Recession-Proof Your Business
An Agent’s Guide to Marketing During the Downturn
Please Download the full-version of this whitepaper for FREE!
Thanks for your interest in Senior Market Sales, Inc. and our white paper. You may download the full-version
of this whitepaper at no cost, directly from our website at:
http://www.SeniorMarketSales.com/PR03
8420 W Dodge Rd | 5th Floor | Omaha, NE 68114
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1-800-786-5566 | www.SeniorMarketSales.com
For Agent Use Only. Not intended for the general public.

What is the most challenging aspect of selling insurance? According to the
overwhelming majority of insurance agents we speak to, it’s prospecting for new
business. No doubt many agents are approaching new client acquisition with
increased urgency during the recession. Sales are down for many products and
competition is fierce, which leaves little room for error when prospecting for
new clients.
In the following chapters, we’ll show you how to think like a marketer and
develop strategies and systems to make your marketing efforts more consistent,
more efficient and more effective. You’ll emerge with a new focus to your
prospecting efforts, a clearer conception of who your ideal clients are and what
you can offer them. Let’s get started.
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For Agent Use Only. Not intended for the general public.

Part 1: Get A Marketing Plan
Many advisors fail to think strategically about how they want
to market their services. The reason for this is simple. It’s easier
to jump from tactic to tactic—send a sales letter, run an ad,
do a seminar—than it is to develop a plan for what you want
to accomplish with your efforts. But a recession is no time
for wandering off on tangents with your marketing. In this
economy—whether you’re an independent insurance agent or
a billion dollar corporation—businesses need to be focused,
effective and efficient in everything they do—especially
recruiting new customers.
Developing a marketing plan will help you establish exactly who
you are, who you are you trying to reach and what you are trying
to accomplish. Because you need to know where you are going
before you can decide how to get there.
Writing your Marketing Plan doesn’t have to be as daunting as
it sounds. It doesn’t need to follow any formal style—a simple
outline will suffice. But it is important to get it on paper because
the whole point is to create a roadmap for your marketing and
prospecting efforts that you can continuously refer back to. Even
if you already have a plan in place, now is a good time to revisit
it as your business objectives may have changed with the recent
economic conditions.
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For Agent Use Only. Not intended for the general public.

Writing Your Plan
• Define your short- and long-term business objectives using the SMART
method (make your goals Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant,
Timely)
• Define your ideal client in terms of demographics like age, income,
marital status, profession, etc.
• List additional target markets
• Determine your brand positioning, i.e. what differentiates you from
your competition in your ability to meet the needs of a particular
demographic
• Taking into account your objectives, target market and position within
that market, you can now decide how you want to market yourself and
develop strategies accordingly
• Choose the marketing tactics that best fit you objectives, audience and
budget, e.g. fliers, postcards, email marketing, newsletters, Web site and
more.
Notice that choosing specific marketing tactics is the final step in our plan.
In reality, that is where most agents start. But, without a plan, it is difficult to
know who you should be talking to, what you should be talking about, and it’s
especially difficult to gauge whether your efforts are working.
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For Agent Use Only. Not intended for the general public.

Your Marketing Plan should yield answers to the following
questions:
• What are your short-term and long-term business objectives?
• Who is your ideal client?
• What do those customers typically need?
• What differentiates you from your competition in meeting the needs of
that demographic?
• What marketing techniques are best suited to your chosen market,
product offering and your practice?
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For Agent Use Only. Not intended for the general public.

A Step Further
So you start your marketing plan with a high-level overview of your business
and the market and by the end you’ve begun to zero in with laser-like focus on
the most cost-effective techniques to get in front of new prospects.
Here are a few common marketing tactics, which we will cover in more
depth in the next chapter.
1. Networking 6. Trade shows
2. Cold calling 7. Face-to-face canvassing
3. Strategic alliances 8. Seminars
4. Referrals 9. Media
5. Targeted mailings
Choose the tactics that best match your business, your skills and
the target market you are trying to reach.
And remember, the key to thriving in a poor economy isn’t all strategies and
tactics. You also have to be creative, proactive and optimistic. It also doesn’t hurt
to have strong partner like Senior Markets Sales to help you grow and develop
your business.
Speak to a Marketing Coordinator today to find out how we can help.
1-800-786-5566
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For Agent Use Only. Not intended for the general public.

Please Download the full-version of this whitepaper for FREE!
Thanks for your interest in Senior Market Sales, Inc. and our white paper. You may download the full-version
of this whitepaper at no cost, directly from our website at:
http://www.SeniorMarketSales.com/PR03
For more information, questions or comments,
call a Marketing Coordinator at:
1-800-786-5566
Senior Market Sales, Inc.
8420 W Dodge Rd, 5th Floor
Omaha, NE 68114
www.SeniorMarketSales.com
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For Agent Use Only. Not intended for the general public.