Update News for November 2016

Here is a quick run-down on what you will find in this bulletin:

• • November 7, 2016, 9AM EST
    Term4Sale Bumping Week Begins
    You Snooze, You lose! 

     

  • The Starting Time is 9:00AM EST
    NOT A MINUTE EARLIER 

     

  • Do Some Preparation In Advance

     

     

  • You Have First Chance to ReBuy

     

     

  • One Other Way To Get More Local Zip Codes

     

     

  • The One For Three Guarantee

     

     

  • There Is Still A Shortage of Zip Codes

     

     

  • Reviewing Zip Codes Pricing For 2017

     

     

  • Term4Sale Changes Completed

     

     

These topics will be dealt with in more detail throughout this bulletin.

November 7, 2016, 9AM EST
Term4Sale Bumping Week BeginsIf last year you took advantage of “BUMP WEEK” and moved your 3 local zip code listings into better zip codes, and BUMPED out paid listings, you can ignore what follows…

UNLESS!!! You have a Standard License for Compulife ($300 per year).

If you do, PAY ATTENTION!!

This year, for the first time, we are letting standard license subscribers (paying the higher fee of $300 per year) purchase an additional 3 local zip codes and for for ONLY $12 each! Paid zip codes listings are normally $18 per year. If you miss this opportunity to increase your number of local zip codes, YOU MISS THAT OPPORTUNITY.

By doubling from 3 to 6 local zip codes you will have 6 zip codes that you can use to BUMP people out of zip codes within 20 miles of you (in rural areas the circle can be bigger – call if that’s you).

Once again, the normal cost of a paid listing is $18 but you get the additional 3 local zip codes for only $12 each (payable as $1 per month for the balance of your current subscription). More important, they can be used to bump which you cannot do with paid zip code listings. $18 paid zip codes are sold on a first come, first serve basis and once you purchase and have a zip code, no one but a local agent, using their local zip code, could force you out. But that can only happen once a year. Once you purchase an additional zip code, it is yours for the calendar year.

The local zip codes are tied to your subscription, and renewals on those are charged at the same time as your subscription. Additional paid zip codes are sold on a calendar year basis.

Can a Personal Use subscriber UPGRADE to a Standard License and get the 3 additional local zip codes. YES YOU CAN. If you want to do that we look at how much time is left on your current subscription and charge you an upgrade fee of $10 per month for the balance of the subscription. $10 is the normal difference in annual price ($300 – $180) divided by 12. The three additional zip codes would be $3 per month on top of that.

There are other advantages to the standard license, call if you want to discuss it. You should do that BEFORE November 7th.

And if you are in an area where great zip codes are scarce, because the good ones are all full, the week of November 7th would be a great time to make a move and double up on local listings.

And if you did NOT use the opportunity to BUMP zip codes last year, then you don’t want to miss the opportunity to do so this year. Remember, everyone is still on the old pricing system and so your first 3 zip codes are included in the price of your Compulife Windows PC software. Next year, we will be breaking that price out separately so that those who don’t want zip codes won’t have to pay for them.

And yes, people are making sales from term4sale. You can read about that here:

Testimonials from Compulife subscribersThe Starting Time is 9:00AM EST
NOT A MINUTE EARLIEREvery year someone complains because someone else beat them to the punch. We have a HARD starting date and time to ensure that this is FAIR for everyone, and no one can complain if someone else beat them to it.

IMPORTANT: Do not call or email with zip code change instructions before 9:00 AM EST on November 7th. If you do, your email will be ignored. If you call early you will be told to call later.

Because the phone lines will likely be busy that day, and a lot of the early part of that week, it is BEST to do your homework in advance and email your instructions for changes.

If you are switching zip codes for better zip codes, we need specific instructions. Tell us what zip code you are giving up and which zip code you want in its place. If you don’t know what zip codes you have, email and ask for a list of those zip codes ASAP.

Do Some Preparation In AdvanceYou can research zip codes at:

Zip Code AnalyzerIf you see a zip code that you want, and it’s full and within 20 miles of your physical location, go to the home page of www.term4sale.com, and check the listing to see who is in it. Put in the zip code, run a quote, then click the “Select and Continue” button to see if any of the agents in that zip code are displaying a toll free number. Either a toll free number, or what appears to be a non-local phone number, is a pretty good clue that that agent is probably buying that listing. If that is the case then that agent can be bumped. We’ll make the final check but you should assume you can get it if you want it; just email us those instructions.

If you are a Standard License subscriber, wanting 3 additional local zip codes, say so and let us know which of zip codes you want. Use the same instructions as above.

You Have First Chance to ReBuyAny subscriber giving up a listing, to move that listing to a better local listing, has the first opportunity to ReBuy the listing that they just gave up. The cost to rebuy and keep the listing for 2017 will be $18, same price as any other additional zip code. If you do not rebuy the listing, then the listing will be released on January 9, 2017 when we post the new lists of zip codes that are not being renewed.

Do not put your credit card information in any emails that you send us. If you are buying additional local zip codes, or rebuying a previous local listing that you gave up, we will call you to get your credit card (once things cool down; make sure your phone number is in your email). You will need to pay by credit card when we call you, but your request does not need a payment to be locked in. Once again, first come first served.

One Other Way To Get More Local Zip CodesCompulife compensates subscriber referrals for new customers with a FREE local zip code for 2 full years, plus the balance of the remaining year. Refer an agent to try our software and that agent gets 6 free months of software (instead of 4) providing that they do the “Dare To Compare” challenge/tutorial to get the 6 free months (no purchase required). Once again, if your referral does that challenge, to get the free software, then you get a LOCAL zip code FREE for 2 full years, plus the remainder of the current year.

When your FREE period on that zip code ends, you will have first right to renew it as a paid listing. Before that, you will be able to use it as a local zip code to bump. The time to use the bump will still be the first Monday in November.

IMPORTANT: You have until November 7th to make referrals, earn your additional FREE local zip code, and use it to bump on:

Monday, November 7th, 2016 (9:00am EST)If I was an enterprising subscriber, who knows that term4sale is a profitable experience, I would be VERY busy in October referring everyone I can get my hands on. Use the following form to make your referral(s):

Compulife Trial Referral FormGiven the benefit of being able to bump paid listing in your local area, I am surprised that more subscribers do not take advantage of this opportunity. A lot of gold is being left on the table.

There Is Still A Shortage of Zip CodesLast year we told you that we had arrived at the point where demand was exceeding supply when it comes to zip codes. Last year’s new restrictions on paid zip codes certainly helped to free up a number of zip codes, but then those zip codes got gobbled up in a land rush stampede in the second week of January.

As we previously announced, we are turning up prices and turning down limits, to free up some more zip codes. Those changes were announced earlier this year, but we will review them here so you understand the change of prices in your renewal invoicing for 2017.

IMPORTANT: We are not trying to penalize subscribers so much as we are trying to make sure that ALL subscribers get a kick at the can. We want term4sale to benefit ALL Compulife subscribers, not just a few subscribers a lot.

The One For Three GuaranteeThose who contact us inquiring about term4sale listings generally want to know what they can expect by way of results. I always say the same thing. For every 3 zip code listings you can expect ONE solid email contact through the system. Some subscribers do better than that, but it is a general rule of thumb. Now I say “email” referring to the contacts that come through the term4sale “agent” list where the consumer completes the email form and it is sent on to the 3 listed agents.

NOTE: Virtually all contacts use the contact 3 method. There was a way to contact individual agents, but that is being removed from the new version of Term4Sale which will be introduced in October. Only those with ulterior reason for contacting our subscribers seemed to be using it.

In addition to email contacts, your name and phone number are displayed in the listings. If a consumer calls you directly, and we KNOW some do, then we have no record of those contacts and that is icing on your cake. For the new guarantee this does not factor in, simply as we have no way to monitor such activity.

For the first time we are going to GUARANTEE the One for Three result. Here’s how the guarantee works:

If you get to the end of December, and you did not have have at least one email for every 3 zip codes you have, we will reduce the cost for you to renew those zip codes for 2017.

EXAMPLE: You have 14 zip codes, three local and 11 that you purchased. For 14 zip codes we expect: 14/3 = 5 contacts (4.67 rounded up). Let’s assume that you had only 3 email contacts (note: we do not count duplicate or BOGUS contacts) On November 15th, we would have invoiced you $198 (11 X $18) for 2017 renewal. However, you really only got the activity we would have expected for 9 total zip codes, which would have been 3 local zip codes, and 6 additionally purchased zip codes. Therefore, we will credit your invoice DOWN to $108 (6 X $18) and give you the same 14 zip codes for 2017. In other words, you will have 5 of those 11 paid zip codes for free.

If you did better than 1 for 3 (many have) then you owe us money. NO, we’re just kidding. This is a minimum guarantee.

IMPORTANT: There are NO REFUNDS, simply a reduced renewal cost for the SAME zip codes for the following year. You can add zip codes, and pay for those, but if you substitute any of those zip codes then the price of renewal for those will still be $18 for the year.

This guarantee is designed to act as a way to retroactively balance out the cost of zip codes listings that are NOT as attractive or not producing.

Reviewing Zip Codes Pricing For 2017The ability for ALL Windows PC subscribers to buy an additional 90 zip codes is unchanged. However, as previously announced, the renewal price for those 90 zip codes is going from $1.25 per month, to $1.50 per month, payable to the end of the calendar year. This means that those renewing for 2017 will receive an invoice of $18 per zip code for the year (over their local zip codes). We expect some will want to carefully review the zip codes that they currently have, and may want to drop some to control their total cost for 2017. That’s fine.

Remember, you have last year’s email traffic, and the Zip Code Analyzer, which is found here:

www.term4sale.com/zipcodeThe combination of those two things will guide you in that decision making process.

Yes, at some point we will build a system to give you better information about zip code contact performance, but we will introduce a new pricing structure at the same time. So while you’re thinking about some of the work this involves, we think you will eventually look back on the “good old days” when we make those changes (not in the short run).

Once again, when you are invoiced for 2017 renewals, you are NOT required to renew any zip code. If you decide to drop all or some of your zip codes, those zip codes will come back into the pool of available zip codes on January 9th. In fact we expect that will happen, giving subscribers who are hungry for more, better listings a chance to jump in.

IMPORANT: We give subscribers from November 15th to January 6th to pay their zip code renewals. That means you can decide in which year to expense the cost for tax deduction purposes. Yes, term4sale listings are an advertising expense and you can deduct them from your commission income. If you think you may benefit from the one in 3 guarantee wait until late in December to make your claim and pay your invoice.

In addition to being able to buy an additional 3 local zip codes for $12 each (for 12 months), Standard License subscribers can buy an additional 240 zip codes over the first 90 that all Windows PC subscribers can purchase (most Compulife subscribers buy the personal use edition which only allows 3 local zip codes).

For standard license subscribers, the total of 320 zip codes is REDUCED this year from 360 which was the total last year. Those that had 360 last year, will need to find 40 that they can give up. Note, some of that may be resolved automatically as the bumping process may remove you from some of the zip codes that you previously were paid to be listed in.

The price per zip code, for zip codes over 90, will increase to $2 per zip code per month ($24 per year). We expect that to be a pinch for some standard license subscribers, but then that was one of the reasons for ratcheting up the ability to get 6 local zip codes instead of 3.

We deeply appreciate your business, and want to make sure that Compulife remains profitable for you. On the other hand, we need to free up space for other subscribers who want to participate but simply can’t find good zip codes to be listed in. We are doing this in small yearly adjustments, trying to find the right balance.

Here’s a Tip: Personal use subscribers may want to upgrade from personal use to standard license to take advantage of the ability to get those 3 additional local zip codes (for a total of 6). We can do that upgrade for you on November 7th, when you call to maneuver into 3 additional better zip codes in your local area.

Term4Sale Changes CompletedWe announced in the midmonth bulletin the introduction of the new changes to www.term4sale.com. I really like what Jeremiah has come up with and the new look and feel, together with the changes to content, should produce the objectives we set:

• 1. Make the site fully responsive – works great on a smart phone

 

• 2. Make the site look more professional – the new logo is great

 

3. More aggressively encourage consumers to contact Compulife susbcribers

For the most part I think we have achieved our goals.

I did hear from some agents who had two negatives.

First, those visiting the site who had recently used it sometimes had a problem with the site until they were able to refresh the home page. Some of the old style pages that were stored on their local machine/device were mixing with new pages, or vice versa, creating a bit of a mess. The refresh fixed it but some who called didn’t know how to do a refresh.

Second, some agents complained that the new format was not as nice for them because they had been taking our pricing quotes, doing a copy and paste to put those quote into other documents. The old quotes were simpler and worked better, we understand. While we appreciate agents that “free roll” and use term4sale, who add to our overall traffic numbers, the fact is that the target audience of term4sale is the consumer who isn’t the least bit interested in copying and pasting anything. Consumers are just looking for the price of a life insurance product, and after they get those prices we are hoping to introduce them to you our customer.

As a result of some of that agent dissatisfaction, some of our repeat visitor numbers have gone down slightly. But the good news is that our new visitor numbers have gone up. Before it was 50/50, now its 60/40 with new over repeat. That’s a good sign that we are getting more consumers. The other good news was that I convinced a couple of agents to try the Windows PC software of Compulife pointing out to them that as an agent, the Windows PC software is really our intended product for agent use.

Most important, I am seeing a lot more “green” in the google traffic. This means more people with phones are using the site and that was one of the objectives (responsive pages). The use of PC computers is on the downturn in some demographics and some people are using their smart phones more and more as their primary computer. Having the site compatible with phone was really, really important.

I’ve also detected a bit of an up-tick (not huge) in the number of consumers providing information to the agents listed on the site. I hope that some of the third parties who refer consumers to the site, will take note of what I have to say about the value of dealing with an independent agent, and repeat that advice to their readers.

Overall I believe that this has been a successful upgrade and I think once regular visitors are used to it, will keep even the repeat visitors happy. I have no doubt that first time visitors like it better than the old.