"I've been in the business for 25 years, and today, 90 percent of our business comes from referrals."
So says Jennifer Borislow of Methuen, MA. She stays close to her clients, creating multiple touch points by which to follow up with them and foster a referral-friendly business. And that, she says, is her best marketing technique.
She's not the only one who relies on referrals. Robert N. Garneau of Bedford, NH says, "I have found that the most effective marketing tool is to market myself as someone trustworthy who the client or prospect can ask for help. I work solely on referrals, and have found that the more I market myself as someone who is worthy of a referral, the more referrals come."
When speaking with top producers and other industry experts, there's no shortage of marketing advice. But above all, many of them say, fostering a positive relationship with clients is the most tried and true marketing method around.
"It's important to use staff (and other outsourcing) to handle routine but still very important contact with your clients," says Randy Scritchfield of Damascus, MD. "This may include newsletters (email and the old-fashioned kind), birthday cards, and other regular updates."
Scritchfield continues, "However, you, as the agent, must then be available to provide the exceptional, such as personal notes, clippings of articles relevant to their business, and personally selected special gifts. It's also great when you can count on a sense of humor -- both on your part and the client's part."
This month, we've gathered the best marketing advice and published it in our second annual Producer's Guide to Marketing. We cover the basics and the specifics, guiding you all the way from creating a marketing plan to using specific media. And seeing as how the best marketing campaigns often make use of multiple media, you'll want to read everything we've got here. Just turn to page 18 for the full scoop.
The darling of demographics
More than 70 million individuals make up the baby boomer demographic. The oldest of this group started turning 60 last year, making them great candidates for a slate of financial resources, including annuities and long term care insurance. You may be considering expanding into this attractive group of prospects, and, if you're smart, you likely already have some of them for clients.
While they're part of the same demographic, though, baby boomers are as different from one another as can be. Some are writers. Some are doctors. Some plan to retire. Some don't. Some are affluent. Others are less so. And they each have their own opinions, needs, and desires.
So how can you sort it all out? Our handy guide helps you figure out which products work best, how to sell, and more. It all starts on page 26.
Our mistake
In our April national edition, we ranked annuity carriers based on a survey given to licensed insurance producers nationwide. Because of faulty methodology, however, we published the wrong rankings. To view the correct rankings, please visit www.AgentsSalesJournal.com/annuityrankings.
We may not be perfect, it's true, but we remain 100 percent committed to becoming your most valued source of how-to information. We apologize to you, our readers, and the companies that were left off the list.
Sincerely,
Christina Pellett
ASJeditor@AgentMediaCorp.com
