Listen Now

In this 7th episode of Insurance Marketing with John Carroll I share 25 ideas for hiring the best insurance producers. Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Listen to this episode to find out: The hidden segment of people who make the best producers at an affordable wage. Why you’re wrong about the best personality traits for a salesperson. Where the best insurance producers for your agency live. How you can try before you buy when it comes to hiring new producers The best question to ask an applicant during a job interview. The best commission structure for new sales employees. The hidden “red flags” that help you identify bad applicants. Why you should avoid hiring “agency jumpers”. How to see how applicants handle rejection without turning off the best candidates. The absolutely necessary skill every producer must have to work for you. What to be careful of with “movers”. And much more! Right Click Here to Download the MP3 Resources mentioned in this podcast include: by Chet Holmes Craigslist.org Linkedin Read the 25 Tips for Hiring Insurance Salespeople Here Agent Question Message Line: 1-877-871-9589 (call this number to ask a question to be answered live on the podcast) If you find this information valuable, click here to leave a 5 star review on iTunes to say “Thanks”. Thank you so much for listening, John The post Recruiting Top Insurance Producers: 25 Ideas for Agencies appeared first on Insurance Marketing Blog.

In this 22nd episode of Insurance Marketing, I share 22 ways to make people pay attention to your quotes and respond. Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Listen to this episode to find out: Why your quoting technology does not need to hold you back. What to include a picture of in your quotes to get people’s attention. Ways to use color to capture people’s attention. Ways to use personalized video to personalize quotes. How to make a quote infographic. The psychology of testimonials and how to leverage it to choose the right testimonial for the client The power of thoughtful questions. How to put your discounts front and center on your quotes and why that captures attention. Why shoppers are paying more attention to design today than even just a few years ago. How learning about other company’s discounts helps you sabotage the competition’s quotes. What type of pictures can help your quotes stand out. How to make your prospect laugh in a quote and how it helps your sales process. The secret to offering educational information to your prospects. Tips for your email subject lines. How a P.S. in your email gets more attention. Right Click Here to Download the MP3 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Article listing these 22 ideas with even more insight Use Google images to find pictures of the insured item Google streetview for storefront images Bing Maps for birds-eye view maps PDF Merging program for custom quote designs Questions to ask people during insurance quotes I really hope an idea or two I’ve discussed here can help you get an extra 10% of your quotes to engage with your agency . If get an idea to use and want to say thanks, click here to leave a 5 star review on iTunes. Every time I get another 5 star review in there, I print it out and put it on the fridge. And my kids’ artwork is taking up way too much space on there right now Hope this helps, John The post Attention-Grabbing Quotes: 22 Ways to Get More Callbacks appeared first on Insurance Marketing Blog.

In this podcast episode of Insurance Marketing I share 17 sales conversation tips you can use to sell more insurance. Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Listen to this episode to find out: The best times to use your prospect’s name during the sales conversation. What to ask instead of “do you have” while collecting quote information. When to break down costs and savings into monthly amounts vs. annual amounts. The question to ask before asking very personal questions. Why “Do you understand?” is a value conversation killer and what to say instead. How to get your prospect to mentally live through the experience of an insurance claim to get their attention. The three magic words that will force you to talk about benefits instead of features. Why matching the vocabulary of your prospect brings you closer to the sale. Why asking “why?” makes clients defensive and what to say instead. Miss, Mrs, or Ms. – Which is best to use? The simple question you can ask to get more of your appointments to show up. Why you can’t talk enough about discounts.  The “Texas” trick for showing respect to your clients. Right Click Here to Download the MP3 Resources mentioned in this podcast include: Read the 17 Sales Language Tips for Insurance Agents Here. If you find this information valuable and want to show your support, click here to leave a 5 star review on iTunes. It means a lot to me. Thanks for listening, John The post Sales Conversation Tips to Get Insurance Prospects to Buy appeared first on Insurance Marketing Blog.

This episode of Insurance Marketing is the first of a two part episode about ideas for video marketing for insurance agents, I’m going to share 15 ideas to leverage video in your marketing. Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Listen to this episode to find out: The biggest excuse agents use to avoid using video and why it’s 100% wrong. The demographic trick with your client testimonials that helps sell the agency better. The easy trick to make your testimonials sell better for your agency. Great tip using video to make your quotes stand out. Several ways you can use video to make your customer service better and easier at the same time. Tricks to get better SEO from your videos on YouTube. How to use video to promote other local businesses. How to get awesome video content for $5. How to become a reporter for local news. An amazing time to record a testimonial from your clients that you never thought of before. How to record an on-boarding video to make your new customer process memorable. How a great sales video gives your producers a chance to tell the agency’s story to every prospect. Right Click Here to Download the MP3 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Article listing these 14 ideas with even more insight Click Here to get a YouTube Channel for your agency Camtasia for screen recordings Jing for screen recordings Fiverr.com for cheap video production I ran through a lot of ideas in this podcast, I hope it’s not overwhelming. The best advice I can give is to try out your one favorite idea because if you try to do too much with video too fast it’s bound to fail. If you like these podcasts and want to say thanks, don’t forget to leave a 5 star review on iTunes. With each new 5 star review I take my wife to a 5 star restaurant. Wait… did I say a 5 star restaurant? I meant to say Five Guys. Hope this helps, John The post YouTube Marketing Ideas for Insurance Agents – Part 1 appeared first on Insurance Marketing Blog.

This episode of Insurance Marketing is the second of a two part episode about ideas for video marketing for insurance agents, I’m going to share 17 more ideas to use video marketing in your agency. Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Listen to this episode to find out: How to easily create a year-in-review slideshow video. A simple trick to make it easy to create safety videos. How to embrace your local community using video. How to leverage your multi-lingual capabilities using video. How video can improve your customer satisfaction with claims and improve your loss ratio. How to take content you’ve already created and turn it into video. A simple way to put your clients on display and get social proof for prospects. Great ways to get your videos in front of clients and prospects. How a “rant” video can help make customers more loyal to your agency. How to get your claim department to agree to a video interview. What to do with all your bad takes. Right Click Here to Download the MP3 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Article listing these 31 ideas with even more insight Use Fiverr.com for cheap quality video content. Underwriter Laboratories Youtube Channel Join.me – for screensharing Funny “You dummy” insurance agent video Offerpop for video contests on Facebook If you like these podcasts and want to show your support, don’t forget to leave a 5 star review on iTunes. Every time I get a see a new 5 star review I   Hope this helps, John The post YouTube Video Marketing Ideas for Insurance Agents – Part 2 appeared first on Insurance Marketing Blog.

In this 21st episode of Insurance Marketing, I share 25 tips to hire the best insurance salespeople into your agency. Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Listen to this episode to find out: The two biggest reasons experienced producers are less attractive to hire for your agency. The job applicants you absolutely must avoid at all costs.  Who’s really better at sales? Extroverts or introverts? How to do a simple and free background check on social media. Why you absolutely MUST test your applicants’ computer skills before hiring anyone and exactly how to do it. Why limiting your candidate pool only to people with an insurance license is a mistake. 6 reasons why a local employee is better than someone who lives far away. How to extend your job interviews by 6 months. The most revealing question to ask applicants during a job interview. Why you should only hire people who are making a career advancement by coming into your agency. What to avoid when asking friends if they know anyone to work in your agency. Why the best candidates to sell insurance in your agency are not selling insurance right now. Right Click Here to Download the MP3 Resources mentioned in this podcast: Article listing these 25 hiring tips with even more insight Scientific proof for the sales ability of ambiverts Here’s the website where I got my insurance licenses online Free job listings on craigslist LinkedIn I hope this show gives you an idea or two that’ll help bring in the best talent to your agency. If you want to let me know how you feel about this podcast, click here to leave a 5 star review on iTunes. Every time I see a new 5 star review in there, I sneak into my neighbor’s backyard and do 100 backflips on his trampoline. Don’t worry, he has great homeowner’s insurance. Hope this helps, John The post Hiring Producers – 25 Tips to Hire Top Insurance Salespeople appeared first on Insurance Marketing Blog.

In this 19th episode of Insurance Marketing with John Carroll, I share 18 processes to make your agency more efficient and successful. Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Listen to this episode to find out: Why establishing processes in your agency can make the difference between succeeding and failing. What factors should be considered for developing a sales process. What should be included in your referral process? An alternative description of your policy review process that can get more clients engaged. How additional touches with prospects can improve your re-quote process. Why your renewal process should place priority on certain clients and customers. The process that, if established in your agency, can prevent you from facing a prospect. Questions to ask about your current telemarketing process. Endorsement and billing customer service process considerations. How processes reduce stress and improve your producers’ abilities to customize their sales approach more easily. Right Click Here to Download the MP3 Resources mentioned in this podcast include: Article featuring all the different agency processes mentioned in this episode If you got an idea or two you can use from this podcast and want to say thanks, click here to leave a 5 star review on iTunes. Every time I get another 5 star review I give my daughters both a big hug. Outside of those times I don’t ever hug them so… Hope this helps, John The post 18 Processes To Make Your Insurance Agency Successful appeared first on Insurance Marketing Blog.

In this first episode of Insurance Marketing with John Carroll, I explain 9 reasons every insurance agent should subscribe to this podcast. Click Here to Subscribe Via iTunes Listen to this episode to find out: How I’m going to help you make more money. What tips and strategies I’ll be providing  in future episodes. Why podcasts help you gain hours of productivity every week! Right Click Here to Download the MP3 Resources mentioned in this podcast include: Agent Question Hotline: 1-877-871-9589 Seth Godin Website I’m a podcast virgin, so I welcome all the constructive criticism you may have of this first episode in the comments below. And thanks again to all my followers for your continued support. It’s your encouragement that keeps me creating helpful content for insurance agents in new and exciting ways like this! Thank you so much, John   The post 9 Reasons to Subscribe to Insurance Marketing with John Carroll appeared first on Insurance Marketing Blog.

In this episode of Insurance Marketing with John Carroll I discuss 14 actionable ways to adjust your sales conversations to sell value instead of price. Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Listen to this episode to find out: The simple question that forces prospects to explain to you (and to themselves) why they usually buy on value instead of price. The question that forces prospects to think about the value of having good claims experiences. The discreet way to get prospects thinking ahead about the value of working with a local agent after the sale. How educating clients and prospects brings your value to the forefront of the conversation. How to make the client understand you’re an expert about saving them money. Ways to bring your experience into the conversation in a way that emphasizes it’s value. How to show clients a key value difference between buying from a local agent and a call center How to discuss the value of your experience even when you have none. Why you need to explain that having an agent helps you save money. How to bring up the value of your own licenses and continuing education. The follow-up question to ask during claim experience conversations that drives home your value. How to get your client’s thinking about the potential costs of NOT buying from you. How to identify the most important benefits to every individual prospect. Why discussing every feature and benefit of a policy is a mistake and how to avoid it. How making it easy for clients to get discounts brings value to the table. Right Click Here to Download the MP3 Resources mentioned in this podcast include: Article about how to talk about discounts more. Read the 14 Actionabl Tips for Selling Value Over Price Here If you find this info helpful and would like to say thanks, click here to leave a 5 star review on iTunes. Every 5 star review makes me stand up on my desk and do the chuffle shuffle! Thanks for joining me, John The post Sell Value Instead of Price: 14 Actionable Steps for Insurance Agents appeared first on Insurance Marketing Blog.

In this first of a two part episode of Insurance Marketing, John Carroll shares  the secrets to getting hundreds of followers to your agency’s Facebook page! Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Listen to this episode to find out: What’s the first thing to determine BEFORE trying to grow your Facebook fans. What is the most pathetic way to ask for Facebook followers and how to avoid it. What are the 4 key elements to having a professional looking agency page. How to get a link to your agency’s Facebook page on the top of your personal Facebook profile all the time. The best way to link to your Facebook page in your email signature. How business cards can help you build fans. Why most agents are unsuccessful the first time they setup Facebook ads. How to invite your email contacts and your personal Facebook friends to like your agency’s Facebook page. How to send individual private invites to your Facebook connections to invite them to follow your Facebook page. Right Click Here to Download the MP3 Resources mentioned in this podcast include: Article featuring 28 different ways to get more Facebook fans Use Fiverr for Facebook cover photos. Pic Monkey website for photo editing Information about setting up a Facebook like box on your website. How to follow and like other local business Facebook pages as your agency. If you got an actionable tip or two from this podcast and aren’t afraid to show your appreciation, click here to leave a 5 star review on iTunes. Every time I get a 5 star review I play Livin’ La Vida Loca as loud as my computer speakers can go and I dance around my office. Hope this helps you, John The post How to Get More Facebook Fans For Your Agency – Part 1 appeared first on Insurance Marketing Blog.

In this 15th edition of Insurance Marketing with John Carroll John discusses more great ways to boost referrals within your insurance agency. Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Listen to this episode to find out: The mindset your salespeople need to boost referrals. How to effectively ask for referrals in your email signature. How to remove all the risk customers feel about referring your agency. How to use social media to encourage referrals on Facebook. The simple trick to identify the “connectors” in your community using Google and social media. The website widget that can enable online referrals. The commission adjustment that will make your producers ask for more referrals and close more referred business. Why it’s justified to pay your producers a higher commission rate for referred business. Why a referral networking group is a good deal for insurance agents. Why every customer needs to know every product you have to sell. How to provide “trigger point” education to your clients and why it helps referrals. Right Click Here to Download the MP3 Resources mentioned in this podcast include: . How to get more Facebook Likes WordPress plugin – Recommend a Friend Joomla Extensions for recommending friends on your website. How to get your clients’ emergency contacts to get a quote from you. iPhone Podcast App Article that Inspired this Podcast about Referrals. If you find this info helpful and would like show your appeciation, click here to leave a 5 star review on iTunes. Every time I get another 5 star review a little tear of happiness forms on the corner of my eye. That’s how much I appreciate it! Have a great week, John The post Get More Referrals In Your Insurance Agency – Part 2 – Audio appeared first on Insurance Marketing Blog.

In this second of a two part episode of Insurance Marketing, John Carroll shares  14 more actions to grow the number of active followers on your agency’s Facebook page! Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Listen to this episode to find out: A quick recap of numbers 1-14 that we discussed in the last episode The right time to email your customer base about following your Facebook page. The simplest way to run a contest on your Facebook page to get more likes. A really cool and free tool to analyze your Facebook activities. How to setup a network of agents to help each other’s Facebook activities. The simple trick to getting people you talk to to like your Facebook page when they can’t do it right away. How to use LinkedIn to grow your Facebook followers. How to use photo tagging to grow your exposure across Facebook. The essential ingredient to getting people you speak to on the phone to like your Facebook page. Why paying your producers commission for Facebook followers (existing clients) is a good investment. The right way to offer incentives to your clients for following you on Facebook. Right Click Here to Download the MP3 Resources mentioned in this podcast include: Article featuring 28 different ways to get more Facebook fans Offerpop for Facebook contests. Shortstack for Facebook contests Likealyzer Analysis website QR Code Generator for creating QR Codes LinkedIn If you got an idea or two you can use from this podcast and want to spread the love with other agents, click here to leave a 5 star review on iTunes. Every time I get a new 5 star review I take off all my clothes and streak through the neighborhood. Just kidding, I couldn’t do that to the neighbors. Hope this helps, John The post How to Get More Facebook Fans For Your Agency – Part 2 appeared first on Insurance Marketing Blog.

In this 20th episode of Insurance Marketing with John Carroll, I share 9 important lessons that I learned long ago during my days as a claim adjuster that can translate to the world of insurance sales. Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Listen to this episode to find out: Why convincing yourself you have the best product to offer is the first step to sales. How to leverage local knowledge and experience to connect with prospects. When and why it’s important to keep notes about personal information your clients share with you. How to set traps for the competition. How to use people’s need for an apology when things go wrong to diffuse their emotional connection to the situation. How simple adjustments to your tone of voice can help you connect with your prospects and clients. Why you should swallow the frog first thing in the morning. Right Click Here to Download the MP3 I hope you found some insight from this podcast. If you’d like to say thanks, click here to leave a 5 star review on iTunes. With each new 5 star review, I go to the grocery store and run through the aisles giving everyone high fives. Hope this helps, John The post 9 Sales Tips From a Former Insurance Claim Adjuster appeared first on Insurance Marketing Blog.

In this episode of Insurance Marketing, John Carroll shares  31 awesome ways to make your insurance agency more fun! Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Listen to this episode to find out: How to make contests that get more sales by not focusing on sales. How to make sales bonuses more exciting by using cash. More ideas to celebrate and reward your agency successes. How to track records in your agency just like sports and how to promote your record breakers publicly. How friendly wagers can increase competition and boost sales. A friendly game that will make every office visitor have more fun. What type of pictures to hang on your walls to make things feel more fun and family focused. How to limit negativity in your office with a fun contest. A better date to celebrate for your employees than their birthday. How Pee Wee Herman can make your agency conversations more fun. Using Google to find great office prank ideas. Why a fun office reduces one of the biggest problems all agents face. Right Click Here to Download the MP3 Resources mentioned in this podcast include: Article featuring 31 tips for having fun. Fun songs to brighten the mood. Pic Monkey website for photo editing If you had fun listening to this podcast and would like show your appreciation, click here to leave a 5 star review on iTunes. Every time I get another 5 star review I turn on my favorite pump up song, “We will rock you” and I sing along at the top of my lungs. Have a fun week, John The post Having Fun in Your Insurance Agency: 30+ Ideas (Audio) appeared first on Insurance Marketing Blog.

In this episode of Insurance Marketing with John Carroll shares 9 actionable tactics you can use to get more referrals in your insurance agency. Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Listen to this episode to find out: The attitude shift you need to make in order to boost referrals. The hidden value of creating a formal referral reward program. The tip with your client’s cell phones to increase referrals. How to practice and perfect your referral conversations. How to remove the perceived risk in the eyes of your referring clients. Why limiting the pool of potential referrals actually increases the number of referrals you’ll receive. The psychologically-proven perfect time to ask for a referral. Right Click Here to Download the MP3 Resources mentioned in this podcast include: . Duct Tape Marketing Podcast with John Jantsch How to create a QR Code with your contact information. Another trick to get into your clients’ cell phones. If you find this info helpful and would like show your appeciation, click here to leave a 5 star review on iTunes. Every time I get another 5 star review I buy my daughters both a big ice cream sundae. You wouldn’t deprive a 2 and 4 year old of an ice cream sundae, would you? Have a great week, John The post Get More Referrals In Your Insurance Agency – Part 1 of 2 appeared first on Insurance Marketing Blog.

In this podcast episode of Insurance Marketing I share 17 more actionable ways to boost your agency’s client loyalty and customer retention. This is the second of 2 podcasts about the subject. In this episode I’m discussing the second 17 and in the prior episode I discussed 17 other ideas. Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Listen to this episode to find out: Why it should never be a slow month in your agency. The secret to following up with your customers about their claims without getting yourself in trouble. Why measuring the lifetime value of clients can improve retention. Why blaming yourself for problems instead of blaming others  improves customer satisfaction. Even when it’s not your fault! The best times to follow up with brand new clients. How to reward your employees for retention in a way that everyone is involved but the responsibility isn’t spread too thin. How customer surveys improve loyalty even if you don’t listen to anything your customers say! Another reason selling on price will burn you in the end. And much much more! Right Click Here to Download the MP3 Resources mentioned in this podcast include: Article about how to talk about discounts more. Read the 34 Sales Language Tips for Insurance Agents Here. If you find this info helpful and would like to say thanks, click here to leave a 5 star review on iTunes. Every 5 star review makes me smile and scream out loud with excitement! Thanks for joining me, John The post 34 Customer Loyalty Strategies for Insurance Agents – Part 2 appeared first on Insurance Marketing Blog.

In this podcast episode of Insurance Marketing I share 17 creative and actionable ways to improve your agency’s customer loyalty and retention. This is the first of 2 podcasts about the subject. In this episode I’m discussing the first 17 and in the next episode I’ll share another 17 ideas to build loyalty. Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Listen to this episode to find out: The number of policies with one customer that pushes your retention to practically 100%. Why offering annual coverage reviews helps customer loyalty even if no one ever agrees to have one. An alternative to annual “coverage reviews” that more clients will agree to. The psychological barrier that prevents agents from making premium increase phone calls. What type of retention increase to expect when you set clients up with automatic payments. The hidden client loyalty benefit that results from referrals. Secret trick with holiday cards to boost persistency. John’s experience as a claim adjuster about how company longevity is a huge benefit. How education effects client retention rates. What’s even better for building loyalty than remembering your clients’ names. Another creative way to make your client relationships like a marriage. Right Click Here to Download the MP3 Resources mentioned in this podcast include: Article about ideas to strengthen your onboarding process. Read the 34 Sales Language Tips for Insurance Agents Here. If you find this info helpful and would like to say thanks, click here to leave a 5 star review on iTunes. Every 5 star review makes me smile and do a fist pump! Thanks for listening, John The post 34 Customer Loyalty Strategies for Insurance Agents – Part 1 appeared first on Insurance Marketing Blog.

This episode is the second in a two part series where I share 34 bits of advice for insurance agent networking. In this episode I go through the next 17 and If you like these check out the previous 17 tips. Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Listen to this episode to find out: Why wallflowers remember you better the next day. How bringing a wingman can elevate your networking game. The best type of questions to ask other business owners (instead of weather or politics). The best information to remember about the people you meet. How expectations can destroy your networking success. The group of people you should be networking with but probably are ignoring. The Moving Pennies Trick. The Disappearing Cards trick. How long your networking elevator pitch should be. Why you shouldn’t be selling to the people you meet. Why it works better to describe a very specific target client. Right Click Here to Download the MP3 Resources mentioned in this podcast include: Read the 34 Networking Tips for Insurance Agents Here. If you find this information valuable, click here to leave a 5 star review on iTunes to say “Thanks”. Thank you so much for listening, John The post Insurance Agent Networking Advice – Podcast 2 of 2 appeared first on Insurance Marketing Blog.

The 8th episode of Insurance Marketing with John Carroll is the first in a two part series where I share 34 bits of advice for insurance agent networking. In this episode I go through the first 17 and I’ll do the next 17 soon. Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Listen to this episode to find out: Why networking is just as important for producers as agent owners. How to make sure you’re perceived as a “connector”. What’s the best time to show up for a networking event. Where to find networking opportunities every day of the week. How to train your staff to network more effectively. The super simple trick to make your business cards more memorable. What type of networking goals can you benefit from the most. Why most networkers fail at the follow-up. The best social media networks for networking follow up. An easy trick to follow-up by phone with your connections. Right Click Here to Download the MP3 Resources mentioned in this podcast include: Meetup.com Patch.com Eventbrite.com Eventful.com Linkedin Twitter Facebook Business Networking International Read the 34 Networking Tips for Insurance Agents Here. Agent Question Message Line: 1-877-871-9589 (call this number to ask a question to be answered live on the podcast) If you find this information valuable, click here to leave a 5 star review on iTunes to say “Thanks”. Thank you so much for listening, John The post Insurance Agent Networking Advice – Podcast 1 of 2 appeared first on Insurance Marketing Blog.

In this 6th episode of Insurance Marketing with John Carroll I share 21 sales tips for new insurance agents and producers. Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes Listen to this episode to find out: How to connect with anyone of any age. Why asking prospects about their kids helps you sell more. How you can appear experienced even if it’s your very first day. How to discuss the financial markets without sounding stupid. How to overcome the age objection before it even comes up. A better way to get psyched up for a big sales meeting. How to avoid spewing features and using insurance jargon. Why selling on price will get you fired. And much more! Right Click Here to Download the MP3 Resources mentioned in this podcast include:  by Dale Carnegie Jeffrey Gitomer’s Website Zig Ziglar’s Website Read the 21 New Agent Sales Tips Here Agent Question Message Line: 1-877-871-9589 (call this number to ask a question to be answered live on the podcast) This podcast was based off an article I wrote that has received a LOT of positive feedback so I’m hoping my breakdown here on the podcast offers additional insight. As always, I apologize for all my “um’s”, “okay’s” and “alrights”. I’ve got to get better at that. If you find this information valuable, click here to leave a 5 star review on iTunes to say “Thanks”. Thank you so much for listening, John The post Sales Advice for New Insurance Agents and Producers appeared first on Insurance Marketing Blog.