Marketing Introduction

1
Marketing Introduction

• Business Mentors

2
Industry Dynamics

• Claims programs
• National vs. Local decisions
• Agent referrals
• Corporate referrals
• Direct referrals
• Increasing deductibles
• Consolidation
• Yellow pages vs. Internet
• TPAs

3
Creating Your Plan

• Create a high level of expectation - demand the
  best. Everyone will rise to the level of those
  around them.
• Take a Marketing retreat
• Involve key personnel
• Begin with the end in mind
• Create your own success
• "The way the world is imagined determines at any
  particular moment what people will do." 
• Walter Lippmann  

4
Budget

• Budget
• Opportunity cost
• 2.5 7 of revenue
• Includes
• Salaries and all employment costs
• Advertising
• Promotion
• Events associations
• Expense accounts
• Needs to be dynamic

5
Company Communications

• Market to your staff
• Activities
• Victories

6
Goals

• What gets measured gets done.
• Goal defined
• Quantifiable
• Attainable but just out of reach
• Time frame for achievement
• Easy to measure and communicate
• Must be in writing

7
Goals Alignment

• Corporate identity
• Mission
• Vision
• Purpose
• Core competencies
• Congruent with corporate goals
• Stirs people to action

8
Goals continued

• Overall marketing goals should be limited to 3-5
  major items
• Some areas of focus
• Sales volume (sales vs. revenue)
• Type of work received
• Number of sources sending work
• Quantity of work by source
• Individual production

9
Acknowledgement

• Celebration
• Challenges
• Recognition and rewards

10
Brand

• Be different USP
• Consider going away from the crowd
• What are your needs?
• Volume and cash flow
• Long term stability
• Diversification
• Create then become
• Know your competition dont let them define
  your company
• Match competencies

11
Know Your Market

• Clients economic emancipation has already begun.
  Customers have complete access to information
  about products, prices, everything you wont
  last long if you dont establish relationships
  based on trust only way to do that is to offer
  clear, undisputable value
• Fast Company Magazine Ryan Underwood
• Motivations
• Client dynamics
• Internet
• Popular media
• Familiar influences
• Litigious pressures

12
Execution

• Put your plan in place and consult your plan
  frequently
• Measure progress
• Adapt as needed

13
Target Market

• Who are you trying to contact
• Break down into sub groups
• What types of work are you likely to receive from
  each group?
• How are they influenced?
• How can they be contacted?

14
Tips

• "Never mistake motion for action."
•  Ernest Hemingway
• Create the plan, implement the plan
• Identify and schedule marketing activities and
  contacts
• Try a focus group meeting
• Create marketing photo portfolios
• Solicit letters of recommendation
• Network locally and Nationally

15
Tips Continued

• Activity - dont wait for the perfect plan
• Goals and measurement
• Consistency and Repetition
• Focus your efforts for maximum results
• As the owner - lead the charge

16
Obtaining work in the industry

• Quality Production
• Insurance dependency and strategy
• Not all accounts are the same
• Ask for the order
• Provide a compelling reason to buy
• Turning a contact into a client
• Be prepared to start small

17
Claims programs

• Do you want them
• How to get on
• How to stay on
• Why insurance companies make the decisions they
  do
• Cutting claims admin costs
• Pilot programs
• Competitive environment
• Non-emotional business decisions

18
Advertising

• Television is it for you?
• Opportunity cost
• Return on investment
• Impact
• Time
• Emotionally Powerful and strong impact
• Budget
• 9-12 Months

19
Yellow Pages

• Market is Changing
• Be cautious
• Measure and track
• Appropriate books and sections

20
Selecting Your Work

• Can you craft your company?
• Establish where you want to go
• How quickly can you get there?
• Establish priorities
• Brand
• Competencies
• Vision
• Marketing plan

21
Highly Effective Activities

• Competence
• Education
• Solve problems
• Timely paperwork and communication
• Focus group
• Customer service
• Record keeping and process

22
New Activities

• Internet
• Web Optimization
• Contact screen
• Email
• Television
• Disaster planning

23
Assessment

• Record Keeping
• Make decisions based on history and reality
• Give you strategy a fair chance and then get off
  a dead horse

24
Summary

• Have a plan and communication strategy
• Match strategy to brand and competencies
• It is a group effort
• Use goals to focus effort
• Back it up
• Target and FOCUS!
• Quantity of contacts
• Say thank you