The insurance industry can be one of the most difficult areas in which to attract and convert leads. This is due to the nature of the business. Insurance sales centers on selling something that implies a future need. Insurance for a home, a car, health, and even life is not something that’s always needed in the present moment of an individual’s life. Furthermore, it’s not even used on a daily basis, but rather for those “just in case” moments.
When focusing on insurance lead generation, one has to accurately identify a lead’s needs in order to convert that lead into a customer. The thing is that insurance sales are usually a process that emphasizes what may happen if a lead is not covered by a proper insurance policy. Unlike many other sectors, the insurance industry can tend to highlight the negative (i.e.: the potential outcome of a lack of insurance) before the positive (i.e.: peace of mind). Because of this, it’s important for your lead generation campaigns to first target the right audience, and then combat any possible negativity created by immediately highlighting positive benefits.
The philosophy behind this is beyond the scope of this article. However, I’m sure you’ve come across many people who consistently deny anything would happen to them even though they may have been repeatedly warned to the contrary. The point is that painting negative images in a lead’s mind may not be the best strategy. Why? Because negativity usually leads to a big, fat NO. Makes sense?
Now, once the lead is in the proper, and hopefully positive, state of mind they will be ready with the next stage of the process: how much money it’s going to cost. To effectively get over the “money obstacle” and convert a lead to a customer, one must convince that lead that the money they are spending on the insurance today is well worth it in the long run. This can be accomplished by emphasizing that the coverage acquired can help repair lives, rebuild homes, save cars and even save money that could otherwise be lost. Thus, getting your leads to see the costs as an investment that gives a return rather than as an expense is key.
Of course, the above are just basics. However, once you understand this, you can then put your lead generation efforts into overdrive using practical methods. You can use traditional advertising strategies such as newspaper advertisement, billboards, fliers, brochures, telemarketing and direct mail campaigns to bring in inquiries. In the end, not only will you capture more leads, but you’ll be converting more of them as well.
