Finding quality disability insurance leads can be pretty daunting. After all, the call for this kind of insurance is lower than the need for health insurance or auto insurance – fewer people are thinking about the possibility of suffering a disability. It’s not an immediate problem, so it’s harder to convince them that they need to be insured for this eventuality. When leads are obtained, you may have to deal with a lengthy sales cycle, and the sale itself can be hard to close. Many leads end up going nowhere. However, you shouldn’t feel like leads of this type are impossible to deal with or useless. You just have to know what you’re doing.
The first thing to do is make sure that you have a number of good quality leads coming in at all times. This will allow you to concentrate on providing the right services to the right people. You won’t have to worry about whether a lead will close this week or if they’ll disappear when you can be sure that you’ll have at least a few closing. Don’t take on so many leads at one time that you can’t properly serve them, of course. However, a reasonably high volume will take the pressure off and allow you to target the most viable leads and offer the best options.
Generating new leads is a source of debate – how do you do it without over committing? How do you generate good disability insurance leads without reaching the wrong target audiences? One thing to remember is that your existing client base is actually a very good source of new business. Stay in contact with them, and you’ll be surprised at how many more policies you write. They’ll be interested in new products in many cases, and since they’ve already purchased from you, they’ll be easier to sell too. Plus, clients who are happy with your service will be happy to recommend you to friends and relatives. These word of mouth recommendations are a valuable source of new leads.
Good ways to keep in touch with your existing client base include periodic phone calls and monthly newsletters to update them on information, news, and new products. Don’t talk about business on the phone – you don’t want it to be seen as a sales call. Just call to wish them well and see how they’re doing. Don’t promote anything or ask for a referral, or you’ll come across as being pushy. Let your clients decide, don’t pressure them, and keep your name fresh in their minds.
Direct mail newsletters are another great choice. A fun, entertaining newsletter is the best choice. Don’t be boring or too formal, don’t be pushy, and keep it to the point. Oversized postcards are one way to send out a fun newsletter inexpensively. The insurance industry is notorious for bogging down in formalities, so don’t fall prey to this temptation. Of course, keep your information useful and worthwhile, too. Informative content is vital for generating insurance leads of any kind.
Ever other month, or once a season, send a referral sheet along to your clients. This will help build the list and it’ll give you some great disability insurance leads. You’ll be surprised by how well it works. Remember to mail to existing clients, new prospects, and even old leads. The first contact rarely results in a sale, after all. You’ll be surprised how often people change their minds and leads convert to sales – months after you thought they were lost causes. Write about a few topics per newsletter, or focus each issue on only one. It’s up to you.
Talk about disability in general, case studies, and methods of funding disability insurance and more – just don’t focus on sales in the newsletter. It needs to be a valuable resource for potential clients, not just for you. Include an information request form for things your clients or prospects want to know about, too. That’ll help you find out who’s the most interested and will allow you to identify the best disability insurance leads. It’s amazing how well you can do just by working with your existing client base and offering them what they need to know.
