Insurance agents today have the big advantage of having numerous options in lead generation and marketing from companies that provide their services in this direction. This is largely due to the exponential growth in internet based insurance marketing. More options certainly do not translate into easy leads and insurance sale; in fact it is the other way round and the competition is much tougher than ever before. Insurance buyers have the facility to study and compare quotes from various insurance companies just sitting at their desks. This means insurance agents have to go that extra mile to get insurance leads, attract a client and sign a deal.

An ideal situation is where an agent has a solid list of clientele and keeps adding to this list purely from referrals. But to build a credible client list agents need good insurance leads. This is true for those wanting to add to their list as well as those new to the field and have to start a client base from scratch. There has been a drastic shift in leads generation due to internet boom. Lead delivery services exist today which have made the traditional lead generation methods null and void. Agents can buy good leads today from such companies - they can then follow up on the leads and land insurance sales. Though paid insurance leads cost money, they save time and effort for agents - they can invest this time in attracting and retaining prospective clients.

Insurance agents can take a few points into consideration when trying to find a company that delivers trust worthy insurance leads consistently. Talking to fellow agents to get feedback about lead delivery companies is certainly a good starting point. But most agents are reluctant to disclose good services; some may give good feedback where as others may give bad ones for the same company; in some cases though the leads have been solid the agent might not have worked them properly - these are some things to watch out for.

Lead price would be primary criteria while buying the leads but it should be considered relative to the quality of leads. If they are good and can get business then paying a slightly higher price could prove advantageous. When buying leads it is important to have good lead content; details that will help the agent to follow up easily and quickly. Crediting of false or bogus leads also would be an additional facility which a good lead delivery company usually provides. Agents can also ask explicitly for discounts when buying bulk it. Shared insurance leads are those that are given to more than one agent. The average agents per sold lead and the maximum number of agents assigned to a lead should be taken into account.

Insurance leads to be effective should be delivered on a real time basis and insurance agents should act on them immediately to beat competition. Some companies that sell insurance leads also give free training and marketing content - these could be useful for novices.