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[L317]Life Insurance Sales Lead

by Surya, Sur

Sales representatives typicallyprospect for and obtain leads from a wide variety of sources. Today,in many industry segments such as Insurance, Loans, Real Estate andAutomobile sales, agents and representatives routinely rely quiteheavily on leads obtained online. This has to do with the fact thatmore and more Americans are going online. Consider the followingfacts:

- 68% of Americans or about 137 Millionpeople use the Internet today
- As many as 97% of Internet usersresearch products and services that they intend to buy online

Source:?America's OnlinePursuits: The changing picture of who's online and what they do.? -Pew Internet & American Life Project's(http://www.pewinternet.org) report on Internet demographics in theUS.

- In 2005, auto dealers are drawing anaverage of nearly 230 online prospects per month. This was defined as people who had winnowedtheir car choices on other Web sites before clicking through to thedealers? sites. In 2004, the same question was asked and the resultwas 116 online prospects a virtual doubling in one year.

Source:National Automobile Dealers Association Survey, Nov, 2005? Referenced inhttp://www.townnews.com/articles/2005/11/03/publishers/pub081.txt

Given the above data, companies haverecognized the importance of prospecting online. As a result we have seen a marked rise in onlinepresence and in online marketing campaigns. To highlight this point consider the following:

- In 2005, 94 percent of the some22,000 auto dealers in the United States have Web sites; one quarter of these auto web sites have comeonline within the last three years.
- One just has to enter ?sales leads?into Google to find hundreds upon hundreds of companies that can provide leads

Source: NationalAutomobile Dealers Association Survey, Nov, 2005 ? Referenced inhttp://www.townnews.com/articles/2005/11/03/publishers/pub081.txt

The Flood of Leads Causes NewProblems

This increased investment in onlinemarketing has created a glut of leads. While leads are plentiful,businesses are now faced with two major problems in converting theseleads to sales. These are:

- Quality of leads
- Timely and effective follow up ofleads

Lead Quality ? Fixable onceIdentified

The quality of leads depends on suchfactors as the attractiveness of the offer, the construction andtargeting of the marketing campaign and effective coordinationbetween marketing and sales. These issues are somewhat easilyaddressed once the issue with lead quality is identified by thecompany.

Lead Follow Up ? Hard to enforceProcess

On the other hand problems with timelyand effective follow up are a little more difficult to fix as theunderlying causes are most likely process related. Often there is noprocess or when a process exists, it is not being followedeffectively.

The Yankee Group estimates that up to80 percent of sales leads are either lost, go stale, or are simply never followed up on. This is despitethe fact that there is plenty of data that clearly shows that timely follow up to an online lead does helpimprove sales. Consider the following :

- REALTOR.com survey data shows thatfor realtors who don't respond immediately, the conversion rate isonly about 2 percent whereas realtors who respond to an online leadimmediately, find their chances of converting into a sale increasetenfold from 2% to 20%.

- Forrester reports that only 165,000out of 1.8 million online sales leads are closed by the auto industry each month. They point out that this isa problem with lead processing technologies and follow up.Forrester suggests better performancecould increase online vehicle sales by 40%.

Source: ForresterReport as referenced by an article in Internet Retailer -

- According to a survey by the CMOCouncil and the BPM Forum, business executives placed the opportunitycosts of lead losses at between 10 and 20 percent of all sales.

This data clearly shows the importanceof timely follow of sales leads. Businesses that recognize the importance of timely follow up usuallyhave implemented the processes and tools to enable it. Typically theprocess involves, receiving leads and manually entering them into alead tracking or sales force automation (SFA) system. These systems ?depending on their sophistication, may automatically reply/market tothe leads, distribute/assign the leads to sales people, scheduleappointments and reminders and track overall follow up. One wouldthink that tools like this should help solve all the lead follow upissues. However, the reality is that even the best processessupported with the best lead tracking tools will often fail becauseof the human element behind them. The two key problems areas are :

- Lead Capture
- Adapting to new SFA Tools

Lead Capture - Key Issue

Even though Lead Tracking and SalesForce Automation tools can help automate most elements involved inthe lead follow up process, they rely on a manual process to getleads into the system. Typically most leads are delivered by email,fax or on web pages. A human has to physically transcribe the leaddata into the lead tracking or SFA tool. If lead volumes increase,then manual data entry can become problematic and the rest of thefine-tuned, automated system breaks down as well.

Adapting to new SFA Tools

There is no dearth of sales leadtracking and SFA systems in the market today. With the adoption orimplementation of each, there tends to be a learning curve forpeople. Also, people tend to have private data in spreadsheets or inpersonal applications that they feel comfortable using formanipulating or storing the data. Given these realities, businessesalways end up with situations where the fancy tools end up being marginalized.

The eGrabber Solution

eGrabber's eMail-Lead Grabber (ELG)is designed to address the two specific problems we detailed above. ELG helps :

- Automate the capture of sales leads
- Enable and automate the sales leadsfollow up process using all the existing applications

Leads are typically ?auto-routed'i.e. sent one by one as they are processed by the lead source, or are batched together and deliveredperiodically. Leads are usually delivered by email in text, pdf orspreadsheets, fax or through an online system. ELG automates thecapture of leads by automatically recognizing leads in email orelectronic documents and then converting them into the appropriateformats suitable for the specific applications or databases that inuse by the business today. ELG has an underlying workflow engine thatallows it to automate the process of routing the captured lead datainto the lead tracking or SFA systems. ELG has adapters/drivers forall major SFA or personal lead tracking systems including Excelspreadsheets. Unlike other sales lead process automationtechnologies, eGrabber actually automates - and hence eliminates, thecostly/unreliable manual effort required to enter sales leads into alead tracking system and automates the flow and coordination of leadinformation between existing applications. It does not require a newapplication/system to take advantage of the sales lead data beingcaptured.

To know more about eMail-Lead Grabber, Click

For a free trial, Click

Here are my eight proven B2B sales leads generation techniques gleaned from helping over 170 B2B companies reach their sales prospects:

1. Sales lead generation using relationship marketing

Relationship Marketing is the approach underlying all of the ?sales-lead-generation-success? methods. Relationship marketing simply refers to cultivating a personal, sales-winning relationship with your prospects. It's about developing longer-term relationships with customers rather than individual transactions.

During my 20+ years of experience in B2B sales lead generation, I've discovered the key to picking up sales others leave on the table is to keep in touch with your prospects via a series of ongoing communications and offers throughout your prospective customers? consideration processes.

2. Sales lead generation through complementary partner referrals

By joining forces with complementary partners, you can instantly multiply your sales lead generation pool and make it easier for companies to engage in doing business with you. Out of all the sales lead generation programs available to you, complementary partner referral programs can generate the highest qualified B2B sales leads.

3. Sale lead generation using search engine optimization and Internet marketing strategies

Business buyers are more sophisticated and getting harder to reach than ever. Studies show that about 90% of business buyers start with research on the Internet, therefore it's critical to have a well-tuned sales lead generation program that includes search engine optimization (SEO)/Internet marketing strategies to attract prospects at the beginning of their buying cycle.

4. Sales lead generation via telemarketing

Even though many people despise the thought of telemarketing, when executed properly it is a very effective sales lead generation tool. Telemarketing is a personal marketing and sales lead generation technique that offers a cost-effective, efficient alternative to field selling. However, it can be significantly more expensive than direct mail or email.

By including telemarketing in your B2B sales lead generation marketing plan, you can reach up to thirty decision-makers a day at a cost of $15 to $20 per contact. In contrast, with field sales you can reach only four or five decision-makers a day at an average cost of $392 or more per contact. Direct mail may cost as little as a dollar, and email is often much less. However, if you consistently prospect and nurture leads via phone, you will consistently generate qualified sales leads.

5. Sales lead generation with email publications

By creating your own email newsletter, you could send out industry news and tips to suspects in your market. Since you will be on your prospects? minds more often than your competition, eventually, your sales leads will turn into actual sales.

If you subscribe to my e-newsletter, Sales Lead Report, you will see an example of an email publication that keeps my name and business in front of over 8,000 people every month.

6. Sales Lead Generation With Direct Mail

There is an entire industry of people like Dan Kennedy, Bob Bly, and Bill Glazer who are dedicated to business-to-business selling through direct marketing. Sales letters can be an excellent sales lead generation method. But, most sales and business professionals do not know how to use this lead generation technique effectively and efficiently.

The complaint is a common one among B2B companies that depend on direct mail and direct response marketing as their only sales lead generation program: "I'm sick of spending a fortune to send out thousands of full-color catalogs and direct-mail pieces only to get a measly 1% response rate. How can I cut costs and find a more practical way to get my target market to respond to my direct mail or catalogs?"

My clients have found that the best place to start revamping their direct response marketing is by determining who their best customers are, then trying to target their database marketing efforts at companies and individuals who are similar in nature.

7. Sales Lead Generation Using Print Advertising

When done correctly, print advertising can be a highly effective sales lead generation activity. When using print advertising as your B2B sales leads generation method, you must remember to focus your advertising's message on the benefits and applications of your products or services. Then let the layout and design of your ads enhance your company's image. And, don't forget to only use publications that deliver messages directly to your targeted audience.

8. Sales Lead generation via Event Marketing

Whether you do it live, through the telephone (teleseminars) or via the Web (webinars), seminars and workshops are a great sales lead generation tool. People who attend your seminar have an interest in the information you are presenting and a need for your product or service.

The goal: Connect with customers in a meaningful way

By using these eight proven B2B sales leads generation methods gleaned from helping over 170 B2B companies reach their prospects, you will capture more sales-ready opportunities for your salespeople to turn into new business, meaning greater sales revenue and profits for your company.

Article Source : Thank You Sales Letters

About Author

Both Surya & Mac Mcintosh are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Surya has sinced written about articles on various topics from Internet Marketing, Web Development and Sales and Negotiation. Working as a Product Marketing Specialist for eGrabber Inc. eGrabber is headquartered in Silicon Valley, USA. Founded in 1997, eGrabber is a developer of software products providing solutions for Lead Management and e-Business.eGrabber tools enable sale. Surya's top article generates over 6600 views. to your Favourites.

Mac Mcintosh has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lead Generation, Debt Reductions and Marketing. As one of today's leading business-to-business marketing consultants, M. H. ?Mac? McIntosh uses the latest in lead-multiplying tactics and strategies that are working NOW to drive up leads and sales. As an expert on the subject of B2B lead generation, he. Mac Mcintosh's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.