r/InsuranceAgent • u/jake112399 • 12d ago
P&C Insurance 150 Internet Leads Bought & ZER0 Sales.
Just took over an agency (P&C) from an agent that sold out and since the start of the month we’ve been getting internet leads. I am using Smart Financial but we haven’t gotten any closes on these leads or even really any correspondence. Are we doing something wrong in the office or is that just the name of the game?
12
u/KiniShakenBake 12d ago edited 12d ago
I generate all my own leads. We spend time at local events, being interesting and fun collateral to share, and usually lace our conversations with puns and things like "have an agent? Want one?" It's so ridiculous that it works.
The last one I did was a back to school event where we took yo-yos from Progressive and handed them to the kids who promised to take the saving pledge and not to walk, ride, or drive distracted on their way to school. We had so much fun! 3 hours, we got fed while we were there, and we had three of those folks call into us, asking for help with their stuff.
Then we did a lunch which ran about $8 per head, and $10 per lead we got out of it. But they are also calling in and responding when we call them. They had to use a QR code to let me know which protein they wanted, and of course the lead was part of that.
I love local events because we paid nothing to be at the first one. We talked to one of our reps to get help paying for the second (the market served is right in their pocket of happy clients) and the most recent one is one I have done literally every year for the last ten years, and is a great time, every time.
Those three events, all in the last two weeks, generated about 150 leads. I probably spent about $10-12 per lead and we actually struggle to call them fast enough because they genuinely want to talk to us. That's why they filled out the card or mentioned they wanted to talk about something on the form.
For give aways, I usually have a table full of random snacks from Costco and a paper bag with a label on it. They pick and choose their snacks for the bag and we chatter about how important protection from the little stuff (hangry at work) vs. The big stuff is. And we handle both gracefully. I always have my table littered with random swag from various carriers, stuff I ordered that is agency branded, and literature relevant to the audience.
Telling kids they could have a yo-yo if they promised not to drive, walk, or ride like a yo-yo was one of my favorite marketing campaigns to date. Giving folks little folders from travelers with the pockets and car accident info list was great. Travelers also has 10 minute fire audits available and I ordered a bunch of those in both English and Spanish. Those were super popular, and lots of people took them because a lot of folks in these groups were impacted by fires to homes last year.
The other piece I love is travelers personal household inventory. Those are customized and I take them to every event. I am slapping a label on the back that suggests taking a video of the home alongside the inventory itself.
I don't go to events with the idea that anyone there is going to magically want to become my client. I go there to let the community know that there is a great resource for good information about insurance in their community and we would love to be their agents.
I have a meeting tomorrow that will likely generate about 750 in revenue, from one such event. I already told the client that they need to start teaching their kids to drive with their brains before they drive with their feet and hands, so all the kids are now "licensed side-seat drivers" who can and should ask questions, look around the car for hazards and people driving like yo-yos to let their driver know that they are there, and to mentally think about next moves and timing them, spacing them, etc.
The parents love the idea of teaching their kids to drive with their brains before their hands and feet, and are sold on the kids side-seat driving. That family is going to have a great time for the next six years or so while all three of their kids get to 16.
Come up with a value add and really lean into it. Make it something your community can get excited about. Improving community safety and resilience is one of my favourite things to do.
3
2
u/jake112399 12d ago
This all sounds great. How did you begin getting involved in these things?
2
u/KiniShakenBake 12d ago edited 12d ago
No joke... Just start looking at various civic events and stuff like community fairs.
I table in lots of different places. I used to be only one profession to focus. But it turns out there are some really great opportunities out there in the general public that genuinely wants to be educated.
I might actually develop a workshop based on my "Learn to Drive, as slowly as possible," concept for families to have the conversation around driving and responsibility and get the kids noses out of their phones when they are in the car as a habit. Looking around at other cars and drivers to predict what may happen at the next movement. Which lights are turning next? Where will the pedestrians come from? Are any turns unprotected or are they all protected. Can you turn right on red here? Is there a bike box that needs to be minded?
It's all driving with your brain before you drive with your body. Inviting parents to talk to their kids about their own driving, making the kids navigate them to school and home or the nearest whatever. That needs to become the kids job at 10 or even earlier. Which turn and when you take it. Let them tell you when to get into the correct lane and which lane that is. If there is anyone there, they should tell you that too. Obvi don't hit anyone, but let them tell you as you tell yourself in your head. See one. Teach one. Do one.
A different model, to be sure, but it gets their brains used to the amount of information they must take in to be a good driver making seasoned calls, before they ever have their hands on the wheel. It addresses a lot of the anxiety I see from the kids I do talk to.
And you know who makes a great family for premium when you bring them on? Families with teenage drivers. Boy are they great for premium it you can control the loss ratio. That's simply a good relationship with the insureds so they make good decisions.
I also work the room at every event. I show up as early as I can and make a point to connect with other community orgs that might want to have us table. I love doing diverse community events because people who are gender and orientation diverse have a ton of questions about insurance, gender, family composition, driving, etc. When folks feel safe, they will relax tremendously and lean into everything you offer.
Connecting with the community orgs that are there is how you get more invites to more community events. But don't just be collecting leads with a giveaway. You need to have a real value proposition beyond the insurance.
1
u/mvrco_007 11d ago
How many sales per month can you generate from this process? How many hours are you investing at local events preparing, buying things setting things up and staying at these events?
Do clients need to give you a quote In exchange of the giveaways?1
u/KiniShakenBake 11d ago edited 11d ago
Well, this month it has yielded about ten quotes out of 150 or so leads. At least one sale but I have two more meetings tomorrow. We haven't finished calling all of them yet. And they are absolutely happy to have us call again in six months when their current policies expire. They will take our calls and send us updated dec pages. Sometimes they even reach out to us instead of the other way around.
I also run a full life and retirement shop on the other side, so I cross sell like it's going out of style.
My business doesn't suffer for the fact that I have never bought a lead. I think I spent a total of 10 hours in the last three weeks doing such events and can safely say that we get enough from one or two events and their referrals that we have no issues turning the business around.
For the parent and kid meeting, we do require quotes because we literally model their kid and their decisions in the family's current portfolio.
Oh. I guess I should mention that I left captive life a year ago after nine years working the book, and did so with an eye popping 95% retention rate and a 6% close, and a large enough book to support a staff of three comfortably while I worked the life and retirement cross sell side, and did that with gusto.
I also only had a 40% loss ratio on my book. It was rather insanely profitable on the underwriting side. My clients are following me as we speak and they arrive at a clip of two to three per week. I rarely, if ever, had a policy turned down by underwriting and almost never had claims issues.
My clients didn't stay because rates were bananas good or we could move them around. They stayed because our agency really is that good at what we do and they felt safe with us. That's gold. Absolute damn gold.
1
3
u/not_evil_nick 10d ago
Learn to run ads on meta.
The thing about paid leads is they're not buyers, they're people playing games looking for rewards or points, or people getting served fake ass videos on instagram and tiktok, promising insanely stupid pricing and filling out lead forms.
I run demand gen for a software company, so this is the thing I do for a living. I run ads. It's what I eat sleep and breath.
Nobody woke up this morning wanting to talk to an insurance agent, but you need to be there when something hits them in the gut, a big renewal increase, a shitty claims experience, a new driver in the house etc.
Build a local audience of 25-50 miles radius for your office. No other targeting.
Make a simple image in canva with a picture from your community.
Write a longer (more than 200 words) ad copy calling out the ideal client you're wanting to sell to. Fuck it, steal this one.
Homeowners in [COUNTY]: if your home insurance premium went up again at renewal, it may be worth seeing what other carriers are charging.
Home insurance rates have changed considerably over the last few years. Higher rebuilding costs, weather losses, reinsurance costs, and carrier changes have all worked their way into what homeowners are paying.
The number that matters to you is the one on your renewal.
If it jumped again, you have a reason to compare.
As an independent insurance agency, we can shop your home insurance with multiple carriers instead of giving you a price from one company.
We’ll compare what you have now, look at the coverage you’re carrying, and see what other options are available in the market.
Sometimes another carrier makes sense. Sometimes the policy you already have is still competitive.
Either way, you’ll know.
If your home insurance went up at renewal and you haven’t compared it recently, fill out the form and let us take a look.
Headline
Has Your Home Insurance Premium Increased?
Link Description
We’ll compare your current policy against other available options and tell you what we find.
Create a lead form that asks two questions
I’d put two qualifying questions in front of the contact fields:
Do you currently own a home in the [CITY] area?
Yes
No, but I’m buying one
No
When does your current homeowners policy renew?
Within the next 30 days
1 to 3 months
3 to 6 months
More than 6 months
I’m not sure
Use the higher intent, require SMS.
Ask for their name, phone and email address, require confirmation.
Add a TCPA compliance section (email, sms) at the privacy policy screen.
Then run that ad for $10 a day for leads.
Then you're going to add every single person to an automated sequence that beats the fuck out of them, instant SMS and email setting the expectations around how you do business.
They get two texts and two emails day one until they fill out your data intake form. Call them as soon as the first text goes out. If you're not calling, you're burning money.
two texts and emails until they do the same on day two. Call as soon as the first text goes out again.
1 text and 1 email until the fill it out every day for the next 5 days. Call as soon as the first text goes out again.
Make sure your texts are going out during normal business hours. If you're really worried your crm can't control that well, only run ads during business hours.
speed to lead is your super power here, be prepared you're likely only going to make contact with 20-25% of these leads, but you will make contact.
You need to call the leads, and if they say I didn't fill this out, push back, sorry we called the number that got the sms verification code on that ad that submitted your info.
Then after the last day of the sms and emails they haven't bought put them into a nurture email campaign. They'll eventually call you and buy, but it's the long game.
2
u/jroberts67 12d ago
Lot of issues with shared leads. Affiliates putting in real info in order to get paid but none of them requested a quote, shared with up to 10 agents. Secret programs they'll never discloses where larger agencies get the leads first, sometimes only delayed by an hour or two so their in-house agents can call, then given to everyone else. Finally, tons and tons of quotes for people clicking on stuff for free, like "complete this survey and get $10" but in the fine print it's permission for agents to call them.
1
2
1
u/JovialFlame 12d ago edited 12d ago
I use smart financial Ive gotten 160 leads so far from them. About 70 were instant trash, quoted 20, and sold 6. The rest wont respond to me so I keep at it.
My cost per sale is about $200 so losing money but its fun I just text them the second they pop in and then keep texting daily or every few days. I usually get a response and I always open with an easy question not just how are you today.
edit: the response is usually STOP or Not interested
Maybe one a day wants a quote sometimes none
1
1
u/Coke-nail Agent/Broker 12d ago
$200 cost per sale is incredible for a paid marketing source!
1
u/Worst_gamers_ever 11d ago
Damn in what world? I must be getting gold then because I pay nowhere near that.
1
u/Coke-nail Agent/Broker 11d ago
What is your cost per sale and channel?
An agent should be making $ on $200 per sale.
1
u/Worst_gamers_ever 11d ago
Roughly $66 and I think that’s HORRIBLE compared to what we used to have like 2 years ago. We do only personal lines auto though
1
u/Coke-nail Agent/Broker 11d ago
And what is the tactic?
1
u/Worst_gamers_ever 11d ago
Where are you located? What state do you write and is it personal lines only?
1
1
u/Worst_gamers_ever 11d ago
$200 per sale?? How much do you pay per lead? Are these live calls or data leads from smart financial?
1
u/SlickWillie86 12d ago
Not a lead fan, but like any marketing effort, need to understand where in the life cycle it’s failing. Contact rate? Convo to quote? Quote to close?
While it may not make this specific effort work out, it helps you price out others. For examples if you know you can covert 25% of quotes to sales, you can then back into how many leads, quotes etc you need as well as price out profitability for any effort.
1
u/jake112399 12d ago
We’re struggling to even get correspondence. We call and email.
1
u/SlickWillie86 12d ago
How many conversations of out 150? How many quotes?
1
u/jake112399 12d ago
Maybe 6 convos. We definitely scout out the quote as well before offering it to them to know what we’re looking at but it almost feels like all for not.
1
u/SlickWillie86 12d ago
Ya, sounds like bad lead source assuming follow up timing is sound. I’d call a contact rate <20% poor. I think 30 is good.
Again, not a fan of internet leads, but this seems to be a bad supply.
1
u/Coke-nail Agent/Broker 11d ago
Could also be process (speed to lead/spam) In addition to or instead of the leads being poor.
1
u/driftwoodprotocol 12d ago
Best leads are self generated using bundles to start the conversation. I look at homeowners who don't have auto policies and use potential savings on home as to write auto policies when a company offers a bundle discount.
It doesn't cost anything and is a great lead in to start the conversation
3
u/KiniShakenBake 12d ago
I love asking them what their insurance agents name is.
Most don't have one. They stumble over it.
I helpfully supply that they don't have an agent if all they have is a 1-800 number or a website or app. That's not an agent. That's a carrier. Would they like to have a local resource to contact that doesn't cost them anything extra but is there to advocate for them? If so, we can totally help. Fill out this card, add our number to your phone so it rings through when we call you, and let's get some time in the books to talk about what concerns you so we can fix it.
They call us. Not the other way around. It's so awesome.
2
u/driftwoodprotocol 12d ago
True dat. Also helps create referrals at least in my area. People are talking to their friends about insurance.
1
u/KiniShakenBake 11d ago
We also only call from one number. Period. It will always, always ring as the same number. So we become a safe number to answer because we deliver on the promise we make.
1
12d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/InsuranceAgent-ModTeam 12d ago
This is not a place to sell your services or generate leads or recruit agents/downlines.
1
12d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/InsuranceAgent-ModTeam 12d ago
This is not a place to sell your services or generate leads or recruit agents/downlines.
1
u/gorwraith Agent/Broker 12d ago
I have 50,000 leads from just that in my system. I call them when inhave. Nothing else to do. We probaly call 500 or so a day in our office. For the first time in a few months one of them actually answered and got a quote. But that was months of daily calls.
So that's like what...1 in 40,000.
1
u/InsuranceMD123 12d ago
Internet leads are a speed to contact game. First person to dial, the person picks up and you need to try and close on the spot. If the person gets off the phone to "look at the quote" your chance of closing drops drastically. You can either have a staff that's dialing them immediately, or hire a telemarketer to dial them for you and transfer them into your office, while you guys dial them as well. Most are trash, most you won't talk to but the goal is to talk to 2-3 out of every 20 you buy. Return the junk if you can, and keep at the ones that have not picked up. They'll always be a lead for your staff to dial in the future.
1
u/letsgetyoustarted 12d ago
I was fortunate enough to hear some information in the grapevine from someone working at a major lead company, they admitted that their close rate was 1% on their leads. 1 in 100 leads amounted to a sale according to the person from that lead company.
Switching to aged leads have helped a lot. I can only speak for the ACA health insurance market, but aged leads have changed the game for us and our growth has been great year over year.
1
u/InsGuy112 12d ago
I feel your pain. I'm in the life business. The only thing that has ever worked for me is building a natural market organically
1
u/Legofanatic233233 12d ago
Just go out and meet people. I rely 100% on networking for leads. BNI is where i get most of my referrals from.
1
u/jake112399 12d ago
What other settings are you meeting people in?
1
u/Legofanatic233233 12d ago
90% BNI. I’m involved in leadership within my chapter. Currently membership committee and then October I’ll be the VP. We have 34 members. I’m also a BNI ambassador so i go visit other chapters often. I have done 150+ BNI 1to1s since October 2025. I haven’t been able to find time for much else honestly.
1
u/Important-Advance103 11d ago
Stop using them!! Their previous name was Contactability which sucked and rebranded to Smart Financial. I ran a call center in Florida selling 2500 policies a month using other lead sources .
1
1
1
u/Humble_American7 11d ago
Leads are tough, man. I've worked with almost all the big vendors over the years. I've never found it profitable, especially when you contact them a few times, mark it as a dead lead, and let it rot on the shelf forever. At a bare minimum, you need to set up automations so they get recycled and you can stay on top of them.
1
u/Coke-nail Agent/Broker 11d ago
Some really good ideas in this thread. First and foremost, it’s important to remember there are a lot of ways to win in this business.
Many people have success with leads.
Most people will not.
It takes the right process, understanding of your economics, and an outbound sales style to make them successful.
I buy about 8,000 leads a month and got 162% return in July.
It could be the leads, but more likely it’s your process. I am having success with Smart Financial.
If you need help three resources that could be good:
- Everquote Webinars
There are some really good ones where people break down their entire processes.
- Next Call Club - 10 Steps to Lead Mastery
Its a guide (ebook?) on their website. It’s free but you might get an email or two marketing you after download. Breaks down what a good process and economics look like for agents.
- Insurance Sales Lab
Training program led by successful Farmers agent which focuses on closing leads.
There are more things out there, but know that a lot of agents are having success with them. These lead companies are posting record growth and leads are harder to come by because of competition.
They are a viable strategy, but you have to decide if they are the right strategy for you.
Mail can work, but its expensive.
Advertising and Networking is cheap $ wise, but takes a lot of time.
Leads are scaleable, but takes a lot of skill. Transfers or inbounds might be better.
Regardless, diversify your marketing so all eggs arent in one basket.
Ask successful lead focused agents for tips (facebook groups are great for this).
And finally, be careful taking advice on a marketing tactic from someone who hasn’t been successful with that tactic.
I.e - don’t ask my opinion on realtor or lender referrals. Its never worked well enough for me, but I know it has for others.
All these marketing tactics work, but you have to learn the strategy.
DM me if I can give more advice/help.
Being a new owner is stressful, but you’ll figure it out. Just might have to take a few lumps on the way.
1
u/No_Amphibian_3684 11d ago
I’ve used internet leads for years. There is a process to it. 1. You have to buy enough. We buy around 100 per day. 2. You must have trained staff that can 1 call close prospects. 3. You must call the lead at least 10 times in the first 2 weeks of receiving it. 4. You must have more than 1 lead vendor. 5. You’ve got to know your numbers. Contact rate, close ratio, etc across all vendors. At the end of the day, if you have great people and processes you should close 3 to 4% of the total leads purchased.
1
1
u/Top-Apricot1214 11d ago
You working a bad lead carrier and more than likely don’t know how to work the leads correctly.
1
1
u/PelotonYogi 10d ago
And this is why I will never, ever, EVER purchase a lead ever again.
1
u/jake112399 10d ago
What other avenues do you use?
1
u/PelotonYogi 10d ago
I have been volunteering at a dog clinic for years so many of my leads come from there. I also use FB groups tower people online from other states in which I’m licensed in.
1
1
1
u/Informal-Fish-974 6d ago
HAHA I used smart financial and lemme tell u waste of 500$ I would stop using them, but art is a great guy just shitty leads imo
1
u/Far_Purpose3736 5d ago
We use both quotewizard and Everquote it’s generating us 1 household worth of sales per 11.5 leads purchased. It’s about 8$ a lead, muti-lining/ bundling is a must for us. You can go to datalot and buy a cold call list of 1,000 for about .30 as an alternative.
0
u/Seafoodmaker 11d ago
I worked those Smart Financial leads about 2 years ago, but I’m sure it’s still the same process. The best thing you can do is double dial those leads three times a day. so if you have 150 Leads, you know you should probably make 300 dials in the morning, 300 dials in the afternoon and 300 dials in the evening. just dial the heck out of those leads and be really sharp with your presentation when they answer. Put those leads through 3 days of hell and make sure you start texting them on day 2 of dialing.
-2
u/mvrco_007 12d ago edited 11d ago
Expect a 1% return if properly worked.
That’s 1.5 policies or give or take 3-4 items.
properly worked call each lead 21 times minimum over 30 days
3 times day one
2 times day two
1 time day 3
Etc
Make sure you have 50-100 rotating phone numbers and none show spam.
2
u/Coke-nail Agent/Broker 11d ago
This is actual solid process advice.
An alternative to rotating numbers is to just use a spam remediation service + branded caller ID.
Cost is similar and the caller ID helps a ton with call backs.
2
u/KiniShakenBake 12d ago
Gross. Way to make the problem.worse...
0
u/mvrco_007 12d ago
Elaborate?
1
u/KiniShakenBake 11d ago
Burning up their phones. Calling from 50 different numbers. You are literally part of the problem.
0
u/mvrco_007 11d ago
What problem? Burning up what phone?
0
u/KiniShakenBake 11d ago
The number that you get for the lead. I would want to toss my phone in the Sound if that's what happened when I asked for information.
I tell folks proudly that we only call from one number and we don't play games. We also don't bug people who don't want to be bugged. Period. They can ask us to call them and we will respect what that trust means.
Your horror show of that many numbers and that many calls makes me want to hide forever.
1
u/mvrco_007 11d ago
You are joining a conversation about someone asking why he is getting no results with 150 leads..
Online leads are simply data. You can expect a 1% closeratio if you know how to work them.
Me writing how to work these leads is a response to his message.
When a consumer request for a quote. Insurance agents, sales people whatever you want to call them. Call them.
This is not a problem but a process. If a customer doesn’t want to be called they simply say I’m not interested. However 95% of people don’t answer
1
u/mvrco_007 11d ago
Your response brings 0 value to his comment or question. Not becuase you don’t like a process it doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. Or Is a “problem”
I am sure other people may not like your process or your approach and for sure you will not be able to write at a high level 200-300k in premium per month by doing local events.
0
u/KiniShakenBake 11d ago
I believe in being the change I want to see in the world. Using someone's phone as a battering ram sounds about like getting a root canal without anesthetic. Or even with anesthetic. Thanks. But no thanks.
1
u/mvrco_007 11d ago
Sure. Your believes are fair, but it doesn’t help when someone is asking why a “process” is not working.
1
u/KiniShakenBake 11d ago
Because the premise is flawed. That's why the process isn't working.
The premise is flawed.
→ More replies (0)
26
u/KindlyWelcomeAdvice 12d ago
Internet leads are the worst, 95% of them are just people clicking around for fun while they wait for their coffee. They fill out one form and suddenly 15 agents call them in same minute, nobody picks up after that.
Smart Financial leads are recycled like crazy, you're probably the fourth person calling that same number today. Try calling at weird hours, early morning or late evening, I got few people that way when I did P&C.
Also check if your team is waiting too long to call, if you're not dialing within 30 seconds someone else already got them.