Telemarketing - why the heck not?

This is one of those "no-brainers" that has me scratching my head... that is, why don't more insurance agencies employ a telemarketing component to their sales force? Most really good insurance producers are reall good because they can "connect with people" - they can build relationships AND close the deal...imcompatible skills with that of a telemarketer. So why do most agencies expect their producers to be both cold-callers AND deal-closers? Good question.

Being the largest search firm specializing in insurance sales on the East Coast and listening carefully to hiring authority feedback, we have a unique insight into what makes the great insurance agencies GREAT and the mediocre insurance agencies....well, not so good. Try revenues down 40% year over year. What is the critical factor between the winners and the losers? Simple: Telemarketing.

The great agencies "get it". One agency (that will go unnamed) has five full-time telemarketers who continually set up pre-qualified meetings for their producers. How good are these meetings? Try 2.75:1 closing ratio...not bad - industry average is 5:1...and in the soft market we are now in - forget about it! And morale is at all time high as the producers are out doing what they like best...meeting people and closing deals.

How do they keep the telemarketers honest and setting up good meetings - easy, the producers rate the appointments and compensation for the telemarketers is based, in part, on quality appointments. Producers in this particular office are getting between 8 - 10 qualified appointments per week. Wow.

Moreover, some are using the telemarketer position to hire entry level candidates in the hopes of growing a few good producers. Nice.

Welcome comments on this one.

Background Disclosure

If I had a nickel for every candidate who loses a job because they chose not to disclose either a DUI, Foreclosure, Bankruptcy, or civil/criminal offense, before the client background checking process commences, I would be a millionaire.

I had a candidate this past week tell me during the reference process that, "oh, by the way, Rob, I do have a DUI and filed for bankruptcy two months ago". Say what? They did not get the job...and I expect to see them as a Walmart greeter in the months to come because I doubt their duplicity will end with this bad experience.

The truth of the matter is that if candidates disclose "bad news" to their recruiter/hiring authority up front in the beginning of the process, we can properly manage expectations with the client and address the issue up front - when doing this, it has rarely been an issue....BUT if you wait until the end of the process, you will surely not get the job - soooooo, be honest and upfront folks!