Increase Sales with Efficient Follow-Up Nicci Troiani As a busy insurance agent how are you supposed to know who to follow up with and when ? Not only do you not have the time to follow up with everyone that you would like to, but most likely, you also waste a good amount of time following up with people who aren’t ready to buy. So how do you cut down on the wasted time and only focus on those who are ready to buy? Here are a few tips that may help: Start “cold” leads on an educational campaign Cold leads need to be be nurtured (What is lead nurturing? Click here). They are ‘cold’ leads because they don’t realize why they need your product or service– so tell them. But don’t tell them in that pushy sales way, educate them. Send them interesting, educational information about financial products and insurance and why this benefits them. Remember the ‘whats in it for them’ factor. If a prospect doesn’t see a benefit, they will have no interest. Key point: Don’t waste time calling prospects who aren’t ready to purchase but stay top of mind by sending email communications. Start “warm” leads on a more sales oriented campaign Once the prospect has some understanding and is starting to engage with your e-mails, it is okay to send the occasional sales piece. Create a sales or prospecting marketing campaign for this specific group. It should still be focused on educating, so that you don’t push them away. However, at this point it is okay to reference your product or agency as an option to solve their problem. Key point: Offer your products as a solution. Focus on “hot” prospects Once that a lead’s behavior (opening emails and clicking on links) has indicated they are a “hot” lead, that’s when you should call and try to close the sale. At this point, the contact has engaged and has indicated that they are interested. Key point: Spend your days calling prospects who want to do business with you! Use a sales and marketing software that can help you score leads Automated sales and marketing software will enable you to see your leads move through the sales pipeline from lead to opportunity to customer, which is a huge advantage. Above that, if you are using a smart system that can track their e-mail opens and link clicks, then the system can score your leads for you. Using an integrated sales and marketing database will also keep you more organized and enable you to view a list of only hot leads as well as to keep track of your communications with them. These simple tips will increase your follow-up efficiency and save a ton of time, which will free you up for the other 1,000 things you need to do today. To learn more about Hatchbuck, view our software here: