FREE Insurance Sales & Marketing IDEAS » QUESTION #7
From the Q&A Column in Agency Ideas® newsletter

Q>

I want to solicit the accounts of small retailers and contractors in nearby suburban areas.  What’s the best way to make contact with these business owners?

A>

Run a small display ad in your local shopping news promoting your agency (or yourself) as a specialist in protecting the small business owner.  Sign a three-month contract.  The purpose of your ad isn’t to generate inquiries, although they’ll be welcome.  Rather, it is to serve as a conversational lead-in to approach other business advertisers.

Then contact every business owner who runs a display or classified in the same publication.  Start your casual chat with the question, "How well is your ad doing in the Penny Saver?"  This gives you something in common to talk about, before asking about their insurance program.  Chances are good that the prospect already knows your agency’s name, since he’s probably seen your ad while thumbing through the paper checking on his own (and those of his competitors).

Extend the ad if you still have leads to contact after your initial three months or of the paper has a steady flow of new advertisers.  If there is more than one shopping news in your marketing territory, try this this technique on them all.  You can even test it on Internet newspaper and advertising sites where small local businesses advertise.