I like marketing you never have to think about that happens automatically.

Don’t you?

Your email signature another great opportunity for automated marketing.

If you don’t already know, an email signature is a message that your email system automatically adds to the bottom of every email you send.

Email signatures are traditionally used to prevent you from re-typing your contact information over and over but they present an awesome opportunity for savvy agents like you to put insurance marketing on auto-pilot.

I’m not a huge fan of internet insurance leads.

They’re expensive, they’re frustrating.

They degrade agents by turning insurance into a commodity.

The renewal rate on sales is lower than other marketing channels.

And of course, the leads are constantly denying that they ever signed up for anything.

(Sure you didn’t…)

But…

Where else can you get the contact information of a complete stranger who is actively shopping for insurance and might buy it from you today?

What’s your favorite Girl Scout cookie?

Relax, I’m not selling Thin Mints… (my favorite)

I read a great article from Seth Godin this weekend about how a good question trumps an amazing sales pitch.

Even for Girl Scouts.

He writes:

Most Girl Scouts are taught to memorize a fairly complicated spiel, one that involves introducing themselves, talking in detail about the good work that the Scouts do, and finishing with how the money raised goes for this and for that… This is difficult work even for a professional, but for a kid talking to an adult, it’s frightening and unlikely to lead to a positive experience. The alternative?

About a year ago, I wrote an article full of sales tips for new insurance agents and producers.

(You can read that article here)

It’s been one of the most popular articles I’ve written and I’ve received a LOT of positive feedback from new agents and trainers of new agents.

About a month ago, an InsuranceSplash reader asked if she could use the content in her company’s newsletter and I was more than happy to say yes.

What I never expected, though, was how amazing her version would be!

Want more sales from your producers?

Stupid question, huh?

Getting the most from your salespeople is one of the biggest roles of an agency owner but it’s also one of the most difficult.

I’ve worked with hundreds of agents across the US, and the ability to draw the most from their producers is a quality I’ve seen in the most successful agents.

Buying insurance leads is expensive.

I hear that from agents every single day and I agree 100%.

But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t play an important role in your marketing.

Where else could you spend money right now and be on the phone with an active insurance shopper within minutes?

What other marketing initiatives do you have that are so easy to track the results of?

“John – How can I get more Facebook likes?”

I get this question every day so I’m willing to bet you’ve probably asked it yourself.

Am I right?

I usually answer by explaining how it’s not the number of fans but the engagement of fans that really matters.

That’s still true, but you know what?

When you have a lot of Facebook followers:

• People think you’re more popular.
• People think you’re more established.
• New people are more likely to follow you.
• Prospects are more likely to trust and buy from you.
• You’ll have a lot more “friends of followers” to advertise to.
• And let’s face it – It feels good to have more likes than the agent across town, right?

“No one returns my calls anymore.”

Sound familiar?

An agent explained to me to me last week:

“These people are so rude! I leave message after message and no one ever calls me back!”

“They asked for the darn quote and now they won’t call me back! Can’t they tell how hard I’m trying to reach them?”

No… And they don’t care either.

This article is going to disappoint three insurance agents.

That’s because three different agents in the past three weeks asked me for an email template to follow-up with new customers.

And I’m not going to do it.

I was actually going to when I realized I couldn’t make one email (or phone script, letter, etc.) that fit every agency’s unique needs.

I also realized there are A LOT of reasons to follow-up with new insurance customers and one email isn’t going to do it.

Not even close.

In this 7th episode of Insurance Marketing with John Carroll I share 25 ideas for hiring the best insurance producers.

Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes

Listen to this episode to find out:

• The hidden segment of people who make the best producers at an affordable wage.
• Why you’re wrong about the best personality traits for a salesperson.
• Where the best insurance producers for your agency live.
• How you can try before you buy when it comes to hiring new producers
• The best question to ask an applicant during a job interview.