Like that box of chocolates, though, real-time leads are not perfect. Before you spend your money and energy pursuing them, think about whether you are prepared to handle the drawbacks.

Real-Time Leads Are Expensive

If you’ve bought a box of gourmet chocolates recently, you know just how much they cost. Real-time leads, too, can be very expensive. This is especially true if the leads are exclusive, that is, if they are sold only to your company. You may find yourself paying $10.00, $20.00 or even more for a single lead. That’s quite an investment for something that might not pay off.

Real-Time Leads Are Not Always What You’re Looking For

At some point, almost every person has bitten into a delicious-looking piece of chocolate candy only to find that the filling is one of his or her least favorite flavors in the world. Just like that candy, not every real-time lead is as good as it initially appears. After talking to the lead, for instance, you may find that he or she doesn’t qualify for your services, or that you can’t come to terms on payment, or that he or she is just shopping around and isn’t ready to buy at all.

Never knowing what you’re going to get means taking the bad along with the good – but taking the “bad” chocolates can be a bitter bite to swallow when you think about how much you’re paid for them.

Real-Time Leads May Go to Waste

Have you ever purchased or received a box of chocolates that you simply couldn’t finish? Maybe each and every one of them was delicious, but you just couldn’t eat your way through them before they started to go stale. Again, the same thing happens with real-time leads. As many as 50% of these leads don’t receive a timely call. Again, you’ve wasted your money paying for something that basically ends up being thrown away.

Before you arrange to purchase your next batch of real-time leads, take a moment and think about the philosophy of Forrest Gump. Is that “box of chocolates” really worth the money?

Customer Commitment - NextWaveMarketingStrategies.com

Have you ever spoken to a sales representative who sounded as if he or she would rather be doing anything in the world than talking to you? If so, I’m willing to bet that person did not get your business. Whether you are cold calling or following up on aged leads, your clients like to feel special. They want you to take time with them, answer their questions, and convince them that you and your company are the best people for the job.

That is why showing a commitment when sales prospecting can turn a “no” into a “yes.” Dictionary.com defines commitment as a promise, pledge, or obligation. It also refers to involvement and engagement in a process. There are several ways you can convey commitment while you are sales prospecting. Here are a few ideas:

Speak in a Warm, Friendly Voice

Smile as you speak into the phone, keep your tone even, and don’t rush to squeeze in all the information you can before the prospect ends the call. Taking deep breaths can keep the pitch of your voice low can make you sound relaxed, which will help calm your prospect as well.

Tell the Prospect Why You Are Calling

For instance, you might say something like, “I represent a new office products supply chain in town. We work with mid-sized businesses like yours to help you get significant discounts and same-day delivery.” If you are targeting this particular prospect for a reason, let him or her know that, too. “I was at the Chamber of Commerce meeting when you said you had a hard time finding cleaning services for your office. I represent ZYX Cleaning Company, and I’m sure we can help you with this issue.”

Give the Prospect a Chance to Talk

Listen carefully to what the prospect says. It’s a good idea to take notes. If the prospect raises an objection, don’t argue. Just say something neutral like, “I hear what you are saying. Tell me more” or “Yes? Go on.” Sometimes the prospect will talk him or herself into buying what you are selling without you ever having to say another word.

Ask for Appointments

Thank the prospect for taking the time to talk to you on the phone and add something like, “I’d really like to meet with you in person to show you some of the first-rate supplies we offer. Would you have time to meet for fifteen minutes or so later this week?” It’s unusual to make a sale on a first phone call, but many prospects who are even halfway interested in your product will agree to short appointments.

Don’t Forget Follow Ups

If you give up on a prospect after a couple of contacts, you could risk losing a profitable sale. Instead, schedule regular follow ups to allow the prospect to get to know you better.

If you treat each contact with enthusiasm and commitment, you’ll soon see an improvement in your sales statistics.

Sales Strategy - Next Wave Marketing Strategies

Sales guru Zig Ziglar once said that the cardinal mistake of selling was trying to close the deal too soon. Instead, he suggested that you allow enough time for trust to develop before you actually make a proposal and deliver your sales message.

Ziglar’s advice is valuable. It can help you tap into the two greatest issues that come up in cold calling: problem solving and opportunities.

Problem Solving

Some leads know very well that they are unhappy with their current products or services. Others may not even be aware that a problem exists. You can help them identify that problem by using non-threatening, open-ended questions.

One question you should ask is, “What do you like about your current provider?” This gives you valuable information about areas that are important to your prospect. For instance, if your prospect replies that the best thing about his current supplier is a fast turnaround time, you will know that any sales plan you develop most guarantee quick service.

Another question that can help identify problems is, “If you could change something about your current provider, what would you change?” Take careful note of this answer as well, because it could form the basis of any proposal you draft.

Stay in close touch with the client who has a problem, and work to build credibility and trust.

Opportunities

Opportunities are rare when you’re cold calling, but when they do come along, they’re sheer gold. An opportunity means finding a prospect who is deeply dissatisfied with his or her current services. It may also mean finding someone who is just dying to try what you have to offer. When you find an opportunity, it’s tempting to rush full speed ahead into your sales message. Try to resist this urge.

A deal that is hastily cobbled together is likely to leave both you and your customer on shaky ground. Instead, ask questions. What, exactly, displeases the prospect about his or her current provider? What would the prospect like you to do differently? What is the prospect most interested in buying?

Once you have answers to these questions, thank the prospect and set up an appointment as soon as possible. Then take all the information back to your team and put together a selection of two or three proposals that seem most suited to the prospect’s needs.

By the time you have your appointment with the prospect, you should be ready to hit the proverbial home run.

If your only focus is on making a sale, you may be seen as insincere by prospects. Instead, make your presentations about discovering the prospects problems and reacting swiftly to opportunities.

Homeowners Insurance Rates Increase Leads - NextWaveMarketingStrategies.com

For years, insurance agencies have counted on homeowners accepting higher insurance rates rather than going through the hassle of switching insurance policies or even companies. What you may not realize is that this “business as usual” attitude creates a perfect opportunity for you to reach out to aged leads and when their loyalty by studying their needs and offering them appealing alternatives to their current coverage.

Listen and Learn

Your first step in the sales process should always be gathering information. Ask your prospects what they like about their current homeowners insurance policies as well as what they wish they could change. Find out what, if anything, they would be willing to sacrifice for lower premiums.

Build Trust and Integrity

No matter how good your policies may be, prospects will not switch to your insurance agency unless they trust you. Building trust is usually just a simple matter of doing what you say you will do when you say you will do it. For instance, if you’ve agreed to email a quote to a prospect on Monday, don’t put the task off until the following Friday.

Prepare a Customized Proposal for Each Prospect

Create a homeowners insurance plan unique to each prospect. In most cases, that will mean using some creativity to come up with a cost-effective solution to challenge the high rates the prospect is currently paying. In other cases, it will mean adding riders or increasing coverage to create a plan tailored to the client’s lifestyle and concerns.

Aged Leads Need Nurturing

Remember that many aged insurance leads were once brand new leads who somehow slipped through the cracks without getting the product they wanted. Take some time now to talk to them about their goals and options, and you’ll be amazed at how frequently that small commitment of your time will pay off by making sales and winning loyal customers.

Increased insurance premiums, decreased coverage, and an agent who is all but unreachable do not have to be a homeowner’s reality. Reach out to your prospects with personal attention and innovative plans that will challenge everything they “know” about insurance rates.

Life Insurance Leads - NextWaveMarketingStrategies.com

A little background about myself before I start.  I’ve been selling life insurance over the phone full time as an independent life insurance agent for over 6 years now.  I’ve been buying aged life insurance leads from Aged Lead Store for the last 14 months and they are consistently turning a much higher ROI than any other lead source.

Other agents ask me what it takes to be successful in working aged life insurance leads.  Here are the 3 key components to achieving success working aged life insurance leads:

1.  Use a Dialer

Selling life insurance over the phone is a contact sport.  The more contacts you make, the more sales you’ll make.  This is especially true with aged life insurance leads.  95% of the people you connect with on the phone aren’t interested.  That’s to be expected and it’s part of working aged data.  It’s that remaining 5% that makes it all worth it.

With a dialer, you more than quadruple your calls and get to that 5% much quicker.

Don’t even think about buying aged life insurance leads if you don’t invest in a dialer.  These run from $90-$150 per month with no long term contracts and unlimited use.

2.  Buy enough leads.

I’ll go out on a limb and say that I’ve written more life insurance premium off of aged leads  than any other agent.

You want to know the crazy part?  I app out an average of .8% of my aged life insurance leads.   That’s right, .8%.  Sounds low doesn’t it?  Sometimes it’s more, sometimes it’s less – but that’s the average.  Even at .8% there are HUGE profits.

That means out of 1,000 leads, I send 8 applications out.  Out of those 8 applications, I’ll get paid on just above 60% of them.  Lets do the math using 1,000 aged leads.

1,000 aged leads 31-85 days old:   $1000
8 applications ($900 average AP): $7200
Place 5 policies: $4500 AP
Avg Commission 90%:  $4050

$4050 commissions earned – $1000 lead cost = Total profit: $3050
I made $3 profit for every $1 I spent and that gets even better in case of bulk discount pricing.

Keep in mind, you can work 2,000-4,000 leads per month EASILY.

I’m sharing this statistic with you to show you WHY it’s important to buy enough leads.  You can’t make a livable income buying 1,000 leads or less (unless you have other marketing in place).  Especially when you factor in that  you’re only receiving 75% of that commission up front, charge backs will happen and it takes on average 8 weeks to receive a commission after you submit an application.

You also need to buy enough leads because of variance.  Sometimes you’ll send out 10+ applications per 1,000 leads and sometimes you’ll send out 3.  So what happens if you buy a batch of 1,000 leads and you only submit 3 applications?  It happens to the best agents – it’s just variance.

That’s the mistake most agents make.  They don’t buy enough leads and hit the low end of variance and chalk it up as a failed effort and move on to the next lead source.

That’s why I recommend buying 2,000 aged leads to start.  Call through the list at least 5 times (with your dialer) and you’ll see the power of working aged life insurance leads.  The real secret is buying in bulk.

Something to keep in mind, after you buy a total of 5,000 leads through Aged Lead Store, your cost per lead goes down from $1 to $.75 (31-85 day old leads).  Now your ROI is even BETTER!

3.  Have a system in place and work it every day.

Agents who have worked aged life insurance leads and failed NEVER created and stuck to a system.  Many think if they called the leads a couple times whenever they felt like it, they should be successful.  That’s not the case.

Before you even start calling aged life insurance leads, develop a “plug and play” system.  Work this system every day and you’ll see great results.

Start with:

• Committing to 3-4 hours a day on the dialer M-F.  If you can’t make a time commitment, then wait until you can.
• Developing a script and don’t stray from it. Say the same things over and over and own it.  I’ve been saying the same thing for over a year.
• Use a CRM to keep in contact with people you’ve spoken with that didn’t buy just yet.   You’ll be speaking with A LOT of people.  Don’t let them slip through the cracks.

Also, I use technology where I submit a one page online life insurance application for over 60 life insurance companies and my processing team takes care of the exam, application and underwriting with no reduction in compensation.  So as soon as I make a sale, I move on to the next one – no follow up needed!  This single handedly freed up 2-3 hours in my day.  Anyone can use it, click here to sign up.

Selling life insurance over the phone with aged leads isn’t for everyone.  It takes a disciplined agent who can commit to 3-4 hours a day on the dialer.  Everything else can be learned.

Bottom Line.  Purchase a dialer seat, buy enough leads and work the same system every day and you’ll write more life insurance than you ever have.

Aged Leads Value - Next Wave Marketing Strategies

Marketing gurus have traditionally placed a lot of emphasis on the importance of making contact with a lead as soon as possible. In spite of this advice, insurance agencies are learning that aged leads can be just as profitable, if not more profitable, than brand new leads.

Practice Makes Perfect

First, while it is true new leads are more likely to convert than aged leads, it is also true that aged leads are much less expensive to purchase. This means you can recoup your investment with a far lower rate of closures. This means that an agency can afford to take a few risks, such as using aged leads to experiment with new ideas for marketing campaigns and training sales staff with aged leads.

Aged Leads Are Still Quality Leads

Second, many people equate “aged” leads with leads that are out of date. This is inaccurate. When you purchase a set of aged leads, all of the contact information should still be good. Most lead generation companies will credit your account for leads that have outdated or incomplete contact information.

How Leads Age

There are several reasons why a lead might be considered aged. In spite of the best efforts of sales staff, some new leads simply fall through the cracks and are never contacted. These people are often still looking for insurance and will often be very receptive to contact with your agency.

Another reason why a lead might age is that some people take longer than others to make up their minds about major purchases. Some agencies do not have the time, the staff, or the patience to nurture leads through a long decision-making process. By the time you get the aged lead, the prospect has had plenty of time to think about his or her options and may well be ready to purchase an insurance policy.

Finally, the prospect may have been ready to purchase insurance but was not impressed by the agencies that initially responded to his or her query. If you can step into the picture with a policy that suits the prospects needs, you have an excellent chance of closing the sale.

If your agency has been bypassing aged leads, you might want to consider making a trial purchase. The number of conversions may surprise you.

How Do You View Cold Calling?

Sales people tend to dread making cold calls more than any other method of selling. They often voice worries that they are “annoying” the person on the other end of the phone. Some come right out and say that it is a waste of time because conversion statistics are dismal. But that’s thinking about cold calling through your own lens.

Take a moment and try to see it in a different way. What if, instead of annoying the prospect, you were doing him or her a kindness by offering a solution to a longstanding problem? What if you are just what the prospect needs? He or she just doesn’t know it yet.

How Can I Help You?

If you use a script when you make calls, it probably focuses heavily on the strong points of your products or services. Some scripts are little more than a long, droning list about how great whatever you’re offering is.

How you would feel if you were on the receiving end of that kind of cold call? As you listened to the sales agent, you’d probably start thinking something along the lines of, “That’s all very nice, but what does it have to do with me?” The next logical steps are the brush-off and the abrupt termination of the call.

Calling from a Place of Kindness

When you make cold calls from a place of kindness, you forget about your conversion rate or your desire to be salesman of the month. Instead, you focus on what you can do to help the person on the other end of the phone. Perhaps you’ve heard through the grapevine that the CEO you’re calling is having a horrible time finding reasonably priced health insurance for his or her employees. Present your product as a way to meet that need and take a giant-sized problem off the CEO’s plate.

If you’re not sure what challenges the person on the other end of the phone is facing, go ahead and ask them. When they respond, make sure you listen to what they say instead of plotting your next line to make a sale.

When you take the point of view that you are a knight in shining armor helping the people on the other end of the phone solve their problems, cold calling becomes much less scary and much less tedious.

Auto Insurance Leads - NextWaveMarketingStrategies.com

If you are sales prospecting, a good place to start is with aged insurance leads. Right now, AgedLeadStore.com is selling five to six month old and ten to twelve month old auto insurance leads for just pennies per lead. Leads in this range allow agents to target people who are renewing current insurance plans as well as those who never found what they needed in the first place. Best of all, if you make even a handful of sales, you’ll have completely recouped your investment.

Why Buy Aged Insurance Leads?

No company plans to pay big dollars for new, exclusive leads and then let those leads fall through the cracks, but this is often exactly what happens. New leads frequently don’t get the follow-up needed to turn them into customers. Some new leads don’t even get an initial contact, and many don’t ever feel as though their questions and insurance needs were adequately addressed. These leads are ripe for nurturing and, with appropriate follow-up, may become valuable customers.

How Do I Contact Aged Leads

When you’re sales prospecting with aged leads, you can contact them the same way you would reach out to any lead – by phone, by direct mail, or by email. Many agencies believe it makes the most sense to launch an email marketing campaign to show the leads how your services can benefit them. End the email with a strong call to action, such as asking them to click a link to receive a free quote or a call from a sales agent along with an e-book with valuable insurance information. Of course, if you send this call for action, be sure to have staff set aside to deal with increased requests for information and phone calls.

What Data Do I Get on My Aged Leads?

When you buy from AgedLeadStore.com, all of your leads will come with a full postal address, an email address, and a phone number. Furthermore, there are 190 possible fields for additional information about the lead. Any given vendor usually supplies anywhere from 20 to 50 of these fields. This provides extra data which your agents can use to decide how best to approach individual leads.

Buying aged insurance leads, especially leads that may be coming up for renewal on their auto insurance policies, makes good business sense. If you’re not sure about it, try purchasing a small sample of 249 leads. You will get names, complete contact information, and additional data on each lead for a total cost of less than $100 for the whole batch. Sales prospecting has never been so easy.

First, relax. No one is expecting you to make 10,000 calls on your own. You will have access to auto dialers and auto responder programs that can do a large portion of the work for you. Which step should you take first? There are at least three promising ways to contact and maximize the aged sales leads.

Try Cold Calling

Use an auto dialer to reach out to your aged Internet leads. If the lead answers the phone, the call will automatically be routed to the appropriate member of the sales team. If the lead doesn’t answer, the lead is usually passed on to an auto responder program.

There is one cautionary step you should take when cold calling aged leads. If the leads are 90 days old or older, and if they appear on the national do not call list, your company could get into a lot of trouble for attempting a phone contact. Make sure that leads that have aged longer than three months are carefully “scrubbed” against the DNC list or find another way to contact them.

Send E-Mail to Leads

Computer technology has made it easy to send out thousands of messages at a time. You can use e-mail to remind the leads that they had once requested insurance information and you would like to help them. Design your email so that the lead can “opt in” to receiving further contact from your company by clicking on a big  red or orange button. As part of good customer service, it’s equally important that your lead has an easy button to click that will stop any further calls. If you use this method, it can take less than a day to separate the prospects that are still interested from the ones who don’t want further contact.

Try a Snail Mail Campaign

Snail mail has developed a pretty bad reputation over the years, but it’s not a bad marketing tool. This is especially true since people don’t get as much sales mail as they used to, and a well-designed card or a letter with a compelling pitch just might when you a second look. End your letter or post card with the same type of call to action that you would use in an email. For instance, you might have the prospect call if they still want to discuss insurance needs or ask them to visit your website and sign up for a free newsletter.

Don’t be overwhelmed if your company buys a large volume of aged leads. There are follow-up methods that can maximize the responses without over-taxing the sales staff.

Call Centers Use Aged Leads - NextWaveMarketingStrategies.com

Aged Internet leads are insurance leads that are days to months old. For a variety of reasons, these leads may not have been closed yet. If your organization uses call centers as part of your marketing plan, then you would be wise to purchase aged leads.

Aged Leads are Affordable

While fresh, exclusive Internet leads are expensive, you can purchase thousands of older leads for hundreds of dollars. If even a handful of those leads convert into paying customers, you’ll have earned back your initial investment and made a fantastic profit to boot.

Older Leads Facilitate Warm Calling vs. Cold Calling

Why allow your call centers to waste time cold calling leads who may not have the slightest interest in insurance when for so cheap you can provide them with leads who have actually requested insurance information? These warm calls are far more likely to generate a response and, with a little nurturing, convert to sales.

Calls to Older Leads Don’t Take Much Time

All an operator has to do is remind the lead that he or she requested insurance information and ask if he or she is still interested. If the answer is yes, the operator can immediately refer the call to a trained sales agent. If the answer is no, the operator can cross the name off the list for good. Either way, each call can be terminated or appropriately routed within a few seconds, leaving the operator free to move on to the next name.

Aged Leads Can and Do Convert

Internet leads that are more than thirty days old have probably had a chance to look around online and find typical rates and answers to their most pressing insurance questions. If they are still interested in buying insurance, they frequently require less hand-holding and nurturing than fresh leads who may be new to the entire process of purchasing insurance.

Make sure your call centers aren’t wasting their time cold calling the wrong people. Instead, provide them with thousands of vintage sales leads giving them the volume of prospects they need weekly to start winning the numbers game.