Tag Archives: allstate

10.14.18
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What Else?

One of my favorite questions for sure.  I’m continually stuck on the notion that you/we should strive to be worth sharing.  If you are good enough.  If the mission is strong enough.  If the offering is good enough, it will be shared. Period.

Advertising itself has been ruined by advertisers.  It’s diluted down to a nuisance, an annoyance, worth ignoring than paying attention to, valueless, etc.  Had some time on Saturday, more accurately, kids were out being kids and the project I am working on needed more time and not that much thought so it was movies in the background as well as a college football game.

The app I was using for one movie, has one or two commercials every few minutes.  I remember none of them.  The football games, however, were much worse.  Seemed like constant interruptions. But, I cannot tell you who was advertising.

So is the challenge to simply have better advertising or simply be better.  I say be better!

I’m regrouping this blog and there was a post that was unpublished dated October 2014.  It was just after attending Landon Donovan’s last U.S. Soccer match in Hartford.  Allstate is a big supporter and was giving away something that all you had to do was sign up for a quote.  I have zero memory of the giveaway or if a quote was given.  Why, based on what I know now, and/or what you know now, would anyone want to cold call on people who agreed to an auto insurance quote ONLY so they can get a giveaway?

But, this parallels to a dilemma we are currently faced with.  Two interesting opportunities that can put us in touch with shoppers.  Although I am certain we can make the financials work, I’m still on the fence.  Did these people come looking for improved insurance with their own free will?  Were they actually looking or did repeated internet ads break them down till they finally “agreed,” to move forward and request a quote?  HUGE difference.

It is similar to the advertising which isn’t tricky but can be perceived as tricky.  In that same draft, I referenced an article/newsworthy moment from October 2014.  It was of an employee of Wells Fargo requesting a raise and cc’ing all his co-workers.  I still think it is beautiful.  And, considering what we know now about what Wells Fargo was doing from 2014-2017ish, it would have been a tremendously smarter move.

I suppose the What Else of advertising needs to be re-framed.  What Else can we do to get people to want to try our products?  Instead, consider, what else can we do to get people to want to be a part of what we are doing or be a part of what they are doing?

06.10.13
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Can you send that to me in writing?

I say this a couple of times a week.  When it comes to insurance there are two specific times that this is a popular phrase; claims and loyalty.

With claims, I am asked “but will my rate go up?”  Odds are pretty good but it is not certain that your rate goes up if you file a claim.  I have seen plenty of awful driving records but since they have not had their records reviewed by the current company the rate is solid.  That doesn’t mean rates do not go up with claims, it just means that you have somehow avoided having your record looked at.  Also find it amusing to watch Nationwide and Allstate advertise “diminishing deductibles.”  Seriously, most people do not have claims.  The most common claim is an auto insurance glass claim and that already has no deductible.  In my opinion you are better off holding on to to your money.

 

How about loyalty?  I have said it before, please reserve loyalty for people that earn it not companies.  Should you be rewarded for your time with a company?  I think so, the longer you stay with a company the more profitable they can be.  BUT, Please show it to me in writing.  Unless you have it in writing let’s not “hope” your loyalty is worth something.

Just an idea, thanks for reading.

03.26.11
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Do YOU trust your agent?

Do you trust your agent enough to get a second opinion?

How about asking your agent what coverage they have and taking a look at their declarations pages?

Sounds like fun to me, let’s see if your agent has full no-fault coverage.  Let’s see if they have matching liability and supplemental coverage.  Let me know how it turns out.

UPDATE 5/14/2015

It has been over four years since this first post.  Sadly, the majority of times I review a policy I end up saying;

I’m not saying it’s bad. I’m just saying I wouldn’t sign my name to it.”

The selfish truth is, on the surface at least, this is good for business.  Makes the sales part of my day much easier;

Yes, I would like to give you more coverage and charge you less.  Is this ok with you? “

If you happen to be an agent, think of it this way, if the car you are about to insure where to hit your car with your family in it, would they have enough cocerage?  Since you’ll never actually know, isn’t it a good idea to not simply defer to what the previosu agent did?

If instead you are a consumer, I do not expect you to know the “ins and outs” of an insurance plan.  It is really like any other purchase, if it doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t.