Is June 2006 considered vintage? No? Okay, well this post from Seth Godin is still relevant and a good read for sales and marketing people. Because while the two jobs are closely related, we often work independently of each other–and when we come together, it can be a little terse.
I think the key to staying on the same page starts with understanding each other’s roles and objectives. Here are two of my favorite bits from Godin’s post:
[From the sales perspective]: Selling is interpersonal. I am not moving bits, I’m trying to change people’s minds, one person at a time. So, no, I can’t tell you when the sale will close. No one knows, especially the prospect.
[From the marketing perspective]: [...] If you’re going to be in sales, you’ve got to be prepared to measure and predict and plan. You need to give me sales reports and call lists and summaries. It does neither of us any good to keep your day a secret. If you don’t plan and organize, I can’t do my job of marketing.
It all comes down to communication. Which is a lot easier said than done. But I like to believe the pre-school adage: sharing is caring. The more you share with each other, the greater success you will have. And who knows, you might start liking each other a whole lot more too.
Will being green help you be a better insurance agent? I wouldn’t go that far, but reducing your carbon footprint may send positive signals to both your clients and potential employees: “You want to be seen as a leader and not a laggard,” green consultant Nik Kaestner told PC Magazine recently (that’s PC for personal computer, not politically correct). If prospects sense a forward-thinking bent in your day-to-day activities, they’re more apt to trust that you’ll do right by them down the road.
Turn off your computer each night.
You may think this is a negligible move, but consider that appliances that are on standby are still sucking electricity, anywhere from five to 60 watts. Now consider an entire office full of appliances on standby every night, 365 days a year. Now we’re talking significant energy usage, none of which goes toward getting things done or making money.
This morning Aaron emailed me asking why we stopped doing our weekly videos. The short, corporate answer to that question is that we shifted gears and the videos fell by the wayside. We still do them of course, just not every week. (YouTube search: InsureMe)
But because it’s a slow news day and because our analytics tell us that you still watch the videos, I thought I’d post one for today.
In fact, this particular video, which covers insurance agent fashion, started an anti-pleated pants revolution here at InsureMe! So give yourself a two and a half minute break–click play. And if you like the videos, please let us know!
1. Use e-mail less–recently, an Iowa telecommunications company instituted a no-e-mail-on-Friday rule. While it sounds counterproductive, the results have been undeniably positive: with less “cyber indigestion,” employees experience fewer distractions and–gasp!–get to know their co-workers better through face-to-face interaction.
2. Take a siesta–let’s face it, the half-hour after lunch isn’t the most productive part of your day, and there’s a good biological reason for this: the body’s natural sleep/awake cycle–it’s circadian rhythm, if you want to get technical–is telling us to nap when the modern world is telling us to get to work. So, you can fight your biological clock (a losing battle) or you recharge with a cat nap and position yourself for a rested and productive afternoon.
Bacn has been said to be the “middle class of email.” It’s notifications of a new post to your Facebook wall or a new follower on Twitter. It’s the Google alert for your name and the newsletter from your favorite company.
Bacn. I like it. Looks like I’m going to have to create a new email folder to keep my e-meat products separate.
Keep an eye out for more bacn-related marketing posts here!
I hate to say it, Agent Blog reader, but your job just got a little harder. Maybe it’s time to get into law. Or journalism. Perhaps you ought to run for that open congressional seat next November.
If you’ve noticed that people are already suspicious of you and your insurance industry ilk, then the news that Progressive used a private investigator to spy on a couple in a church support group will just make them more wary.
Here’s a sample of what will likely be a constant refrain for the next few days:
Just when you thought insurance companies couldn’t get any sleazier, Progressive Insurance got caught sending private eyes to infiltrate and secretly record an Atlanta area church support group in hopes of digging up dirt to discredit a church couple involved in a car accident lawsuit. [Consumerist]
This is the final installment of The ABCs of SEO, as published in the May issue of the TAAR Report. Read part three of this article here.
Hiring a Pro to Optimize Your Site
Just like in Highlander, there can only be one number one.
If you’ve gotten this far, you may be thinking that, technical as it may be, this SEO thing might be worth a shot. And because of the technical challenges involved, and, undoubtedly, the constraints on your time, you might be thinking about hiring someone to optimize your site for you.
Thankfully, InsureMe’s James Omdahl has some experience in this area and recently wrote a blog post on outsourcing SEO.
The first thing you need to understand, says James, is that the SEO landscape is a dangerous one. “While there are many people out there who know what they are doing, there are many, many more that don’t.”
To avoid working with unscrupulous SEO consultants, James recommends:
A great post at Signal vs. Noise [see photo] yesterday got me thinking about contextual advertising for the insurance industry.
But first thing’s first: What is contextual advertising?
Contextual advertising, a term used primarily for online marketing, is when a web advertisement is targeted to a specific individual who is using the web site on which the ad appears.
How it works: contextual ad systems scan web pages for keywords relevant to the site a person is using.
For example, if you’re checking Chicago Bears’ scores (sorry, Broncos!), you may see contextual ads on that web page for sports stores, gear, or memorabilia.
Google’s Gmail is infamous for contextual advertising, in fact it’s almost creepy. Google’s contextual ad system scans your emails (whoa, big brother!) and places ads in the right navigation bar that are related to your topics of conversation.
But of course, contextual advertising doesn’t just apply to online marketing. It applies to offline marketing, too. It can be simple things like using your relationship with an auto parts dealer to display your business cards on the counter. Or posting a flyer about your health insurance policies in public health centers and clinics.
It’s true that I’m not a huge fan of traditional marketing. That’s because most people don’t use it contextually.
Next time you post flyers, business cards, or drop off schwag, think about doing it where it makes sense. That way you can cut through the noise and put your services in front of the eyes of people who are more receptive to seeking out what you have to offer.
Many thanks to Dan Tudor at Top Lead Generators for reminding us of this age-old, low-tech, and low-cost way to reach prospects.
It’s tempting to dismiss the bulletin board as a quaint relic of our pre-digital past, but if my experience is any indication, this platform is alive and well in the internet age–and not just at college campuses and the laundromat. I don’t know about you, but every time I wait for coffee at my local shop, I scour the ads. Sometimes I find something I didn’t know I needed. (Most recently, a purple Peugeot bicycle.)
Why not tack up your business card? Better yet, why not print a decent-looking flyer with handy peel-off tabs that include your contact info? It’s cheap, easy and effective.
It’s nice to know that there’s still a place for old-school marketing.
I go to church with an insurance agent, and he’s never asked me about my home, auto or life insurance. Why not?
Two college friends are insurance agents, and they haven’t ever asked me about buying insurance from them. Why is that?
[...] My office is right next door to a small insurance agency…I watch their four insurance agents walk right past my office several times a day…and in the year that I’ve been there, not one has come next door and checked to see if I needed an insurance quote (business insurance…health insurance…supplemental insurance…they’ve never asked).
At InsureMe, we’ve dealt with the same quandary. We’ve had people come to InsureMe.com requesting to be contacted with quotes–people who are actively looking to buy a new policy–and hear nothing from the agents they’ve been matched with.
If you get a lead, especially if you pay for it, wouldn’t you do everything in your power to follow up with that lead? If you know of people in your life who could benefit from your product, do you not talk to them about it?
In the spirit of keeping Agent Blog readers up to speed on the latest internet happenings, I present you with Bacn: email you want–just not right now.
I hate to say it, Agent Blog reader, but your job just got a little harder. Maybe it’s time to get into law. Or journalism. Perhaps you ought to run for that open congressional seat next November.
