1-877-475-2010
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25400 U.S. 19 N, Suite 221
Clearwater, FL 33763
25400 U.S. 19 N, Suite 221
Clearwater, FL 33763
1-877-475-2010
1-877-512-9287
Marketing is more than advertising, but a good marketing plan almost always includes some advertising. Webster defines advertising as “the action of calling something to the attention of the public, especially by paid announcements.” The key word is paid.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t like parting with any more of my hard-earned cash than necessary. But, sometimes it is necessary. Sometimes we have to invest in paid advertising, and if we’re smart about it, we’ll see a decent return on that investment. The best way to see a nice return is to avoid overspending, and here are a few other suggestions that should help you get the greatest results:
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Never underestimate the value of a firm handshake… When I was a child my grandfather took it upon himself to teach me and each of my cousins how to shake someone’s hand. He didn’t care if you were a young boy of five or a young lady of 17, he knew the importance of a good handshake. At the time, I thought he was nuts, but in the years since his tutorial I have come to appreciate the effort it took to prepare all of us for the world ahead. Think about the people you have shaken hands with this week. What kind of hand were you offered? A jellyfish? A squeezer? A sweaty palm? Admit it; you made a first impression about this person that was hard to forget. The same is true for you. Other people, including your prospects and clients, decide who you are, what you are about, and whether or not you can be trusted by the way you shake hands. Scary, isn’t it? Don’t let your handshake ruin a deal before you’ve ever made your pitch by following my grandpa’s advice.
I had the pleasure of attending a terrific industry event last week, and one of my favorite presenters asked a great question…
“Are you an insurance person who happens to be in business… or a business person that happens to be in insurance?” The audience sat quietly for a moment, a little stunned and bewildered. The presenter went on to explain that many agents, even those that are successful individually, could do even better with a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of business. Some have gotten into insurance as a second career or a desire to be their own boss. Some wanted to help people. Others have taken the plunge because they hated their factory job and heard there was good money in financial services. Whatever the reason, a good number of agents don’t have years of experience or formal education in business. They just don’t. That’s not to say they can’t succeed. Quite the contrary. I know plenty of very successful agents that don’t have formal business training. They battled to the top through hard work, determination, and street smarts. If anything, that’s an even more impressive accomplishment. However, even the most successful agents could leverage established business principles and strategies to take their businesses to the next level. Here’s a quick example: According to a recent study cited in Harvard Business Review, organizations that adopted a formal, repeatable sales process increased revenue by an average of 18%. That’s right, an 18% increase in revenue simply by adopting a repeatable sales process. That’s pretty impressive, but to tell you the truth… I’ve seen better results in our industry. A lot better.
I don’t know about you, but I get a little twitchy when I see unread messages in my inbox. In fact, I often get an overwhelming compulsion to stop everything and check them out immediately.
After all, my prospects might be ready to close the deal. Or, they have an important question I need to answer right away. Sound familiar? The truth is, most of us do suffer from email addiction. But in reality, what we’re suffering from is dopamine addiction. Email addiction is a real problem. I know. I know. I sound pretty smart with all this brain research I’ve been quoting this past year. But, since it’s highly likely that you haven’t been reading the latest neuroscience studies, let me clarify what I mean. Dopamine is a brain hormone that starts us seeking — looking out there for something - and keeps us doing it. If we’re anticipating something AND we’re not sure when it’s coming, our dopamine system is immediately triggered. That’s why we’re compelled to check emails if we’re waiting to hear back from prospects. Here’s another thing you need to know about our dopamine system. It gets activated when it gets a cue such as a notification or sound. Like Pavlov’s dogs, we start salivating. We can’t wait a second longer – for whatever it is we’re lusting after. We need to interrupt what we’re doing and find out what just happened. |
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Postema Marketing Group is a full-service Independent Marketing Organization (IMO) dedicated to providing world-class products and services to our clients. We have partnered with some of the strongest names in the insurance industry and proudly serve independent agents from coast to coast.
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