It’s Baby Season — Time To Snag A New Crop Of Parents

Agents know how important being insured is when starting a family. But new parents have other things on their minds. Like how beautiful their new child is. And how they’re constantly woken up every night, just when they’re about to fall asleep.

That’s why agents need to make a point of reminding parents that they need coverage, so their new baby is always protected.

The Late Summer Baby Boom

In the U.S., more babies are born in July, August, and September than at any other time in the year. For some parents it means a new family, for others it means another addition. It could be their first or their fifth — either way, they need to make sure their insurance coverage is the right size.

Finding the parents is easy — just look in your local paper. Better yet, look at your local paper’s website. Most keep daily updates of birth announcements. And while you’re online, it’s pretty easy to hop over to a search engine or online phone book and grab an address and number. If you go this route, be careful to check names against the Do-Not-Call registry before you pick up the phone.

If you’d rather not do the research yourself — or if you want to work a huge pool of parents — you can always a buy a list. Several marketing companies sell lists, and they can provide you with just the names that meet your criteria… including new parents. Taking this route requires some cash, so have a game plan in place for working these leads effectively.

One resourceful company places ads for a free package of diapers to newborns in the local newspaper. New families then tear out the ad and send it in. They ship out the diaper packages for less than $5 all included, and they get a lead of a new family in their area.

What To Stress When Working New Parents

Buying insurance is all about being protected. And that’s the message to make clear when you’re working parents.

What should you try to sell them on? These are the big three:

• Health. Even if the parents have employer-sponsored healthcare, it may not provide enough protection for their child. These days, fewer and fewer employers are offering policies that cover dependents. And anyone who’s ever raised a child can testify to the bumps, bruises, and unexpected trips to the ER that are par for the course.

• Disability. If you offer disability insurance, make a case for it with new parents. An unexpected injury or illness could leave them unable to support their family. Disability coverage makes certain that their family is taken care of.

• Life. Like disability, having life insurance means parents can provide for their family — no matter what happens. And while it used to be unpopular, these days life insurance for children is becoming more commonplace, with big-name companies marketing plans to parents and grandparents. The super-low premiums make it a good buy for many families, and the cash value is a good way to provide an investment for the child’s future.

Targeting your sales efforts is always a good idea — and the end of summer is the perfect time to set your sights on new parents. With the right audience and the right pitch, you’ll be spending the coming months selling policies and cashing commission checks. But you won’t just be making money — you’ll be helping a whole crop of new parents take care of their children.

Jeremiah Desmarais and his team have won 3 awards in 2006 for their marketing initiatives that touch Norvax' client base and carrier relationships on a daily basis. He is author of several white papers including the applauded ‘Selling Insurance Online: Identifying 9 Top Trends for 2006’, and has been a contributor to the Agent’s Sales Journal, Health Insurance Underwriter as well as a guest speaker at various carrier events and workshops. He is a member of the Society of Industry Leaders. He welcomes feedback at jdesmarais@norvax.com