FREE Labor This Weekend!

Car manufacturers and car dealers are all gearing up for the big Holiday Weekend.  It's the end of the model year and new models are hitting showroom floors and local car dealers across the country.     Offers for manufacturers rebates, dealer incentives, zero percent financing and other "creative" marketing incentives litter your local newspaper, TV and radio airwaves as well as Internet sites.   Car companies and their dealers are all looking to gain an advantage on their competition this weekend because they know the Labor Day Weekend is traditionally one of their biggest weekends of the year.    Stop by any car dealer this weekend and you are likely to see a flurry of activity.  With all of the activity, I have to wonder what you the local insurance agent/agency are doing to gear up for the Holiday Weekend and all of the activity.    Your current customers could be adding vehicles this weekend.  They might also be trading in an older car for a new model.   Do these customers of yours know they can call your Agency this weekend to add the vehicle or provide information on their trade-in, or will some wait until Tuesday morning to report their new purchase to you.    How about those people from your market area that are NOT currently insured with you.  When they buy a new car this weekend, who will the car dealer call to secure coverage or confirm coverage?    For most of you, the answer to that question is....someone else!    I know because my sister recently purchased a car over a weekend and told her car salesperson she had State Farm.  He responded by saying he would have to wait until Monday to verify coverage because her company " was not open on the weekend."     Allstate, Farmers, and State Farm Agents....the world thinks you are closed on the weekend.  While you and I know you have after hours service to provide customer service and quote and bind coverage...the general public still thinks of you as being closed after hours and over weekends.   Don't believe me?  Take a look at your call statistics.  What percentage of incoming calls to your Agency are placed between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. as compared to the percentage of calls placed between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. It is not even close....your customers are calling during "normal business hours."    Car Dealers also think you are closed after 5:00 p.m. and on weekends.  This is unfortunate considering most cars are purchased after 5:00 p.m. and on weekends.   Especially on Holiday Weekends such as the upcoming Labor Day Weekend.    Here's something you can do to change that thinking.   This Thursday and Friday night, buy a pizza and hand deliver it to your local car dealer(s).  On the box top (inside or out) tape a simple flyer reminding dealers that you are open and available to quote and bind coverage this holiday weekend.   Tape some business cards to the outside of the box as well.      Don't be shy about this activity.  Consider delivering a pizza to every car dealer in your community.  Heck, why not deliver a pizza to every car dealer in your county.    I can bet you this....the other insurance agents in your community and county won't think of this idea.    So here we go.  Another Labor Day weekend quickly approaching.  Some of you will close at 5:00 p.m. and some of you already scheduled the entire weekend as vacation or might even close earlier for the "holiday."  Some of you will come to work on Tuesday and be surprised to see one quote and bind from the weekend.   Others wouldn't be surprised if they did not receive any quote and bind notices from the weekend, OR...    ...you can proactively visit car dealers before the weekend (and for lunch on Saturday) to remind them that you are OPEN this weekend and AVAILABLE to quote and bind coverage for their customers.     When local car dealers call you after 5:00 p.m. and on weekends to quote and bind coverage...it's like receiving FREE LABOR this holiday weekend.   Even if you do not receive any quote and binds from this coverage, this simple activity will keep your name and your Agency in front of car dealers in your community....and that's always a good thing!