When optimizing a lead account, agents often make the common mistake of sticking close to home, assuming they will find greater success by sourcing strictly within their local community. The idea of competing for business at farther distances feels intimidating, and many have an unfounded pretense that most shoppers are unwilling to do business with non-local agencies. But while limiting sourcing to a localized territory may seem like a sensible choice, it usually isn’t the most profitable. Here’s why:

It’s a no-brainer that strictly sourcing within your community limits your lead pool. After all, there are only so many people inside a 10- to 20-mile radius who are actively shopping for insurance. Take away the shoppers who aren’t shopping around online and that pool gets even smaller. And, while QuoteWizard is one of the largest insurance quote-comparison sites in the US, not every online insurance shopper uses our service to find a quote (as is the case for all lead generation companies), thus limiting the number of available leads even more.

Let’s also not forget — you aren’t the only agent that wants these leads. Yes, that lead you received today may have been sold to 1 or 2 additional agents from other carriers, but odds are you aren’t the only agent sourcing leads from your list of zip codes.

So not only are you limited to a smaller window of opportunity, there’s no guarantee you will receive every eligible lead that ultimately comes in from said area. Other same-carrier agents within your state (and sometimes out of state!) are taking advantage of a larger territory and pulling leads from your town. The likelihood of them getting the lead is equal to yours — it’s even higher if they have a wider-set lead delivery schedule (but that’s a separate discussion).

If you’re wanting to consistently receive at least 1 lead per day (and who doesn’t?), it’s highly recommended you start with a minimum zip code radius of 50 miles. The agents who usually have the most success pull from either full-state or at least full-county, if not multiple counties.

“But there are some higher-risk areas in my county that I want to avoid!”

We can work with that! Let us delete the specific areas you don’t want to source from after selecting a larger space. It’s always better to take on a county minus the zip codes on your “don’t touch” list than to limit yourself to only the most desirable areas. Expanding your territory in this way increases the number of eligible leads available to be delivered, thus elevating your opportunity to receive more consistent leads.

Finally, it’s a myth that most consumers refuse to do business with a non-local agency. Sure, you may get the occasional consumer who prefers their neighborhood agent, but the majority of shoppers understand that by submitting a quote request on the world wide web, they’re opening themselves up to the possibility of getting an agent from the town next door. If you’re good at demonstrating your value, it won’t matter that you’re not in the immediate area. They’ll feel safe and secure knowing that a capable agent is taking care of them no matter the distance.

In short, if you notice that your daily volume is consistently hitting below your day cap, take a look at your territory first. More than likely, expanding your boundaries a bit will improve the issue — so give it a try! What is added can always be taken away; we’ll work with you to make sure these changes are yielding the kind of results you’re wanting to see and make additional adjustments if necessary.