Friday, February 29, 2008

10 Important Insurance leads-Annuity leads Marketing Tips

Each of the following Ten Insurance leads-Annuity leads Marketing Tips is based on a highly effective - but often overlooked marketing tactic. How many are you using? How many have you overlooked?

Tip 1: Insulate yourself against the impact of change by increasing the number of Insurance products and services you offer ...and by using a variety of different marketing methods. For instance, you can use a postcard mailing to Senior Citizens from age 62 to 78 and income over $40,000. Every three weeks you would drip on them with another postcard. Also, you could do a quarterly newsletter. I like our "World Smallest Newsletter?" on a over sized postcard. Only a small portion of your total business will be affected if the sales of one product or marketing spoke on your marketing wheel declines or the response to one marketing method drops.

Tip 2: Insurance Clients are prospects too. Stay in contact with them. Find or develop other products or services you can offer them. It's easier to make a sale to a previous customer than to someone who never bought from you. Here's the ratio of marketing you should use. Front end marketing should be 25%. That's use postcards, letters, flyers and emotional type ads to generate business. You should be getting 25% of your business from "Critical Mass." That's by working your clients to offer more services and products to on annual review. Another 50% should come from using a systematic process of getting your clients to have their friends calling you. We go in depth on systems you can use to have a bundle of referrals.

Tip 3: Avoid making any claim that sounds exaggerated ...even if it is true. A bold claim creates doubt in your prospect's mind and jeopardizes the sale. Reduce any bold claims to a more believable level. Use third party articles to help make your claims hit home.

Tip 4: Express numerical claims as odd numbers with fractions or decimals. For example, "Our clients save 17.7 percent" sounds more believable than "Our clients save 20 percent" ...even if 20 percent is the accurate number.

Tip 5: Set up a Insurance leads-Annuity leads automatic mailing system that you can use weekly that will keep you in a steady flow of leads. We have developed a brand new "Ultimate Postcard System" that you can use that will do all your postcard mailings that will only take about 15 minutes a week. Thing of your business as a wagon wheel with spokes and the hub is the base. If you only have two spokes and one breaks your in trouble. However if you have at least 10 spokes and one breaks it won't be a problem. That's what you want your Insurance marketing business to have. You need to have systems in place for building referrals, current clients, center of influences, postcards, telemarketing, newspaper ads, etc. I highly recommend you start out 2005 with mailing out at least 1,000 postcards per week using our "3-Step Postcard Systems.?" www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com/specialreport.htm Tip 6: Develop a series of 4 or 5 different special Insurance leads-Annuity leads postcards. Use them one at a time on a quality lists. I also like to use income levels over $50,000. Our test show that 80% of these people have CD money. Continuously recycle through the same series of dripping of postcards. This enables you to keep using special postcards to generate sales without taking time to develop new ones.

Tip 7: If you're attracting many prospects who really don't have (or can't get) the money to buy your product or service ...you need to change your market. Target a market where prospects have an intense desire for the benefits produced by your product or service - AND the money to buy it.

Tip 8: Set yourself apart from competitors by offering an exclusive benefit your competitors cannot copy ...or one they're not willing to copy. One agent I know has positioned himself in the following way. He specialists in showing people how to have retirement money available from the 11 to the 20 year. People are out living their money.

Tip 9: Advertising Insurance leads-Annuity leads copy produces the biggest response when each reader can believe the message was written specifically for him or her. As you write any sales message, visualize you're writing to one person instead of to a large group of people. This will help you write in a less formal and more personal style. Personalize envelopes with head addressed and a real live stamp.

Tip 10: Most insurance sales are not made on the first contact. Develop a method to capture and save the names and contact information of prospects who don't buy from you. Follow up periodically. A little gentle coaching will eventually convert many of them into buyers. Develop a newsletter that you can send out on a monthly basis. It can only be a postcard or a 8.5" X 11" letter.

Each of these 10 Insurance leads-Annuity leads marketing tips implements a simple but highly effective marketing tactic. Take action now to apply those you overlooked. You'll be surprised by how much business it produces for you. Check out our "Lazy Agents Marketing System." I hope you enjoyed this article and you will apply some of the principals discussed. If you need marketing help just go to the following website Http://www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com/specialreport.com Yours for your success, Russ Jones Creator of the "3-Step Postcard System." www.Ultimateinsurancesystem.com


Creator of "The 3 Step Postcard System" Developer of "Annuity Pro Lead Capture Web Page System" http://www.pmrsystem.com

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Tuesday, February 12, 2008

LeadZILLA: Best Annuity Lead Program?

LeadZILLA, a direct mail annuity lead program, won the Readers? Choice Award in a survey of independent annuity producers polled by Senior Market Advisor Magazine. But after thoroughly testing the system myself, do I see LeadZILLA as king of the jungle or a big bag of gas? I have invested thousands of my own dollars into LeadZILLA to generate leads for my own general agents to use, and I?ve learned a few lessons along the way.

The numbers speak for themselves. My first mail drop was on September 23, 2005 and, as of this writing, I have used LeadZILLA continuously for the past fourteen months. I have mailed out 44,800 pieces in 224 drops and received 1,295 direct response cards back in the mail. This is a response rate of 2.89% and an average of 5.77 lead cards for each 200 piece drop.

The lead system's proprietor boasts an average of 6 lead cards returned for every 200-piece drop. My average of 5.77 cards is close enough that I?m not going to snivel over the .23% difference. As we in the insurance industry know, pools of statistics paint with a broad brush. I?ve seen return rates ranging from zero cards back to 20 back, each from 200 pieces mailed out. Individual return rates are one of those mysteries of life, but I always advise my agents to select zip codes on the outskirts of town and away from affluent neighborhoods.

The good news is that LeadZILLA is part of a Marketing Allowance Program (MAP), which makes it free with production. For every (roughly) $40,000 in annuity premium issued by one of four carriers ? Allianz, American Equity, Sun Life Financial, and ING ? the agent receives a 200-piece mail drop. On average, each piece of business leads to six additional prospects, which in turn leads to more business and more prospects in a self-perpetuating cycle.

But this cycle is quickly broken with this or any lead system when the agent tries to take the lazy way out. Do not (I repeat, DO NOT!) destroy a perfectly good direct response lead by picking up the telephone and becoming a cold-call telemarketer. You?ll be lucky to set an appointment with one in six prospects, and you?ll quickly join the ranks of the 90% of insurance agents who fail. Instead, route out your cards, get in your car and spend an afternoon using the Drop-By System.

Here are the steps to remember with the Drop-By System. Park your car directly in front of your prospect?s home or in their driveway. Leave the engine running and the door open. Get out of your car, turn and wave at the front window as if someone saw you drive up. (In case someone did see you drive up, they?re busted!) Knock on the door and stand sideways a few feet away. When your prospect comes to the door, glance at your watch and say, ?Hello, may I speak with Mr./Mrs. (Name on card)? I?m (Your name) and I only have a minute, but I was passing by your street and thought I might stop by to set up an appointment to go over this information you requested (show them the lead card they filled out and signed). Is Thursday morning at 10 good, or is Friday morning at 9 better?? Let the conversation go where it will. Some of my biggest annuity sales started out discussing Mr. and Mrs. Prospect?s cat.

They can?t very well hang up on you. They can, however, see that you are a living human being with ?evidence? in your hand, a smile on your face, and a simple duty to fulfill their request for information. You?ll set appointments with four out of six prospects. What?s more, when you return for the appointment you won?t be a stranger. Odds are you?ll leave with deal in hand.

I have additional information on LeadZILLA and other annuity lead and insurance lead programs. Feel free to contact me. Direct mail lead generation is one of the best methods I have used in my decades of direct sales. Popular vote says LeadZILLA is the best. Who would argue with the king of the jungle?

http://www.Free-Insurance-Leads.com Gary Le Mon is a wholesale distributor of fixed indexed annuities for Allianz, American Equity, Sun Life Financial, and ING. Author and developer of the Safe Money Seminar, a financial planning seminar for Seniors, Gary serves as guest speaker on behalf of agents and agencies nationwide. He is coach, mentor and motivator to over 700 general agents in his insurance marketing organization, InsuranStar Marketing. See also Insurance-Lead-Programs.com.

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Monday, January 28, 2008

Best Fixed Annuity Coverage - How To Find It

To get the best fixed rate annuity coverage you definitely need to shop around to find a good deal. The easiest way to do this is to get on the Internet and start comparing insurance rates. There are hundreds of sites on the World Wide Web that specialize in offering charts and product sheets so that you can compare different offers side by side. These types of insurance comparison web sites that make it quick and easy for anyone to compare different offers and interest rates, even if you have never taken out insurance or a pension before.

The reason that most people end up paying too much for their fixed annuity plans is that they don't bother to shop around for the best annuity coverage. It is such a tedious job that sometimes they just take the first deal that they run across.

This is just not the way to go about shopping for the best fixed annuity coverage. You should at least go to the same type of time and trouble that you would to shop around to find the best credit cars, mortgage or car insurance. You should also do this in a short amount of time as it is inevitable that the insurance company will eventually ask for your social insurance number. This of course is used to check your credit rating, which can also have an impact on the rate of interest that you are offered.

Another thing to look at, besides price is just exactly what the plan actually covers. Just because it is cheap does not mean it is the best fixed annuity coverage for you. Finding the ideal plan can mean taking many other things into consideration besides price including fees, the price of withdrawal penalties and the structure of the plan. Most of this information can be found in the fine print of your agreement with the company, which of course you should ask to see and read thoroughly before signing on the dotted line.

Tiffany Walker has finally revealed her annuity secrets online. Read the latest by clicking here: Best fixed annuity coverage.

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Sunday, January 27, 2008

Fixed Annuity Company - The Concept

The elders of the Presbyterian Church first brought the concept of a fixed annuity company to light in the mid seventeenth century. The idea was to provide a yearly pension for widows and the elderly members of the clergy. The concept of the fixed annuity company hasn't changed much in the present day. Perhaps the only difference is the tax deferment that is characteristic of most modern annuities.

The idea behind an annuity is that they allow you to invest in a tax-free fund for a number of years until you are ready to withdraw money. Once you withdraw from the fund you would be taxed on it as you would regular income. In the financial world the process of providing you with a check that you cash every year from your saved taxed deferred funds is called annuitization.

Every fixed annuity company today will also offer you the guaranteed income for life option. You can also opt to be paid the annuity for a certain specified period of years which of course if very handy if you ever suffer an illness or disability.

There is not really such a thing as a fixed annuity company. If you went through the Yellow Pages you probably would not find such an entity. Most of the time it is an insurance company offering you the fixed annuity. Annuities are also sold through licensed insurance brokers and agents. Using a broker to find an annuity deal is a good idea as it allows you to compare various interest rates offered by different insurance companies.

The reason that it is a good idea to invest in products offered by a fixed annuity company is that if it ever goes out of business that the other insurance companies in the state where the defunct insurance company is are obligated by law to honor the conditions of your annuity.

Tiffany Walker has finally revealed her annuity secrets online. Read the latest by clicking here: Fixed Annuity Company.

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Thursday, January 17, 2008

Annuity Buyer Guides

Annuities are one of the most important and inevitable and lucrative policies for the well being of the senior citizens of America. However, at some crossroads of life one might need to have their future to be planned in a proper way, especially during and after the retirement phase. A senior citizen, anyone of age sixty-five and above, has the full right to utilize his or her insurances, life insurances, liquid assets, pension schemes, financial plans and such other things including the retirement plans. Proper planning is key to the secured future. An annuity is the ideal plan for such phases of life.

The best age to buy an annuity is 55 or older. An annuity is the ideal life planning tool for a senior citizen that comes up to him or her with all the advantages near the end of his life. The person who buys such an annuity plan to secure their post-retirement phase is called the annuity buyer. This annuity buyer has to pay what are called basis points. These are basically the fees for the annuities. The annuity fees or the basis points show a percentage of one?s investment. But one has to be very careful before committing him or herself in buying such annuities. There are a lot of guides on the issue that sometimes prove to be of great use to those who are thinking of buying such annuities. There are books available in the market and there are a lot of online resources as well to guide you through the dos, don?ts and other aspects of annuities.

An example would clear out the importance of annuity buyer guides. All the basic lucrative returns of an annuity is already known to us, but one should pay attention to the fact that one can't withdraw the money until one is 59? or one is hit with a 10% penalty. There a lot of other such little things about which one should have a prior knowledge. This is where the annuity buyer guides come in useful.

Annuity Buyer provides detailed information on Structured Settlement Annuity Buyer, Annuity Buyer, Annuity Buyer Payments, Annuity Buyer Guides and more. Annuity Buyer is affiliated with Condos For Sale.

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Sunday, November 25, 2007

The Other Problem with the Equity Indexed Annuity

Okay, so here is the other problem with the index annuity. Many agents try to sell it as the 'answer to all problems.' The fact of the matter is, it is not that at all. An indexed annuity is designed to have the potential to capture a little more upside than a traditional fixed annuity can.

Again, many agents claim it is a way to beat the markets...they will severely underperform in a good bull market. Furthermore, they are not designed to capture all the upside. They are designed to give a lower floor and a higher ceiling than traditional fixed annuities. They are by no means a stock market alternative.

So the bottom line is that the equity indexed annuity can be something desinged particularly to fit in someone's portfolio. It has advantages that other annuities cannot offer. It gives the protection of a fixed annuity. And it gives a little more upside than traditional safety vehicles.

All in all, it can be a good thing but it depends on an investor's situation. For someone looking for all the upside and who doesn't care about taking risk and losing money, the index annuity is far from the right choice. For someone who has a small risk tolerance but cares to have a little more upside potential, it can be a good choice.

The most important thing is to understand, any investment is part of a bigger equation. That is the bottom line. And furthermore, research is key. It is important to know what you are getting into. The further side of the spectrum is agents saying that EIA's are a scam. Those guys just don't understand how the EIA works.

Ignorance is Not Bliss.Tony Bahu is a licensed annuity agent who has helped many men and women own the annuity that is right for them and their family.

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