Search CompleteMarkets

Marketing: Opening New Territories
Al Diamond focuses on p...nd familiarize them with your agency. Auto dealers and real estate offices rea...

...usiness was put to rest or updated, new business was entered for consideration.... The successful producer searches out new ammunition, new approaches. I = Incentive Will this...

PR: A New Twist In Direct Mail
Government an...ditate on whether you want to try this new route or not. A special note to age...

...go could now wind up on the evening news or on page one of the newspaper. While some incidents are insign.... On hand were representatives of the auto manufacturer and a vice president o...

... ) . We're great friends, but we're very different. A retail auto dealership acknowledges different personalities with what they call the "turn over." If a sales person can't close a deal, the customer is "turned over" to another sales person. The new sales person doesn't have any additional or different tools to use in closing the deal; he or she just has a different personality that might click better. When I worked at a dealership, the inside joke was that maybe the customer didn't like a person with ... I find obsequious. If someone approached me in that way, I would probably run in the other direction. Yet, he has built a successful business on his salesmanship (and women adore him) . We're great friends, but we're very different. A retail auto dealership acknowledges different personalities with what they call the "turn over." If a sales person can't close a deal, the customer is "turned over" to another sales person. The new sales person doesn't have any additional or different tools to use in ... the deal; he or she just has a different personality that might click better. When I worked at a dealership, the inside joke was that maybe the customer didn't like a person with facial hair, or someone who was overweight, or spoke with an accent. The bottom line is that the dealership acknowledged that people have different tastes and that another person might be able to make the sale more easily. The primary difference, when it comes to the commercial insurance industry, is that agencies and producers have time to develop ...

... first impressions of individuals may be equally significant for companies. Businesses choose street and building addresses that send the right message' they're believed to make the right impression. Even though we acknowledge the role a first impression can play in making a sale, signing on a new client, or walking away with an order, we often come up blank when it comes to other issues. A few questions may make the point: Why are we satisfied to offer a one- or two-color brochure when we know full-color attracts far more attention ... we know such conclusions may be questionable, why do we persist in making snap judgments that are virtually impossible to change? The answer is simple: First impressions work. They reduce anxiety and allow us to move through the day with less stress. Walk into an auto dealership to look at a car, and you're immediately turned off by a pushy salesperson. How often do we hear someone say, From the very moment I met her, I knew', or They didn't have us fooled for a minute. As soon ... they opened their mouths, we could tell. Basing judgments on limited knowledge may seem difficult to defend. Yet studies support the extensive influence of first impressions. Consider the following research project, conducted by Jennifer Humble and Dr. Barbara Bremer. The objective was to evaluate the extent to which dress and physical appearance affect the quality of social interactions. Using a retail store setting, the researchers discovered that the sociability of the clerks was significantly higher when they interacted with a well-dressed actor than with a poorly dressed one. Other studies suggest ...

...here? They were convenient. We knew the owner. The prices were better than... and the Commercial Lines to continue autonomously from the agency headquarter...

... to the needs and restrictions of a new mother, arranges to have forms deliver...

... to the needs and restrictions of a new mother, arranges to have forms for si...

... of articles, checklists, tip sheets, sales letters, and more! Communications Marketing Customer Service Planning Finance/Accounting Risk Management Human Resources Selling Legal and E&O Technology Life/Financial Services Glossaries Management Resources & Links Categories Popular Recent All Back Marketing: Opening New Territories 4/30/2013 12:00:00 AM by Al Diamond , CompleteMarkets Editor This content has not been rated yet. Al Diamond focuses on planning methods that will help you move your business forward. Agents who haven't yet formalized their plans are ... before publication you'll need a location and telephone number by then. However, don't make the telephone book the main factor in opening a new office unless you expect business generated from the Yellow Pages listing to account for a substantial percentage of your book (such as Non-Standard Auto) . FAMILIARIZATION CAMPAIGN Whenever someone sees the gecko on television they think of GEICO, even though most people don't know what GEICO stands for. When they see or hear a duck quacking in an ad they think of AFLAC (again, without knowing what AFLAC ... these firms comfortable with you and your agency, re-visit them every few weeks. Deliver a box designed with two sections: one for agency brochures, the other for candy or lollipops. This gives you an excuse to visit and become friends with the staffers at each dealership or real estate office as you re-fill both sections. Your goal is to establish relationships that will lead them to provide you with referrals. Although flowers and candy also work well for accounting and legal firms, these professionals need more than a drop-in. Be prepared ...