What a poorly written article — free advertising for a business that “freaking” rehashes old telemarketing techniques.
Especially love the parts about how they treat their employees like garbage, and how the COO “describes the challenge as ‘freakin’ complicated.'”
Or the big finish:
“For long after the frenetic Astonish presenters have soared home on flying boomboxes, there comes a fleeting thought that maybe the sales pitch is still rolling on in your mind. Suddenly you have the greatest thirst in the world, and set out to find some Kool-Aid.”
Remember how the term “drinking the kool aid” was coined. Kudos to the creator of Astonish repackaging old sales techniques and making them cool. There is always money in selling people the ways to make money – ie:make money in real estate, no money down. Go to the website, its not telling you to much.
These folks charge a large fortune for their services. Since I haven’t used their services and they’re quite vague in their sales presentation I can’t speak for the quality of the product. Quick to fire says everything I need to know. I’ve never met someone that can’t be trained to the ways of my agency. The only ones that I’m quick to fire are those who are too lazy to work. Quick to fire means your people are disposable. I’m not running that kind of shop.
The fact that the article reveals the “quick-to-fire” and other attitudes of this firm makes it a good article, in my view. I doubt that the firm is a good fit for many agents but at least we know what they are up to.
As a young agent in the insurance field I find the majority of the negative comments made here laughable. These are not old tactics introduced in a new light. In fact I’m guessing the people who made these comments are old agents with a myopic vision of the future. In fact every industry is becoming more “digital” and the only way to shape our organizations to adapt is to embrace the technology wave that is happening right in front of our faces(and has been for years). Throw out your typical marketing campaigns people…because in 5-10 years when our generation has reached the point where they have more than one insurable interest (1=auto) they will be seeking agencies on the cutting edge. An example of this: 10 year old children currently use facebook and do so frequently. They often have cell phone, in fact many have smart phones. They all use advanced technology (ipods,playstation etc) and are computer savvy. Imagine what they will demand from industries when they are 25 or 30 yrs old?
Instead of making negative comments, how about you offer a critique or some advice. What do you do that is better? @MATT
Couldn’t agree more. I just didn’t want to tell them they were old and that we were going to be buying their book at a discount since it will be diminishing over the next couple years.
You either work for this company or have no clue. Everything they are advocating is old news from the 1990’s. Get e-mail addresses, multi-line, blah…blah…blah. Get a good spot on Google. They are vague on purpose to make you think something revolutionary is going on.
I’ve been creating my database since 2000. If you’re slow to hire and quick to fire and start treating customers as a digital number, you devalue our industry. Why do I have a 97% retention rate? Because I don’t listen to these “rock n roll” tactics. What good are 1500 new applications if you lose 750 of them due to your “I’m a young agent out to take over the world” attitude. My guess is you haven’t been in the industry long enough to have retention discussions with your carriers. I’d rather write 750 policies the right way thank you.
Wrong boys, not an old agent at all. Just dont like cheesey sales pitches. I’ll buy both your books quite easily. Google the firm then talk. I constantly am mining data etc, and have also spent money on firms to perpetuate sales culture. Just not dropping the coins these guys are looking for. If they want to really be “cool”, partner up with client firms for a piece of the growth. Not just a pump and run.
The only Jim Jones insurance firm I found is in Texas and it is an Astonish agency. Not sure if you are pulling our legs here. Jim Jones and the Kool-Aid mess and then Jim Jones insurance is an Astonish agency and its all about drinking the kool-aid. Someone is pulling someone’s leg here and i am not sure who.
The sale ideas are old but they are packaged in a very automated format and I believe they will work. But I am a small agency and the $2000+ monthly fee they charge will keep them out of my agency.
Your missing the boat here. What you mention about achieving a 97% retention rate is implicit for success in the insurance business.
Superior customer service and establishing a relationship with customers is essential–and does not need to be discussed. Etc etc etc to all your other comments about data mining and gathering emails. BORING!
These tasks/processes are already known and well defined. However this article is about other things, things which you clearly are not realizing. This is about using technology to make these already simple processes easier, efficient, and more cost effective. Also the main point is that technology can be used in for BETTER and more INNOVATIVE ways to attract a new clientel.
I’m wondering if you have a blackberry, iphone, or Altel device (old news)? Do you use unique phone numbers from online services to track advertising campaigns? Are you ready for the social networking generation? How about texting customers? How about a unique barcode for your agency that can be scanned by smart phone users so that they may join your mobile “group” and get updates from your agency?
This is just the beginning of what you call a “revolution.” BUT it is not a revolution it is called social change and has been happening rapidly for the last 200 years.
I dont represent this company or use them to market my agency. However, when I read the article a light bulb went off and I said “hey this is what I’m trying to do, these people are drinking MY kool-aide.”
If you like the ideas I present here, or if you dislike them, Email me at ken.prince.jr@gmail.com to discuss.
A lot of people dont know this but, if there was really cyanide in the Jim Jones cool aide the faces of the people would have been horribly disfigured during their death.
But that was not the case, in fact the whole cult story was just a cover up for some other covert activity.
To clarify, this article was unsolicited. Like any reputable news outlet, Insurance Journal has a strict policy against combining advertising and editorial. Astonish was approached by Insurance Journal for the piece and provided special access to a third party journalist.
“Unethical” – If you feel as though you are being spammed, please call or send an email via our website and we’ll remedy the situation ASAP.
It ran in the November PRINT issue of IJ but I am not aware of a previous online posting of this article.
We have sponsored webcasts and been included in IJ.com previously but I am not aware of this article running online before yesterday. If I am wrong, I apologize.
You’ve got to be pretty dull to think the article is a paid advertisement, or even mostly positive. If I were paying for publicity, I’d be annoyed that the author was pulling the curtain on the company’s ethos of overstatement, Kool-Aid and controlled disclosure. Check out a “Rough Notes” profile if you want to see what a cheerleading piece really looks like.
What a poorly written article — free advertising for a business that “freaking” rehashes old telemarketing techniques.
Especially love the parts about how they treat their employees like garbage, and how the COO “describes the challenge as ‘freakin’ complicated.'”
Or the big finish:
“For long after the frenetic Astonish presenters have soared home on flying boomboxes, there comes a fleeting thought that maybe the sales pitch is still rolling on in your mind. Suddenly you have the greatest thirst in the world, and set out to find some Kool-Aid.”
Seriously, IJ, what the “freak” is this crap?
Remember how the term “drinking the kool aid” was coined. Kudos to the creator of Astonish repackaging old sales techniques and making them cool. There is always money in selling people the ways to make money – ie:make money in real estate, no money down. Go to the website, its not telling you to much.
These folks charge a large fortune for their services. Since I haven’t used their services and they’re quite vague in their sales presentation I can’t speak for the quality of the product. Quick to fire says everything I need to know. I’ve never met someone that can’t be trained to the ways of my agency. The only ones that I’m quick to fire are those who are too lazy to work. Quick to fire means your people are disposable. I’m not running that kind of shop.
The fact that the article reveals the “quick-to-fire” and other attitudes of this firm makes it a good article, in my view. I doubt that the firm is a good fit for many agents but at least we know what they are up to.
Slow to hire, quick to fire is good business sense. Google the phrase. It is a recommended practice.
We are Astonish customers but we have always subscribed to that phrase. They have a good product, but its not for everyone.
“The difficult part about building a world-class sales culture is that we are human freakin’ beings, and we suck.”
Seriously What??????
The COO said it himself, it’s pretty freakin complicated.
I need to work up my own scam and retire.
As a young agent in the insurance field I find the majority of the negative comments made here laughable. These are not old tactics introduced in a new light. In fact I’m guessing the people who made these comments are old agents with a myopic vision of the future. In fact every industry is becoming more “digital” and the only way to shape our organizations to adapt is to embrace the technology wave that is happening right in front of our faces(and has been for years). Throw out your typical marketing campaigns people…because in 5-10 years when our generation has reached the point where they have more than one insurable interest (1=auto) they will be seeking agencies on the cutting edge. An example of this: 10 year old children currently use facebook and do so frequently. They often have cell phone, in fact many have smart phones. They all use advanced technology (ipods,playstation etc) and are computer savvy. Imagine what they will demand from industries when they are 25 or 30 yrs old?
Instead of making negative comments, how about you offer a critique or some advice. What do you do that is better? @MATT
Couldn’t agree more. I just didn’t want to tell them they were old and that we were going to be buying their book at a discount since it will be diminishing over the next couple years.
You either work for this company or have no clue. Everything they are advocating is old news from the 1990’s. Get e-mail addresses, multi-line, blah…blah…blah. Get a good spot on Google. They are vague on purpose to make you think something revolutionary is going on.
I’ve been creating my database since 2000. If you’re slow to hire and quick to fire and start treating customers as a digital number, you devalue our industry. Why do I have a 97% retention rate? Because I don’t listen to these “rock n roll” tactics. What good are 1500 new applications if you lose 750 of them due to your “I’m a young agent out to take over the world” attitude. My guess is you haven’t been in the industry long enough to have retention discussions with your carriers. I’d rather write 750 policies the right way thank you.
Wrong boys, not an old agent at all. Just dont like cheesey sales pitches. I’ll buy both your books quite easily. Google the firm then talk. I constantly am mining data etc, and have also spent money on firms to perpetuate sales culture. Just not dropping the coins these guys are looking for. If they want to really be “cool”, partner up with client firms for a piece of the growth. Not just a pump and run.
Jim,
The only Jim Jones insurance firm I found is in Texas and it is an Astonish agency. Not sure if you are pulling our legs here. Jim Jones and the Kool-Aid mess and then Jim Jones insurance is an Astonish agency and its all about drinking the kool-aid. Someone is pulling someone’s leg here and i am not sure who.
The sale ideas are old but they are packaged in a very automated format and I believe they will work. But I am a small agency and the $2000+ monthly fee they charge will keep them out of my agency.
Mr. Solvent.
Your missing the boat here. What you mention about achieving a 97% retention rate is implicit for success in the insurance business.
Superior customer service and establishing a relationship with customers is essential–and does not need to be discussed. Etc etc etc to all your other comments about data mining and gathering emails. BORING!
These tasks/processes are already known and well defined. However this article is about other things, things which you clearly are not realizing. This is about using technology to make these already simple processes easier, efficient, and more cost effective. Also the main point is that technology can be used in for BETTER and more INNOVATIVE ways to attract a new clientel.
I’m wondering if you have a blackberry, iphone, or Altel device (old news)? Do you use unique phone numbers from online services to track advertising campaigns? Are you ready for the social networking generation? How about texting customers? How about a unique barcode for your agency that can be scanned by smart phone users so that they may join your mobile “group” and get updates from your agency?
This is just the beginning of what you call a “revolution.” BUT it is not a revolution it is called social change and has been happening rapidly for the last 200 years.
I dont represent this company or use them to market my agency. However, when I read the article a light bulb went off and I said “hey this is what I’m trying to do, these people are drinking MY kool-aide.”
If you like the ideas I present here, or if you dislike them, Email me at ken.prince.jr@gmail.com to discuss.
Just what the world needs… a wacko insurance cult!
Apparently they treat their employees in Jim Jones fashion.
Absolutely disgusting!
A lot of people dont know this but, if there was really cyanide in the Jim Jones cool aide the faces of the people would have been horribly disfigured during their death.
But that was not the case, in fact the whole cult story was just a cover up for some other covert activity.
No where does it say that this is an advertisement.
IJ risks its whole foundation and reputation by mixing in advertisements and calling it news.
This is the beginning of the end for them.
Like many of you I receive IJ for free as a magazine from my local agent association.
I am going to make them aware of this and tell them to cancel their subscription for the whole agents association.
AND PLEASE astonishing results, could you stop SPAMMING ME???
Full Disclosure: I represent Astonish Results.
To clarify, this article was unsolicited. Like any reputable news outlet, Insurance Journal has a strict policy against combining advertising and editorial. Astonish was approached by Insurance Journal for the piece and provided special access to a third party journalist.
“Unethical” – If you feel as though you are being spammed, please call or send an email via our website and we’ll remedy the situation ASAP.
But Nick, this same “article” has run on the IJ website in the past!!
This other article admits Astonish Results paid for it – This last one does not.
TRUST ME, I KNOW WHATS UP, and im talking to my agents association here in New York State.
It ran in the November PRINT issue of IJ but I am not aware of a previous online posting of this article.
We have sponsored webcasts and been included in IJ.com previously but I am not aware of this article running online before yesterday. If I am wrong, I apologize.
You’ve got to be pretty dull to think the article is a paid advertisement, or even mostly positive. If I were paying for publicity, I’d be annoyed that the author was pulling the curtain on the company’s ethos of overstatement, Kool-Aid and controlled disclosure. Check out a “Rough Notes” profile if you want to see what a cheerleading piece really looks like.
Following advice in this article is sure to get your agency the reputation of a used car dealership of the 80’s. LOL
This is classic stuff, and surprising to find in an insurance pub. Reminded me of Tom Wolfe’s Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test!