How To Beat The Post-Summer Sales Slump

It’s that time of the year — the weather’s getting a little cooler, the kids are back in school, and the sun is setting earlier and earlier. Summer is officially over.

For agents, this can mean trouble. Autumn and winter are typically slow periods for most agencies. Between getting their kids back into school and the holiday season that’s lurking around the corner, people have plenty to think about right now. And buying insurance just isn’t on the list.

So how can you keep your book healthy during the cold months?

They’re Out There…

The good news is that there are always people who need insurance, no matter what time of the year it is. The bad news? You can’t always find them.

Internet leads are an easy way to get connected with these prospects. The lead companies do all the legwork of finding online insurance shoppers — you just have to close them.

It works like this: people go online to explore their insurance options. Using popular search engines, they find a site run by a lead company. They fill out a simple form to connect them to insurance agents in their area. When they click the “Submit” button and send that form, they’re matched with you, and their info is instantly delivered by email. You get them on the phone and make an offer.

It’s zero-effort prospecting, and it’s a great way to keep your lead pipeline nice and warm during the slow season.

Why Internet Leads Beat Other Strategies

The real advantage of internet leads? They deliver prospects with interest.

How much did you spend on your last direct mail campaign? How many leads did it get you? How many sales did you close the last time you did a serious cold-call effort? Was it worth the time and frustration?

With internet leads, you get the names and numbers of people who have started their insurance-buying process — they’re already interested.

And you choose how many leads you want for your fall campaign. Instead of heading to the office dreading a day of cold calling, or worrying about when your next lead will come in, you have a batch of leads to look forward to.
Says Bob Brow, an Indiana-based agent and long-time lead user: “I don’t have to spend any time prospecting. That’s important. I can spend all my time selling. You know every day you’ll have 10-15 people to call up. You can get into a routine. It’s just important if there’s a bad couple days I know I have ten more coming in tomorrow. You don’t make sales this way unless you’re constantly in front of people, and leads let you always stay in front of them.”

And leads can work with automation technology, too. When you hook your lead supply up to a quote engine and email autoresponder, your leads are instantly contacted with a custom quote — without you having to do anything. And the ones that don’t close keep getting messages, on a schedule that you set — so follow-up goes from being tedious to being effortless.

It’s no magic bullet, but buying internet leads keeps you in the game while things are slow. Instead of sitting around the office — hoping the phone will ring — you’ve got a constant supply of leads pouring in.