I’m researching for a presentation on internet marketing that I’m giving at the eInsurance symposium http:/einsurancesymposium.com/eis08/ coming up next month. So I thought I should just share a little about this new buzz word with you.

I am finding this a convoluted topic because I think it is really just a mash up of everything we’ve learned about branding and our own reputation all these years. Be good, be careful how you act in public, stick to your word, and listen carefully. The only difference now is that your reputation, via the internet and user generated content, can be scorched faster and to a far greater degree than word of mouth or your junior high ever could.

Reputation management as most frequently referenced (by blogs, articles, books, companies providing ‘Reputation management services) is the practice of being proactive about, and carefully monitoring, your own personal (or company) internet-related reputation. It is usually focused on the negative side of things, when your reputation is threatened. Examples of some protective actions are listed below.

• Don’t let anyone grab your name and misuse it on the internet. Try to own any website name that resembles your own name.
• Listen (watch) closely to what is being said about you on the internet so you can react as needed. This involves using ‘online reputation management tools, which, on the simplest level, are Google alerts.
• Get your name out on the web in as many places as you can: social networks, photos of you for Google Images, your websites, your own blog… and on and on.

I’m just at the superficial level of this topic. My take away for you today is to simply recognize the phrase: reputation management, and to know that it is usually used when someone’s is in trouble. They've been Google-bombed or somthing similar. More on that later.

But I’m going to always go back to my belief that this, like all other aspects of marketing, is directed by the good you do, the quality of your product and service, the value of your word. If you are vigilant about that, you are less likely to need to be vigilant about your Reputation Management.

Posted by Lori Reed at 05:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
 

Here is the distilled conventional wisdom as applied to business cards: Keep it boring, because boring is professional.

Here is the unconventional wisdom: Boring is … simply boring. Not professional. Not safe. Just boring.

“A good business card starts a conversation,” says Robert Scoble, formerly of Microsoft.

My last ones at Microsoft, for instance, were imprinted with my info in braille. Now, I’ve actually handed my card to one person who was blind, but I found that always started a conversation when I handed my card to someone. Why? It felt different than any other card. Out of the 1,011 cards, by the way only two were imprinted in Braille (both were from Microsoft which offers that as an option on business cards). Another way to start a conversation? Make your card feel different. One of mine were made out of a rubbery material. I remember that made so much of an impression on people that some asked for two so they could show their boss.

By Scoble’s metric, in which a good card starts a conversation, most business cards fail miserably. (InsureMe is no exception—our current graphic designers would like nothing more than to incinerate every single featureless card.)

My guess is that most cards fail because they’re seen as having low value. After all, it’s just a little piece of card stock that gets handed out and then either filed in some drawer or turned into pocket lint in the washing machine, right?

Well, that may be the case if your card stinks. But if you see it as having value and you put some effort into making a one that’s above average, your card will float to the top of the pile.

Get inspired here.

Posted by Jeb Foster at 04:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
 

Seth Godin puts it bluntly—and correctly:

Yes, it's true. People judge you.
They judge you especially harshly online.
They judge you by your teeny picture on Facebook (named, after all, after the original quick judgment document) and they judge you by your email sig file and your domain (Hotmail?!) and by the look of your bio on Squidoo or Linkedin or the number of typos in your instant messages. They even judge you by the typeface and ads on your blog.

Seth Godin’s response to this state of affairs is to ask a rather apt question:

So, are you getting good feedback on your brand presentation?

Are you getting any feedback?

This is a tricky thing, because there is a fine line between crafting an effective personal brand and becoming a total phony. The internet is like the wild west in that sense—conducive to creating smooth surfaces with hollow underneaths (please don't judge me for inventing words).

The challenge is in having a certain awareness and a willingness to ask some tough questions, recognize good feedback and put the effort into burnishing your brand. But it’s also about avoiding becoming an overly glossy simulacrum of your true, organic self.

Posted by Jeb Foster at 03:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
 

Do you use a free email account? Is it Gmail? Tell me it’s Gmail. If it’s not, don’t worry: There’s plenty of time to get on the bandwagon. Simply continue reading to learn the virtues of this amazing (and free) email application.

With the exception of their actual search engine, Gmail is the perhaps the most beloved of Google’s offerings. Here’s why:

Gmail is free.

Gmail is huge. I don’t know how many megabytes of storage they offer (it’s constantly increasing) but it’s way more than you could ever use. Google encourages Gmail users to never delete another message—because you simply don’t have to.

Gmail is as simple or complex as you want to make it. Use it to send and receive messages. Or use it as an online base camp. There is a veritable cottage industry for finding new, cool ways to parlay the app into the ultimate productivity tool.

Gmail eats spam for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert (and for brunch, elevenses, afternoon tea and supper). And while other free email providers occasionally let errant spam messages through, Gmail never fails to stop salted meat in its tracks.

Gmail integrates with other nifty Google applications, including Calendar, Reader and Chat.

Gmail is such a popular program, with such passionate users (I’m exhibit A), developers in Mountain View, Ca., are constantly cooking up cool new features in their ‘Gmail Lab.’

Gmail handily groups emails into conversations, so your back-and-fourth about last night’s game won’t take up your entire inbox. It’s also easy to set up filters that can automatically label, archive, forward, spam, or delete your emails. For example, you could set a filter that could apply a red “follow up” label to your InsureMe leads.

P.S. I know what you’re thinking: You like the idea of Gmail, the features the benefits, but you don’t want to set up a new account and bother everyone with a mass email about your address change. Don’t worry! No one has to know you’ve switched to Gmail. Let me explain: Simply have your current mail forwarded to your new Gmail account. Then take advantage of the Gmail feature that allows you to send email from another “from” address. (For example, if you currently use Yahoo Mail, you can have your outgoing Gmail messages look as if they were sent from your Yahoo address.)

Sign Up for Gmail

Posted by Jeb Foster at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
 

It’s common that prospects ask for a little time before making a decision: perhaps they want to get more information; maybe they just need time for things to sink in; or they’re simply stalling in hopes of finding a better price.

This is eminently rational consumer behavior. While you obviously stand to benefit from a quick answer in your favor, it’s important to respect the universal desire to make a smart, unrushed choice.

If you display such respect, you’ll earn valuable credibility with your prospect. If you hurry and bully them, you’ll not only compromise your personal integrity, you’ll actually end up with lower-quality clients. Yes, bullying works, but it works at too great a cost. “The people you most need to spread the word, the people who are the best partners, the most loyal customers—they blanch in the face of bullying,” writes Seth Godin. “They walk out.”

Instead of applying pressure, you're better off acknowledging their prudence and giving a brief and warm closing pitch. (“I understand the need to think about this stuff. If you have any questions, feel free to call me anytime. I’d love to work with you in the future.”)

All too often, sales people get noticeably sulky when a prospect balks at making an on-the-spot decision. This kind of passive-aggression leaves a terrible final impression.

Posted by Jeb Foster at 04:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
 

The blog now allows comments! We're terribly sorry if you've encountered problems while trying to leave a comment. We seem to have solved the issue, so please, give us your thoughts!

--InsureMe

Posted by Jeb Foster at 01:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
 

So if you could ask your customers just one question, what would it be? In his book, The Ulitmate Question, Fred Reichheld says that question should be "How likely is it that you would recommend my services to a friend or colleague?" He claims this question can supplant most (if not all) customer surveys and their numerous questions.

Reichheld suggests that your customers are either 'promoters' or 'detractors'. If your customers rate you as anything less than a 7, they are detractors. You need to be rated at a 9 or 10 to actually create promoters.

This idea isn't necessarily unique or original, but in the world of the internet and Web 2.0, the influence of a promoter or detractor is amplified. Instead of telling your neighbors, or even sending out an email to all your friends, now your promoters or detractors can post their feelings on an open forum for everyone (well for anyone using the internet that is interested) to see.

And this brings me round to what is becoming a familiar theme for me. Product is the new marketing. With the advent of an interactive internet where ideas and comments are freely posted, the best way to market yourself is to provide the very best product. No longer can a company rely of advertising hyperbole and snazzy tag lines. Every product must deliver on its promise or ... the next unhappy customer (detractor) will spread the word far and wide.

Posted by Lori Reed at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
 

Everything you need to know about succeeding sales you probably learned on the playground.

Child psychologists call it social competence: the set of social, emotional and cognitive skills that you develop at the jungle gym and subsequently rely on in the corporate jungle.

In essence, social competence is a fancy word for likability, and likability is perhaps the most underrated sales skill. It’s not smooth talk. It’s not persistence (though that helps). It’s not the ability to multi-task. No, it’s the ability endear yourself to others that matters most.

Consider this passage from The Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence, by Janet A. Welsh, Ph.D. and Karen L. Bierman, Ph.D. :

[S]ocially competent children are able to consider others' perspectives, can sustain their attention to the play task, and are able to "keep their cool" in situations involving conflict. They are agreeable and have good problem-solving skills. Socially competent children are also sensitive to the nuances of "play etiquette." They enter a group using diplomatic strategies, such as commenting upon the ongoing activity and asking permission to join in. They uphold standards of equity and show good sportsmanship, making them good companions and fun play partners.

Children who have problems making friends, those who are either "neglected" or "rejected" sociometrically, often show deficits in social skills. One of the most common reasons for friendship problems is behavior that annoys other children. Children, like adults, do not like behavior that is bossy, self-centered, or disruptive. [Emphasis added]

Yes, the passage refers to children, but the fact is, playground politics don’t change—they just change venues, they move from the playground to the office park.

Try to conjure the negative stereotype of a sales person. Is this person … bossy? Check. What about self-centered? Check. Disruptive? You get the idea. When I asked my fiancé to list adjectives to describe the stereotypical salesperson, she listed unctuous, reptilian, opportunistic, predatory. Yikes.

On the other hand, picture a successful agent: he or she is likely overflowing with social competence: empathetic, focused, level-headed, sensitive to the nuances of etiquette.

Here’s the good news: it doesn’t matter if you were the kid who stood in the corner waiting for recess to end. It’s not too late to develop social competence. As career coach Penelope Trunk noted on her blog, “the biggest impediment to likeability is not caring. So if you ‘just decide you want to do better,’ you probably will."

Posted by Jeb Foster at 03:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
 

While good customer service typically involves saying ‘yes’ as often as you can, there will invariably be times when a ‘no’ is the only appropriate response. How you say it makes all the difference.

“No.”
While admirable from a clarity standpoint, a stand-alone no conveys cold indifference (not the warm engagement of good customer service). At the very least, try to soften the blow with an explanation.

“No, sorry.”
It’s a little better than the above reply, but the effectiveness of this one depends on both your sincerity and the context. If the client feels that the ‘no’ came a little too quickly, as if by reflex, he or she will probably question the sincerity of the attending ‘sorry.’

“No, not yet.”
While it may fall short of an immediate remedy, this response at least conveys to the prospect that his or her concern/question/request is valid.

“No, but …

I’ll make an exception.” [actually a yes]
I’ll recommend a change in policy.”
Here’s a better way.”

Posted by Jeb Foster at 03:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

Another Friday afternoon-- to be used to improve your effectiveness next week and going forward.

I just finished listening to the Insurance Communication Marketing podcast on “The New Rules of Marketing”. It was very basic information about different methods to get your name out on the internet. After getting past the personal challenge of getting the voice recording timed with the slide presentation, I found the podcast to be a great reminder of some things we should be thinking about. If you want to check it out, click here.

Friday afternoons seem like a good time to learn something new. And, one of the wonderful aspects of the internet is that it evolves so quickly, we all need to continually seek out new sources for updating our personal knowledge. No sitting back and resting on your laurels (however you rest on laurels).

Posted by Lori Reed at 01:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

We received the following comment on one of our consumer surveys recently:

One agent was very arrogant, was rude, and did not listen to my needs. I told him not to call anymore. Do you screen the agents by phone? Maybe you should consider doing this to ensure they have people skills. I have found that sales people do not always have the soft skills needed to conduct business over the phone.

Now, compare that to this survey comment:

Everything was great. The man on the phone was not only fast and courteous, but pleasant.

Ok, let’s unpack these two comments. We’ve got: arrogant, rude and hard of hearing versus fast, courteous and pleasant . The first resulted in the prospect asking not to be called any more. The second resulted in the prospect going out of his (or her) way to offer praise.

One agent was fast, whereas the other, by dint of not actually offering any help, was slow. One was not only courteous but pleasant. The other was not only arrogant but rude. We cannot be sure that the second scenario resulted in a sale, but it looks quite promising. We can presume that the person in the first scenario didn’t agree to buy a policy before asking the rude agent not to call again. (Not too big a stretch, right?)

I suspect that, as with driving ability, people tend to think they have above-average phone manner. But the fact is, in the real world (unlike in Lake Wobegon) we cannot all be above average. Most of us fall in the tall and thick part of the bell curve with our middling phone manners. A few are exemplary, and an equal number are terrible. I can assume that you, dear Agent Blog reader, are probably not as bad as the agent described in the first comment and not as agreeable as the one described in the second. You probably won’t be called rude, but you probably won’t be singled out as pleasant either. Unless you work at it, that is.

The trouble with our perception problem—our mistaken notion that we’re better on the phone than we actually are—is that it prevents us from improving our phone skills. After all, if you’re above average, why tinker with anything?

Unless you have anecdotal evidence (empirical is even better) that you’re a good phone communicator, it’s time to get feedback, be it from family, friends, co-workers or existing clients.

When asking for feedback, be sure to ask specific questions and emphasize that you want brutally honest answers. And ask open questions (e.g., What about my phone manner stands out as good? Bad? Was my hello warm enough? What about my signoff—was it too hasty?).

The telephone is perhaps the most important medium for an insurance agent; more than email, more than face-to-face contact, it’s where the bulk of your interaction with prospects and clients takes place. So it pays to put a little work into improving your phone manner. With a little effort, you, too, can be pleasant.

Posted by Jeb Foster at 03:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
 

That hapless giant called Microsoft has once again stumbled badly, this time while trying to compensate for a previous stumble—the one known as Windows Vista.

In a recent ad campaign called “The Mojave Experiment,” Microsoft decided to play a trick on its detractors.

They gathered a bunch of tech experts—let’s call them tech-sperts—and asked them to try their new operating system, called Mojave. They didn’t tell them that Mojave was actually Windows Vista.

Before showing them the "new" operating system, Microsoft asked for their opinions on the Vista OS. The tech-sperts echoed the prevailing sentiment: Vista stinks big time, they said.

Then, they were each given a few minutes to try out Mojave. They loved it. Then Microsoft pulled the rug and said, in essence, “Gotcha! It’s actually Vista, you fool!” Awkward retractions ensued.

The corollary to the “the customer is always right” axiom is this: the customer is never dumb. Microsoft gets its share of both earned and unearned grief. But they really ought to abstain from elaborate ruses designed to embarrass people and show that they, Microsoft, are the misunderstood good guys.

Posted by Jeb Foster at 03:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)