By |Published On: July 20, 2016|

When you’re an insurance agent with a list of leads, it’s time to make a detailed plan about contacting insurance prospects. The goal is to turn leads into clients, so how do you get started?

When initiating communication with leads, the channels you’ll use may be expected (phone, e-mail). But the message is key. Consider the following avenues:

E-mail Conversations

E-mail may sound like a risky way to pursue leads because it can feel so impersonal.

Still, a well-planned marketing strategy can utilize e-mail to convert leads into clients. Here are the steps to follow:

  • Initial Inquiry: Yes, this is the electronic version of a cold call. Keep language in this e-mail as personalized, engaging and informative as possible–while also balancing brevity and clarity.
  • Follow Ups: This is another difficult balance to strike. Give leads another chance to respond to you, without bombarding their inboxes.
  • Hot and Cold Prospects: After two rounds of e-mail communication, the leads who have replied to you are Hot Prospects. Leads who have not followed up are now Cold Prospects. Cut your losses and continue to engage with Hot Prospects in a timely manner.
  • Close the Sale: Communication with Hot Prospects should evolve away from e-mail and work toward making the sale. (More on this later.) If Hot Prospects fail to become clients at this time, save their contact information and send them occasional updates in the future.

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Phone Calls

Conversations in real time are a great way to gather relevant information from leads.

It’s nice to have a perfect cold-calling script for insurance prospects. You can ask questions such as:

What type of insurance are they looking for? Have they received quotes from competitors?

Ask questions of this lead, but also provide the space for them to ask you questions.

Be prepared to represent yourself and your agency in the best light possible. Keep in mind that your lead is trying to save money, so highlight every opportunity your agency offers for savings.

This is an important time in your relationship with prospective clients. Be sure to stay in contact and make yourself available for their questions and concerns.

Treat phone appointments seriously, even as seriously as in-person scheduled meet-ups.

Physical Meet-ups

The most important conversations with insurance prospects are yet to come.

Another phone call is standard, but the ideal is an in-person meeting to close the sale.

What your lead is looking for is an analysis.

Have this prospective client list their goals, and feel heard by your agency. From there, you can move the conversation to your rates.

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