Monday, November 12, 2012

Online new car leads: How to get dealer leads successfully


Getting new leads is not the most difficult thing in the insurance business! What is more difficult is to get leads which can be relied upon and which are more likely to convert. Online new car leads can be generated through a deluge of old methods. The agents have their own ways of making sure that they can get leads. But if the lead doesn’t result in any positive conversion, then the whole exercise becomes a waste of time, effort and money. One excellent method of getting good leads is through referrals. You need to please your existing clients so that they may refer your name to their pals. A word-of-mouth form of publicity is always much more desirable and profitable than an online advertisement! So, you have to make sure that your present customers are completely satisfied with you.

A good dealer is one who has plenty of services and packages to offer to his clients. In order to bag all the right dealer leads, it is vital that you store different bundle packages instead of dealing in plain, singular policies. It has been seen that people are more attracted to purchasing insurance policies in bundles as a bundle definitely brings down their average premium cost. Plus, they are also more likely to deal with an agent who can offer such bundles. In today’s competitive edge, you will certainly face problems if you are looking for dealership leads. Hence, the challenge lies in beating the competition and attracting the potential clients by offering a flood of policies.

It is not wrong or unprofitable to sell single policies. You can easily get buyers for them. But your limited number of services & offers would certainly dent the client’s confidence to an extent. For instance, if you wish to generate online new car leads, then ideally, you should supplement auto insurance policy with other classes of insurance like home insurance or health insurance. The variety in you will definitely make the client lick his lips in delight, especially if he plans to buy more than one policy.

It has been found that a person who is willing to invest in one policy is most likely to buy other kinds of policies as well in the future. And if the person spots some lucrative offers going on, then along with the car policy, he may be cajoled into buying a home insurance policy or medical policy. Therefore, stocking yourself with bundle policies and policies of various companies certainly increases your chances of bagging dealership leads.

If you are an amateur in the profession and are not confident about your chances, then you can earn dealer leads from a professional company or website. Such companies provide quotes, content, marketing and even training facilities to help you bag the right leads. Also, being in association with these companies can be very beneficial in the long run. Such an association not just secures you financially but also gives you higher exposure and a platform to further polish your skills and knowledge. 

Dealer leads: Tips on how to sell life insurance and health insurance policies


If you are an agent or an insurance dealer and are looking for clients, then the path that lies ahead is certainly not a rosy one. You may give an hour-long lecture about the benefits of your life insurance policy and about how your health insurance policy may save the life of the person during financial crisis. In fact, the chances are that the listener has already heard of all the major benefits at some point of his life and is aware of them. But despite all your efforts, all you would get is a ‘no’ for an answer. Selling your service is an art which requires a special gift of convincing the fussy prospective clients.

Getting a lead is not enough. It is important to convert the dealer leads into actual sales. One of the key strategies of selling your policy is to listen to the client rather than making him listen to your ramblings. He may not be interested in what you have to say! Rather, you must ask him what he wants and what kind of benefits & features he is looking for in a policy. In general, a dealer or agent has different insurance policies of different companies. After listening to the prospective customer’s demands, you will be in a better position to offer him the kind of life or health insurance policy which will satisfy all his requirements.

For instance, some people look for a policy which won’t burden them with heavy premiums and would still give them a reasonable level of protection. On the other hand, some people may not be bothered too much about the amount of premium but may be more interested in buying a policy which will give them higher long-term benefits. Thus, by adopting such a method (wherein you ask questions to the client before making a suggestion), you can understand the requirements of an individual in a much better way. Plus, such a strategy also works with a greater degree of success since you can quickly develop a bond with the client.

After you have got dealer leads, it is of paramount importance to you that you get something out of them. If the leads fail to convert into sales, then you are simply losing on time. When a dealer or agent is making a telephone call after obtaining leads (telemarketing form of selling), then he is forcing himself on the client and virtually coercing him to listen to his offer. People usually hate such callers and you are unlikely to make big money out of such a scheme.

On the other hand, if you make a personal appointment with the potential buyer and ask him his requirements, then you are giving him an opportunity to speak up about his wish-list. You are thus not just being a sensible audience to him (and thus forming a quick rapport) but are also making a mental calculation as to which health or life insurancepolicy will be most tempting to him. 

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Pros and cons of online lead management and lead generating services


Success rate of any organization depends on the amount of business or sales leads it gets on a regular basis. Over the past decade several new industrial sectors have emerged. Most of these sectors are involved in the process of generating strong business leads or sales leads for their client companies. It is a common practice for multinational companies and business enterprises to appoint business processing units to channelize valuable leads from diverse means and sources. Lead generation is basically a chain of procedures that focus on collecting and processing consumer/costumer data. Online data management system has definitely simplified the entire lead generation process. Some of the popular online lead management companies deal with auto leads, real estate, life insurance and Medicare leads.

Lead generating companies usually follow a set of marketing strategies that are aimed at attracting people. They utilize various techniques like online ads, email marketing, phone marketing and so on. For instance, auto lead generators offer free information service to browsers looking for auto quotes and dealer info. On the pretext of offering free car quotes they collect and sell the leads to auto dealers and auto loan services. There are several private auto finance firms like Leads Bureau that are linked with big networks of lead management and processing portals. Usually when a prospective auto buyer finds it difficult to get loans from banks and financial institutions, he takes help of online sources to find private money lending agents and financers that offer loans to people with low monthly income or even an unimpressive credit history. Leads Bureau is one such company that offers loans to bankrupt and low income group customers.

Knowing the needs of a person is the major part of lead generation. Primarily, people search online for information like prices, quality, rates and brands. While providing assistance to these visitors or members these websites gather their personal and contact information and sell them to companies and services looking for leads. A single business lead can act as a prospect customer to several services and sectors in an industry. For instance, if a person wishes to have a health insurance policy he is considered as a sales lead by health insurance companies, insurance agents, LIC agents and so on. So, companies from any of these sectors can contact the person and try to offer their services.

Online lead generator systems have not only assisted companies and businessmen but they have also contributed to the success of several smalltime agents and consultants. Many LIC agents and insurance consultants search online for life insurance leads and Medicare leads. They get to buy the leads for a nominal price that ranges between 1.5 to 2.5 US dollars per lead.

With the spread of internet networking systems, tapping customers and business leads has become quite fast. However, the competition has made the whole process less reliable. Half of the leads are expired or invalid or simply too old. Nowadays, most of the health insurance and auto service companies appoint their own lead generating agents to find reliable leads.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Do I Need Pub Insurance and Should I Get an Agent

Whether you own a retail store, a local 'watering hole', or a cozy bed and breakfast in the country, you need to have an insurance policy that will cover your business for a number of aspects. These include injury to employees or customers, damage to equipment, loss of earnings for a variety of reasons, and the usual as listed above, theft, flooding, fire, and the like.
For example, you own a pub and a customer carelessly discards their cigarette butt into the dry shrubbery outside. The bushes catch fire, and it spreads to the pub. Luckily nobody was seriously injured, but the smoke damage means you need to close until it is taken care of. Not only do you have the repair work to pay for, there is the loss of income for your business.

In another example, say somebody was injured, and sued you. Your pub insurance policy will cover you in this event. The same would be true with a bed and breakfast insurance policy, or with retail insurance. These policies often include a 'Business Interruption' policy, which includes the loss of income mentioned above such as flooding or fire, but also includes sickness or death, lack of public supply.


If you own a retail outlet, takeaway, or boutique, then you need retail insurance that will protect your business against potential damage or losses courtesy of third parties, such as customers. Similar to pub insurance, retail insurance will cover you for business interruption, including gas leaks or failure of electricity. Your buildings and contents cover will protect stock, machinery and equipment in relation to your business. You will also need a policy that includes public liability and employer's liability insurance to protect you in case somebody gets injured whilst on your property, or should an employee get injured whilst working for you.

So what should you look for in your chosen insurance policy? Whether you are looking or pub insurance, bed and breakfast insurance, or retail insurance, there are certain factors that you need to consider before selecting which product to purchase.

Firstly, identify the differences between an insurance agent and an insurance provider. Many businesses choose to purchase insurance products through a sales agent, as they will do a lot of the tedious sifting of information on your behalf. However, agents are often working on a commissioned incentive so may not be able to offer as economical an option as if you had gone directly to the insurance provider. Just as with hiring an employee, you are hiring the agent to work for your business. Would you hire an employee without an interview? Probably not. Here are the key ideas to find out from your potential insurance agent before doing business with them.

Find out how long the agent has been in business. A newly operating agent may not be as well established, but that doesn't mean you should rule them out right away. Ask things like how they are compensated, which companies they work with, and which carrier they do the most business with. Another important clue on selecting an agent would be finding out how much sway they have in a hard-hitting claim, or in the event of a coverage dispute. You need to know your agent will help you out when you need it most.

Ask which companies offer a specialized policy for your type of business, they all vary a little. And what if your insurance agent makes a mistake? Check that they have something called 'errors and omissions coverage'. You don't want to pay for their blunder. Discover which trade divisions they work for, and who the top clients are. It may be possible to get a reference, although this is not usually necessary. The agent should also be able to provide information such as the individual insurance company's financial rating, market standing, reputation for claim payment, and other specific offerings.

Although having an agent may help you in your decision making process when buying pub insurance or bed and breakfast insurance, remember to do what you feel is the best option for your business. If your business has a retail element to it remember that you may need specialised retail insurance.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

WellPoint

WellPoint, Inc. is the largest managed health care, for-profit company in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. It was formed when WellPoint Health Networks, Inc. merged into Anthem, Inc., with the surviving Anthem adopting the name, WellPoint, Inc. and began trading its common stock under the WLP symbol on December 1, 2004. In 2009, WellPoint sold its NextRx subsidiaries to Express Scripts for $4.675 billion.

WellPoint is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and serves its members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as Blue Cross Blue Shield in 10 New York City metropolitan counties and as Blue Cross, Blue Shield or Blue Cross Blue Shield in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), Wisconsin; and through UniCare. In addition to Blue Cross, the company also operates under the Anthem name.

Travel Guard

Travel Guard is a North American travel insurance provider. It specializes in providing travel insurance, assistance and emergency travel service plans.

History
In 1982 John Noel developed the Travel Guard product while he was working at Sentry Insurance. Soon, John purchased the rights to Travel Guard and by 1985 Travel Guard was operating out of the basement of its founder’s home. The company acquired Marathon Travel Shops in 1987. Then, in 1991, the Travel Guard was acquired by French-based GMF, but Noel reacquired the company in 1993. 

In 2000, Noel, David Lafayette and Nathan Lafayette created Travel Guard-Canada to offer travel insurance and travel services to Canadians. In May 2006, New York based American International Companies, Inc. (AIG) acquired Travel Guard. Travel Guard remains based in Stevens Point, Wisconsin with a new CEO, Dean Sivley, to serve as the company’s Chief Executive Officer. 

In July 2009, Travel Guard moved to its new home in a business park located off I-39 in Stevens Point. The company currently operates as part of Chartis, AIG's rebranded U.S. property-casualty subsidiary. AIG subsidiary, National Union Fire Insurance Company, underwrites Travel Guard policies.

USA-ASSIST Worldwide Protection

USA-ASSIST is a leading edge vanguard company with over 30 years experience in the insurance market, which sells travel insurance plans online. Its mission is to provide travel insurance, assistance and protection to all kind of travelers, including groups and business travelers Worldwide.

USA-ASSIST website allow you to quote and buy with confidence travel insurance plans in a simple, reliable and secure way through an exclusive online system.

USA-ASSIST travel insurance products, unique in their kind and backed by first class Insurers, have been especially designed for travelers to avoid concerns through this essential protection. The plans include benefits like coverage for medical expenses; protection for trip cancellation, interruption and delay; emergency medical evacuation and return of remains; lost luggage, flight accident and much more.

USA-ASSIST Worldwide Protection is actually considered the best selection in online travel insurance, based on experience, technology and customer service.