Tips for Insurance Agents to Convert More Leads
“Lead generation” is often a phrase that insurance agents hate hearing, but they don't need to. Even though you might have a fancy website and post on social media once in a while, that does not automatically mean you are going to have leads flooding in. In fact, we can say with great certainty that isn’t going to be enough of a strategy.
There is a common misconception in the insurance industry that a beautiful website is enough to attract customers. Sure, you might impress some visitors, but how do you ensure that they will turn into a client? If they become a client, how can you be sure they’ll stay a loyal customer?
Generating Leads
Before you can convert your leads, make sure that you have hammered down a streamlined process of obtaining leads. If you aren't working with a marketing company that is constantly churning out quality content, ensure that your website and social media platforms are SEO friendly, make sure that you have a landing page for your potential customers with a call to action, utilize social media (it's FREE!), and build your email list and use it--email marketing is a still a great lead generation tool.
Converting Your Leads
Once you have your lead generation process down to a science and have more than you can handle, the focus needs to become on how to turn them into sales. More sales mean more profit. Here are the top 8 tips we have developed on how to turn your leads into the next sale and increase your conversion rate.
- Develop a niche: Having a specific area of the market you operate in is important to be able to convert your leads. Being an expert in your field will make your customers develop trust quickly and help you land the sale faster.
- Qualify and prioritize: In an ideal world you will bring in more leads than you need. Make sure you sort and filter them based on criteria that you set ahead of time. This could be by premium size, line of business, or any way you would like.
- Communicate Immediately: Leads that come in and are fresh are easier to convert compared to stale leads that have been sitting in your inbox for a few weeks. That means you need to get on it right away. Even waiting a few hours to contact a lead is going to diminish your chance of converting it to a sale, so if you are unable to contact them right away, it may be a good idea to have a team that can help you. And remember to use the value first method. Offer to review any current policies they have before trying to sell them something.
- Use preferred communication: Different customers are going to prefer to communicate differently. Some will want to be contacted by phone, some by text, some by email, or even social media. Knowing the right communication channels is key.
- Follow-up is key: Even though you don't want to be annoying – in today's busy world following up with your leads is key to converting them to loyal, long-term, customers. It will also show them that you care about their needs in the insurance space.
- Efficiency: Ensure that you and your sales team have the technology and tools necessary to get the job done quickly when needed. One of the most important things here is good, and real-time, agency management software.
- Testimonials: One of the best sales tools for insurance agents is testimonials from current clients. Use them on your website, on social media platforms, and in any promotional materials.
Leveraging Free Leads
Believe it or not, there are free digital platforms that offer qualified leads for insurance agents every month. All you have to do is log in to your portal and claim your leads. This is an excellent alternative to paying third-party providers for leads, which can set you back hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Generating leads can be tough, especially in a competitive market such as insurance, and doing so on a budget can be even more challenging. However, with a little time and creativity, the tips mentioned above are sure to help you bring in more clients.
By Emily Lazration, CoverWallet for Agents
Emily is the Content Marketing Specialist at CoverWallet for Agents, a tech company that makes it easy for independent commercial agents to quote, bind, and service and service their clients. All online and in minutes.