Q: How long have you been in the insurance business?
A: Over 25 years now.  I owned an independent agency for about 20 years, and for the last five years I’ve been with Nationwide.

Q: What types of insurance do you sell?
A: All personal and commercial lines, P & C, and some Life.

Q: What is one of the secrets to your agency’s success?
A: Having the right people on my team here has been critical to our success. It’s key to have a staff that’s knowledgeable, well-trained and great with customers. Consistent employee training is important, as is rewarding them well in order to maintain low turnover.

Q: Why do you use online leads?
A: This is the way consumers want to do business now (via the Internet). The market is totally different from when I started. It’s evolved and continues to evolve. In the beginning, at my dad’s agency, we did a ton of traditional advertising. The customer buying process was very long, with multiple “in office” visits. Now, I’d say that over 75% of my customers don’t even know where I’m located. Our communications are mostly done over the Internet, getting leads from NetQuote and doing follow up by email. Of course, we’re on the phone all the time also, following up on leads. But this is the new way of doing business in insurance.

Q: What is your #1 tip for managing online leads?
A: Identify who on your staff works NetQuote leads the best. Every salesperson has different skills and preferences, so you have to watch your close rates and make sure that the best people are tackling the job at hand. Remember to always monitor your close rates and to have a clear, smooth process in place for managing your leads from first receiving the lead to closing the business. And price isn’t always the main selling point; in fact, it usually falls (third) after service and response time.

I have two other tips. First, do a quick follow up within an hour of receiving the NetQuote lead. Call and email in order to cover both angles. When phoning, call each number that the consumer has provided. They want to be contacted by any number (and have given you their permission by submitting the online application).

Second, consider distributing leads to your sales staff by geography. Have each salesperson become a community or area expert. We’ve found this strategy is the quickest route to the best quoting (and optimal close rates).

Q: What is your #1 tip for growing your business?
A: Know that it takes awhile to find prime success when growing your business with NetQuote leads. You must constantly monitor and improve your account portfolio. Different lines work for different agents, and you must take into account your competition and the other carriers. Find out what works best for you and work with NetQuote (Agent Support Group) to optimize your portfolio.

I want to add that you should definitely use online leads. I consider our success a table top that’s been built upon four solid legs:  referrals, some advertising, our current client base, and NetQuote. By building a strong process for managing the last leg, my staff has been closing NetQuote leads at over 40%. (This is a phenomenal close rate – congratulations Lat – but please note that most NetQuote agents enjoy a 10% close rate, which translates into a very strong return on your investment.)

Q: Do you have any parting words of wisdom?
A: Make it very easy to do business with you online or by phone. Create a good process for managing your leads, and have a strict and thorough follow up policy for your sales team. One of the keys to our success has been to create a relationship with every possible prospect. This means having a well trained staff that has local expertise and making sure that the same salesperson follows up with the same prospect. Consumers may reach us over the Internet, but they still want experts – not a call center where you get a different person every time you call.