Presented by Brian Leising The Problem To get customers in any business you have two choices – be special enough that people talk about you or buy advertising. In the insurance industry, the most effective way to reach qualified prospects changes every several years. Once it was enough to open an office in the community or make door-to-door sales. Then we started cold calling, blast faxing, sending direct mail, presenting seminars and blast e-mailing. All of these methods were effective once, but as they became obsolete, we started prospecting with the next best thing. Today, all systems of selling are preceded (or precluded) by our online reputation. People know you before they call. Is this a problem for you or an opportunity you are capitalizing on? The Opportunities Social media has changed your world, now you can find customers and they can find you. Due to social media, big companies no longer have the advantage– social media is the great equalizer. Social media is where people (your customers) express their thoughts and feelings. It also allows you to put yourself in the client’s mind. The opportunity in our business is tremendous, only 16% of financial services professionals currently use social media.