ultimate marketing System

How To Write Insurance Leads-Annuity Leads Headlines That Can Increase Your Response By 1800%

2006-07-25T21:54:00.000-07:00

How To Write Insurance Leads-Annuity Leads Headlines That Can Increase Your Response By Up To 1800%.

I’d like to extend a warm welcome to you today. I’m going to teach you a valuable skill that you can use almost every business day of your life to help increase your income. In this issue I’m going to show you:

How to write Insurance leads-Annuity Leads headlines so compelling that senior prospects will flood you with

inquiries that you can turn into cold hard cash!

You may ask, why do I need to know how to write Award-Winning Insurance leads-Annuity leads Headlines? Because, as an insurance agent you need to know everything possible about creating cash-generating powerful headlines that will make your prospects drive 10 miles to drop your lead into the mailbox or run to the nearest phone to call your 800 number and inquire about your valuable information.

FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

More than 90% of all Insurance leads and Annuity leads ads and letters today don’t have headlines.

Ninety percent of the success or failure of any offer, whether in a space ad or sales letter, relies on the headline. Without a headline, your ads are doomed for failure almost every time. Marketing tests have shown that sales letters create more response with headlines.

Teaser copy on an envelope and the title of a book are as important as the headlines in a sales letter or ad.

My good friend and top copy writer, Brian Violes, has tested countless headlines and has found they can increase your response by as much as 1800% if they make powerful promises and/or benefits to your market.

Headline writing is the best place to start. I’ll show you how to ignite your sales by creating headlines with amazing power!

Here is what three, trail-blazing advertising legends say about the power of using headlines:

"On the average, five times as many people read the headlines as read the body copy. It follows that, unless your headline sells your product, you have wasted 90 percent of your money."

David Oglivy

"The sole purpose of a headline is to offer the reader a reward for reading the body copy. The wrong headline, or no headline, can result in the failure of the ad to accomplish its primary goal; to lead the reader into the body of the ad."

Jay Abraham

"Advice to copy writer: When you are assigned to write an ad, write a lot of headlines first. Spend hours writing headlines – or days if necessary. If you happen to think of a headline while walking down the street or while riding the bus, take out a pencil and paper and write it down."

John Caples

All three of these men are advertising legends. They have made millions for their clients and themselves by writing magical, cash-generating, powerful headlines!

The average ad writer will usually write dozens of headlines before finding just the right one. Brian Violes once said:

"If You’re Serious About Writing Insurance Leads-Annuity Leads Ads and Postcards That Sell, You Need To Spend The Time It Takes To Write At Least 100 Headlines Every Time You Sit Down To Write An Ad!"

100…really? YES…at least! Brian tells me that he has more than 25 megabytes of headlines on his hard drive!

Trust me, it takes more than a few minutes to come up with selling headlines. You’ve got to commit yourself to sit down and write at least 100 headlines.

What does a headline do?

An effective headline is important for many reasons.

It attracts attention. Your headline must practically reach out to your prospects, grab them by the throat and say, "HEY! I’M TALKIN’ TO YOU!"

You want to attract only your target prospect!

Communicate the strongest benefits you offer your target market. This will answer the important question we all talk about, "What’s In It For Me?"

Sets the tone for the offer. Sometimes you may want to place your offer directly in your headline.

A headline acts like a marquee, a rook-like projection over the entrance of a movie theater.

Selects the right audience.

Perhaps most importantly, your headline is the "ad for your ad."

If your headline fails to stop your prospect dead in their tracks, the whole ad becomes worthless to you. Get the point?

Formula for writing good headlines:

Write as many as 25 headlines, put them away for a day, then select the best one.

Use quotation marks because they are more believable.

The combination of a good headline and a good picture is irresistible.

The best headlines offer something.

Try to include the prospect’s self interest into every headline.

Tell a story.

Address the headline to a specific person or group.

Put a date in your headline.

Use reverse type sparingly because it is hard to read.

The headline should answer the question: "What’s In It For Me?

How to start writing award winning Insurance leads- annuity leads headlines for your letters, postcards and advertising.

First, you must identify all the benefits and features of the product – from the prospects point of view.

The benefits are the really hot issues…

Benefits are what provide the answer to the "so what" attitude.

Try to use strong action verbs. For example: "Discover How To Slash

Your Property Taxes and Mortgage Interest by 65%." The word

"slash" is a very strong action verb. When seniors read or hear that

word they immediately think about saving money.

An example of "feature" would be that a product weighs more than

12 lbs. and has over 400 pages in it.

You will find that you need both benefits and features in your

headline and your copy. Place emphasis on benefits.

Remember, seniors respond most of the time to their emotions.

There are hundreds of benefits that work, but most of them fall into

one of two categories. The two most powerful benefits that motivate prospects in our culture are love and money.

By writing benefits into your headline, you will automatically stimulate emotions. Then a person will justify his or her decision by using logic. Isn’t that interesting? I’ve just given you some powerful information that you can use to increase response when writing your own headlines.

Here are some sample headlines I’ve created for you. Try to imagine a senior citizen receiving a letter or postcard containing these headlines.

A Powerful Strategy You Can Use To Turn Your CD Money Into A Triple Compounding Account!

How To Quickly And Easily Get Triple Compounding On Your CDs!

Free Report Reveals 13 Powerful Ways To Beat The Banker With Your Money!

WARNING TO SENIORS

You May Be a Victim of Bankers’ Greed!

Do You Have A Maturing CD?

How About A 12-14% Safe And Secure Investment Paid Monthly?

How About An Alternative Product That Pays 12 – 14% Monthly?

I enjoy expounding on writing headlines that can triple your response on any ad, direct-mail letter or postcard. Let me give you a secret that could fill your mailbox with leads. Some of the headlines you just read would make most seniors run to the nearest phone or mailbox to discover the secret of what you offer.

Ogilvy said, "On the average, five times as many people read the headlines as read the body copy."

A strong headline that compels the reader to read the entire ad should do the trick, right? Assuming you’ve properly targeted your ad so that seniors who read it want your product, getting additional seniors to read the ad should certainly dramatically increase sales, don’t you think?

You don’t have to guess at this one! The research has already been done for you. Direct marketers have already proven that you can increase response to an ad anywhere from 10 to 20 percent and up to 18 times (1800%), simply by using a stronger headline.

Are you starting to see the importance of headlines?

Without a headline, you’ve got no way to force people to read the ad. If they don’t read the ad they can’t respond to it.

Here’s the secret. Since a headline is an "ad for the ad", a good one is like a powerful magic force that calls out to your prospects and compels them to read on.

How do you brainstorm a winning headline?

Here’s a great technique. Using 3 X 5 cards, start an "idea file." Start looking in magazines, newspapers and direct mail letter and jot down the headlines that catch your interest.

Find ads that are selling to a similar market as yours – then write the headlines. This will get you in the mood for writing winning ads. Just take the benefit in the ad they’re selling in their headline and add your benefit. Try it – maybe that’ll be your winning headline.

For example, a few years ago, Iwas watching one of my son’s soccer games and during half time I was reading Success Unlimited magazine. I came across an article about a couple who had sold thousands of birdhouses. They had a picture of themselves and in the background there was a small flier hanging on their wall that said, "Now There’s Nothing In The Way Of You Being A Bird Watcher."

The moment I read that ad, I started thinking of how I could use it for my marketing program. I like the words, "Now There’s Nothing In The Way of You…"

Here’s a sample of headline I thought about using:

Now There’s Nothing in the Way of You Getting Triple Compounding on Your CDs!

Now There’s Nothing in the Way of You Protecting Your CDs, Social Security,

Pension and Assets from the Medicaid Gang!

The point I’m making is, you need to look everywhere for sample

headlines that you can use in all of your advertising. You need to

continue looking for headlines that you can collect and incorporate

into your "idea file."

Let me give you one of the most powerful headlines you can use

that will almost guarantee doubling or tripling your response.

Use a Personalized Headline.

This type of headline makes it personal. For example, I recently

received a letter in a brown #10 envelope with my name typed on

the envelope. When I opened it the large bold headline said:

Russ Jones Receives $15,000 From The Social Security Department

It really caught my attention. In fact, I ordered the newsletter. Additionally, if you had mail merge capabilities on your computer (and you should) this would be a powerful headline:

Thomas Scott Receives the Highest Rate of Interest on His CDs

The "Thomas Scott" portion of the headline is the personalization. This type of headline can be incredibly profitable. For some reason, it motivates prospects who wouldn’t be motivated any other way.

It’s not that they believe you actually sat down and typed an entire letter for them – It’s just something about seeing their name that people like.

If you take the time to set up your computer with a word processing

program like Microsoft Word, you could be shooting out personalized

letters and postcards. If you buy mailing lists, buy them on disk so you

can mail merge into your computer.

I’ll guarantee that if you personalize your letters and direct-mail letters

they will pull just like free hotcakes on a cold morning!

Powerful Headline Words That Are Proven Effective.

The most effective words you can use to begin your headlines are the words, "How To." Think about how many times you see a headline that starts with "How To?" With the "How To," you immediately involve your reader in something they have an interest in (provided you have done your research and targeted your market.)

Here are some time tested, effective headline words:

Announcing, How Would, Amazing, Yes, Secrets Of, Advice To, The Truth About,

Little Known Secrets, Facts, Discover, Amazing, Love ,New , Breakthrough

And finally, the most powerful headline words: FREE and YOU!

Let’s see if I can write a headline that uses some of these words.

"Top Marketing Expert Reveals the Little-Known Secrets to Success in Marketing Your Insurance Products to Seniors – Amazing Facts and Brainstorming Discoveries You Can’t Live Without!"

Two other words that are my favorite are Quick and Easy!

FREE REPORT! Reveals Seven Quick and Easy Ways for Seniors To Retire in Comfort.

Stay away from headlines that merely create curiosity. You must design your headlines to stir emotion within your prospects…it must strike a chord. It must get your prospect excited, scared, or remind them of deep frustration…a frustration that you can ease. That’s why, whenever possible, you must use power words.

Remember, you want your headlines to be passionate and create intrigue. You must address a senior’s biggest frustrations and worries. Those are: money, security, financial freedom, health, love of family and peace of mind (not in that particular order).

SAMPLE POSTCARD

I had one agent tell me that this postcard last year made him an extra $25,000 in commissions. My marketing course has over 25 postcards and 17 reports you can use.

FREE SPECIAL REPORT

“Shocking Truth Revealed In Free Report About Practically Unheard Of Tax Strategies…Local Resident Saves Over $3,000 With Just One Of These Little-Known Inside Secrets!”

Your Town, ST. A local couple is still amazed at how one little tip that this free workshop revealed to them…saved them over $3,000 in taxes that they were needlessly overpaying!

And this couple is not alone…more and more residents are catching wind of this hot new report, and are also saving themselves thousands of dollars! How? This is the only report that finally uncovers the truth about how to legally keep the long arm of Uncle Sam from digging into your pockets!

Here are just a few things you will learn:

· How to avoid the seven biggest mistakes seniors make with their savings and investments.

· How to avoid outliving your income.

· How to get triple compounding on your CD’s.

· How to protect your assets from Medicaid!

· Learn how to use “Tax Protected Savings.”

· Learn how to choose when you pay taxes on your investments.

Call 800-00000, 24 hours a day our recorded message to reserve your Free Special Report!

Your next newsletter will show you:

How to immediately double, triple, or even 10 times your response from your existing advertising budget!

How to write "Killer" direct mail and newspaper offers, ones that make senior citizens stop reading the Enquirer or watching daytime soaps to call your toll free number or mail your return card.

I’ll also give you a telephone script and letter that helped one agent write more than $6 million in annuity premiums last year.

"No One Has Endurance Like The Man Who Sells Insurance."

"The Best Way To Kill An Idea Is To Take It To A Meeting."

Hope you enjoyed the newsletter.

Russ Jones

"Creator of the 3-Step Postcard System"

P.S. Check out our website at Http://www.Ultimateinsurancesystem.com

If you have any marketing questions please call our office at 435-755-5096 .

Get the whole story in a hot new Free Special Report!

"How You Can Quickly and Easily Double Your Insurance Income in 90 Days...Plus Receive $3,686 In Bonuses along with a Double Your Money Back Guarantee!"

Check out our website at Http://www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com to learn how you can double your income in 90 days

Toll Free: 800-397-3840 Fax 800-808-6551

Copyrighted 2005 Ultimate Insurance System Insurance leads-Annuity leads All rights reserved

10 Important Insurance-Annuity Marketing Leads Tips

2006-07-01T19:46:00.000-07:00

10 Important Insurance and Annuity Marketing Leads Tips

Each of the following Ten Insurance and Annuity 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 and Annuity products and services you offer ...and by using a variety of different marketing methods. For instance, you can use a annuity 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 and annuity 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 insurance or annuity 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 automatic Insurance or annuity 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 2006 with mailing out at least 1,000 postcards per week using our “3-Step Postcard Systems." Http://www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com/bonusreport.htm

Tip 6: Develop a series of 4 or 5 different special Insurance or annuity 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 Insurance or annuity 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 Insurance and annuity 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: Insurance and Annuity Advertising 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 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 and Annuity 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.

BONUS: MILLION DOLLAR REFERRAL TECHNIQUE-Million dollar sales agents seek process all the time-they even look for leads during the sales prospects. I was just reading an excellent book on selling called “The Ultimate Selling Power” by Donald Moine, PH.D and Ken Lloyd, PH. D talk about this concept.

Upon completion of the sale a good salespeople will ask the customer if she knows anyone else who could use their product or services. Sales superstars often ask for, and receive, those leads even before a sale has been consummated!

Here is an example of how one of the top sales and marketing minds in the U.S. accomplishes this.

Tom Gau, MBA, CFP, CPA is one of the most successful financial planners in the world today. Tom is not just a millionaire, he makes millions of dollars each year in income by helping his clients slash their taxes and increase their investment returns. In his very first meeting with a new client (before anything has been sold), Tom will say, “I am paid in two ways; One is a very small money management fee, the other is that when I do an outstanding job for my clients, they tell their friends about me. If I do a truly outstanding job for you, is there any reason you would not want a few of your friends or relative to know about the benefits I offer?
What can a person say? Because they want the best for their friends and relatives, they have to recommend Tom Gau. Tom has said that the average client gives him five or six high quality referrals over the course of a few months. Even more remarkable is that Tom Gaus powerful lead generation strategy costs him virtually nothing. He simply tells clients in the very first meeting that he expects leads when he does a great job. Clients are happy to supply those leads. It is not by accident that Tom Gau built his assets under management to nearly $500 million.

I hope you enjoyed this newsletter and you will apply some of the principals discussed. If you need marketing help or just want to talk about your current marketing campaign give me a call at 1-435-755-5096. If you haven’t ordered my marketing course and would like to read additional marketing and sales techniques just go to the following website: www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com/bonusreport.htm

Yours for your success,

Russ Jones

Creator of the “3-Step Postcard System.”

Http://www.Ultimateinsurancesystem.com

P.S. Take a look at our new "3-Steps To Multi-Million $$$ Production
Http://www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com

3 Business Steps

2006-06-25T23:51:00.000-07:00

________________________________________________________________________

For about twelve years now we have been studying the difference between insurance agents and financial advisors whose businesses are successful, and others who struggle just to pay the rent. How in the world can you have two agents who work in the same town, work with the same prospects; and have one who is making a six-figure income yearly while the other just barely pay the bills. Is one more intelligent than the other? We highly doubt it!

If intelligence was the issue, every college professor would be a millionaire. The smartest kid in your high school class wouldn’t be working for the dumb kid in your town who grew up to be one of the richest men in town.

If you give a million dollars to an intelligent person who did not earn it, they will more than likely blow it within 12 to 24 months. However, if you have someone who earned a million dollars with intelligent business practices, but his business fails for some unknown reason, he will more than likely earn back his money. Why is that?

The reason is, it is not money that makes money. It is specialized knowledge that makes money. It is the knowledge of marketing principles that make a business succeed independently of financial backing.

The difference in the success of our business comes down to our ability to market and promote our services and products to people.

The truth is specialized knowledge of the right principles – like marketing to people – can give you a huge competitive edge! You need to understand the following:

You are In Three Businesses

First, you are in the insurance business.

The second business you are in is the people business. Because it is the people who will buy your products. The people are who will refer you to other people. In addition, unless you understand that you are in the people business, you will find it hard to make a good living in this business.

The third business you are in the business of marketing. No matter what business you are in, you must market your services and products. We cannot emphasize it enough: Marketing is the lifeblood of every business! It is like flossing your teeth. It is not something you look forward to doing when you wake up in the morning, but if you do not, it will lead to pain and agony down the road. It is also something that the more you do, the better you get at it. Of course, the more you do, the easier it becomes. In fact, two things you really ought to make part of your daily routine are flossing and marketing.

Another thing you should know about marketing is that it’s a process. It is not an event. It is not something you try once and see how it works. It is something you do all the time. Again, it is a process. The more you work the process into your daily business, the more it will work for you. The more knowledge you have on marketing, the better marketer you will become. Thus, your commissions are governed by how well you market in this business.

What you need to learn is, you are a marketer first, and an insurance professional second. Until you learn this principle you will never make the kind of money to may desire.

Remember, this one principle:

It is a fact… the best marketers make the most money!

Unfortunately, the reality is that 90-95% of all insurance agents we speak with, are not marketing at the level they can or should be, or just are not marketing at all!

Many agents are in a comfort zone. They are living, more often dying, off the referrals onto which they accidentally stumble. In addition, when we ask these agents for a specific, systematic marketing plan, the conversation goes silent. Remember this statement, “Marketing is the ONLY function of your business that makes you money!” "Every other function is an expense!”

If you just sit back and wait for the home office to develop a new marketing approach, or wait for another miracle to happen, you are costing yourself thousands of dollars. You need to optimize your time, money, and talents to become the top marketer in your field. We still believe insurance agents have a right to make a six-figure income and to enjoy life to the fullest. We know of agents driving cars that have 150,000 hard traveled miles on the speedometer. If they would just become a top marketer in this field, they could drive any car they want and earn the income they desire.

As you read this manual, you will discover a number of marketing strategies that will make you a top marketer. You will learn from countless years of testing hundreds of different marketing strategies from both our office and a number of other top marketers.

All you have to do is take the time to study these strategies and start implementing them into your business.

The most important system to create in your business is an effective marketing system. Moreover, an effective marketing system is one that delivers predictable results from repetitive use.

The end result of using the marketing techniques described in detail in this manual will provide the maximum-effectiveness with a predictable income. For that to happen you must:

Have a marketing system in place that predictably, reliably, consistently, affordably and efficiently provides you with more qualified prospects than you can handle.

When we mail one thousand postcards per week, our response is at least 5%. Our response is from prospects who want additional information in a form of a "FREE REPORT" or an "Agents’ Starter Kit.”

It is this kind of predictability that you can build into your marketing, and it is a great feeling knowing you have a predictable income.

Once you start using “Predictable Marketing Strategies,” and the hundreds of other ones you will learn throughout this manual, you will begin to see the results of leads filling your mailbox daily. Your income will start doubling, tripling even QUADRUPLING over the next 12 months or less…

Now, let us turn to the next marketing strategy, and see what you can learn from it.

Check out our Confidential Marketing Report at www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com/bonusreport.htm

Insurance Marketing Strategies

2006-06-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

________________________________________________________________________

For about twelve years now we have been studying the difference between insurance agents and financial advisors whose businesses are successful, and others who struggle just to pay the rent. How in the world can you have two agents who work in the same town, work with the same prospects; and have one who is making a six-figure income yearly while the other just barely pay the bills. Is one more intelligent than the other? We highly doubt it!

If intelligence was the issue, every college professor would be a millionaire. The smartest kid in your high school class wouldn’t be working for the dumb kid in your town who grew up to be one of the richest men in town.

If you give a million dollars to an intelligent person who did not earn it, they will more than likely blow it within 12 to 24 months. However, if you have someone who earned a million dollars with intelligent business practices, but his business fails for some unknown reason, he will more than likely earn back his money. Why is that?

The reason is, it is not money that makes money. It is specialized knowledge that makes money. It is the knowledge of marketing principles that make a business succeed independently of financial backing.

The difference in the success of our business comes down to our ability to market and promote our services and products to people.

The truth is specialized knowledge of the right principles – like marketing to people – can give you a huge competitive edge! You need to understand the following:

You are In Three Businesses

First, you are in the insurance business.

The second business you are in is the people business. Because it is the people who will buy your products. The people are who will refer you to other people. In addition, unless you understand that you are in the people business, you will find it hard to make a good living in this business.

The third business you are in the business of marketing. No matter what business you are in, you must market your services and products. We cannot emphasize it enough: Marketing is the lifeblood of every business! It is like flossing your teeth. It is not something you look forward to doing when you wake up in the morning, but if you do not, it will lead to pain and agony down the road. It is also something that the more you do, the better you get at it. Of course, the more you do, the easier it becomes. In fact, two things you really ought to make part of your daily routine are flossing and marketing.

Another thing you should know about marketing is that it’s a process. It is not an event. It is not something you try once and see how it works. It is something you do all the time. Again, it is a process. The more you work the process into your daily business, the more it will work for you. The more knowledge you have on marketing, the better marketer you will become. Thus, your commissions are governed by how well you market in this business.

What you need to learn is, you are a marketer first, and an insurance professional second. Until you learn this principle you will never make the kind of money to may desire.

Remember, this one principle:

It is a fact… the best marketers make the most money!

Unfortunately, the reality is that 90-95% of all insurance agents we speak with, are not marketing at the level they can or should be, or just are not marketing at all!

Many agents are in a comfort zone. They are living, more often dying, off the referrals onto which they accidentally stumble. In addition, when we ask these agents for a specific, systematic marketing plan, the conversation goes silent. Remember this statement, “Marketing is the ONLY function of your business that makes you money!” "Every other function is an expense!”

If you just sit back and wait for the home office to develop a new marketing approach, or wait for another miracle to happen, you are costing yourself thousands of dollars. You need to optimize your time, money, and talents to become the top marketer in your field. We still believe insurance agents have a right to make a six-figure income and to enjoy life to the fullest. We know of agents driving cars that have 150,000 hard traveled miles on the speedometer. If they would just become a top marketer in this field, they could drive any car they want and earn the income they desire.

As you read this manual, you will discover a number of marketing strategies that will make you a top marketer. You will learn from countless years of testing hundreds of different marketing strategies from both our office and a number of other top marketers.

All you have to do is take the time to study these strategies and start implementing them into your business.

The most important system to create in your business is an effective marketing system. Moreover, an effective marketing system is one that delivers predictable results from repetitive use.

The end result of using the marketing techniques described in detail in this manual will provide the maximum-effectiveness with a predictable income. For that to happen you must:

Have a marketing system in place that predictably, reliably, consistently, affordably and efficiently provides you with more qualified prospects than you can handle.

When we mail one thousand postcards per week, our response is at least 5%. Our response is from prospects who want additional information in a form of a "FREE REPORT" or an "Agents’ Starter Kit.”

It is this kind of predictability that you can build into your marketing, and it is a great feeling knowing you have a predictable income.

Once you start using “Predictable Insurance Marketing Strategies,” and the hundreds of other ones you will learn throughout this manual, you will begin to see the results of leads filling your mailbox daily. Your income will start doubling, tripling even QUADRUPLING over the next 12 months or less…

Now, let us turn to the next marketing strategy, and see what you can learn from it.

Check out our Confidential Marketing Report at http://www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com/bonusreport.htm

Four Successful Habits of Getting Referrals

2005-06-29T16:42:00.000-07:00

Here Are Four Successful Habits of Getting Successful
Referrals

1. Show Up On Time

How often do service providers show up late, return calls
late, or keep their clients waiting?

This creates a feeling of anger and resentment and make
your clients feel like you don’t respect or value their time.

Don’t make this mistake - return calls when promised,
and show up to all appointments and seminars on time.

2. Do What You Say

How many salespeople and service providers promise
you the world before they have your money, then fall far
short of providing the service they originally promised
after they have your money?

This may get a company the sale once, but no one will
ever repeat purchase from them since they didn’t do
what they originally promised.

3. Finish What You Start

Builders and contractors are notorious for not finishing
what they start. All of us have experienced entering into
an agreement with a service provider who does half the
work, and then stops for one reason or another and
never completes the job.

Make sure you finish what you start with all of your
clients - that means sticking with them all the way
through negotiating for a better rate and payment,
and making sure they get what they deserved.

Don’t make the mistake of only focusing on signing up
new clients without also completing the service for your
existing clients.

Remember, you want your existing clients to do additional
Business with you.

4. Say Please And Thank You

When was the last time a service provider said `please`
and `thank you` and genuinely meant it?

You must show appreciation for your clients - they are
the lifeblood of your business. Make sure you treat them
like gold!

The problem is not 10 in 100 in our businesses
actually practice these four simple skills consistently.

I’ve added some additional habits that I feel are
necessary for you to automatically generate referrals
and renewals:

5. Under-Promise And Over-Deliver

Most Insurance brokers do the exact opposite of this -
they promise you the world, and automatically set you
up for disappointment.

Always promise your clients less than what you think
you can accomplish. This way, when your results are
better than expected, they think you walk on water,
and end up referring their friends.

6. Bond With Your Clients

Most businesses don’t have any idea how to `bond`
with their clients. They feel business relationships
should be treated differently than personal relationships.

They’re Dead Wrong!

People are people, and they enjoy the emotions of
love, respect, friendship, closeness, honesty, integrity,
recognition, etc., regardless of whether the relationship
is business or personal.

Don’t try to fight this. Instead, look at all of your clients
as friends, and treat them that way.

Send them written correspondence once a month to
keep in touch with them (I love using a monthly
newsletter for this!), send them unexpected gifts (like
books, audiotapes, brownies) to let them know how
much you appreciate them, admit when you’re wrong
instead of arguing and send apology letters or gifts,
recognize them in your newsletter and let them know
they’re special, and make personal calls to your best
clients to see how they’re doing.

If you consistently practice the six habits over the next
90 days, you will start to see a drastic change in your
business.

Business will start to flow to you almost automatically
without you having to push so hard for it.

You will also begin to enjoy your business and your
clients more, and it will start to feel more like fun
instead of work.

Also, make sure you constantly listen to your clients -
what they like, what they don’t like, why they bought
from you, what other products and services you can
provide for them, etc.

Your clients have all the answers if you listen to them.

Shawn Meldrum contributed to this article

http://www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com

Why ARM Methods Are So Important To Insurance Agents

2005-06-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

What is ARM?
ARM is Automated Response-Oriented Marketing. It is a unique method of locating qualified, motivated prospects who are in your market, and motivating them to actually contact YOU.

Why ARM Methods Are So Important To Your Success…

It’s unfortunate, but traditional marketing methods we’ve all been taught are inefficient, emotionally and physically draining, and in most cases simply don’t work. I know that’s a controversial statement, but I’ve yet to meet a single agent who truly enjoys the process of constant and grinding rejection found in most cold calling. Here’s why ARM works so well…..

1. Cold Callings will Drive You Crazy! Less than 5% of agent and financial planners can tolerate cold calling. And could there be a less efficient way to generate prospects?

2. Insurance Success Is About TIMING: getting the right message (about your unique services), to the right person, at the right time. ARM automatically locates these prospects who need your services now.

3. There’s Only ONE Thing You Do In Insurance That Makes You Money: The only thing that generates income for you is CLOSING SALES. Anytime you are doing ANYTHING other than working with clients and closing sales is time you are working FOR FREE. This includes time that you spend doing seminars, talking to them on the phone, and yes….even prospecting!

ARM is designed to work like a marketing “system” that works to bring you new prospects, while you’re out working directly with clients, closing deals, and making money.

Do you see why these methods are so important to your success? This entire course…all 3 steps… is about leveraging your ability to generate clients and increase the sales and referrals from your existing client base.

HOW DOES ARM WORK?
Advertising Executive, David Ogilvy, wrote a famous formula for creating high-impact response-oriented marketing. It involves 4 essential elements:

1. First, Capture Attention and Imagination (usually accomplished through a headline, not your name or agency name);

2. Next, Stimulate Curiosity and Interest (benefit-rich copy about subjects important to them);

3. Next, Intensify the Desire ( build motivation for your product or service by showing what it will DO for your prospect);

4. Finally, motivate Action NOW on your behalf.

There’s a 3-part process that takes place with any Response Oriented Promotion:

1. The first part requires you to specifically identify a promising MARKET. It also involves knowing that market well. The more specifically you define your target market, and the more you know about them, the better you can create an offer or marketing message of deep interest about THEIR situation. That’s how you get people to listen to you.

2. The second part involves making an irresistible appeal of enormous benefit (your offer) to your particular prospect. Notice I said “unique”. You want to create a compelling, preferably irresistible marketing message about what you can DO for them that no other agent or option can do. Notice the emphasis here is on what you will DO for THEM. It says nothing about you, your wonderful company, your “multi-million dollar production” or anything other than THEIR self-serving interests.

3. The third part of the process is creating a motivating reason—or multiple reasons—for them to act NOW on your offer, in an easy, non-threatening way. People won’t respond to any of your marketing without compelling reasons for doing so. This is perhaps why traditional insurance marketing does nothing to generate new business for you, and is a complete waste of money.

The First Step in the 3-Steps system will guide you to building a lead generating “system” in your Insurance and financial business. It’s divided into 8 parts, or sequential steps as follows…. Additional Steps will follow in the days to come.

Best wishes,
Russ Jones
Creator of "The Three Step Marketing System"
http://www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com

The Secret to Why Sales People Fail

2005-06-24T22:36:00.000-07:00

SELLING: The Secret to Why Sales People Fail

Because they think they will.

Sounds simple, but it's true.Several national studies have revealed the following statisticsabout why salespeople fail:

15% improper training in sales skills
20% poor verbal and written skills
15% poor or problematic boss
50% attitude

The good news is if you simply change your attitude from anegative to a positive one, you have improved your probability ofsuccess 50%.

Earl Nightingale affirms this very thought when hesays: "We become what we think about."So, how do you change your attitude from negative to positive,from failure to success? It's really rather easy. All you have todo is follow these 7 guidelines:-->

Remember it's no one's fault but your own when something goeswrong...you always have (and had) a choice.-->
Ignore the junk news - work on a worthwhile project, make aplan or do something to enhance your life.--> For one year read only positive books and materials.--> Look for the silver lining when something goes wrong.-->
Listen to positive attitude tapes and attend seminars.-->
Ignore people who you tell you "you can't" or try to discourageyou.-->

Check your language - is it half full or half empty, partlysunny or cloudy?
Avoid why, can't and won't!

http://www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com

5 Steps to a Marketing Plan

2005-06-20T22:34:00.000-07:00

5 Steps to a Marketing Plan

Have clear and concise goals that you're excited about achievingThe first step to any marketing plan requires setting measurable goals and objectives. Ask yourself - where are you now, and where do you want to be in a year? In 5 years?

Now that you have a vision of the gap between where you are and where you want to be, ask yourself what has been preventing you from accomplishing those goals. Are you closer to achieving them than when you first started or do you feel that you have a mental block - perhaps they seem too overwhelming or impossible? Do you believe they are possible to achieve? Honestly ask yourself if you are strongly committed to making those goals a reality.

What's most important for any goal or objective is that you strongly feel that it is possible for you to accomplish it. If you don't feel you can achieve it, you will find that you fight yourself instead of believing in yourself and you will make it all the more difficult for you. On the other hand, if you believe in your ability to achieve your goals, you will be enthusiastic and passionate, and this attitude will resonate throughout your work. Yes, the power of positive thinking does wonders!

What do you do well & what could you improve?

Take out a piece of paper and a pen and jot down the activities you are currently doing in your career that have been successful for you. Elaborate on them as if you were describing your process to a newcomer in the field. Now, of these activities, are there any that you can improve upon? If so, what specifically can you do to make them better? In addition, now write down all the activities you do or have done that don't work well for you. Elaborate on what you think went wrong and why. Be honest with yourself.

Look at what competitors and top producers are doing
You probably have a routine that you follow to find prospects, convert them to clients and service them. This may be something you formulated in your first 1-3 years as an agent, or you might have adapted it greatly to fit your current situation. Now that you've looked at what you do, look at what some of your competitors do. Do they seem to be doing everything you are? Are they better or worse off than you? Now look to a top agent that you admire. Top producers often work the same amount of time or even less than agents that do 'ok' but they focus on what is most crucial to their business. What do they do and what do they delegate? Where do they focus their time and efforts?

Most top producers have a very efficient system in place - one that focuses on meeting their clients' wants and needs and striving for 100% client satisfaction. The top producers have learned how to leverage what they've learned about their clients to speed up their prospect to client conversion and they spend more time making their client's life easier. Think about how this top producer spends his or her day. How does this differ from yours?

Prioritize & Incorporate
Now that you've brainstormed about what you do and what a top producer probably does, how can you incorporate some of the best practices the top producer does into your own routine? Pick 2-3 activities you believe would increase your income most if you were to incorporate them into your own business practices. Now, how can you schedule them into your routine while still keeping the activities you do best? The key to marketing is to improve upon what you already do well. And replace the things that haven't been working along the way. By making these tradeoffs, in a few months, you'll start to see results. Keep making these kinds of baby steps, and soon, you'll be well on your way to achieving your goals.

Writing The Marketing Plan
Don't forget to document all the changes you want to make! You should schedule when you're going to do what task so you don't forget or go off track. This scheduling should be the foundation for your marketing plan. Marketing plans start with goals and objectives and detail out how exactly you will accomplish each. This involves changing the way you currently market to make the process more efficient. You want to make sure you are focusing on productive activities and spend less time on less effective activities. Outsource the less effective activities if you can. Eventually you will have to if you expect your business to grow, but initially, put them off to the side and focus on what will make you money. This ultimately will revolve around how you can make your current clients happy and how you can more effectively streamline your prospect to client conversion so you have more time to spend with clients.

Effective marketing plans require that you set measurable goals. Even if you are taking baby steps, you can still set mini-goals that by a certain date, you will have worked out the details of this aspect of your plan. 3 months out, you should have X new clients. 6 months out, you should see a decrease in prospect to conversion time of X%. And so on. If you can't measure it, you won't be able to evaluate how well you've stayed on track.

Your marketing plan should cover each and every activity you plan to do for the next month to get you to your goal 12 months out. If you want to earn $200,000 in commission, how many new listings will you need each month? What types of marketing materials will you need? How many sales will you need to close each month? After you've broken it down by month, break it down even further by week. How many postcards or direct mail letters do you need to send out each week? How many networking lunches should you schedule? Where should you take out classified ads?

As you can see, we started at an extremely high level and broke it down it extreme detail. At first your goals may seem daunting, but if you plan everything out and take baby steps to reach mini-goals, soon you'll find yourself well on your way to reaching that salary you always dreamed about.

http://www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com/

How To Make Millions Getting Insurance Leads By Referals

2005-06-18T23:09:00.000-07:00

Here is an example of how one of the top sales and marketing minds in the U.S. accomplishes this.

Tom Gau, MBA, CFP, CPA is one of the most successful financial planners in the world today. Tom is not just a millionaire, he makes millions of dollars each year in income by helping his clients slash their taxes and increase their investment returns.

In his very first meeting with a new client (before anything has been sold), Tom will say, “I am paid in two ways; One is a very small money management fee, the other is that when I do an outstanding job for my clients, they tell their friends about me. If I do a truly outstanding job for you, is there any reason you would not want a few of your friends or relative to know about the benefits I offer?”

What can a person say? Because they want the best for their friends and relatives, they have to recommend Tom Gau. Tom has said that the average client gives him five or six high quality referrals over the course of a few months. Even more remarkable is that Tom Gaus powerful lead generation strategy costs him virtually nothing.

He simply tells clients in the very first meeting that he expects leads when he does a great job. Clients are happy to supply those leads. It is not by accident that Tom Gau built his assets under management to nearly $500 million.

Russ Jones
http://www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com

The Two Strategies Top Producers Use To Sell Millions

2005-06-16T23:09:00.000-07:00

The Two Strategies Top Producers Use To Separate Themselves From all The Waanabe Top Producer’s Agents.

“You Can’t Cross The Sea Merely By Staring At The Water”
R. Tagore Nobel Prize Winner in Literature.

After working with over 100 agents personally in my Insurance Marketing Agency in California. And now having over several thousand members in our marketing system. I’ve realized the difference between top producers and most other agents. And it really comes down to TWO things:

FIRST, top producers simply make things happen. They take action. Lots of action. They don’t “stare at the water” waiting for something to happen. They don’t try ONE idea or system, see how it did, then decide to try another idea a few days later. They don't give up on the first ad or direct mail letter that doesn't pull. They keep trying until they find the winning marketing strategies. And they don’t wait for everything to be just right before jumping into the water.

Top Producer Are Action-Oriented People
I’ve found that top producers go all out. They go beyond their fears, they break through their trepidation, and simply take constructive action.. Here’s what I mean…

I Would Mortgaged My Dad’s Wheel Chair To Pay for Leads.

Many of you know that when I was full time in the business that I was a lead junkie. I always had at least 50 leads in my shoe box on my front seat. Yes, some of these leads had frayed ends and I’d stopped by their house several times. I would also spend about $700 per week on marketing. This gave me about 20 to 30 leads per week. Out of those leads I would give 15 presentations per week and make at least 3 to 4 sales a week.

My ROI would be for every $1.00 spend on marketing...would net me a return of $7.00. I could predict with my lead generating system exactly what my return would be.

The other day I had a phone call from one of our members. He received our new “3-Step Multi-Million $$$ System” and was giving me an update. Now, let me be frank with you…I have agents who call me and say they mailed out a 1,000 postcards and didn’t have the results they wanted.

But, this was different. His phone message was the results of taking MASSIVE ACTION.
He said, “I’ve implemented many key things with the system. I took your advise and secured a mailing list using your list broker. I’ve been mailing out 2,000 to 2,500 postcards per week and I’m into my third dripping campaign with this lists. I’m shock to see that you were right that my returns are increasing. You’re right “Frequency does build trust.”

My 800 hotline is now generating a ton of leads. My small list of CD and Mutual Fund holders are really HOT!! I’m even getting a few appointments with the people who have over 1.2 Million in assets. Your concept of adding just 2 new people a day to my personal network database is briliant. I’ll be at Critical Mass within my first 12 months of starting with your system. I’m also following your marketing concept of having at least 5 marketing spokes on my marketing wheel. I know you always harp on having a number of marketing systems that are generating a steady flow of leads.
Russ, you’re a marketing genius!

This agent should at least double his income this year. Hey, this isn’t rocket science. He is focus on the positive and he’s taking

MARKETING ACTION
Remember, “You can’t cross the sea merely by staring at the water.” I know this sounds incredibly simple, but few people really go all-out.

For some unknown reason or another, most agents are afraid to take action. In fact, I’ve found over the last 30+ years in marketing that some are actually afraid of success, or they believe they don’t truly deserve success. Or if they become successful, they won’t have anything left to groan or complain about in life.

You will NEVER Become Successful Without Taking Massive Action. Yet, it’s a Statistical Certainty That The Majority Of Your Actions Will Produce Results LESS Than You Desired. Most of Your Actions – The Vast Majority – Will Be Complete Failures. And the Single Element That Will Determine Your Ultimate Success Or Failure In Life is HOW WILLING ARE YOU TO KEEP ACTION…LEARNING FROM YOUR FAILURES AND KEEP TRYING.

This Is The Single Greatest Element Of Success In Any Endeavor.
If you want to become a success in our business you need to

Increase You Failure Rate

You need to stop personally judging yourself when your actions fail your expectations. Separate yourself from consequences of poor results, and keep going. The more action you take, statistically speaking, the more success you will achieve.

Now, the SECOND strategy I’ve seen consistent among most top producers is they PRIORITIZE their action based on what will give them the greatest pay-off for their time and effort.

Here’s a very important point for you to remember when it comes to being a top producer.
Top Producers Make The RIGHT Things Happen!

Think about it. You could spend your entire day working in the field selling Insurance, or you can stay in your office doing a $8.00 an hour working on paper work.

Here’s a Marketing Strategy you can use.

When I was first starting in the business I would be at the office by 8:00AM. My manager whose name was Irvin Barr and was 79 years old told me that I shouldn’t be in the office in the morning. He told me I need to have a 8:30 AM appointment and one at 11:00 AM everyday. Can you believe that!

You do your appointments in the morning and work in the office after the appointments. You really have to have your act together in order to have two appointments in the morning.
I understand that most agents can never do this. Most of them would be lucky to have two appointments a day.

YOU Decide How Much Money You Make For The Time You Work…By How You PRIORITIZE Your Actions Each Day.

Again, the second secret of Top Producers. They take the RIGHT action.

Ask yourself, “what am I going to do today that will absolutely maximize the amount of money I’ll make for every hour in the day?” You must prioritize your day so you make the most money for each minute you work.

Know your priorities every day. Leave the $8 an hour work for the $8 employees. You should focus on being in the field earning $100-$200 per hour giving presentations and building client relations.
Here’s some activities that will pay off with MASSIVE INCOME POTENTIAL.

Your highest priority is working face to face with clients and closing deals.
The second priority should be MARKETING SYSTEMS that will automatically generate more clients, more referrals, more repeat business, and more word of mouth. See below how you can receive our new marketing system FREE when you order our “3-Step Multi-Million $$$ Production.”
Buy a up to date list of prospects with incomes of $40,000+ and ages 62 to 78. If your area population is large enough work a 10 mile radius around your office. I've been using a list broker who has been selling lists for over 12 years. Check out our order form.
Use our “Ultimate Postcard Mailing System” to mail out a minimum of 1,000 postcards per week. Make some money and increase it to 2,000 per week within 30 days. Total time to mail these out is 20 minutes per week. If you have your own list you can upload it into the mailing system and save on the list charges. You can mail out your Black and White Postcards with prospects name in the headlines and body for $316 per thousand. That includes addressing, printing and postage. I've yet to find a better price on the Internet who can match that wholesale price.
Buy a good list of CD and Mutual Fund Holders and mail out a different postcard every 30 days. This list is a GOLDMINE for you and it isn’t being used by agents. Again, have some mail out the postcard for you. Total time about two hours a month.
Get a list of all the doctors and dentist in your area and mail them once a month. Total time about an hour a month. We have a Dentist and Physicians postcard that has been profitable for some agents who understand this market.
Get a list of people within a 50 mile radius of your office who have assets over 1.2 Million. Drip on them monthly with a postcard. I had an agent tell me that after mailing a small list of 300 names he had one man buy a $200,000 annuity and then called him back and bought another $100,000 annuity with his wives CD. However, it took 11 postcard mailings before he responded. Using the dripping method does work! The question is...will you work the system.

Did you know that the most productive Multi-Million Dollar Producer's spend the majority of their time on “business generating activities?” This means they focus on marketing, closing big deals, and making sure the new-client, referral, repeat business, and word of mouth wheels are turning.

Is all this clear to you? I hope so. Because what I just told you is essential key to your success, and could very well change your life.

Check out my 5 minute marketing report that will show you how to
"Quickly and Easily Double Your Income" over the next few Months"
You also need to check out our new $10,000 "Ultimate Postcard Mailing System."
The company password is: ultimate2 Go to:
Http://www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com/5minuteinsurancemarketing.htm
I hope you have a great week.
Russ Jones
Creator of the "3-Step Postcard System"

Http://www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com

P.S. If you would just like to order our marketing system and get off to a fast start just click here. Yes, take advantage of my "Double Your Money Back Guarantee." I wish you the best of luck, and if you have any questions feel free to call us at 800-808-6551.

The Top 10 Marketing Commandments

2005-06-11T23:51:00.000-07:00

The 10 Marketing Commandments To Move You To The Top In Your Business

From Jay Lipe, CEO of Emerge MarketingThese Ten Commandments didn’t come from the Mountain. And they’re not carved on clay tablets, but on a high-tensile polyfiber instead. Yet any marketer worth his or her salt must follow these commandments in order to find the Promised Land.

1.Thou Shalt Not See Marketing as a DepartmentWhen you get right down to it, everyone in your company is a marketer. From the receptionist whose voice is the first thing your buyers hear, to the delivery person whose rear-end may be the last thing they see, every one of your employees plays a pivotal role in the orchestration of your marketing efforts. Good companies imbue every employee with healthy reverence for the customer so that the company, from every point of contact it has with its market, knows how to market.

2.Thou Shalt Follow the Ninety Day RuleYour customers, prospects and champions (those who refer business your way) should hear from you every 90 days. People are just too busy to remember you otherwise. If you don’t follow the 90-day rule, you risk getting shouted down by any competitor of yours who does.

3.Honor the Concept of Tinkering with All your HeartIf you’re a 70’s child like me, you remember the hugely successful rock group Fleetwood Mac. But I’ll bet you didn’t know that their seemingly overnight success came only after years of tinkering. That’s right, before the release of their monster album Rumours, they endured no less than 14 personnel changes across 10 years. In marketing, as in rock and roll, success seldom happens with your original line-up.

4.Thou Shalt Not QuitMoses and the Israelites wandered the desert for 40 years without giving up. You owe it to yourself (and maybe Moses too) to try any new marketing initiative at least three times before throwing in the towel. Your prospect could have been out of the country the first time you ran it, and tending to his sick mother the second. Repetition is a marketer’s best friend.

5.Thou Shalt Feed Thy Prospecting FunnelSuspects become prospects, who then become customers. And these customers then generate referrals who create more prospects and the cycle begins anew. For thousands of years, this marketing process (also known as the prospecting funnel) has governed marketing activities for all companies, and I feel safe saying that it will continue this way for another thousand years.

6.Remember Thine Marketing Time by Keeping it Holy Successful marketing campaigns don’t take the summer off, nor are they created “when I have the time.” You must make the time. I’ve found it’s helpful to consistently carve out the same day and time each week to work on marketing tasks. For me, it’s Friday afternoons; for you it may be different. But whatever day and time you choose, honor it with all your heart.

7.Thou Shalt Jettison One Program Every Year I can’t count the number of stressed out marketers I’ve seen over the last 15 years. As task after task is added to their plates , nothing is ever removed. Stop this madness at once, and identify one marketing task each year to eliminate. Too often, someone keeps doing a task (e.g. issuing a report), yet it’s not adding value. Eliminate one marketing task a year; your health depends upon it.

8.Thou Shalt Not Cut Marketing Spending During Slow Times From 1980 to 1985, McGraw-Hill Research analyzed 600 companies and their marketing spending. After 1985, McGraw-Hill concluded that those firms which had maintained or increased their advertising during the recession in ’81-’82 boasted an average sales growth of 275% over the next five years. But those companies who cut their advertising saw paltry sales growth over the next five years of just 19%. When is the right time to market your business? All the time.

9.Thou Shalt Honor Exiting EmployeesI once had a travel industry client run a report that showed where their new referrals came from. The second highest category was ex-employees. It turns out vacation shoppers were asking these ex-employees where they could book a Vegas package just like the neighbor’s they’d heard about, and the ex-employees were referring them back to their old employer. When you treat your departing employees with a dose of good will, they may just turn into your unpaid sales force and refer business your way.

10.Thou Shalt Thank OftenSadly, we live in an age of boorishness. But a savvy marketer can do his part to bring civility into an otherwise uncivilized world. Among the countless ways to thank customers are thank you notes, gift certificates and appreciation lunches to name just a few. These thank you’s don’t have to be showy. Just make sure the thank you is classy and considerate, and the kindness will eventually be repaid.

Sure, we all break these commandments from time to time and end up seeking forgiveness. But if you consistently break these Ten Commandments of Marketing, you risk an exodus-a customer exodus.

I hope you enjoyed this article I posted to my blog.

Russ Jones
http://www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com

Principles of insurance: Life

2005-06-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

Principles of insurance: Life more...

http://www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com/senior_citizen_goes_crazy_and_at.htm

How our Granny Postcard Yields $7354 on First Appointment

2005-06-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

How One Agent Reports a $7354 Commission On First Appointment Using Our Award Winning Granny Postcard.

Sorry to bother you today because I know you're probably already writing $100,000 a week in annuity premium.

So I'll be brief...
As you know, we are continuously upgrading the Ultimate Insurance Postcard System with new features and content. We have just added a new postcard mail piece that has been generating leads like crazy including helping the agent in our above headline.

Go to http://www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com/insurance_leads_using_postcards.htm
After checking out our new postcard give me a call at 435-755-5096 and let's get into a serious conversation about your current marketing campaign.

Best wishes for your success,
Russ Jones
Creator of the 3-Step Postcard System
http://www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com

Four Important Insurance Marketing Strategies

2005-06-07T05:05:00.000-07:00

Four Important Insurance Marketing Strategies

If coming up with insurance marketing strategies is difficult for you, you are not alone.
But there are all kinds of insurance marketing ideas that you can implement starting today. Insurance marketing ideas that will get results and put more clients on the books.
Before I get into some insurance marketing strategies and insurance marketing ideas for you to study, here's a little known marketing secret that a smart agent will take to the bank for the rest of his or her career: Study marketing systems and ideas outside of your industry and adapt them into yours.
That's right. If you want a plethora of instant and effective insurance marketing strategies, they are right in front of you. Almost every marketing strategy that a business is using effectively to get customers can be adapted into your industry.
Confession...
Many of the ideas I come up with and offer to clients are as a result of this very secret. I have rarely invented my own insurance marketing strategies, or any marketing strategy for that matter. Maybe even the ones I came up with have been used before... hmmmmm.
The truth is, any of the marketing strategies you get from outside your industry can be used (often) with even more effectiveness in the financial services industry. They can become powerful insurance marketing strategies. Here's why...
The insurance industry is oversaturated and all the agencies and agents are spying on each other. They want to copy what the "other guy" is doing. This is a formula for disaster because what happens is everyone starts using the same kinds of insurance marketing strategies which dilutes response and confuses the consumer.
The insurance marketing strategies that agents are copying have morphed into horrible, image oriented advertising that does wonders for the ego of the agent or planner, but nothing for generating leads and clients.
I cover all this in more in my marketing course so lets move on to a few insurance marketing strategies... insurance marketing strategies that were taken from outside the industry and applied to the insurance and financial planning industry...
Insurance Marketing Strategy 1. Reinvent your service: Maybe the most powerful marketing strategy, sooooo important in marketing.
Take for example a creative carpet cleaner came up with a "FREE Carpet Audit" (which they took from another successful business and applied it to their industry ;-)
The audit was basically a free analysis of your carpet. The result was a comprehensive report on your carpet, what is wrong with it, and how it can be fixed using various carpet treatments. This audit instantly took the struggling carpet cleaner out of the pricing game and into the VALUE game.
The result was a higher perceived value of his services, and received more qualified leads and referrals (a lot more).
If you want an insurance marketing strategy that will make you the expert in your industry and get more qualified leads, this is it.
You already have a fact finder. Use that. Rename it. Expand on it. And there is your "Audit".
Insurance Marketing Strategy 2. KNBR Radio. One of my favorite late afternoon radio programs is called "The Rat and Mr. T". The Rat is a well known local radio personality, and Mr. T is Tom Tolbert, a retired NBA player (played for the Warriors, my favorite team, and now he's a media personality). There are many great insurance marketing strategies (or lessons) you can lear from this program. Here are two important ones...
How does the title of that radio program sound? Not very professional right? I know, it's a sports channel. But it doesn't matter! All kinds of millionaires and even billionaires listen to the program. They even call in and participate. Why? Because people want to be entertained. So the first lesson is this...
Put an end to professional boring correspondence. Nobody reads it, and it makes you look stuffy and boring.
End this by starting with the most underrated insurance marketing strategies in the insurance industry...A newsletter. An interesting newsletter that people want to read. Include pictures of clients and success stories, contests, etc. The idea is to be creative and get people involved. A fun to read newsletter is one of the most effective insurance marketing strategies available to you.
Lesson 2: The Rat and Mr. T are supposed to talk about sports. And they do, but they also go off on endless tangents and discuss other topics that have nothing to do with sports. They do this because they found that their audience responded better to it and they got more listeners. It keeps people interested because it gets old if they are always talking about sports. Plus, showing a little bit of your personality gets people to feel like they know you better.
What Does This Have To Do With Insurance Marketing Strategies?
Lets get back to converting and applying this to your insurance marketing strategies...
Your newsletter doesn't always have to be about wealth accumulation and planning. For example, you can write an informative newsletter on wealth accumulation one month (and of course you are going to do that in a fun way...maybe tell a story). And in next months newsletter you can have a snippet on wealth accumulation (it's not important this month), but make the main focus about about one of your clients who, for example, did an endurance race and few bits about that. Maybe you can refer them to a unique store that has interesting gifts and gadgets.
In addition to the newsletter you could send various clients a bit of info, an article, even a book on a new subject they recently became interested in.
I am just thinking of this off the top of my head, but breaking up the monotony is important to the success of your insurance marketing strategies.
Insurance Marketing Strategy 3. Write with your client in mind...as if you were writing to a friend. But don't talk about yourself!!!! Remember those letters that come once a year from friends or family and they describe in excruciating detail everything about themselves and how great their family is? You know, the letters that are written in a tiny font and they go on and on about themselves? Can't stand those letters, right? People don't want to know how great you are. They want to know that you are thinking of them, that you care, and that you want to help them. Your writing and corresspondence (and your advertising) should emulate the same feelings.
SIDE BAR: I know what you are thinking about these insurance marketing strategies. You are wondering where the "meat" is. Where the actual,"How do you get a client to come in the door tomorrow?" is , right? Well, these really are insurance marketing strategies. They are strategies that will set the tone and launch your lead generation efforts to all new levels. Sure, these insurance marketing strategies will take a little bit of time, but patience is the key here.

You reap what you sow...
For example, once you start your newsletter and send it to clients every month, what are you doing? You are building more rapport with them, right?
So after you've sent out your fun and interesting newsletter a few times and have contacted them for different reasons (birthday, just to see how they are doing, etc.), the next time you send out a newsletter with a referral sheet (hint hint), you'll get more referrals (especially when you ask for referrals to the newsletter...another hint/tip).
And when you ask for referrals in person you'll get a better response too!
Insurance Marketing Strategy 4. Generate Leads and Referrals daily. Make a goal and put it in writing that you are going to get at least 10 qualified referrals every week and generate at least 20 qualified leads. Yes, go write it down now.
OK, did you write it down? Great. You'll be surprised at how well your subconscious will work to achieve this. Now make a conscious effort to ask all your clients politely if they know anyone else interested your services. Secondly, after the second or third or fourth newsletter (the fun one we just talked about), put in a referral sheet. Third, create a lead generation system that is systematized...
Be sure it goes to a targeted list of prospects every month. Test different lead generation strategies...postcards, sales letters, and even unique packaging.
Article by Brian Masoevick

I really enjoyed this article by Brian and I will share more articles by Brian and other great marketers in our industry in later communications.

I hope you enjoyed it,

Russ Jones
Creator of the “3-Step Postcard System”

Http://www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com

2005-06-04T15:48:00.000-07:00

"How The Best Marketer Makes the Most Money"

Here's good news!
For about twelve years now I've been studying the difference between "Top Insurance Producers" whose businesses are successful, and other Salesman who struggle just to pay the rent and drive cars with 150,000 miles on their old car.

How in the world can you have two agents who work in the same town, work with the same prospects; and have one who is making a six-figure income yearly while the other just barely pay the bills. Is one more intelligent than the other? We highly doubt it!

If intelligence was the issue, every college professor would be a millionaire. The smartest kid in your high school class wouldn’t be working now for the dumb kid in your town who grew up to be one of the richest men in town.

If you give a million dollars to an intelligent person who did not earn it, they will more than likely blow it within 12 to 24 months. However, if you have someone who earned a million dollars with intelligent marketing business practices, but his business fails for some unknown reason, he will more than likely earn back his money. Even faster!

Why is that?

The reason is, it is not money that makes money. It is specialized marketing knowledge that makes money. It is the knowledge of marketing principles that make a business succeed independently of financial backing.

The difference in the success of our business comes down to our ability to market and promote our services and products to people.

The truth is specialized knowledge of the right principles – like marketing to people – can give you a huge competitive edge! You need to understand the following:

You are In Three Businesses

You are not in the Insurance business...Only the Insurance Company you sell their products are in the Insurance business. Because they have the Insurance products. You're in the insurance marketing business.

The second business you are in is the people business. Because it is the people who will buy your products. The people are who will refer you to other people. In addition, unless you understand that you are in the people business, you will find it hard to make a good living in this business.

One of my top Insurance agents years ago had the best personality. He always had a dozen intersting stories he could tell his prospects and clients. Getting referrals was a very simple process. Actually, people liked him so much they would just volunteer people for him to go see.

Third business your in is the business of marketing. No matter what business you are in, you must market your services and products. We cannot emphasize it enough: Marketing is the lifeblood of every business! It is like flossing your teeth. It is not something you look forward to doing when you wake up in the morning, but if you do not, it will lead to pain and agony down the road. It is also something that the more you do, the better you get at it. Of course, the more you do, the easier it becomes. In fact, two things you really ought to make part of your daily routine are flossing and marketing.

Another thing you should know about marketing is that it’s a process. It is not an event. It is not something you try once and see how it works. It is something you do all the time. I like to refer to it as a dripping process. Frequency builds trust! Again, it is a process. The more you work the process into your daily marketing business, the more it will work for you. The more knowledge you have on marketing, the better marketer you will become. Thus, your commissions are governed by how well you market in this business.

What you need to learn is, you are a marketer first, and an insurance professional second. Until you learn this principle you will never make the kind of money you may desire.

Remember, this one principle:

It is a fact… the best marketers make the most money!

Unfortunately, the reality is that 90-95% of all insurance agents I speak with, are not marketing at the level they can or should be, or just are not marketing at all! They don't have a clue how to print out and mail a 1,000 postcards. they have no idea where to buy quality mailing lists. How to write a emotional headline. the list goes on and on. In other words, they put the life blood of their business in the hands of ageneral agent, manager or a mailing house. Even worst, some actually follow the advice of a "Home Office Stiff." In addition, I have some agents who call me who wouldn't spend $200 on mailing out postcards or letters.

Many agents are in a comfort zone. They are living, more often dying, off the referrals onto which they accidentally stumble. In addition, when I ask these agents for a specific, systematic marketing plan or system, the conversation goes silent. I'm still waiting for an agent to tell me they have more than one or two successful spokes of marketing on their marketing wagon wheel. When any agent calls me at 435-755-5096 I'll give them at least four spokes of marketing they can implement over the next 30 days that will double, triple, even QUADRUPLE their income if they will just follow my advise. Remember this statement,

“Marketing is the ONLY function of your business that makes you money!” "Every other function you do in your business is an expense, or even a distraction form marketing!”

If you just sit back and wait for the home office to develop a new marketing approach, or wait for another miracle markeitng plan to happen, you are costing yourself thousands of dollars. You need to optimize your time, money, and talents to become the top marketer in your field. I still believe insurance agents have a right to make a six-figure income and to enjoy life to the fullest. I know of agents driving cars that have 150,000 hard traveled miles on the speedometer. If they would just study the marketing information that is available to them, they could drive any car they want and earn the six -figure income they desire.

If you will study our marketing information and read our FREE Million $$$ Newsletters you will discover a number of marketing strategies that will help you on the way to being atop marketer.

All you have to do is take the time to study the strategies and marketing system and start implementing them into your business.

The most important system to create in your business is an effective marketing system. Moreover, an effective marketing system is one that delivers predictable results from repetitive use.

The end result of using the marketing techniques described in detail in our "Ultimate Lazy Agents Marketing System" will provide the maximum-effectiveness with a predictable income. For that to happen you must:

Have a marketing system in place that predictably, reliably, consistently, affordably and efficiently provides you with more qualified prospects than you can handle.

When you use our "3-Step Postcard System" it will give you a predictability that you can build into your marketing, and it is a great feeling knowing you have a predictable income.

It is this kind of predictability that you can build into your marketing, and it is a great feeling knowing you have a predictable income.

Once you start using “Predictable Marketing Strategies,” you will see over a period of time a steady flow of leads coming to you.

Check out our Confidential Marketing Report at: Http://www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com/bonusreport.htm you will begin to see the results by qualified prospects calling you. Your income will start doubling, tripling even QUADRUPLING over the next 12 months or less…

Best wishes,
Russ Jones
Creator of the "3-Step Postcard System"
Http://www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com
Copyrighted GWC 2005
This article can be used in your own promotions if you copy it without making changes.

Creator of the "3-Step Postcard System"

2005-06-04T15:38:00.000-07:00

Thank you for visiting my blog. I'll be posting short marketing articles that will help you with your business. Please visit my website at:
http://www.ultimateinsurancesystem.com and request our Free Newsletter.

Best wishes,
Russ Jones
Creator of the "3-Step Postcard System"