1. Agency Web Site:   This is a nice feaure that most agents now have.  It allows customers to obtain contact information, office hours and in some cases even obtain a quote.  The downside is that it is often difficult to obtain exposure.  It has been said that you could have a website giving away free cars, but if no one can find it then what good is it? 
2. Mass Email:   Otherwise know as SP@M.  SP@M, has become a "dirty word" in the web world.  The majority of emails sent in this country are solicitations of some sort.  This has put consumers on the defense with their email.  SP@M blockers are available with most major internet services now and the SP@M that does get through is seldom read.  Having said that, SP@M would not exist if it didn’t have at least some success.  The trick for you, the agent, is to solicit potential clients near your agency. 
3. Real Time Internet Leads:   The newest way for agents and consumers to come together.  This option has real benefits for the consumer the biggest being: time.  There is no longer a need for the consumer to go to multiple sites requesting quotes, call different ads from the phone book or personally visiting multiple agents to receive quotes.  For the agent, Internet leads offer several advantages over more traditional advertising.       

In short, you know what you are getting with internet leads.  The Yellow Pages remain a mystery.  As Forrest Gump might have said about insurance leads:  "Yellow Page leads are like a box of chocolate, you never know what you're gonna get."

A state adopts strict new insurance self study CE requirements for its agents. The tests they now require are very difficult, can take no more than an hour to complete, and must be taken at a certified testing center.  On the first day of the new requirements, an agent wanders into a testing center a half hour late.

"You'll never finish this test on time," the test administrator coldly states.
"Just give me the test," replies the agent, "I'll finish it."

Skeptically, the administrator gives the agent the test.  The time limit comes and passes and yet the agent still has not completed the test. Finally, a half hour after the test time limit, the agent brings his test up to the administrator, who is correcting a large stack of tests.

"You can't turn that in," states the test administrator, "you knew there was a time limit."
"Do you know who I am?" replies the agent.
"No", says the administrator.
"DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM???" the agent says more forcefully.
"No, and I really don't care" replies the administrator, slightly annoyed.
"Good," says the agent, who quickly shoves his test into the middle of the stack the administrator is correcting and walks out the door.

2005: A Banner Year or a Busted Year, The Choice is Yours

What are you doing to make your agency bigger and better than it was in 2004? Complacency is a dangerous problem for a business owner, especially an agency owner. Older agencies are trying to find a way to improve their retention ratio while bringing in new clients. New agencies are trying to find an edge in an extremely competitive market. No matter what your tenure, finding new clients is always a challenge for insurance agents. We ask again: "What are you doing to make your agency bigger and better than it was in 2004?"

Most of you who are reading this article are already a "Hometown" agent, so we know that you are on your way to a very profitable year! If you are not already taking advantage of the many benefits that HometownQuotes.com offers you, we suggest you take some time to use them. Use our agents blog to keep you up-to-date with what is going on in the industry. Read old newsletters or pick up the phone and talk to one of our very qualified agency advocates who can offer sales tools, training and new ways for you to improve your close ratio with HometownQuotes.com leads.  

For those of you that are not already one of our clients, why not? Yes, we know that some of you have tried sign up and your areas are sold out (we only sell to one agent from each company per Zip code), but have you put your name on our waiting list? After all, agents retire almost every day. For the rest of you the only real answer that we can think of is that you don't want any new customers. If this is the case HometownQuotes.com is not for you. We do bring more clients into your agency, we do educate agents on how to be better sales people and we do improve your bottom line!.