How To Use Your Quote Engine To Generate New Business in 7 Easy Steps

Your health insurance quote engine is more than a powerful productivity tool. It’s also a valuable marketing weapon that many agents now use to generate new business.

If you’re ready to have your multi-carrier quote engine do even more for your bottom line, here’s a 7-step process to turn your quote engine into a marketing machine.

1. Create a 24-hour self-service office

Your first and most important step is to take your multi-carrier quote engine online. By embedding it into your website, you allow online health insurance shoppers to use your quote engine as a one-stop resource.

Consumers looking online for health insurance in your state won’t have to go anywhere else. They can do all their shopping in one place: your website. Best of all, a quote-engine-powered website effectively keeps your marketing up and running 24 hours a day — without having to hire additional personnel.

Your website becomes your 24-hour cyber office, allowing online health insurance shoppers to compare plans and even submit applications. Potential clients no longer have to wait until your official office hours to shop for the right policy. They can do it all online at their convenience.

Regardless of who developed and maintains your website, embedding a link to your quote engine is easy. Your website developer just needs to add a few lines of code to your web pages, and you’re now ready to use your quote engine as a marketing weapon.

2. Invite prospects to shop free of any sales pressure

Even if you don’t use any hard-sell tactics in your approach, consumers automatically suspect that you’re selling something. The mere presence of a salesperson in the room or on the phone creates pressure for many shoppers.

That’s one reason why consumers are flocking online for more of their shopping needs. They can do most of their initial shopping on their own — without feeling pressured. This is also one of the biggest advantages your online cyber office will have over traditional agent websites, which just ask people to call them or visit their office.

So your next step after setting up your online quote engine website should be to target your current prospects and leads. Email them an invitation to shop and compare plans when they want … and free of any pressure.

Before you hit that send button, however, make sure that your invitation includes direct links to your website’s quote engine.

You should still mention that you’re available for more information or answers to specific question. After online shoppers have done their research, many do get to a point where they feel ready to actually sit down and speak with a live agent.

3. Invite current clients nearing renewal

Turnover has become an accepted reality in the health insurance industry. But if you have a website with an embedded quote engine, you may be able to buck the tide and increase your retention rate.

Keep a running tally of your current clients, and pay special attention to those nearing their one-year anniversary date. They’re the ones who may be receiving notices that their premiums are going up. So they’re probably getting ready to shop around again to compare insurance plans.

Don’t risk losing them to other agents. Send them an email and invite them to use your online quote engine as their one-stop shopping resource. This can improve your chance of keeping them as clients for another year…and help you build a long-term relationship.

You should also look beyond your current clients. If you’ve lost clients in the past because they’ve found competitive options elsewhere, consider sending them an invitation to use your quote engine to compare plans — on your quote-engine-powered website.

4. Solicit referrals from clients

You probably already ask clients for referrals. But many clients are often hesitant to give you the contact information for their friends, relatives and colleagues. They may fear that you’ll inundate them with sales calls or spam.

Your online quote engine offers one way around that obstacle. You can even use your quote engine to set up and maintain a reward program to encourage more referrals:

• Email forward. Prepare an email that they can forward to the people your clients want to refer. They won’t have to give you any personal or contact information.
  
• Ask for names only. You should still ask for a list of names. Let them know that the names will only be used to ensure that they get proper credit for the referral. You will not attempt to cold call or contact them first.
  
• Quote engine lead collection. As soon as someone your client refers uses the quote engine, that person’s information will be recorded as a lead in your complimentary BrokerOffice lead management system. You then just need to check it against your list of names.

You also don’t need to break your budget to launch a successful referral campaign. You’ll get a lot of response if you just offer a gift certificate for any referrals that sign up.

5. Include your quote engine link in all your marketing

Take full advantage of the marketing potential your multi-carrier quote engine offers.

The next time you have your business cards or marketing brochures printed, make sure to include the website address for your quote engine platform. You should also remember to include it in your future advertising campaigns. You may even want to have it add it to your office window or street sign.

Including your website link — and an invitation to power-shop with your quote engine — will give your call to action a extra boost that can set it apart from your competition’s brochures and business cards.

6. Cross-market with other businesses

Do you know of other successful business in your area with a mailing list? They may offer an amazing opportunity for cross marketing.

For example, you can start with a qualified real estate agent or accountant you already know. Set up a cross-marketing arrangement where you’ll include a promotional piece about them in your next marketing message to your mailing list. In exchange, they would have to send a promotional piece about you to their mailing list.

They won’t incur any additional expense to do this, especially if they already send marketing pieces to their list. And as you prepare the promo piece you want them to send for you, make sure to highlight the benefits of using your multi-carrier quote engine — and include a link

7. Issue a press release

Most agents overlook the marketing value of press releases. They think that they don’t have anything newsworthy to announce.

That’s a big mistake. Press releases are a great way to get the word out about your agency. With the advent of online press release services, they’re also a great way to drive traffic to your website.

And every hire, promotion or new plan is newsworthy enough for a press release. Along those same lines, launching a website — especially a website powered by a multi-carrier quote engine — is potentially big news for consumers who are looking for a tool to help them shop for health insurance.

Even if you already have a website, adding a quote engine to it is newsworthy. Press releases are inexpensive, and sometimes free, opportunities to spread the word about your website.

And the fact that you now give online health insurance shoppers a no-hassle one-stop location to do all their shopping is big news.