. Ask more than you talk and listen to the answers. Find the obstacles the prospect is dealing with related to your offering and sell the solution for those obstacles.
—Beverly Flaxington, author

85. Review Your Assets. Target your market. Review the data on your top 20 clients. Look for commonalities among them. Patterns will emerge that will help you fine-tune your prospecting methods to attract more of those same types of people.
—Tom Hopkins, sales trainer and business author

86. Become the Sale. Stop selling and be valuable, be relevant, be useful to your prospects and clients. If you understand them, they will want to work with you. Know what drives them; understand their pains, fears and frustrations. Have solutions for those concerns and you will have very happy clients.
—Denise M. Grazaiano, Graziano Associates

87. Campaign for Sales. Public speaking is a fantastic way to boost sales. You present a topic that showcases your expertise on a subject important to your buying audience. If your topic and audience are on target and you avoid being too salesy, you’ll walk away with a calendar full of prospect appointments, new referral sources and requests for future speaking gigs.
—Leslie Guria, SpeakingBonanza.com

88. Don’t Be A Stranger. Stay in constant contact with all of your existing customers by e-mail, direct mail, and phone calls. If you want loyal customers, you must build relationships and that means staying in contact at least once a month, month after month. Customers will leave you because another company is spending the time and money to communicate with them more than you are.
—Peter Geisheker, CEO, The Geisheker Group Marketing Firm

89. Be One. The whole company serves the customer, not just the sales and marketing people, but production, human resources, financial and research people as well.
—Jeffrey Fox, business author

90. Not Just at Renewal. Customers have been led to expect to hear from their insurance agent at renewal times. Be different: Call them midway through their term. Don’t just ask, “How’s it going?” Probe for ways that their life has changed or is expected to change so you come to know their current needs.
—Troy Harrison, business author and president, SalesForce Solutions

91. The Power of News. Mail a written newsletter out to clients, prospects and other businesses. The key to the newsletter is that it has to be regular and mailed every single month for maximum impact.
—Diane Conklin, marketing consultant

92. Off-Season Greetings. Send Thanksgiving or other unusual holiday greetings (July 4th, Arbor Day) to clients. They’ll remember them long after they remember your Christmas card out of the stack they get.
—Unknown

93. Collect and Repeat. Testimonials: Collect them and repeat them frequently.
—Drew J. Stevens, business author

94. Policy Just Renewed. Some producers solicit new business in the weeks just prior to a policy’s expiration; others charge in mid-term trying to get a jump on their rivals. Both work. But if you discover that a firm’s policies were just renewed, don’t despair. Simply target the prospect’s post-sale period of uncertainty and offer to provide a ‘buyer’s remorse’ review. Your prompt second opinion can open an unsure person’s mind to many valid criticisms.
—Alan Shulman and Agency Ideas sales and marketing newsletter, www.agencyideas.com

95. Produce. The word “produce” means to create or manufacture something new. Establish minimum annual new business requirements for producers.
—Patrick T. Linnert, MarshBerry

96. Can’t Say ‘Yes’. Never take “no” from someone who can’t say “yes.” Keep in mind that the one asking the question controls the conversation. Find out early if the person you’re speaking to can make the decision to purchase insurance.
—JoAn Majors, author and consultant

97. Peer Grouping. Ask your clients if they participate in any peer groups and ask if you can do a presentation on a topic of interest during one of their meetings. It’s a great way to get in front of a lot potential buyers on a favorable basis.
—David E. Estrada, founder and managing director, Rainmaker Advisory

98. Who Are Your Main Competitors? The answer, or the intentional lack of one, reveals a prospect’s sincerity about doing business with you. When names are provided, you’ll learn what class the firm places itself in and you may pick up some leads. If the prospect resists this basic inquiry, the person is unveiling an uncooperative nature that bodes poorly for a future relationship.Alan Shulman and Agency Ideas sales and marketing newsletter, www.agencyideas.com

99. LinkedIn 100. Have at least 100 contacts on LinkedIn. You’ll be amazed at how much networking you’ll be able to do.
—David E. Estrada, founder and managing director, Rainmaker Advisory

100. Prospecting by Proximity. Whenever you insure firms that are located within an office building, shopping center, industrial park, a converted factory, etc., tour the premises to identify additional businesses that you would like to write.
—Alan Shulman and Agency Ideas sales and marketing newsletter, www.agencyideas.com

101. Charitable Giving. Support local charities. Ninety percent of small businesses support local charitable organizations and nonprofits. This goodwill reflects positively on small businesses in local communities and does not go unnoticed, especially as the public becomes more aware of the struggles that local charities are experiencing in today’s economy.
—Cherryplanet.com

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*Digital Bonus: More Sales & Marketing Ideas

102. Don’t Rely. Stop relying on a turn in the soft market to rescue you.
—Unknown

103. One Question. One question insurance brokers ought to ask their clients is: Do you own any collector vehicles or collectibles?
—Laura Bergan, American Collectors Insurance

104. Celebrate Wins. Celebrating successes reminds you of the goal you set and why you set it in the first place, motivates your team to continue delivering good work and builds momentum for you and your team.
—Brenda Bence, Brand Development Associates International

105. Scientific Assessment. Utilize scientifically proven data based assessment tools paired with individualized sales training from a company like PI Worldwide. A Web-based assessment tool determines each producer’s current strengths and areas of growth. Then address those with a training course. Sales managers also benefit by knowing where producers need help.
—Tom Minkler, president, Clark-Mortenson Agency Inc.

106. Everything In Life. You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people to get what they want.
—Zig Ziglar

107. Language Matters. That’s why you must never refer to the incumbent agent or carrier as “your current insurer.” Instead, blanket define them as “your old policies” and what you are proposing as “your new insurance.” These simple descriptive terms presuppose that the prospect will switch to you. If there is no visible or verbal objection to their use, or better, the prospect parrots them back to you, you should move on to closing the sale.
—Alan Shulman and Agency Ideas sales and marketing newsletter, www.agencyideas.com

108. Beware of E-mail Lists. Don’t buy any list and send an e-mail. It is SPAM, illegal, and maybe worse brand degrading.
—Julian Aston, intouch Business Inc.

109. Ask Alarm Firms to Recommend You. Alarm installation companies come in varying sizes, from one-man companies to major concerns. Each one has a client base of solid P/C prospects: the security-conscious commercial and residential property owners they do business with. Their sales people already talk about insurance, in terms of credits for the alarm products and monitoring services they sell, so it’s not a big step for them to also suggest your agency’s services. Starting point: Provide each security firm in your marketing territory with laminated charts for each alarm sales rep that shows the typical insurance credits given for each type of approved alarm that they sell.
—Alan Shulman and Agency Ideas sales and marketing newsletter, www.agencyideas.com

110. Demonstrate Value. You don’t have to have the lowest price, but you do have to demonstrate that you’re a great deal. Never take for granted that your customers understand that you’re worth what you charge. Spell it out for them. Educate your customers. It’s not their job to see your value, it’s your job to show them. Value can also be as simple as sending seven when the customer orders six.
—Joe Calloway, a partner in Engage Consulting Group

111. Round Out. Round accounts and cross-sell; establish a referral program.
—Gordon Sorrel, Texas Insurance & Financial Services Inc.

112. Single Ads. Advertise to singles, not just families.
—Unknown

113. Employee Seminars. Hold group insurance seminars for employees to clear up questions and use the opportunity to gain personal lines lead.
—Unknown

114. Linking In. When asking for introductions, it helps looking at LinkedIn to see who their contacts are, doing some research on the companies those contacts are associated with, and prompting them with two or three names you obtained from your research with a few points you discovered about their companies and why you think you can help them.
—David E Estrada, founder and managing director, Rainmaker Advisory LLC

115. First Call. Be the first agent to call on new businesses in your community. But only write the accounts you feel have promise and are well-managed.
—Unknown

116. Last Call. Remember, you only have to succeed the last time.
—Brian Tracy

117. Research Has Value. The number one way to impact your bottom line is through research. Find out what product or service your organization offers (that your client doesn’t already have) and then offer it. If your client is content with the work your sales team is already doing, they are more likely to make your company a one-stop shop.
—Bobette Puckett, president, Alper Services

118. Get Introductions. Ask for introductions not referrals – introductions have less implied responsibility for a good connection being made and are easier to obtain.
—David E Estrada, founder and managing director, Rainmaker Advisory LLC

119. Scour the Chambers. Review the Chamber of Commerce membership list and contact members.
—Ramon Montalvo III, principal, Montalvo Insurance Agency

120. Easy Switch. Make it as easy and stress-free as possible for prospects to switch their business from their current agency/carrier to your agency.
—Unknown

121. Educate Thyself. Don’t skimp on training or education for yourself or your staff.
—Christopher J. Boggs, Insurance Journal’s Academy of Insurance

122. Find New Markets. Check with your carriers and www.mynewmarkets.com regularly for new programs.
—Amy O’Connor, www.MyNewMarkest.com

123. Keep Trying. Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
—Dale Carnegie

124. Do Right Thing. Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.
—Peter Drucker

125. Achieve. You have to do what others won’t. To achieve what others don’t.
—Anonymous

Topics Texas Auto Agencies Market Training Development