Agent Interview: Bill Pellegrini Reveals His Success

Bill Pellegrini of Arizona-based Pellegrini & Associates was an early believer in selling insurance online – and for good reason. Five years ago, Bill was spending a lot of his time meeting with clients and behind the windshield. This limited Bill’s market to just the Phoenix area and made him less accessible to his current customers.

Bill eventually settled on Norvax to automate his agency, finding tools such as QuoteBuilder and BrokerOffice to be the right match for his growing online business.

Bill recently spoke with us about his success using technology to do 100% of his individual health sales online.

Norvax: What were some of the challenges you faced when the majority of your business was field sales?
BP: I market statewide and when I didn’t have a website, I was limited to the Phoenix metro area because I was driving around. Now with a website I can market anywhere in the state no problem. There’s a certain comfort level people have with wanting to work with an agent around the corner. But I explain that they probably wouldn’t see the agent around the corner anyway, and I’m just a toll free call away. They see it doesn’t make any difference and I bring that sale in. I never see a client unless I’m going out to do a Medicare appointment, which I can’t sell online. But that’s the exception. For individual health sales it’s 100% online.

Norvax: What steps did you take to move your business online?
BP: I hooked up with the quote engine early on. I was working with Continental General, which was the pioneer with the online business, the first to have online apps and online quotes. Everyone followed suit after that. I went with another company that allowed me to quote multiple carriers, then switched to Norvax. Since I do all my business online, 100%, it just made sense. I hooked up with Scott Osler and we developed a web page and off we went. 

Norvax: Has having a QuoteBuilder quote engine made selling easier?
BP: It’s been so long since I’ve manually run quotes…I couldn’t say exactly but it took me five to ten times longer, no question, to run quotes. Now there’s no data to enter. It’s just a matter of click, click, click and boom, they’re on their way so fast. It’s so fast I can even run quotes while I’m on the phone with a client and can shoot them an email, have them open it up and we can look at the same plan. I’m able to walk them right through.

I can do much more marketing because I don’t have so much time invested in generating quotes. It’s a whole lot quicker because I have everything at my fingertips so I don’t have to fire off an email.

Norvax: Have you discovered any new technology lately that makes selling insurance easier?
BP: The most recent addition is the autoresponder. I feel like I’m marketing when I’m not marketing. I get people going back into my site months down the road that I never would’ve called again. They’re still finding interest and that allows me to contact them again. I like the slow, non-invasive campaign; it’s helped me pick up additional sales. I wouldn’t have contacted them, so I never would have made those sales. Never would’ve happened. But I know on numerous occasions people go back into my site and I know they’re there and they still have interest so I can call up and say, “How may I help you?” It runs on for 12 months so even if they bought elsewhere, when they’re getting their renewal notice I’ll be right in front of them with quotes and the opportunity to move on to something else. I think it’s going to be big down the road to generate renewals. It lets me be in position to be first to contact them, even if I don’t get that sale initially.

The one thing with the autoresponder is because they’ve gone to the website, nobody can beat me to the punch. The autoresponder is sent out automatically so I’m the first one to get back to them every time.

Norvax: How else have autoresponders changed the way you market?
BP: I will call two or three times, but if they don’t get back to me I throw those leads in the trash. Now I’m still communicating with them, even though they’re in the trash. Even if I go on vacation I’m still communicating with them, and I’m not even there.

When I’m out of the office I don’t market my website because I can’t work all those people via the phone. But for people who’ve already found it, the autoresponder keeps me in front of them and I can market them when I’m out of town.

Norvax: What factor has been most critical to your success?
BP: Technology allowed me to do this, and I was following in another agent’s successful footsteps. If you had told me five years ago I’d be sitting in my office, never seeing a client and writing apps I would’ve said you’re crazy. I have less unproductive time. I’m more accessible to current clients. It’s a win for the agent because you do more business. It’s a win for the consumer because the agent is more accessible. Now I’m not answering the phone and saying, “I don’t know; the application is at my office.”