I have moved to a Website. Wow! Go find me there! I will not be updating this. The Blog is part of the website. Just a better platform. Go check it out. Leave comments. It is the same address just drop the Blogspot. Now it is Shawnmwalker.com. If you are confused. Just google my name, forgot my name, take a look around.
http://www.shawnmwalker.com/
Friday, May 20, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Sonic, Diet Coke, Cross Selling, and Social Media
I am tired today. I want to get off topic...write about something nice and easy. Sometimes I write about social media, sometimes I write about sales in general (read the older stuff). Lately I have been on the social media kick, but today I want to talk about cross-selling.
I like to try and get a drink at Sonic every afternoon. I get a Route 44, Diet Coke, with lime, easy on the ice. Two o’clock to four o’clock is happy hour, so the drinks are half off. I know I can get my drink for $1.04. I usually have the change ready and counted out.
Here is the kicker. EVERY TIME I order my Route 44, Diet Coke, with lime, easy on the ice, the person over the speaker says, “Do you want any cheese sticks with that?”
I always say no to the cheese sticks, but about 20% of the time I say “yes” to something else. Keep in mind; I never have the intention of getting anything but my drink, but the cross-sell still works on me 20% of the time.
So questions:
Do you try to cross-sell every time? Equally, if not more importantly, does your staff? What percentage of the time does it work? WHAT, you don’t know?
I am sure people come in wanting home and auto, but did you offer the life or health, the umbrella, the toys, did you ask about the toys? Do they have a business? (Don’t know how to write a BOP, learn, and earn the cross-sell.)
So we actually got a snippet of social media today on accident.
First, you all read about my love for Sonic and Diet Coke. They did not pay me to write about them and yet here I am telling you about their happy hour schedule and the exact cost of a Route 44.
Second, I have just used social media to define myself to a large group of people who seemingly shouldn’t care about my caffeine addiction; and yet, here you are still reading. Why are you still reading? Because I gave you something valuable to think about. That is social media done right. Provide value that keeps them coming back for more.
Please come back for more. Have a great day. Tell me what you think and forward!
Fun Clip On Social Media-
http://www.youtube.com/user/ImprovEverywhere#p/u/12/soAk3F0wX9s
I like to try and get a drink at Sonic every afternoon. I get a Route 44, Diet Coke, with lime, easy on the ice. Two o’clock to four o’clock is happy hour, so the drinks are half off. I know I can get my drink for $1.04. I usually have the change ready and counted out.
Here is the kicker. EVERY TIME I order my Route 44, Diet Coke, with lime, easy on the ice, the person over the speaker says, “Do you want any cheese sticks with that?”
I always say no to the cheese sticks, but about 20% of the time I say “yes” to something else. Keep in mind; I never have the intention of getting anything but my drink, but the cross-sell still works on me 20% of the time.
So questions:
Do you try to cross-sell every time? Equally, if not more importantly, does your staff? What percentage of the time does it work? WHAT, you don’t know?
I am sure people come in wanting home and auto, but did you offer the life or health, the umbrella, the toys, did you ask about the toys? Do they have a business? (Don’t know how to write a BOP, learn, and earn the cross-sell.)
So we actually got a snippet of social media today on accident.
First, you all read about my love for Sonic and Diet Coke. They did not pay me to write about them and yet here I am telling you about their happy hour schedule and the exact cost of a Route 44.
Second, I have just used social media to define myself to a large group of people who seemingly shouldn’t care about my caffeine addiction; and yet, here you are still reading. Why are you still reading? Because I gave you something valuable to think about. That is social media done right. Provide value that keeps them coming back for more.
Please come back for more. Have a great day. Tell me what you think and forward!
Fun Clip On Social Media-
http://www.youtube.com/user/ImprovEverywhere#p/u/12/soAk3F0wX9s
Monday, May 9, 2011
comScore Report 2009 and 2010
So I wrote a Blog a few weeks ago, posted it for one minute and then pulled it off. I wanted to share some stats with you from the comScore report but was not sure if I legally could. (You know copyright stuff.) So instead I went digging for you to find the information elsewhere.
What is the comScore report?
"comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released its 2009 Auto Insurance report. The 50-page report, which presents a detailed overview of the important consumer trends affecting the Auto Insurance industry, is based on both behavioral data from comScore’s panel of one million U.S. Internet users and a survey of 2,000 auto insurance consumers. Among the many topics covered in the report are the growing importance of the online channel, on which consumers increasingly rely to obtain auto insurance price quotes and purchase their coverage, and the synergies between online and other significant channels such as local agents and toll-free numbers."
Basically it's a stats company that measures a lot of stuff in the digital world and then sells the reports for $. Each year they do a report specific to the insurance industry and how customers are shopping online vs other methods.
So let's share some of those stats in a way I feel comfortable sharing them, with sources I feel comfortable sharing with you.
2009 comScore Report Says;
Q: In which of the following ways did you shop/obtain price quotes when you shopped most recently? (select all that apply)
I went online to quote 63%
I called/visited local agents who represent one insurance company 26%
I called/visited local agents who represent multiple insurance companies 25%
I called a toll-free number for quotes 18%
Other 3%
What does this tell you? You need an online presence. You need to be capturing more of the market. You need to be capturing a larger part of the clients shopping, and they are beginning their shopping experience online.
“While the online channel can reduce costs and increase efficiency for both insurers and consumers, it also removes the relationship building effect of working with a local agent,” added Levitt. “Accordingly, insurers need to find ways to cultivate customer relationships with those acquired through the online channel if they hope to solidify their brand loyalty.”
According to the Personal Line Growth Alliance the 2010 comScore Report Says:
72% of consumers have shopped online for Auto Insurance.
67% of shoppers last year went looking for a quote online (up 4%, see above)
22% went to a local agent with only one price point (down 4% from last year)
22% went to a local agent with multiple price points (down 3% from last year)
What does this tell you?
The percentage of consumers going online is still growing. Stop fighting the advice to go online and go! Not sure how? Go read my blog about my five baby steps.
Last and most important note: Independents are better closers than Captives. Captives have a better web presence than Independents, because they know people start shopping online.
There is another stat that shows a huge percent of consumers start online, but want to finish face-to-face with an agent.
What does that tell you?
When a person is done fooling around online looking for information, they are not going to the yellow pages to find a local agent. They are going to Google: insurance, agent, city name.
If they Google: "agent, insurance, and your city name," will they find you?
If they Google: "insurance agent and your state" will they find you? A worthy goal to work towards.
Links I used to write this:
http://personallinesgrowth.org/highlights-of-comscores/
http://www.comscorenetworks.com/por/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2010/4/comScore_Releases_2010_U.S._Online_Auto_Insurance_Report http://www.socialautopilot.com/blog/3-news/19-highlights-of-comscores-2010-online-auto-insurance-report.html
http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2009/4/comScore_Releases_2009_Online_Auto_Insurance_Report
What is the comScore report?
"comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released its 2009 Auto Insurance report. The 50-page report, which presents a detailed overview of the important consumer trends affecting the Auto Insurance industry, is based on both behavioral data from comScore’s panel of one million U.S. Internet users and a survey of 2,000 auto insurance consumers. Among the many topics covered in the report are the growing importance of the online channel, on which consumers increasingly rely to obtain auto insurance price quotes and purchase their coverage, and the synergies between online and other significant channels such as local agents and toll-free numbers."
Basically it's a stats company that measures a lot of stuff in the digital world and then sells the reports for $. Each year they do a report specific to the insurance industry and how customers are shopping online vs other methods.
So let's share some of those stats in a way I feel comfortable sharing them, with sources I feel comfortable sharing with you.
2009 comScore Report Says;
Q: In which of the following ways did you shop/obtain price quotes when you shopped most recently? (select all that apply)
I went online to quote 63%
I called/visited local agents who represent one insurance company 26%
I called/visited local agents who represent multiple insurance companies 25%
I called a toll-free number for quotes 18%
Other 3%
What does this tell you? You need an online presence. You need to be capturing more of the market. You need to be capturing a larger part of the clients shopping, and they are beginning their shopping experience online.
“While the online channel can reduce costs and increase efficiency for both insurers and consumers, it also removes the relationship building effect of working with a local agent,” added Levitt. “Accordingly, insurers need to find ways to cultivate customer relationships with those acquired through the online channel if they hope to solidify their brand loyalty.”
According to the Personal Line Growth Alliance the 2010 comScore Report Says:
72% of consumers have shopped online for Auto Insurance.
67% of shoppers last year went looking for a quote online (up 4%, see above)
22% went to a local agent with only one price point (down 4% from last year)
22% went to a local agent with multiple price points (down 3% from last year)
What does this tell you?
The percentage of consumers going online is still growing. Stop fighting the advice to go online and go! Not sure how? Go read my blog about my five baby steps.
Last and most important note: Independents are better closers than Captives. Captives have a better web presence than Independents, because they know people start shopping online.
There is another stat that shows a huge percent of consumers start online, but want to finish face-to-face with an agent.
What does that tell you?
When a person is done fooling around online looking for information, they are not going to the yellow pages to find a local agent. They are going to Google: insurance, agent, city name.
If they Google: "agent, insurance, and your city name," will they find you?
If they Google: "insurance agent and your state" will they find you? A worthy goal to work towards.
Links I used to write this:
http://personallinesgrowth.org/highlights-of-comscores/
http://www.comscorenetworks.com/por/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2010/4/comScore_Releases_2010_U.S._Online_Auto_Insurance_Report http://www.socialautopilot.com/blog/3-news/19-highlights-of-comscores-2010-online-auto-insurance-report.html
http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2009/4/comScore_Releases_2009_Online_Auto_Insurance_Report
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