I dug through my feed reader this morning for something to tell you all, but this is the jist of today's news:

:)

Happy weekend, all!

via | source

Posted by Megan Mahan at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

File this story under: 'Doh!'

Word has it that a few years ago the COO of Verizon turned down an offer from Steve Jobs to partner on the iPhone.

Seth Godin thinks most of us in his position would have done the same, because the default answer in most organizations is no—particularly when it comes to taking risks that may change the status quo. The higher one climbs on the corporate ladder, the less likely one is to take risks.

Is Godin right?
Keep in mind this question is predicated on ignoring what you know now. Of course you'd jump on the iPhone bandwagon now. But would you have done it when the iPhone was just a collection of loose sketches?

The underlying question for you, blog reader, is this: Are you receptive to innovation? Is no your default answer?

Posted by Jeb Foster at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

Even if it's not good news, it's good news to know. That's the jist of Google's slogan for its infamous analytics application. I couldn't agree more, especially when it comes to the quality and findability of your web site.

Yesterday I stumbled upon WebSiteGrader.com and with some trepidation, entered our main site URL (InsureMe.com), a handful of keywords related to our site (insurance quotes, health insurance, car insurance, etc.) the site URL of one of our competitors, and my email address.

Within seconds, I had a [free!] fairly meaty analysis of InsureMe.com, including:

• Our overall grade (92/100; not too shabby)
• A summary of our score (and how it measured up against our competitor's site)
• Google PageRank
• Readability level
• Number of inbound links
• Google indexed pages and last Google crawl date

...And much more.

With 18 site identifiers, you'll probably learn something and find a few areas in which you'd like to improve. Head over to WebSiteGrader for your free site evaluation. And remember, if you have questions about this stuff, feel free to leave your questions and comments on this post. We're here to help!

[Related]:

Revamping Your Web Site | Part One | Part Two

The Anatomy of Successful Insurance Web Sites | Part One | Part Two

Posted by Megan Mahan at 09:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

Consumer Reports’ web site has a cool feature wherein you can select a car make, model and year, and see video of its frontal offset crash- and side-impact crash tests.

With somewhat morbid curiosity, I watched footage of my own ride smashing into an offset barrier at 40 mph and getting t-boned by a SUV going 40 mph.

The good news was that the crash-test dummy fared rather well. My car got ‘good’ ratings (the highest) during both the frontal offset crash, which shows overall structural integrity, and the side impact crash, which shows how it fares when struck in the side by an SUV or pickup. (Thanks, Subaru, for making a safe car!)

Another takeaway: the Scion XB (that boxy mini-minivan) is the last car you’d want to be in during a side-impact crash.

Posted by Jeb Foster at 02:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

The annual National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) is holding its annual conference here in Denver this week, and this morning Maribeth and I had the opportunity to chat with various conference attendees in the exhibit hall. (Yes, we've still got the infamous stress balls left—stop by tomorrow if you haven't yet gotten one!)

While we keep up with industry happenings each day, it really doesn't compare to getting out and talking with all of you guys and gals. It was specifically eye-opening for me to see the private health insurance industry react to Michael Moore's upcoming movie, Sicko (which examines the problems with U.S. health care), as well as the government's role in it.

In fact, NAHU President David Fear used his farewell address last night to sound off on Moore and the government's role in health care, vehemently declaring that the government need not intervene to provide health insurance to all Americans.

"I reject that thinking, and so should every one of you," Fear said. The recap of Fear's address was published in the NAHU's Daily News, a publication that is provided for each of its attendees for the duration of the summit.

Fear cited the NAHU mission statement, which states the organization's devotion to giving Americans access to private health insurance. And while Fear admitted that our health care system had issues, he cited its many successes, including that 85 percent of Americans are privately insured.

"[The health care system] has its challenges, but so do health care systems in Canada, Japan and other countries," Fear said. "We should be proud of the system we have and not be apologetic because it does work."

To combat universal health care initiatives, Fear stated that the private sector would need to "out-vocalize" advocates. He's also proposed a $50 increase in NAHU memberships, in essence, rallying the troops by stating they would have to "fund this war with our dues money."

While it's clear that those in private health care have a stake in what role (if any) the government takes on, I was a little surprised by how staunchly opposed to government assistance the industry truly was.

Which leads me to today’s poll question:

Do you agree with NAHU's opposition of universal health care?

This will surely continue to be a hot topic through the 2008 elections; I’ll be interested to hear your thoughts first-hand.

We'll be back at NAHU for the final day tomorrow, so please stop by and say hello!

[UPDATE 6.26.2007]: Check out the NAHU's stance on universal health care here. Thanks to Aaron for passing along the link!

Posted by Megan Mahan at 02:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
 

If you have a big outfit, you may have thought about doing a little outsourcing where your customer service is concerned. Which is funny when you consider that nearly all of us have had to jump through hoops when dealing with an outsourced call center. Yet, as much as we complain about it, companies keep outsourcing their customer service.

This week, my boyfriend's cable box seemingly broke for no apparent reason. When he called the service number, it was evident that the outfit was somewhere overseas. On two separate occasions the service center couldn't even pinpoint Boyfriend's location.

Here's the written [and comical] description I received of last night's debacle:

Boyfriend: Yeah, I've called a few times; my cable box needs resetting.
Service Rep: Thank you, sir. What state are you in?
BF: District of Colombia.
[service rep gets uncomfortable]
SR: I'm sorry, sir, but I'm looking for the STATE you are in.
BF: The District of Colombia.
SR: Can I put you on hold?
BF: Sure.
[brief pause]
SR: Sir, could you repeat your state one more time?
BF: District of Colombia.
SR: Is that the same as California?

After that laughable encounter, Boyfriend took it upon himself to look up the local address and phone number of the cable company. When he called and stated his problem, the employee asked: "Where'd you get this number?"

Given these kinds of events, outsourcing service centers seems like a horrible move. Even if the center handles things fluidly, there seems to be a lingering impression that the outsourcing company doesn't care enough to service you locally. Not to mention, hoop-jumping is never okay. Clients don't pay to see the circus. They pay to be taken care of.

[From the Agent Resource Center]:
Eliminating the Hoops: Streamlining Your Business Practices

[Photo source]

Posted by Megan Mahan at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

And what you can learn from their example

Sick of cramping on long bike rides, I recently went online and ordered some electrolyte pills.

(My girlfriend helpfully pointed out that my cramping probably stemed more from lack of fitness than a lack of electrolytes. But I digress.)

I bought the pills from a Whitefish, Montana-based outfit called Hammer Nutrition. In short order they won my loyalty and inspired this blog post.

Here’s what they did:

1. They said thank you. In addition to getting an e-mail confirmation that my order was successful and was already in the mail, they called to thank me for buying. A nice-sounding woman left a brief (learn about the importance of brevity in voicemail here) message thanking me for my patronage. A nice touch considering most online commerce is quite sterile and impersonal.
2. They added a bunch of extra products to the shipment, including energy bars, gels, drink mixes and even a little pouch thingy to hold change while I run or bike. This was both generous (most companies merely throw in the catalogue and hope you buy other stuff) and shrewd (I ate the bars and energy drinks and gels, thought they tasted great and will likely order some in the future).
3. They wrote me a letter. Yes, it was a form letter and, yes, it mentioned welcoming me to their “family.” I know it sounds cheesy. They even wrote, “I know it sounds cheesy, but…” The letter felt real nonetheless. Strange as it sounds, I felt like a new member of this family from Montana.
4. They gave me another free prize. They included a hefty newsletter that was full of great nutritional and recovery information. Sure, most of the info was better suited for the avid racer than the wannabe (yours truly), but I admired that they put so much effort into giving away free information that wasn’t directly tied to their product. (Their diet tips didn’t simply advocate eating their stuff—it was more general.) It showed integrity.
5. Finally, I was impressed with the product. But frankly, they had me before I popped the first electrolyte pill.

What you can learn from Hammer Nutrition:

1. Customer service that goes beyond the obligatory will generate respect, loyalty and good WOM.
2. Your generosity will be repaid with customer goodwill. Customer goodwill will generate referrals.
3. By making it clear that you appreciate the customer’s business, the customer will, in turn, appreciate both your product and company.
4. By signaling to your customer that you don’t see the first purchase as one-time “give me your cash and we’ll go our separate ways” transaction, you set the stage for a lasting symbiotic relationship.
   

Posted by Jeb Foster at 03:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

Today Seth shared a great trade show tactic, which actually reminded me of the insane popularity of the InsureMe stress balls at AMS this past March.

I won't bore you with a synopsis; read the full post here—and learn how to take over your next trade show.

[via]

[Previously]:
Lessons from AMS: How to Ensure Trade Show Success

Posted by Megan Mahan at 04:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

11 Tips for Voicemail Greatness

Leaving an effective voicemail message isn’t hard, but there are a few important things to keep in mind. Here are a few tips that may increase your callback rate.

1. Perfect your tone. You want prospects to know that you respect their time. You also want to convey that you’re not a cyborg. Maintain a tone that’s both businesslike and warm:
• Be upbeat (but not disc-jockey upbeat)
• Be professional (but not stuffed-shirt professional)
• Be friendly (but not Velveeta-cheese friendly)
2. Develop a script. But don’t practice it on prospects. Deliver it in front of the mirror and/or coworkers until you can recite it with calm, natural ease. (In other words, make sure it doesn’t sound like you’re reading a script.)
3. Keep it short. We all hate voicemail ramblers. This is what a ramble says to a prospect: “Hi, I‘m disorganized and flaky and don’t care that I’m wasting your time with this message … Howzabout giving me your money!”
4. Speak slowly and clearly. You may be in a rush. You may have a thousand calls to make today. Nonetheless, slow down. You want to convince your prospect that he or she is the most important person you’ll call today—not that they are just another name on your call list.
5. Include the relevant information. State your telephone number twice—at the beginning and end. And do it slowly. We’ve all had to listen to a message six times in order to finally get the number. Annoying, isn’t it? Also, give your first and last name and tell them why you’re calling.
6. Don’t be mysterious and skip the gimmicks. There’s no silver bullet for getting your calls returned. Some so-called cold-calling experts suggest piquing curiosity by leaving only a name and number or using canned phrases like “This will be the most important call that you return today.” One word: lame.
7. Be yourself. (Unless you’re a cyborg, wannabe disc jockey, stuffed shirt, or cheeseball.)
8. Don’t expect a call back. One option is to leave your number and also let the lead know that you will call him or her back. This takes the pressure off the lead and gives you the green light to be persistent. It also gives the consumer the option to call you.
9. Listen to this podcast from 43 Folders. Good information and funny.
10. Don’t get into your sales spiel. The first goal in leaving a voicemail message is getting a callback, not selling a policy. And by delving into your sales pitch you will inevitably violate the ‘keep it short’ rule.
11. Create a great outgoing voicemail greeting. If a lead calls and gets your voicemail, what will he or she think? Does your greeting help or hurt your cause? Tone, brevity, clarity and relevance matter as much in your voicemail greeting as they do in your voicemail messages. [Follow tips 1-7, 10]

Posted by Jeb Foster at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
 

The Future of Online Advertising (FOOA) took place in New York City last week, and Markus over at AU Interactive recently shared his takeaways from the conference.

My favorite notation was one that I think applies to insurance agents using the web to reign in sales leads:

Ryan Carson [founder of Carson Systems, which put on FOOA] gave a great real world presentation on how he advertised the Future of Online Advertising conference and what worked (and didn’t work) for them across many different channels. Cross-promotion with other sites and bloggers worked far better than advertising on high-traffic advertising industry sites. This sort of solidified the point that leveraging personal relationships with people you know and cross-promotion are far better strategies than throwing money at mass advertising channels.

Leveraging personal relationships is something James and I will touch on at HIGH TECC next month, so be sure to tune in. In the meantime, catch Markus' full FOOA recap here.

Posted by Megan Mahan at 04:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

Check out this 'vintage' infomercial about the new tool we've developed for our agents.

The Agent Connection: Instant notification, easy organization.

Posted by Jeb Foster at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
 

OK, so the election isn’t for another year and a half. But that doesn’t mean we can’t get into the issues, right?
I wanted to include John McCain and John Edwards, who are polling in the top three of their respective primary races, but BuzzDash allows only 5 answers. Leave a comment below if you think McCain or Edwards is most likely to improve our health care system.

Posted by Jeb Foster at 08:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
 

Email can be a great way to get in touch with prospects in clients, filling them in on a new product or gently reminding them that renewal time is near. But how can you make sure your next email campaign generates a few sales leads? Copywriting guru Tom Chandler has a few tips:

1. Don't ignore the subject line (This can determine whether a recipient opens it...or deletes it)
2. "Write tight" (Short chunks of text with pertinent info)
3. Test before you send (Send it to your private email address to see how it looks)

Also important: Let your readers opt-out of your emails and newsletters. As Tom points out, some of it's legal...but most of it's just good marketing.

And, if you really want to have a successful email marketing campaign, hire some professionals. If you don't want to hire a full-time creative team, look for freelance writers and graphic artists that can help you put your next email together.

Read more email tips from Tom here.

[Previously]:
7 Tips for Email Marketing Campaigns
Is Your Netiquette Turning Customers Off?
The Problem with Newsletters
What Should Your Marketing Message Say?
Poor Writing Skills Cost Companies Time and Money

Posted by Megan Mahan at 01:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

Here’s an idea that's not new but is worth exploring once again:

Healthy conversation is the key to client retention.

The prerequisite for client retention is knowing where you shine and where you stink. You may think you know, but the chances are good that you don’t have a complete picture. The agents and agencies who encourage conversation are the ones who have the most complete understanding of where they excel and where they need to improve. These agents and agencies have an incredible advantage. The rest fumble around in the dark.

How often do you solicit feedback from your current clients? And what do you do with that feedback? What do you do to spur conversation?

Posted by Jeb Foster at 02:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

And while we're pretty stoked about taking the top prize this year (especially after coming in second last year), this stuff really isn't about our awards case. It's about our community. The bigger picture.

At the awards ceremony last week, some of the young people who have benefited from various United Way programs were there, telling their stories and putting a face to the thousands who need a little help. It was really reaffirming to see our collective efforts in action.

I was lucky enough to co-chair InsureMe's United Way campaign for 2007 and will look for these types of opportunities in the future. If your agency isn't actively giving to the community, consider doing so. The gifts are two-fold; you'll find yourself receiving as much—if not more—than you've given. And with a little time and hard work, you'll also gain visibility and build trust with members of your community.

Now that's some good business karma. :)

Visit UnitedWay.org to find a link to your local organization—the UW is a great hub to all sorts of charitable efforts. You're sure to find something that suits your corporate culture.

Posted by Megan Mahan at 02:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

You've probably heard of the Pareto principle. It states that 80 percent of the effects come from 20 percent of the causes. Applied to the business world, the 80/20 rule states that roughly 80 percent of your business will come from 20 percent of your clients.

Of course, the 80/20 rule is used in many other ways. Google's famed 20 percent time allows employees to spend 20 percent of their work week on a passion project. The only stipulation is that the project is work-related (and not, say, planning your wedding).

When I first started for InsureMe and we were building our resource centers [consumer and agent], we employed the 20 percent tactic. 80 percent of our work week was spent working down the long list of article topics we needed for the resource center. 20 percent of our time was spent writing a feature article—a topic of our choosing that could be used for the resource center. It helped us keep us interested and focused.

I'm a big, big fan of 80/20. Which is why I loved this post from Scott Young, who listed 20 unique ways to put the 80/20 policy to good use. From contacting clients to setting goals, you'll find it all here. See the complete list here, and see how you can incorporate 80/20 into your life come Monday morning.

[via]

Posted by Megan Mahan at 03:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

Fast Company's blog reports on a speech author Malcolm Gladwell gave recently.

Gladwell (author of “The Tipping Point” and "Blink") spoke about different approaches to innovation. He cited the two famous painters as having radically different—though effective—methods.

How does your company innovate? In quick spurts (like Picasso, American carmakers) or through slow tinkering (like Cezanne, Japanese carmakers)?

Posted by Jeb Foster at 03:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

Another great find via Springwise: Meeting Tomorrow offers an alternative to expo halls and hotels that charge an exorbitant amount for renting AV equipment.

Meeting Tomorrow customers can place equipment orders online or by phone, and all orders are delivered to the specified venue on time. They even welcome same-day orders!

The genius of Meeting Tomorrow lies in its simplicity. As Springwise points out, Meeting Tomorrow has couched on the Netflix way of business—they affix a pre-paid FedEx return label with the equipment, allowing for easy return delivery.

I really wish we had known about Meeting Tomorrow back in March. It would have made our excursion to AMS in Orlando (from Denver) easier and cheaper. Shipping was remarkably expensive, as was using the venue's computer monitors, etc. Meeting Tomorrow charges flat rental fees and delivers same-day to 95% of the U.S. (next-day service nationwide).

Check out Meeting Tomorrow's vast array of AV equipment and accessories here, and consider saving time, money and stress the next time you're presenting at a conference or manning an exhibit hall.

Posted by Megan Mahan at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

Perhaps you know how to run an insurance agency, but what about a yoga studio? A baseball team? Or a yellow cab?

There’s a great article in this week’s New York magazine (“The Profit Calculator”) about the inner workings of various money-making (and money-losing) establishments in the country’s largest metropolis. From copy shops to soap kitchens, you can explore the survival strategies of a disparate range of businesses. Maybe you can apply some of their strategies to your venture.

“What’s amazing,” says New York writer Michael Idov, “is how little we truly know about the inner workings of this beast we feed, and milk, daily: How does New York make its money?”

If you’ve ever wondered, read the article.

Posted by Jeb Foster at 02:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

You've probably been in this situation before: You're talking to a prospect about, say, whole life insurance. You've given them a rate quote, talked about how the policy works and the benefits of it. You go in for the trial close and in return the prospect tells you:

"Maybe."

You're at a crossroads, friend, and you've got to know exactly how to handle the 'maybe' or the prospect is going to walk.

See how Tommy Boy ruins the 'maybe' after the jump.

At first blush, Richard [played by David Spade] reacts well to the 'maybe,' explaining some additional product features to the prospect. But unfortunately he's heavy on the jargon and loses the prospect all together.

Then Tommy [played by Chris Farley, R.I.P.] takes over, trying to apply the benefits of the product to a real-life scenario. In theory, that's a great idea. Until, you know, he starts a fire and kills off the prospect's family. Never a good thing.

But you all are the experts. How do you handle the 'maybe' to save the sale?

[Related]: Sales Lessons from Tommy Boy

Posted by Megan Mahan at 03:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
 

In scanning my feed reader this morning, social media and networking took center stage.

According to a new study by the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp), 65 percent of business professionals are now plugged in to personal and professional social networking sites like LinkedIn—which is the leading networking site amongst the business crowd.

Other notable figures:

• 52 percent of respondents whose organizations use social networking sites do so to connect their internal and offsite employees
• 55 percent of plugged in organizations do so to share best practices
• 47 percent of respondents use the sites to connect with potential business partners and showcase their skills
• Among repondents who do not currently use social networks, 37 percent said they simply don't know which networks to use

Nice stats, you might be thinking. But I'm still not sure what benefits a social networking site would yield. i4cp's senior VP, Jay Jamrog took the words right out of my mouth:

Companies and employees have often gravitated to trade associations and shows for one primary benefit: community. Social networks have opened a new dynamic in bringing that community online, and the ability to share what’s working and what isn’t in real time is invaluable to many employees today.

Some of us at InsureMe (including Jeb and I) recently joined LinkedIn. Despite my preliminary hesitation of joining up, it looks pretty cool. Account sign-up is free; check it out this afternoon and see for youself what all the fuss is about.

[Related]:
Should You Get Into Social Media Marketing
Part One | Part Two

Posted by Megan Mahan at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)